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Grinding sound when starting engine

M

MacTavish

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Fort Collins, Colorado
Hey guys,

So, i've been working on my car for the past couple days and I went to go start it up and... it won't. When I turn the key the engine doesn't even try to turn over and all i hear is this grinding sound. The check engine light is on now too. The grinding sounds like the electrical lashes of a tazer... lol, which is the only way I can describe it. It doesn't sound good.

Oh, and when I say I was working on my car, I was only removing door panels, speakers, etc. I was NOT working on the engine and did not change anything.

My battery is fully charged.

Please help!
 
Pull your main cables and clean both ends, test their resistance with an ohm meter--should be near ZERO.

If the problem persists it could be a failing starter/solenoid or you have chewed some teeth off the starter/ring gear.
 
Post year/engine in all threads.

If your check engine light is on, you have a stored code. Pull those codes for guidance. Use the technology provided to you by your Jeep. Post those codes here for comment.
 
- 1999 Jeep Cherokee Sport
- 4WD. 4.0 Liter. 6 cylinder engine.
- np231 transfer case.

How do I get the code off the check engine light? Are there any easy things I can check for to start eliminating possible problems?
 
go to just about any autozone in foco and they will read the codes and tell you what they mean. you can then start figuring out what is wrong and where.
 
1. Pretty sure that there ISN'T an OBDII code for "grinding starter" or "won't crank". Could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure.

2. Forget the code, fix the battery/cables/starter/solenoid problem, then you CAN drive to Autozone to have the code read.
 
OK then. Thanks for all the replies guys. The general consensus here thinks its either the starter, solenoid, or the battery cables/corrosion/etc.

So. Can I fix these myself? I don't know much about cars. I'm learning still. I know what the starter is, but not where its located in my car. I don't have any idea what a solenoid is, much less where its located in my car. And I am buying a socket set and a wrench so I can get my stubborn battery cables off to clean them. Can anybody help step me through these fixes?

Thanks guys.
 
The starter is on the passenger side rear of the engine bay on the bottom. You should have 2 hot wires running off you battery. Follow those wires and one will go to the starter. The solenoid is the little thing attached to the starter that the little wire connects to.

There should be 2 bolts holding the starter in place. Remove the 2 bolts and the 2 wires and you will have the starter in your hand. Replacement is the opposite of removal.
 
It's probably just a dead or low battery. How about checking the battery voltage with a meter? What's it drop to when you turn the key to start it?

joe_peters said:
Pull your main cables and clean both ends, test their resistance with an ohm meter--should be near ZERO.
Click to expand...

Mr. Peters, that is not a valid test. :)
 
Jess said:
The starter is on the passenger side rear of the engine bay on the bottom. You should have 2 hot wires running off you battery. Follow those wires and one will go to the starter. The solenoid is the little thing attached to the starter that the little wire connects to.

There should be 2 bolts holding the starter in place. Remove the 2 bolts and the 2 wires and you will have the starter in your hand. Replacement is the opposite of removal.
Click to expand...

Step one: disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery terminal--unless you like lots of sparks.
 
Update:

I removed the battery, got baking soda and a steel wire brush, and then cleaned both the positive and the negative terminals and their corresponding cables. I bought a multimeter and checked the batteries charge (set it to DC 20, right?) and it read 8.6. So, I hooked up the cleaned battery to my friends car and let it juice up for about 5 minutes. I checked it again and it was at 13.. and then it slowly lowered and leveled out at 12.6. I put the battery back in my car, crossed my fingers, and turned the key. Complete electrical failure.

When I put the key into the ignition, I had lights, accessories, and everything was in good working order. When I turned the key to turn the engine on the engine tried to turn over once (I think) and then it all went dead. All the lights went out, turning the key no longer did anything, and I couldn't get anything to work in the car again.

However, After disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it again I was able to get my lights, accessories, etc back on. The battery was still reading 12.6. But again, when I go to turn the engine on everything goes dead. Do I have a short somewhere in my system? Halp!
 
Seems like the battery is too weak. Charging it for 5 minutes from another car does not really get it. It needs to be on a charger for 4 or 5 hours (or more). I can't really explain why your voltage check isn't valid, but there is more to it than unloaded voltage. That is why they have the load testers.

Charge battery better.
 
What's the battery voltage showing when everything goes dead? Could be a junk battery with a bad cell that drops to 5v under load. If the voltage stays up it's a cable or connection problem.
 
winterbeater said:
Seems like the battery is too weak. Charging it for 5 minutes from another car does not really get it. It needs to be on a charger for 4 or 5 hours (or more). I can't really explain why your voltage check isn't valid, but there is more to it than unloaded voltage. That is why they have the load testers.

Charge battery better.
Click to expand...

My comment to Joe Peters was because an ohms test is worthless on a battery cable. It may or may not get you somewhere on smaller gauge wires, but absolutely not on a cable carrying a lot of amps.
 
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