Loud noise when starting car.....?

soupdrinker

Occassionly when turning the ignition key when starting my car, there is a really loud noise - hard to explain what it sounds like, but kinda like a loud growling noice with an undertone of a loud screech:eek:

It only happens occassionly - might not happen for weeks but then could could happen once or twice a day and then stop again for a while. When it happens I just turn the car off and then start it again after a couple of mins and it is fine.....

I brought it to the garage but they said they couldnt find anything wrong.....maybe cos it didn't happen when they were starting the car?

Any ideas what it could be? could it be the clutch?

Juwwi

Maybe the fan belt is lose but I would presume the garage checked that.

Is it worse in the wet?

bigted2

might be the starter motor if it is intermitent:)

soupdrinker

robbie1977 wrote: »

Maybe the fan belt is lose but I would presume the garage checked that.

Is it worse in the wet?

Not to sure to be honest - never really noticed one way or the other:o

Would either the fan belt of the starter motor be a big expensive job.

As the garage say they don't know what the problem is (or if there is even a problem) even though there is, should I go to the garage to suggest these things?

spiggotpaddy

if it a fan belt then thats quite a cheap fix. if its the starter you could get away with cleaning the bendix gear. which is common on a lot of vag cars.
you could put up a video so we could have listen and offer some advice.

Nissan doctor

Could I hazard a guess that its a VAG group car you have?

The starter motors on many models are prone to sticking when starting the car leading to a strange noise just as the engine is started.

run_Forrest_run

I was also going to ask is it a VAG car?
My Octavia gives out the odd cat screech on start up...had work done on the starter motor, even had a reconditioned one put in and it still happens, not as often but still happens.

Fishtits

OP what's the make & model? it sounds like the clutch pack is acting up in your starter, simple enough repair.

Mr Benevolent

It's a funny noise to hear on a cold morning. Fairly harmless though.

V Eight

Bring it to a different garage!

Yep my Dads Octy does the same, has been told its the starter motor also.

Been like that for a good year or so.

jsd1004

robbie1977 wrote: »

Maybe the fan belt is lose but I would presume the garage checked that.

Is it worse in the wet?

Does anyone know the difference between loose and lose...?

spiggotpaddy

cisk wrote: »

Yep my Dads Octy does the same, has been told its the starter motor also.

Been like that for a good year or so.

take the starter off and clean the bendix gear with carb or brake cleaner.
its a simple fix, how can you live with that noise for a year, thats your flywheel grinding from the sticky starter.and watch out for the spelling police above.

R.O.R

jsd1004 wrote: »

Does anyone know the difference between loose and lose...?

http://www.ross.net/notes/loose.shtml

And for those on the mobile:

Lose vs Loose
A lot of people are mixing up lose and loose. In particular, a lot of people are writing loose when they really mean lose. Here are the definitions of the two words from my Penguin dictionary:

loose [lOOs] adj not fastened or pre-packed; not tied up or confined; able to move freely; not tight, not firmly fixed; not close-fitting; careless, inaccurate, vague; dissolute, immoral; not closely woven; flabby; (of bowels) inclined to diarrhoea; l. box stable or van in which an animal can move about; at a l. end uncertain what to do next; unoccupied ~ loose adv in a loose way; play fast and l. behave rashly or unscupulously ~ loose n release; on the l. free from restraint; on a spree; ~ loose v/t untie, undo; release from confinement or constraint, set free; detatch; fire (gun); shoot (arrow); (eccles) absolve.

lose (p/t and p/part lost) [lOOz] v/t and i no longer have; be deprived of by accident or misfortune; mislay, fail to find; fail to get or win; be too late for; be bereaved of; waste; be defeated or beaten; suffer loss, become worse off; fail to hear, see or understand; cause or allow to perish; (of clock or watch) go too slowly; (refl) miss the right path; become absorbed in; l. one's head become flustered, panic; l. one's temper grow angry; l. one's way fail to find the right path; l. out (US) be defeated after a struggle.

Examples:


This knot is too loose.
Please do not lose my book.
I had better not lose that file.

One way to remember the difference between the two words is to think that "lose has lost an 'o'".

Breaks/Brakes tbh..........

run_Forrest_run

spiggotpaddy wrote: »

take the starter off and clean the bendix gear with carb or brake cleaner.
its a simple fix, how can you live with that noise for a year, thats your flywheel grinding from the sticky starter.and watch out for the spelling police above.

that's all been done on my Octavia and I still get the problem, more rare now but still happens sometimes. I'm going to leave it now, it's been like this for 3 years and doesn't affect reliability. Car isn't worth much anyway and won't be spending much more on it.