donnabest1

I would appreciate if anyone has an idea of what may be going on with my truck. For about the last year my truck occasionally would make a eeeennnk noise like a grinding noise when I started the truck. it only happened about once every 2 weeks. Then, it continually got worse and it started doing it every other time I cranked the truck. so I replaced the starter 2 weeks ago. the starter made that weird noise only one time until today and it happended twice. I am scared, I went to the place where I got the rebuit starter, which had a lifetime warranty and they did a starter check and battery test, the test showed everything was good. someone told me that if the starter was bad long enough it could have torn up the fly wheel in which case you wouold have to take the transmission out and that would cost alot of money just to repair. Please what should I do??? I am a single mom and do not have alot of money to spend on the process of elimination.

Kattumaram

Are you certain the shop that has done the starter replacement is on the up-and-up?

If yes, did the folks at the shop rebuild your starter or replaced it with another rebuilt unit?

If YOUR starter has been rebuilt, then the noise you hear could come from a dry over-running clutch that drives the starter pinion gear and that clutch may not have been reconditioned....it could be the same clutch that was making noise in the beginning. Jump all over the shop people and make them honor the lifetime warranty...sometimes a tire iron or baseball bat comes in handy....and a sad face and a few teardrops can be added ammunition.

Don't be too concerned about the flywheel (flex plate in an auto trans equipped car). There is very little a bad starter can do to mess up the ring gear teeth to the point where a replacement would be required.

I have a certain sympathy for your status as a single mom....things can be really tough sometimes when there is no man around to handle things that a man should handle. My little-est grandbaby, 27, though single, but not a single mom, is still disadvantaged when it comes to truck or car repair.

donnabest1

Thank you. Well unfortuantely, I did not have it replaced at a shop. I bought the starter form Advanced auto, go the rebuilt one it was cheaper, and my boyfriend put it on for me . Now he is not a certified truck mechanic but he fixes alot of things boats and engine repair. His job is maintenance on big engines at plants. He says he has a ford that had a flywheel propblem and it sounded judt like mine. I am preaying that is not true. I really can not afford a grand or so to fix that. He stated that I would have to move the transmission to get to the flywheel. He soed not have an engine lift and getting to it would be something he does not want to endure. I will ask him about the pinion gear. I hope your right. I appreciate your response and your sympothy. Thank You!!!

oldschool

I am having this same problem with my ford f150. I have seen several posts on the subject. Everyone keeps suggesting things "like you have a bad starter, your flywheel has worn teeth, your solenoid is bad".
I have changed plenty of starters in my day. The sound that this makes is like the sound when you accedently turn the key while the vechicle is running.

It seems many are describing the same problem and many have replaced starters only to have the condition re-occur. I know you can get a bad starter but there is now way this many people are getting bad starters.

Unfortunely it seems to be a problem that many are having but no one knows what the real cause is.
I feel it is some obscure thing causing it but I only have so much trouble shooting experience.
Please if you figure out what is causing the problem let me know and I will do the same for you.

kifels

Im assuming that you are driving an older truck yes?

the older style startes had a problem with the bendix drive, basically the starter won't pull back when the engine kicks over. if you have had the started rebuilt and it still does this I would try to get a new or a remanufactured stater. if it still does the same thing I would begin to suspect worn teath on the flywheel.

I had the same thing happen to my 92, and it took three rebuilds to make it stop.

oldschool

It's not that bendix sticking.....it happens when you turn the key to start the vechicle that the grinding noise is made .......the vechicle is not running at this point........I am familiar with what your describing when a vechicle starts up and the bendix does not retract......unfortunately this is one of those intermitent problems that a lot of us are having and everyone is trying to be helpful and suggest all the common problems that it may be .......but it is not one of the common problems ....it is some obscure type of problem.......just my damn luck every time I have problems with a vechicle it is ALWAYS something that is out of the ordinary.....I know how to do all the standard things.....there has got to be a Ford tech out there somewhere that knows what causes this..

Builderman

Hello all-
This problem is being discussed in the 2004-2009 section. More people are coming forward with this issue. No real cause/fix yet, but I am going back to my mechanic next week. He already replaced the starter, with a NAPA lifetime. The truck still makes the noise now and then. We will check the flywheel. Don't know what else to do at this point.
Tim

95stepside

on one of my trucks (not a ford) the starter started going and all i did was replace the starter drive. if thats an option here or if it would help im not sure. just thought id throw that out there

Tick Bryan

My 1991 F150 had the same problem. It is not the starter, it's the cables from the battery to the starter and solenoid that's located on the inside fender wall.
Before your starter burns up like the last 4 did for me, here is what you do.
1. Replace the ground cable that runs from the battery post to the bottom starter bolt.
2. Replace the positive battery cable that runs to the solenoid.(It's a short one)
3. Replace the starter cable that runs from the solenoid to the starter.
4. Replace the solenoid.
This issue is caused by corrosion of the battery cables over the years. They corrode internally as well as on the ends that you see. The starter does not ground properly and the bendix sticks in the out position.
I went through about 4 starters over a year and a half period before i figured it out.
Auto Zone has every thing you need. You may have buy 2, 60 inch starter cables and modify one for the ground cable. I didn't run mine through the wire looms, I just used cable ties.

Builderman

I had this very same problem with my 05, 5.4. for a long time. I had replaced the starter a number of times, with lifetime warranty units, to no avail. Finally, at about 80K miles, the transmission failed, and had to be replaced. While it was out, the flywheel was examined. It had damaged teeth, and upon removal and a close inspection, we could see that it was warped, from the factory. This caused the misalignment of the flywheel teeth ,and the starter, which caused the mis-start and the terrible sound. A new flywheel was installed, and I have not had the problem since. I think that mine is probably not the only one out there to have received a warped flywheel at the factory.