Starting problem

94 Cavy, 2.2L, 5 speed
When I try and start it, the starter likes to just spin and not turn the motor over, it will catch every once in a while, but takes 15 to 40 times to actually start it. I replaced the starter with one from a salvage yard (after bringing the bought one to a shop to get tested, said it was good). I put that on, at first it just spun like the original one did, but then started making a grinding type noise and wont start at all. What else would do this? I have been thinking about the fywheel but am not really sure.

Well if the flywheel has a bad spot in it then the starter would only do it every time that it hit that spot and not as much as what you are saying.

What year Caviler is it and what motor?

Some of the older Cavilers like 1996 or older somtimes need shim kits that go in between the starter and the housing where they bolt to. This shim kit is made to help positon the starter a little further back from the flywheel, cause it does sound like your bendix on the starter may actually be moving to far forward.

Start by checking that the salvaged starter has the same number of teeth and that they're the same size. If either is off the gears won't mesh and will cause that problem. Put your old starter in a vice (not too tight, but tight enough to hold it, wrap a rag around it if you need to), get a set of jumper cables, and check to see that the gear is sliding out when you put power to the exciter wire.

Like stated above, 94 Cavy, 2.2L, 5 speed. I havent had any problems with it until about 2 weeks ago when it started freespining everyonce in a while. but is now doing it all the time. I took the old started back since that one would just grind and the original one tested fine at the auto store

If the starter is working fine out of the car but once you place in back on the car it is freespinning and or grinding then there very well could be a problem with the flywheel in the car. Or it could be that the placment on the starter in the vehicle is causing the starter to bind down and not work properly. There were no shims on the starter? But in a way it also sounds like the bendix on the origanal starter may not be kicking fully out when it is placed under a load.

It almost has to be a starter problem. If you had a bad section on the flywheel the starter would never turn it until you turned the crank a bit by hand. Do yourself a favor and buy a new or remanufactured one. If that doesn't fix your problem you can always return it, but I'd bet it's your starter that's bad. I generally advise that people not rely on the cashier at the store to diagnose anything more advanced that "what shelf it's on", and I've even seen a few screw that up...

It almost has to be a starter problem. If you had a bad section on the flywheel the starter would never turn it until you turned the crank a bit by hand. Do yourself a favor and buy a new or remanufactured one. If that doesn't fix your problem you can always return it, but I'd bet it's your starter that's bad. I generally advise that people not rely on the cashier at the store to diagnose anything more advanced that "what shelf it's on", and I've even seen a few screw that up...


I would have to agree totally, I have seen from our parts stores here higher the automotivelly challenged. :grinyes:

But all in all I belive the starter under a load is not functioning properly. I have also seen that buying parts from salvage yards means that you can wind up witht the same issue or somtimes more issues than with new or remaufacterd parts.

Looks like I will be push starting it for a while than, The ring gear doesnt look too bad, but I think it may still be that. Next check ill try a new starter and go from there. And yeah, the first place I took it to get tested, the guy who tested it, I used to work with him, and yeah, he is dumber than a box of rocks.

nm post 9