Go to start the car, and I hear the starter motor spinning, but the engine doesn't turn over. It's like the starter has somehow disengaged from the flywheel.

I've never really looked in there, but could the starter motor simply have shifted away from the flywheel? Or could the gear actually have become separated from the motor?

Or is there something else?

 

Considering how easy it is to remove the starter, you ought to take a look.

Could be that stuff you say, or it could be broken teeth on the flywheel.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MikekiM &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It's like the starter has somehow disengaged from the flywheel.</TD></TR></TABLE>FWIW, the starter pinion gear disengages from the flywheel every time. When you start, it pushes itself into the flywheel gear, & when you let go of the key it pulls back away...

Maybe the solenoid that's supposed to push the pinion out is broken?

When the starter doesn't engage the flywheel, it really screams. But maybe, worst case, if you don't recognize the sound, is a broken timing belt. Without the cylinder compression, it sounds like the engine isn't cranking. But actually the engine IS spinning with the starter. Watch your alternator/AC/PS belts to see whether this is it.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. Hadn't thought about broken teeth or the timing belt. Sure hope it's neither of those!

Is the solenoid that controls the movement of the pinion integral to the starter unit itself? If I buy a new starter would it eliminate that as a possibility?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MikekiM &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is the solenoid that controls the movement of the pinion integral to the starter unit itself?</TD></TR></TABLE>Yes. It's the smaller can next to the motor. It throws the pinion out & also closes the circuit to turn on the motor.