here's my problem......i go to crank her up this morning.....and she starts okay, so i head off to school, and remember that i forgot something. so i come home, and i need my keys to get back in the house....so i shut the car off. i come back outsideand go to crank it (get your mind out of the gutter ) ....and when i turn the key i just hear a "whiiiiiiiirrrrrrrrrrr" noise, like the starter's spinning freely...so i took another car to school. anyway, i just got home, and started it up okay, but it sounds like the starter's catching after the car starts. would a bad solenoid cause this free-spinning problem, or would it just cause the starter to just click and not spin at all?

 

No.

It needs a starter. The drive is dead.

 

even though when i came home it started?

 

also......it seems to only act up when it's cold outside.....any ideas? or do i just need to get a whole new starter?

 

anyone?

 

Demon you need a new starter. Outside temps have nothing to do with it..the starter solenoid is getting ready to take the big dirt nap...my advice is to buy a new starter..solenoid is attached to new starter..and the less you have to crawl around underneath that thing the better..unless you enjoy that kind of thing..lol..go get a new starter.. Pay Attention if your starter requires shims for any reason..if needed new starter will not last long without them...later

 

The sound you hear is the starter spinning, but the selenoid is not doing its job of pushing the nose gear of the starter into position to engage the flywheel. Sometimes it will go, sometimes it will not. Bottom line, replace the starter. You can buy just the selenoid alone for about $10.00, but you might as well replace the whole package, since you will be under there anyway. Problem solved.