Grinding noises and wont start

Howdy! I'm new to the group, i've had my YJ for about 5 years now and it's the first time i've ran into anything that has had me stumped. about 4 weeks ago my battery finally crapped out and died. I had driven it with a super low battery for about 2 weeks (i know bad idea) until i came up with the money to replace the bad battery. So i replaced it and everything was fine and dandy until about 3 weeks ago when i went to start my jeep and i got this weird loose grinding noise. Not like something was being torn apart, i guess it would be more of a free spinning chain noise. I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions about what it might be? The jeep will catch every third of fourth try and start right up but it has me mystified.

Reply to
Matt
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Starter motor ? Check the bolts holding it on first.

Dave Milne, Scotland

Reply to
Dave Milne

Starter would be the first place I'd check. Also check the teeth on the flywheel and starter to make sure nothing got broken.

-- DougW

Reply to
DougW

Sounds like your starter drive has gone bad, time for a new starter.

If I remember right these have the kind of Bendix that when the starter spins the centrifugal force causes the gear to extend out into the ring gear on the flywheel or torque converter. When the Bendix starts going bad the gear won't extend properly and it does what you are describing.

Although it wouldn't hurt if you make sure all the electrical connections are clean and tight, if the starter is spinning more slowly than it should the same thing can happen.

Another possibility is that the ring gear is bad, if you have a habit of trying to start an already running engine that can tear up the ring gear... but that's unlikely.

Jeff DeWitt

Reply to
Jeff DeWitt

And if you are in the rust belt or offroad any, sometimes a sharp tap with an axe handle to starter motor will free it up for a short while.

Bad spinup or lazy starter can often be the starter relay.

Reply to
DougW

Ouch!

As others have noted, check the starter to see if it's loose first, but the low battery starts could have done some serious damage.

I have seen the starter gear not fully fit into the flywheel from low power starting which eats off the gears on both the starter 'and' ring gear.

If the starter is tight, you need to remove it and inspect the gears on in and on the flywheel. If the flywheel gears are chewed, they will kill a new starter fast, real fast...

I find it easiest to pull the engine on a Jeep to fix it rather than pulling the tranny and working from below.... At least the ring gear can be replace, you don't need a whole flywheel if it's chewed up.

I had a defective rebuilt starter blow it's nose bushing which ate up my ring gear fast. Sure a new starter was free under warranty, but that 'didn't include pulling the engine or tranny to fix it.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > Howdy! I'm new to the group, i've had my YJ for about 5 years now and
Reply to
Mike Romain

Percussive maintenance has gotten me home many a time .

Jeff DeWitt

Reply to
Jeff DeWitt

When I bought my current Suburban about seven years ago, it had hammer marks all over the starter. That starter is still in the vehicle, but I haven't had to hit it once since installing a new battery. Before of the "Redneck ASE Diagnosis" which only admits one solution to any given problem.

Cheers,

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

Or take a screwdriver and jump the gear shift/solenoid on the starter. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O mailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

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Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

Like mike said say check the bolts on your starter. And go on from there.

99 wrangler 31 inch ( soon to be 33's still picking brand) good year mtr tires warn M8000 winch 2.5 lift (soon to be 4 inch lift still picking brand) skyjacker shocks a lot of lights (winch,hood,bumper, wind shield) Even more toys to come

Some people have an addiction to drink... Some people have an addiction to drugs.... I just have an addiction to Jeeps and their accessories....

Here are a few pictures of my rig

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Reply to
Jamie Mello

Hmm...

Is there a 12 step program for Jeepers?

Step 1. We have admitted we were powerless over Jeeps and our lives had become unmanageable.

Step 2. We have come to believe that is a good thing and we like it that way.

Jeff DeWitt

Jamie Mello wrote:

Reply to
Jeff DeWitt

A weak battery means starter is usually powered longer because it cannot spin as fast to light engine and doing this for a while could damage starter from excessive heating. Modern starters are not as sturdy as one used 20 and 30 years ago. I would pull and inspect or replace starter.

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

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