video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

[OneEightSeven]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUKj4KDKV24

So I was leaving the office last night and on my way down the garage I hear a rattle when adding throttle. Figured it's an exhaust leak. If u add some throttle it will rattle on it's own in park, but not in drive.

After ruling out the exhaust I'm fairly sure it sounds like either the starter disintegrating or the flex plate is cracked. Pushing on the starter or hitting it with a hammer makes the sound go away. Hitting it makes it go away until you rev up the car or hit a bump.

The sound is really no worse when reving, but reving does make the noise start when the car is cold.

[3.4grapeofwrath]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

Take the torque converter access cover off and with the car running see if the starter gear is touching the flexplate gears.

[OneEightSeven]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

@3.4grapeofwrath

Is there a reason the starter gear would touch the flex plate gears with the car running? Would that indicate a bad starter or bad flex plate or both? I apologize in advance if this is an obvious question!

I'll be looking at it tomorrow when there is light :).

[Rob Bell]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

If the starter solenoid (or the spring, actually) is bad, the starter gear may not fully retract, and could be scraping or engaging the flexplate. If this is the case, you probably just need a new starter.

[Meatyshells]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

the car probably would not start with a cracked flex plate, and i would expect the sound would be much worse

[cam98aro]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

the car probably would not start with a cracked flex plate, and i would expect the sound would be much worse

the car will start with a cracked flexplate

did you check to see if the starter bolts were tight? pushing/banging on the starter and having the noise go away sounds like it may be loose, it should not be able to move around like that

i had a similar noise when i changed my clutch and bent the inspection plate and it was hitting the flywheel, IIRC there is a plate that goes around the starter (or at least on manuals, not sure about autos), if your starter is loose it may have let the plate move a bit and is hitting the flywheel

[OneEightSeven]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

I'll be looking at all of this shortly guys. First is to check all the starter bolts, then I'll be going from there. On my way to the gym earlier I did notice hitting a speed bump or a pot hole makes the noise happen to so hopefully it's just a bolt. Thanks for the tips!

[OneEightSeven]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

update:

It was the starter. When we got it out it was clear the spring had failed so the gear in the starter was sliding into place at times. $170 and 20 minutes later problem is solved.

Thanks for the help guys!

[cam98aro]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

update:

It was the starter. When we got it out it was clear the spring had failed so the gear in the starter was sliding into place at times. $170 and 20 minutes later problem is solved.

Thanks for the help guys!

thats good, the first thing i thought of was the spring, but when you said moving the starter around it would quit, which sounded odd because the starter really shouldnt have that much room to move, since it is bolted to the block.. but glad you fixed it

[OneEightSeven]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

@cam98aro:

The starter didn't really 'move'. But putting pressure on it definitely made it stop. That and hitting it. I think it must have flexed just enough to prevent the starter gear from continuing to mesh with the flex plate.

[Leonard 3.8L]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

So it was the solenoid?

[OneEightSeven]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

@Leonard 3.8L:

It was the spring. When we went to take the starter out the gear was able to move in and out on it's own. This is why it would rattle harder on hitting bumps.

[Jaysan]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

is your car auto or stick ?

[3.4grapeofwrath]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

is your car auto or stick ?

Auto transmissions use flex plates. Manuals use flywheels.

[Leonard 3.8L]

Re: video: bad starter or cracked flex plate?

@Leonard 3.8L:

It was the spring. When we went to take the starter out the gear was able to move in and out on it's own. This is why it would rattle harder on hitting bumps.

:tup: