YACT: Is my starter going bad?

[LuckyTaxi]

My battery is new, I changed it a couple weeks ago. I also had my alternator replaced so that can't be it. When I try to start my car it chugs and feel as if it doesnt want to turn over. It takes only one turn but it feels like it wants to give up. The weird thing is, when it does turn over, the AC comes on!

 

[Pepsi90919]

is your defrost or A/C on?

 

[LuckyTaxi]

might have been defrost.

 

[Pepsi90919]

well that runs the A/C

 

[LuckyTaxi]

yea it comes on. it usually doesnt do that obviously.

 

[IGBT]

..check the fault logger on your OBD..the answer may be there.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I had a somewhat similar problem that was the starter. It was increasingly hard to start with it turning over longer and longer. Replacing that fixed it.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Check all the electrical grounds. A bad ground with cause a significant voltage drop to your starter.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
well that runs the A/C

Uh, not in all cars, no. Only in cars built in the last 5 or so years. Most older cars don't do this.

ZV

 

[LuckyTaxi]

ughhhh ... another $300 or so I was told today!

 

[rhino56]

thats stupid 300.00. go buy a new one for much less and a socket set and do it yourself.
its probably gotten off alignment with the flywheel.
make sure the 2 bolts that hold it are tight. if they are you may need a shim to realign it.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

no way jose. I have a supercharger and there's no way in hell I nor joe blow mechanic can get to. I have to take it to the dealer unfortunately. And before someone blast me about the supercharger, it came from the manufacturer preinstalled.

 

[TwoBills]

What kind of car? Starter on a blown engine shouldn't be any harder than one w/o.

Zenmervolt hit it, I think. Check the grounds.

 

[LuckyTaxi]

98 mazda millenia S

 

[njmodi]

Sounds like a starter to me.

 

[screw3d]

I thought I read "Is my sister going bad?"

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
well that runs the A/C

Uh, not in all cars, no. Only in cars built in the last 5 or so years. Most older cars don't do this.

ZV

uh yeah they do.

 

[chrisms]

In my experience a busted starter won't make much noise when the ignition is turned. Maybe a click or a hum but not the whole engine going. If the car is chugging, then it seems to me that the starter is doing its job and the rest of the car isn't following through.

When I had these symptoms it turned out to be a blown head gasket. Of course that also came with water in the oil and water coming out of the tailpipe, symptoms you don't seem to have. It could be just about anything.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Check all the electrical grounds. A bad ground with cause a significant voltage drop to your starter.

ZV

 

[huesmann]

What's having a supercharger got to do with replacing the starter?

 

[BullyCanadian]

Originally posted by: huesmann
What's having a supercharger got to do with replacing the starter?

maybe its in the way, so more of a headache to change?

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: cavemanmoron

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Check all the electrical grounds. A bad ground with cause a significant voltage drop to your starter.

ZV

If this is the case, get it taken care of ASAP, because there's a lot of juice going to the starter, and if it's not got a good ground you can find yourself with a nasty bit of electrolysis, especially if the car has aluminum head(s). If the starter ground is the problem, flush the coolant after you fix it.