For about 2 years our '99 Mercury Cougar has been making a horribly loud screeching noise when trying to start. (Not every time, but often enough that it's really annoying.) I will turn the key and it will screech. I take the key out and start over; it screeches again. We've tried flipping the key around, moving the steering wheel, messing with the gear shift, everything. The car starts when it feels like it. It's never done it in front of a mechanic, but it happened in front of someone who told us it was a spring in the starter that we would need to replace or the transmission would go out. I'm at a loss. I just want to get the car fixed, but I don't know what to tell the mechanic. Please help!
2007-06-25 02:23:22 · 15 answers · asked by mutatus 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
belts slipping or bad starter...2 years??
2007-06-25 02:27:17 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
If the screeching happens when you start the car, but doesn't keep the car from starting, it's a belt. If the car only starts when it's not screeching, then it's the starter. In my experience a starter makes more of a grinding noise, but it is pretty high pitched. A bad belt can make a screeching sound that gradually gets quieter as the car warms up, like in a couple seconds, or maybe longer if it's really bad.
By the way, the starter is not connected to the transmission and as long as you are not in gear when you start the car there is no way it could hurt the transmission, AFAIK.
2007-06-25 03:07:16 · answer #2 · answered by Ivy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Its probably your starter. The crankshaft is what the engine turns to turn the transmission, which in turn moves the wheels. Behind the engine and in front of the transmission is a Flywheel / Flex plate (Flywheel for Manual Transmission, Flex plate for Automatic Transmissions). When you turn your key to start the vehicle, the starter, which is mounted next to the flywheel / flex plate has a round gear that slides forward on the starter so it can engage the gears of the flywheel / flex plate. When a starter is mounted wrong, not shimmed correctly, or going bad, it can push that bit out too slow and that means it will already be spinning before it has locked gears with the flywheel / flex plate. This is where you get your screeching noise from, most likely. I would highly suggest taking your vehicle to a trusted mechanic and explaining this possibility to him. It is very easy to pull the starter off real quick and see if the bendix has any wear and if the flywheel or flex plate does as well.
Aside from this, is could be a lose or bad belt. The belts would be the first check because they are the cheepest. Good Luck, I hope this helps you sort out your problems.
2007-06-25 02:42:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ok, before we go replacing the transmission as "Someone " told you. STOP. I assume in this answer that the engine is not turning over during the screech. The starter drive on the starter motor, that DOES NOT MEAN PULLING THE TRANNY, is not engaging the gears on the flywheel or Flexplate..depending upon manual or automatic transmission. It DOES need to be fixed SOON!! If you continue to do this, it will damage and eventually break the gear on the flex plate and then you DO have to pull the tranny.
Good Luck,
2007-06-25 02:31:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have the problem of a screeching sound when I start the car. But the interesting part is that it only happens when I start the car the first time in the morning The rest of the day it does not do it.
2016-07-09 11:52:41 · answer #5 · answered by BETTY J 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It sounds like a problem with the starter and/or the flywheel. When you try and engage the starter, the bendix is not fully engaging the flywheel and you are hearing the teeth of the starter grind against the flywheel. If this keeps up, then you will have to replace the starter and the flywheel. Have another mechanic take a look. He can pull the starter and look at the teeth. good luck.
2007-06-25 02:30:14 · answer #6 · answered by Fordman 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like it might be your ring gear on your flex plate which your starter drive engages when it tries to start your engine. The teeth on the ring gear can wear and cause your starter to grind as its trying to start. I've seen the drive on the starter go but most of the time it seems to be the ring gear. If that's so your transmission will need to come out to have it replaced. Remove the starter and check the starter drive and while its out check the ring gear. Make sure you turn the engine over to ensure the ring gear is good all the way around
2016-05-19 22:41:44 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sounds like your starter motor is trying to engage into a flywheel that has worn teeth in certain places, and when it does this it slips on those teeth because they are not long enough for the starter to engage on properly, when it does start without the screech the starter motor is hitting teeth that are OK or not as worn - the end result is : a new flywheel is needed.
2007-06-25 02:44:18 · answer #8 · answered by KnightInWhiteSatin 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just a guess, but a loose belt is usually the cause of the screeching.
2007-06-25 02:31:29 · answer #9 · answered by bigsky74 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be a slipping fan belt or air-conditioner belt. Since it happens only on starting the car, it most probably is the fan belt.
2007-06-25 02:55:45 · answer #10 · answered by DeeJay 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I have had the same problem where The car wouldn't do the same for the mechanic. what I done was tape record the noise with a small pocket recorder and that led him right away to the problem
2007-06-25 02:28:36 · answer #11 · answered by bungee 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋