Thread: No Start!

So I am pretty sure that I have a starter problem but I thought I would get the opinion of my expert friends.

Every so often when I turn my car on it just makes a "buzzing" sound when the starter should be cranking and it makes no attempt to turn on. I don't get any of the normal hard start sounds other than that buzzing.

The starter is less than 1 year old and when I had this problem previously it was the factory anti-theft device that was disabling the vehicle. I have since disconnected that device and the car has been starting no problem for a year now.

I am thinking that the starter is either bound up or maybe I have a bad ground.

Any thoughts?

Sounds like a solenoid, or bad wiring.
Take the starter off, turn the drive gear a few times by hand, then put it back on and make sure the wiring is clean. You can also take it to the local Checker Auto if you have one near by, and have them test it. Their tester is great.

Have you checked the battery lately?

I have not checked the battery as it was running and starting first try no more than 6 hours ago and for the last month. The car is not making the typical dead battery noises either.

That is what I was thinking but it is too damn cold for me to be working outside right now. Need to try to get it started and to a heated garage that I use.

The car is starting sometimes and not starting other times? If that's the case, my guess would be a wiring / battery issue. I think that when a starter goes, it goes. Pull the battery and have it tested just in case, and then attack your grounds. My car wouldn't start about 6 months ago and it was because of bad connections. Scrubbing with a wire brush wasn't good enough. I actually took a drill and drill bit and got inside each connector and exposed fresh metal on each connection. After I tried that, it started right up and hasn't missed a beat since. And it took me 15 minutes to do.

I took a metal brush to the connectors and battery terminals until I had fresh shiny metal for contacts today and still nothing. I have an extra starter here that I am going to try. Crossing my fingers.

So the battery is testing out at 11.3 volts during crank so it is fine. I checked the starter and was not getting any power. I disconnected it and reconnected it and like magic it started. I think that the culprit was a bad ground. It is not fixed but it is running. Gonna need to build or find a new grounding kit.