weird sound upon cranking

[Wally]

My car just started making a very odd sound when it turns over. It sounds like a spinning tires. only until the car fully cranks up and then sound is gone.

Any ideas. I will try to get a quick video next time i crank it up.

[Mark Maras]

Is the sound coming from the engine or starter? A stethoscope (3' piece of garden hose) and a friend turning the key would help to isolate it.

[siteunseen]

Do a deep charge on you're battery. Kind of sounds like starter troubles?

[Wally]

32 minutes ago, siteunseen said:

Do a deep charge on you're battery. Kind of sounds like starter troubles?

Funny you should say that. Battery was dead. i charged it enough to crank.... will do an overnight charge and see. thanks

[Wally]

fully charged battery. that stopped sound for a while. now it just started back again and battery is charged. Wondering if it could be the starter?

[jonbill]

my guess is starter. solenoid not engaging correctly so you're just hearing the motor  spin. a fully charged battery might make the difference.

a recording would confirm. 

[Wally]

can you believe it just stopped again. Anyway, when it starts making it again i will make a quick recording

[siteunseen]

I've watched my Dad whack the solenoid with the handle end of a big screwdriver and it fixed it for how long I'm not too sure.

If it's an older starter clean the contacts and make sure the small wire up top seats onto the terminal good and tight. All of the connections while your bent over. I've read shining the ground metal on the starter fixed one. The black one from the battery to the starter mount bolt. Good luck!

[qz16]

A friends car was exhibiting something similar.  He would crank the engine and it would sound like it was spinning, but not start.  Sometimes it would start and run well.  Come back a while later and it would not start. We went down the same route suspecting the solenoid and/or starter.  We took the valve cover off and it looked like the valves wee operating, oil was spraying etc.  When it was in the failing state to check spark via the distributor, we turned the crank with a socket and ratchet.  It seemed to turn way too easily like there was no compression.  He did a compression check and two cylinders were zero (engine cold because it would not start it to warm it up).  A couple of hours later he repeated the compression check and low and behold it registered much higher, but not normal.  The car started and again it ran well.  Turns out it was a couple of stuck valves - that is when he revealed that he had put some old gas in to dispose of or use up.  Unlikely that you are having the same issue, but it may be worth eliminating.  

Hope it resolves soon.

[Wally]

here is short clip from today and the sound it invariably makes

 

 

[jonbill]

that sounds like a car starting fairly normally. maybe there's a bit of fan belt squeal when you rev it. 

Is this representative of the problem? I'd assumed the car wasn't starting. 

[dutchzcarguy]

On 12/23/2022 at 12:53 AM, siteunseen said:

All of the connections while your bent over.

Is it possible there should be the word: CHECK ..  in front of that sentence? 😉  

Site has been sniffing his house plants to much? 🌴  😁