Yup, I searched through the archived posts. I've spent the last hour or so looking for symptoms that match my problems, but can't find a match. As I mentioned in another post, I just spent the last 4 days driving across the country..

At first, when I turned the key it would sometimes start fine, sometimes make an ugly, almost grinding, sound. When making the bad sound the tach would bounce a little, so I was guessing the starter was simply not fully engaging every time. A couple turns of the key and it started ok.

As time went on, the bad noise became more common and predictible. If it made the sound, I could count on two or three "bad" tries (turn key for about a second) then it would start fine. Somewhere along the trip I noticed that opposite of the heat soak problems, if it was off for only a very short time, getting gas for example, it would usually start normally on the first try, but if I stopped for lunch or dinner, or overnight, guaranteed to have a few bad noise cranks before a good one.

The 4th and final day of the trip, things got worse. Turn the key and nothing. Turn it again, nothing. Turn again, bad noise. After a few tries it starts up fine. Again, if the car was off for a short period of time it was better than longer stops.

Today (first day back), I went to take it out.. Took probably 30 seconds before it would get past "nothing" to "bad noise", then after a bit of work it started. Thinking it would follow previous patterns of starting easier after driving around and not letting it sit too long, I headed off stopping first at the gas station. After what felt like 20 minutes of trying to get it started (probably only about 2 minutes), I was about to give up and call AAA, when it finally started and I came straight home.

So now I'm to the point where if I try to start the car, when I first turn the key nothing happens. I can turn key for a second or two each time with a 5 or 10 second pause in between, and eventually it will make an ugly sound, and after a few more tries it will just start up like nothing is wrong.

Anyone have this problem before? Any good guesses on what and how to figure out the problem? Seems to me it must be the battery, starter, or solenoid, but I'm open to any advice on what to look for and how to test things. :confused:

 

I was in your shoes a couple months ago. Starter was bad, bendix wouldn't engage all the way, and it took some teeth of my flywheel with it. Pull your starter, and inspect your flywheel carefully. If it has any parts of teeth missing at all, you'll need a new one, or you'll just tear up a new starter. Flywheel is $20 and starter is $30 at Advance Auto Parts... Labor? Many fun hours. My first time trying to remove the driveshaft from a Vette... Hint... Disconnect it from the transmission and move it to the side....

 

Anyone else? Any other thoughts? Does this sound like it is definately the starter or could something else (battery going out, solenoid) cause these symptoms.

Between spending most all my free time getting my house ready to be sold and my garage full of crap with no room for working on the car, spending long hours swapping the starter is the last thing I want to "try" if I'm not sure that's the real problem.

 

I had an Olds Cutlass years ago that would grind when the key was turned right to the start pos'n, I had to turn the key to run pause then turn to start. it turned out to be the bendix pivot pin working its way out. sounds like you have a solenoid/bendix drive problem with the starter. You need to check it out before you damage the teeth on your flexplate.

Steve :steering:

 

Had the symptoms of the starter doing nothing - Changed the starter, problem fixed.

Had the symptoms with grinding noise - Starter teeth were worn, flywheel was good, starter wasn't shimmed correctly - End result, changed the starter and shimmed correctly.

Be careful removing the starter, they're easily 20 pounds or so.

 

Same thing happened to me. It was my starter. Its not bad to replace your starter probably a 30 minute to an hour job. Good luck. :chevy

 

When I saw Jasonty's response stating many fun hours I thought, doesn't sound like any car I've ever worked on but since I've never crawled under the Vette I thought maybe it's almost impossible to get to. After re-reading I'm betting he was talking about replacing the flywheel.