Starter grinds when cold start

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Glenpointe
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:50 am

Starter grinds when cold start

Post by Glenpointe »

My 2009 Vibe GT starter makes a grinding noise only when cold start. The noise (for a brief second) sounds like you try to start the car while engine is running. Does anyone know the location of the starter relay? Same grinding noise from the video.
Thanks,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdR9_bRj6bo
Caretaker

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by Caretaker »

bendix gear inside the starter. It is happening to mine occasionally, even on my second starter in my warm climate. This is a well known problem especially with the Denso starters. I wouldn't replace it until it becomes a daily grind. It should not leave you stranded.
jolt
Posts: 945
Joined: Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:07 am
Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by jolt »

The starter solenoid, or relay, is part of the starter. It could be the solenoid or the drive hanging (bendix). Just replace the starter and also check the gear teeth on the flex plate when the starter is pulled for replacement to make sure that no damage was done to the gear teeth on the flex plate.

Trivia: Bendix is the company that made the automatic engaging starter drive The company and part is named after its inventor, Vincent Hugo Bendix. Before that time most starters had a pedal on the floor that was pushed that engaged the starter drive. Some times people refer to a starter drive as a bendix. It it like Kleenex is a tissue but people will ask for a Kleenex.
Glenpointe
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:50 am

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by Glenpointe »

Caretaker wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:52 am bendix gear inside the starter. It is happening to mine occasionally, even on my second starter in my warm climate. This is a well known problem especially with the Denso starters. I wouldn't replace it until it becomes a daily grind. It should not leave you stranded.
Are you saying stay away from Denso starter? I am worried if don't fix the problem, the grinding will ruin the flywheel. Should I remove the starter and squirt lithium grease to lubricate the Bendix gear?
andrewclaus
Posts: 482
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2017 6:38 pm
Location: Golden, CO

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by andrewclaus »

The flexplate on an automatic transmission is the flywheel. Damage to the flexplate/flywheel would be my concern here as well.

The problem with the relay may be with the wiring coil, so grease wouldn't work.
Caretaker

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by Caretaker »

I'll let a smarter person answer the second part. As for the first, every Toyota product I've read about outfitted with a Denso starter has experienced this issue. There is lots of documentation to back that up. I'm on my second Denso starter and it is doing the same thing the first one did. The scratching/grinding noise begins one cold morning, especially on a cold, moist morning. The noise becomes more frequent as time goes on. I replaced mine when it became a once a week ritual, especially if it occurred when it was warm outside. Despite now living in a never cold environment, my second starter has begun to make the noise at first start up in the morning, but only about once a month. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, I don't have any real advice, as Denso may have fixed the issue as time has gone by. But if you pay to play like I do, I recommend getting the starter through Pep Boys who will guarantee their remanufactured starter for life. I had Pep Boys put in their product into my Fit, which required a full day of torches and swearing to get the thing out.
Glenpointe
Posts: 47
Joined: Mon Aug 17, 2009 7:50 am

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by Glenpointe »

bendix gear inside the starter. It is happening to mine occasionally, even on my second starter in my warm climate. This is a well known problem especially with the Denso starters. I wouldn't replace it until it becomes a daily grind. It should not leave you stranded.
Update:
Replaced the starter and have not heard the grinding noise the last few days even at 14 degrees F.
andunn
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2019 12:20 pm
Location: Missouri

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by andunn »

Apologies to dig up this post. My 2009 Vibe 1.8L is doing this as well. Mostly on cold days at startup but occasionally when it's warm. Happens 3-4 times a month (completely random). Really annoying. Any advice on a reliable replacement starter? Based on a post here it sounds like replacing with another Denso starter may not fix the problem.
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joatmon
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Location: SMC MD

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by joatmon »

andunn wrote: Sat Dec 17, 2022 3:44 am Apologies to dig up this post. My 2009 Vibe 1.8L is doing this as well. Mostly on cold days at startup but occasionally when it's warm. Happens 3-4 times a month (completely random). Really annoying. Any advice on a reliable replacement starter? Based on a post here it sounds like replacing with another Denso starter may not fix the problem.
I don't think that caretaker was saying that a new Denso starter wouldn't work, just that his experience is that they are not reliable in the long run.

I expect others may disagree with this, but since the original (assuming Denso) starter has lasted you 13 years I wouldn't be that worried about using another Denso starter. If it were me, however, I'd probably buy the lowest price remanufactured one from a chain auto parts store, or maybe if convenient, use car-part.com to find one at a local junkyard

and just a tip, remove the negative terminal from the battery before the swap, that way if a tool shorts to ground you won't get fireworks
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andunn
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2019 12:20 pm
Location: Missouri

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by andunn »

Thanks for the info. I'll see if I can find a Denso remanufactured one. I saw a video on-line on how to swap a 09 Pontiac Vibe starter out. Although that was a 2.4 and mine is a 1.8 so hopefully there is not that much of a difference.
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joatmon
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Location: SMC MD

Re: Starter grinds when cold start

Post by joatmon »

judging by advanceautoparts.com, a Denso starter will cost more than an aftermarket one

car-part.com shows a junkyard one runs about $50 in my area, don't know where you are.

There's a 09-10 Vibe starter swap video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLig0aJ865U His new one is strikingly clean compared to the old one ;)
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