starting problem

ok i have a 1993 mustang lx convertable... itsa 2.3 liter 4 cylinder and is automatic with about 146,000 on the motor.... the car is not turning over and is just making a whirring noise like maybe electrical or something spinning, but the belt is not spinning the car was running just hours before this problem started and nothing is visibly moving if you look at the motor and try to start it just that noise coming from around were the transmission and block meet, i beleive its the starter because it did it the other day and started working quickly after that, but now it just will not turn over only that noise, does anyone have any advice?

Sounds like either your starter pooped on ya, or your flywheels ring gear has some teeth worn down. When the starter begins cranking it's supposed to extend a small spur gear out to engage the flywheel and that's what allows your starter to turn the engine over. It's possible theres been a mechanical failure of the mechanism inside the starter which extends the spur gear. The sound you hear is the motor inside the starter spinning freely. It's also possible the flywheels ring gear has a few teeth worn down from 1,000's of starts. Try this, turn the engine by hand just a little bit. I'm talking maybe a couple inches. Try the starter. If it works then it's your ring gear and that sucks. Good luck to you.

P.S. If it's the starter give it a couple blows with a hammer it might work again at least long enough to get you to a parts store to get a new one.

thanks alot ill make sure to try by turning the engine by hand you mean rotating the belt by hand? and i have hit it plenty of times with all kinds of different things( rocks, files, screwdrivers) and that doesnt seem to make much of a difference except the noise changes a little bit... it was having a rough start before hand maybe like it was mis-firing i dont know if that has anything to do with the problem its having now though because it will not even turn over

Yeah, just grab ahold of something like the water pump pulley and try to turn/rotate the engine a couple inches. If the engine is in the right spot it might be fairly easy to turn. If not, you will need a socket to fit the crank bolt (don't know size) and a ratchet to turn the engine.

So hitting the starter doesn't help? Well, it still could be the problem, but try turning the engine 1st. If it works instantly after you turn the engine then it's 99% certain it's the flywheel (I mean flexplate) ring gear and that will require the transmission to be removed in order to fix. Since this car is automatic you have flexplate. Does kind of same thing as flywheel, but not really and much flimsier. It's not possible to replace just the ring gear on this. You will need another flexplate, not sure of cost. However, if after you turn the engine it still just makes the whirring sound, then it's 99% certain the starter is the problem and you can feel confident in buying a new one.