since it has gotten colder my car occasionally does not want to start. you can hear the solonoid engage but the starter won't turn. you can try several times and sometimes by the 4th or 5th try it will turn like nothing is wrong and start right up. does anyone else have this problem? is the starter going bad? thanks!

 

Whats your CCA's on your battery, also id take your battery up to Oreilly's or any parts store and have them test it, sounds like its almost dead.

 

Sounds like a bad spot on the armature of the starter or a bad connection. Clean and tighten battery connections. If you do that and have your battery load checked and all is ok, then it's starter time. Stay away from cheap rebuilds like Autozone unless you like changing the starter out multiple times. [8D]

 

I agree with mech, that happened to me last winter. Cost me the $75 diagnosis fee to figure that one out.

Until you replace the starter, carry a hammer with you. If it happens again, give the starter a couple wacks, and that should do the trick.

 

I went through all of that with mine. Unfortunately after i paid the tow truck guy, removed the huge moliath starter from my 86, and took it down to the auto parts store, it worked fine. Then i paid the corvette shop $75 to reinstall the starter and figure out why my car wouldnt start, it started right up. Unfortuntely that was not the most expensive lesson ive ever had [8D]

 

I actually took the damn thing to Oreilly and everything, battery, alternator, and starter, according their machine checked out fine. And of course on that particular day it started fine all day long. Then a couple days later, the S O B decided not to start until I banged itwith a screw drive a couple of time and started the rest of the day fine. According to the specs it currently has a gear reduction starter, will a standard chevrolet 350 starter work on this application, I want something that is dead reliable!?

 

It has a Gear Reduction starter on it because of the compression of the motor, a standard starter wont last as long as the gear reduction, hope i could help.

 

I don't care what they say at O'reilly. You cannot completely check a starter off the car, because there is no load on it. O'reilly just has a bunch of wannabe mechanics. I still think it is your starter. Gear reduction starters were made so it would require less amperage and has less weight than traditional starters.[8D]

 

When you turn the key to START you send electric to the solenoid, this pulls in the gear and then the electric goes thru contacts inside the solenoid and that makes the starter turn...So I think your solenoid is bad, but I'd still see if the battery is good. My 2 cents worth. PG

 

Thanks for all the help guys, I finally took the starter out of the car myself, and it actually had a crack in thegear in the reduction set. A local shop rebuilt it for me using all new parts. Started perfect after I got it back in. $65 well spent. All I can say is, gettin the damn thing out of the car and reinstalling is not for the faint of heart, actually had to remove the front y-pipe to get it out!!!! You guys are great, appreciate the advice, and today drove her to myrtle beach sc. Nothin like a chevy 350 at 75mph and showing 26mpg to boot!!!!!