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WTF is wrong with my gf's car?

Bulk Beef

Bulk Beef

Diamond Member
2000 Hyundai Elantra starting trouble.

Worked fine Tuesday morning. Sat for few days. It's been wet and cold (not Arctic) here. I went to start it this morning, and the starter spins, but doesn't engage anything. IOW, the starter motor spins freely, but the engine is not turning over.

Any clues? I feel bad about it, since I'm driving her car (stick) and she's driving mine (automatic) while her wrist heals (broken).

Thanks

 
Originally posted by: sward666
2000 Hyundai Elantra starting trouble.

Worked fine Tuesday morning. Sat for few days. It's been wet and cold (not Arctic) here. I went to start it this morning, and the starter spins, but doesn't engage anything. IOW, the starter motor spins freely, but the engine is not turning over.

Any clues? I feel bad about it, since I'm driving her car (stick) and she's driving mine (automatic) while her wrist heals (broken).

Thanks
Click to expand...

Is it a clicking noise? Any other lights/radio come on?

-PAB
 
could be a couple things.
the bendix on the starter might be stuck and not pushing the gear out to the flywheel.
or you could have some missing teeth on the flywheel itself or bad teeth on the starter.
you can try smacking the starter housing with a wood mallet and see if the bendix loosens up.
could also try removing the starter and looking at the flewheel and the starter teeth to see if there is excessive wear or missing teeth.
 
Sure the starter would spin.. well, I've seen that before on my car anyways... I basically went under the car with a shovel... hit the motor and it worked... it was just stuck...that was my case.. that's unlikely, but you can give it a try.
EDIT: that was on my old car, but it solved the turning not engaging starter problem 😛
 
Originally posted by: Yield
Sure the starter would spin.. well, I've seen that before on my car anyways... I basically went under the car with a shovel... hit the motor and it worked... it was just stuck...that was my case.. that's unlikely, but you can give it a try.
EDIT: that was on my old car, but it solved the turning not engaging starter problem 😛
Click to expand...

let me guess, a late 80's - early 90's GM?
 
Originally posted by: Yield
Starter Solenoid quite obviously.
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Actually if the starter turns over then the solenoid is working fine. It sounds to me like either two things could be going on.....
#1 if this has never happened before then most likely the starter drive has failed...just replace the starter.
#2 if it has happened before then it still could be the drive mechanism or it could be that your flywheel teeth have worn in a few spots.


Having been a master certified auto tech for many years I would guess that if you called your GF up she would tell you that this has happened before
and that if you keep trying it will start....but it is possible that the drive just happend to fail while you had the car.



 

the bendix is the part that will stick and let the starter spin without engaging the flywheel.
the solenoid is electrical and accually passes the curent to the starter motor.
bad solenoid = no juice to the starter.
 
Originally posted by: Yield
Originally posted by: GroundZero
if the solenoid is bad the starter won't spin...
Click to expand...

not if it's stuck 😀
it happens, i have heard of it more than once.. happened to my old car too.
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don't you just love it when people think they know what you really know?
another reason i got out of the mechanics bussiness...
but what would i know? i am only ase and plymouth certified.
 
Yah, I'm thinking it's not an electrical (solenoid) problem.

Hasn't happened before, I would have heard about it.

Car only has about 20k on it, so I hope that it's not the flywheel.

Does anybody know off hand if you can get replacement bendixes (bendices?) for these late model things, or can I look forward to shelling out for a whole motor? I'm used to dealing with bikes, and it's hit/miss on whether they make parts like that available by themselves.
 
Originally posted by: sward666
Yah, I'm thinking it's not an electrical (solenoid) problem.

Hasn't happened before, I would have heard about it.

Car only has about 20k on it, so I hope that it's not the flywheel.

Does anybody know off hand if you can get replacement bendixes (bendices?) for these late model things, or can I look forward to shelling out for a whole motor? I'm used to dealing with bikes, and it's hit/miss on whether they make parts like that available by themselves.
Click to expand...


The bendix is part of the starter motor assembly. If you replace the starter you will replace the bendix.
 
Isn't it under warranty, with only 20K?
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You know, that is an excellent question. She bought this thing used in March, and Hyundais come with a pretty good warranty, but a big chunk of the goodness is only for the original owner. I'll have to check it out.
 
Well if its never happened before then you can discount the flywheel, your not just gonna rip the teeth off a flyywheel in a single shot, they wear gradually. Unless you know somebody then your not going to be able to find the parts needed to fix the starter.
Just buy a decent rebuilt starter from a reputable source or if you cannot afford it and have to have the car then try getting one from a junkyard.

 
Base warranty on this car should be 3year or 36K miles, which ever comes first. So yes it is under warranty. As for the problem, I had this happen on my car once at freezing temp., my starter drive (bendix) froze. I poured warm/hot water on it and the car started fine.

Call a dealer and see if they will tow it in for a repair, your gf may have to be there to sign the paper work.

Good luck.
 
Originally posted by: BentValve
Well if its never happened before then you can discount the flywheel, your not just gonna rip the teeth off a flyywheel in a single shot, they wear gradually. Unless you know somebody then your not going to be able to find the parts needed to fix the starter.
Just buy a decent rebuilt starter from a reputable source or if you cannot afford it and have to have the car then try getting one from a junkyard.
Click to expand...

unless of course he has been trying to start a car that is already running.

i'd check on the warranty and go from there.

if you have to replace it yourself, i'd say you can probably get a rebuilt one for 50 to 100 bucks.
 
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