Starter Issue

91 2.3L occasionally when i try to start my car, the starter makes a really loud scraping type of sound. The sound is pretty much the same sound that a car makes when you try to start a car thats already running. this problem is very annoying because i have to wait a little while before i can succesfully start my car again. any help?

Sounds like the starter is going bad.

It sounds like there are worn teeth on the flywheel. Remove the starter, and then slowly rotate the engine while looking at the teeth on the flywheel. They should have clean spots on them, maybe a little rust. If there are spots where it looks like someone took a grinder to the teeth, then you have found your problem. If they are worn down, then replace both the flywheel AND the starter. If you do just one, then you will find yourself in the smae boat again.

well i got a really cheap source of starters an alternators, so i just got a new starter and the problem is fixed! but the flywheel didnt look too bad. is it a possibility that the teeth on the flywheel could be in good condition, but the teeth on the armature assembly (starter) are worn down? because the flywheel is in a very hard-to-get place.