I've been dealing with this all of 2010. Early in the year my dad accidently armed the security system and then opened the door. Without thinking he got in and tried to start the car while it was going off. I suspect this is when the problem started. Since then I have had 3 different starters on the car. This recent one is a rebuild from AutoZone. At the end of last year I did go to alum. flywheel so I'm hoping this has nothing to do with the starter issue. So within the last 2 months have taken the intake off due to a small oil leak and redid all that. I drove the car about 40 miles since the doing the intake. No issues with the starter at those times. I went out other day and it cranked over about 4 times and didn't start then the starter went to the typical high speed wine where it does not sound like the shaft is engaging the flywheel. I don't know if these starters are junk and I should get a rip off OEM from Chevrolet or if I have a electrical problem or what. How can it work sometimes then not others??

Too add to the variables I have an extra fuel pump on the car from when the ATI Procharger was on. I haven't taken it off and at the start of this year I had to move it around to get to the taillights to get to the wing because I wanted it repainted,etc. I did not have it off the car but ever since then it seems like the car is harder to start. Should I just take this off? What negative effects could I have made to the car by messing around with this.

What a waste of a summer!!

 

The starter motor isn't affected by the security system except that it won't crank when the security system is alerting. Also, high speed whine from the starter indicates that the starter solenoid is not engaging the starter gear into the flywheel teeth which makes the starter see no load and it then goes to high rpm. You need to investigate (take apart) each starter motor when you have to replace them to find out why they quit. Mass manufactured rebuilt starters don't have a good reputation. If you want a good rebuilt starter, take your dead starter and go to a nearby auto electrical shop and have them rebuild it. Those guys charge less anyway. Or you could try the GM starter and see how long it lasts.
The added fuel pump shouldn't have any effect on starting unless it causes high out of spec fuel pressure. Measure your fuel pressure, it should be 35-42 psi.

 

You need to think about a more diagnostic approach when Troubleshooting. Like No start issues - starter motor wont turn over engine flywheel to start.

Take a 10 Foot Long Jumper Lead with a SMALL ALLIGATOR CLIP, Connect It onto The Small 10 Gauge PURPLE WIRE FASTENED TO THE STARTER MOTOR SOLENOID.

Then take a 12 Volt test light and connect it to the other end of the Jumper Lead.

Ground the the Alligator clip end of Your test light to the Battery Ground or the Alternator bracket on your Corvette.

Move the Test light to the top of Your Corvettes Engine while connected yet as described above..

Now get inside the car and start the engine and at the same time watch the test light. It will light up the same time the starter motor is turning over the engine flywheel.

If the test light lights up, but the starter has failed to tun the engine over, then you know the starter motor or starter solenoid is at fault.

If the test light has failed to light up while starting the car, You have to back troubleshoot from the starter motor. Wiring fault, bad ignition switch, VATS security problem, ect.

Autozone starters are junk.

Just asking for problems and to abuse yourself over and over.

Not remanned in the USA.

Keep using them from Autozone, Just take a 5 lb Engineering Drilling Sledgehammer and Hit Your Right Big Toe,

While You are at it, Hit Left Toe just for Hell of it.

If You have your original starter motor yet, have it rebuilt by your local Alternator - Starter Motor Electrical Repair Shop.

I rebuild my own starter motors and alternators. I know the job was done right and with the best rebuild replacement parts.

If Your are Racing and have a High Compression Engine with 12:1 - 18:1 Static Compression Ratio, Then a Very Best Starter Motor Would be a POWERMASTER XS SERIES STARTER OR A TILTON STARTER MOTOR.

THERE ARE DOZENS OF COPY CAT RACING STARTER MOTORS OUT THERE THAT JUST ARE JUNK TOO. WONT HOLD UP. NOT LIKE A POWERMASTER OR TILTON STARTER MOTOR WILL.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm going to take it off and take it to a local company that rebuilds them and go from there. I just don't see how it could be ok then go out all the sudden.

 

Sounds like something is a-miss if you've been through that many staters. If it were me I'd remove, clean, then reinstall the main battery grounding cable at the block (attaches to the block just above the oil filter) then move on from there if the problem persists.

 

I haven't done the jumper thing yet but have got under car and saw that the shaft is not coming out of the starter, it just stays inside and spins.

Does this rule out the clutch safety switch?

 

Yes, the clutch safety switch will not spin the starter at all if were bad.

Take the starter out and get it rebuilt.

 

I suspect the timeline says it all. The problem started early in the year after he changed the flywheel at the end of last year -- in other words, about the time of the flywheel change. After that he went through three (3!) starters, one presumably the OEM and two replacements.

What are the odds that his OEM went out and he got two bad ones after that, no matter how bad Autozone's reputation is? I'm thinking that he has an alignment issue resulting from the flywheel change, and shimming is the answer. From what I have seen from my starter the spring on the plunger shaft will compress enough to allow the starter motor to spin even if the pinion shaft is not fully extended. I'm speculating that the pinion gear is hitting the flywheel in such a way as to not extend fully.

This is assuming the symptoms have been the same for all three starters, but unfortunately he did not say whether that was the case.

 

There are 2 shims with the starter. One is slightly thicker then the other and I have never used it. The other is like paper thin and before the problems started it was being used. Once the problems started I took it out and then the car started so i thought that was the answer. Now that it is out with no shim I'm still back to it not starting.

Could this be a problem electricly in the car and not with the starters? The car cranked about 4-5 time and didn't start then it started whinning which again the shaft isn't coming out of the starter housing. What could cause the change??

 

You might ask them to bench test the starter first to verify it is really bad before doing a rebuild.

FWIW I tend to lean toward a mechanical alignment/engagement issue, but who knows...along that line of thought what happens just by removing and reinstalling a "bad" starter??

Good luck..