Pls help me diagnose this odd "ignition" sound

I have an 01 Tacoma V6 3.4L This odd "starting" noise has been happening intermittently for the past few months. It occurs when I turn the key to start the truck. I recently put in a fresh new battery because I had the old battery tested and was told it was bad. However the sound persists. Hope you can hear it in the video I made.

The truck actually starts up even with the odd sound but it still concerns me because I am often in remote places and never want to be stranded.

Oddly it can go days and days with normal starts before happening again. For example I just drove cross country and had normal starts till today. Not sure if its the ignition, fuel pump, etc. Maybe its a sound easy to recognize.

Can you help me diagnose it?



Thanks

-prerunnersd

 

Sounds like a worn starter binder gear?
If it is, I’d fix it before it messes up my flexplate / flywheel.

 

Hey that’s very specific what does that entail? Does that mean I should eplace the entire starter? Or something else. I’m mechanically inclined but this went over my head.

could it possibly be anything else? thanks for the info so far!

 

The noise sounds like it is “grinding” before the truck actually starts.
With out actually being there to “see and hear it” I can’t say for certain.
If it is the starter, then Yes. You would need to replace the starter.

Does it do this all the time?
Most of the time?
Or occasionally?

It’s possible it could be the the Flywheel.
But let’s hope not.

 

It happens occasionally like maybe one out of 20 times that I start and then it goes away. Luckily I was able to record it because it never happens on command so it be hard to bring into a mechanic for them to check out if I can’t replicate.

my truck is an automatic transmission so does that rule out the fly wheel concerns?

it definitely feels like a starting issue but best I have is that recording. It’s a grinding sound but it’s also like a sound that diminishes like its struggling almost but the truck always starts I just don’t want to be in a position where it doesn’t start anymore.

 

All I can go off is the video.
To me, it sounds Starter related.

A mechanic could probably replicate the problem by pulling the correct fuses and then bumping the ignition switch multiple times until it makes the noise.

Let’s wait for a few other opinions.
Maybe someone else has a different take on it?

 

Ok anyone else have any ideas about what this is?


Thank you

 

For anyone in the future that wants a followup: I just had a new starter installed. The mechanic did not see any visible outward issues wrong with the old starter nor was the electrical off. I looked at where the gears engage the transmission flywheel and everything looks fine. Now the odd ignition sound has gone away. I would have preferred to have the nice original Denso made in Japan starter rebuilt but I am traveling so I had to settle for an $80 dollar non OEM version. I was only charged an hour of labor to have it installed. Can you believe several places quoted me for $3 hrs+ for labor?!

Thanks

-prerunnersd

 

Glad you got it fixed.