In 1999 Honda Civic 1300 (UK): About every fourth or every third start the key-turn produces a horrible loud grating / rasping which sounds like the starter has failed to engage properly with the gearing on the flywheel.
A second key-turn immediately starts the car and away we go.
Is the gearing non-engagement a correct analysis?
Is this a garage job?
Any simply fix?
Rip it out. Clean the working components with degreaser, don't lubricate any moving part as it will attract dirt. Allow to dry properly Re-attach to car. Test
I would have thought a starter motor of that era would be pre-engaged but if not then it's probably the starter gear sticking on the Bendix spiral. A good clean up (no lubrication as you've already been advised) might fix it or stick a new starter motor on. Leave it too long and it'll rip up the teeth on the flywheel and then you're into a big repair job.
a tooth or two or 3 chipped,? so when 2 broken ones engage it slips- if so it will get worse and worse...
hope its just teeth on the starter broken as you dont want to replace the teeth on the flywheel/engine or wherever they are on a honda....
Thanks all for quick responses. This means a trip down to that nice man who . . . .
Best wishes of the season.
yes.
Not neceessarily
In my expereince there are three possible causes.
1/. The starter motor is actually loose. 2/. It's not getting enough power - check battery voltage and/or loose connections. worn brushes also cause this.3/. The inertia pinion is semi corroded and gunked up, in which case a spray of silicone oil will fix if you can get to the pinion.
However most of these require you to at least get to the bolts and wires to check: if thats beyond you its a garage job. And they will probably simply sling in a reconditioned motor.
There are two basic types of starter motor drive - inertia and pre-engage. The first simply throws the pinion down a thread when the motor starts turning to engage the drive - rather crude. They can stick due to dirt etc and cleaning it may work.
The second type uses a solenoid to pull the pinion in place - identified by what looks like a smaller motor piggy backed onto the main one. Those can also stick - although cleaning them can be more tricky.
Cleaning either really means removing the motor - and this job varies from dead simple to pretty complicated according to model.
Missed the original. I don't know the car, but from the symptoms it'll be stuck Bendix gear.
Note some pre-engaged models also have Bendix gear. It isn't a classic pre-engagement solenoid fault, or nothing would happen at all.
Easiest and best fix is a re-conditioned starter motor. Should be possible for any half-way competent home mechanic, it's a "one spanner" job in the Haynes manual - which I suggest you get.
Andy
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