Starter sounds like it’s stripping

05 2.7
Starter acts as if it’s stopping I the middle of the proses then sounds like it’s stripped ...
I replaced the starter and cleaned contacts with the starter ... both the new and old do the same ... any help would be appreciated

 

Pull the starter back out and spin the crankshaft around while checking the teeth on the ring gear

 

rotate the motor a bit (pull on serpintine, rotate crank pully etc) and try again, sounds like a couple of teeth missing on the flywheel. If you are a manual get it rolling a bit and bump it to rotate the motor easy.

 

Is the starter free-wheeling where it sounds like it's spinning but disengaged from the flywheel? Or does it crank the engine and make a grinding noise before/as it sounds like it is no longer spinning the engine?

 

It engages and then strips ... sometimes it’s enough to fire off

 

I was thinking it was a problem with the voltage some how ... not maybe it is the fly wheel

 

The Bendix is engaging but mid start it drips

 

Strips

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "strips".
I would have a good look at the teeth on the flywheel.

 

Sounds like to me your starter is engaging, then disengaging and continuing to spin?

 

Manual trans or auto?

My '01 needed the clutch switch adjusted later in life... if I didn't make sure to mash the pedal ALLLLLL the way down, any let-up and it would do what you described... use the clutch cancel switch on the dash and it wouldn't happen.

 

Any update on this problem? I'm having the same issue with my 05 sport. I replaced the starter about 1.5 years ago. Yesterday my starter, started the same issue. Will start to crank, then it seems like it is spinning free, then catch and crank the engine. Thanks, everyone.

I forgot to ask: will something like this show up on a OBDII

 

I'd guess no. There are no sensors on the starter. To diagnose, I would pull the starter and inspect the flywheel or flexplate. If there are fouled teeth, the trans needs to come off to replace.

 

Okay. Here's what I'm working with. I have the starter off and as you can see the teeth are worn. My question is could this cause the problem? The spindle does seem to work appropriately (move in and out without diff), but it really appears the teeth are not seating in the other end proporly.

 

I have an old motor in my garage. I'll take a pic of my flex plate. The starter looks fine to me, the flex plate looks really worn. Did you spin all 360 degrees? Are there missing teeth? The flex plates on these are pretty thin.

 

No I didn't spin the flex plate. Can I do that by hand? Just reaching in and spinning or do I need to do this some other way?

 

Put a ratchet with a 22 or 24mm socket on the harmonic balancer and turn it clockwise as you face the cab. I'll show that in the pic too.

 

Looks like starter isnt engaging all the way...teeth look worn on flywheel. Is your battery charging ok?

 

Here are the teeth from a flex plate with 220k miles. They look perfect.

Also, a pic of the harmonic balancer, which you can turn with a 22mm socket. It’s attached to the crank.

I think your flex plate is shot.