dj44

All of the sudden out of the blue I am getting a terrible loud metal on metal sounding scraping noise when trying to start. There is a new (3 week old) starter in the car and like I said - one day it was fine, and the next this awful sound with trouble starting.

The clutch has been slipping a little and the battery may be weak or on it's way out. What is the most likely cause? The new starter being bad? Flywheel?

BW56

The first thing I would look at is the only thing changed. The starter. Did the bolts loosen up causing misalignment?

sledge.impy

Mr 1st post - Your idea of a metal on metal horrible sound might be normal to other people.

Post a video or something that has the sound. We have no idea if you replaced it or a qualified mechanic... who knows how it was shimmed.

You offer no mileage or year of your vehicle. This could be an 1983 cavalier for all we know.


In the meantime, check your battery voltage.

dj44

I could write a very thick novel about the disaster that the last month has been, so I am trying to not overwhelm people when asking questions. It truly has been a mind-boggling awful series of problems.

The car is a 2001 Cavalier 5-speed manual with 183K. I have had the car since it was bought new and have been the one to drive every one of those miles. The original starter was still in it back in October of this year just a few weeks ago when it started to make the same noise it is now. I took it to a repair place where I live (800 miles from my current location) and within literally 5 minutes, they told me it was the starter and I needed a new one. I paid them $400 to install what would have cost me about $130 at the parts store because of the timing and location at that moment - and also because I wanted it done for sure right and didn't want to take any chances on something going wrong during my 6-week-long trip down to my elderly father's place because that would be the worst thing that could happen.

I had no issues after the new (remanufactured, NAPA) starter was put in - for 28 days until half-way through the trip when it suddenly started to make a VERY LOUD, terrible scraping noise similar to - but much worse than - the original starter problem. I had to change all my plans in the middle of the trip just to get to my Dad's driveway and the car has been sitting there unstarted with the exception of twice - for the last 20 days.

This noise is not something that anyone would consider normal. It stops people in their tracks for a hundred yards in all directions and sounds like hell. Let me know if you want any more details because like I said - I could wirte a book on everything that has gone wrong.

BW56

Is it making the noise only while starting up? Is the noise there while running and change pitch with engine rpm? I'll ask if it could be the shield around the flywheel rubbing on the flywheel? Lets narrow in down a little at a time.

dj44

The noise has always (meaning for the 10 or so total start or failed start-attempts since it started) - been only during the starting (key turned) or attempted / failed starting period. If the car starts - which it has done about half of those times - everything is totally normal with no unusual engine sounds at all and the car runs perfectly after that. Engine RPM does not cause or stop the noise.

Other things that are complicating my situation: About the same time as the new starter was put in, the clutch started to slip. That has grown worse over the last 2 months, but I needed to get this trip over-with and get back home before that huge and expensive project and so I have been nursing the slipping along gently and since it was a mostly interstate trip, that worked - or at least seemed to - until this starting disaster. Second, after sitting in the driveway for 10 days with me not wanting to damage anything by trying to start it - the battery was as dead as a rock. I had to hook it up to a charger and then 2 days in a row last week went for a long pointless drive just to get it as charged as it could get. So between the dead or weak battery and the clutch I don't know which - if either of them - may be the problem that is causing the current starting crisis - or what would be worse than that (and that is pretty bad because I am afraid that if I take it to the place under the new starter warranty, they'll tell me it isn't starter-related and not covered) - would be if I never even needed a starter back in October and the whole time it was something else like the flywheel which would really **** me off and mean I spent the $400 for nothing.

The noise sounds very destructive and really bad - so I haven't gone out there and repeated it a bunch of times. It varies in terms of how long it lasts - from 1 second to 5 seconds but it has been there like I said for all 10 starts since it first happened half-way through the trip on November 21 out of nowhere.

As if all that isn't enough, my dad was counting on me to have a working car - and he can't drive me anywhere - and I am stuck in the middle of nowhere miles from any auto parts place or repair shop. Like I said.....a real mess.

BW56

Since the noise began before the starter was replaced and returned shortly after replacing the starter. The only common connection is the fly wheel. If the flywheel gear is worn (under size) or damaged, a new starter may help till it gets worn down by the bad flywheel gear. Anyone else have a better scenario?

dj44

I started it again for only the third time in the past 25 days - so that the battery would get charged, and nothing has changed. Still a terrible loud scraping noise. Failed to start first time but did on second attempt. Don't have jack stands with me and can't jack it up because the spot it is parked in is already at an angle. So I would have to try and squeeze under the front to remove or inspect the starter/flywheel situation. I would like to know if I went to all the trouble of doing that - that I would actually be able to see something worthwhile that might help me figure out what to do next. Anyone?