Starter Motor Problem - Sounds Like A Power Tool Wtf?

[ThirtyTwo]

Hi All,

Got a problem with my R32's starter and thought I'd put it out there.

Long story short, I parked my car over night. Came out to start the next morning to go to work and when I turned the key to start her, there was no kick, just a spinning sound like the kind that's projected by a power tool. In other words, if you grabbed a drill or angle grinder and simply ran it at medium RPM in open air, the sound is very similar. I haven't experienced this before so I removed the key immediately but the starter kept on running making the same sound.

I went one step further and disconnected the battery over night but it made no use. Actually it made it worse because now the starter will start spinning as soon as I connect the battery back up.

Firstly, does anyone know what's happening here? And two, does anyone know if I can fix without replacing the starter?

Cheers

[mad082]

Sounds like the part in the starter that makes it flick across and engage with the flywheel has stopped working. So it's just spinning in breeze.

if you pull the starter out (a pain if a job because of the location, but easy enough to do yourself) and take it to an auto electrician they may be able to fix it for you..

[t_revz]

Contacts in the solenoid have welded together. Sometimes caused from starting with a flat battery. Tapping the solenoid might get them to release but prob will have a raised section that will reweld again but might be enough to get it somewhere if you can't pull the starter out yourself.

[ThirtyTwo]

Sounds like the part in the starter that makes it flick across and engage with the flywheel has stopped working. So it's just spinning in breeze. if you pull the starter out (a pain if a job because of the location, but easy enough to do yourself) and take it to an auto electrician they may be able to fix it for you..

Cheers buddy!

[ThirtyTwo]

Contacts in the solenoid have welded together. Sometimes caused from starting with a flat battery. Tapping the solenoid might get them to release but prob will have a raised section that will reweld again but might be enough to get it somewhere if you can't pull the starter out yourself.

Cheers mate!

[poeticjustice88]

could also e thatthe starter motor is flicking onto the flywheel as it should, but it is not grabbing onto the teeth on the ring gear. which is a large ring that sits around the outside of the flywheel, if those teeth on the ring gear are worn, the starter motor will grind against them making that sound