What can cause a starter to break?

[DSMRyan]

Is there anything else besides the flywheel that can really mess up your starter?

 

[Game Over]

Old age.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

You have to be more specific than messed up. Are you referring to the teeth not engaging proper and making a zinging noise when you use it? Are you referring to a click with no starter engagement or a whining starter with no flywheel engagement? Is it engaging and then kicking right back out? It could be your ring gear teeth, the bendix the solenoid and or your hold in windings. Please repost with the specifics and I'll try to help. Also, if the starter bolts loosen this can cause a problem in engagement. Most everything else other than the actual flywheel being bad means rebuilding or replacing starter assembly. Good Luck

 

[napkinthief]

When I go from park to drive, i hear a loud ziptie noise coming from outside the car, possibly underneath. Also happens when i slow past 10 mph, or shift to reverse etc? now my starter has been making weird noises when i start up, is my flywheel bad?

i also notice a delay from pressing the gas until the mphs go up, rpms go up right away

 

[DSMRyan]

I started to hear a clunking noise and it took longer to start, so I checked it and noticed a bolt had broken in half that holds the starter on. Replaced the bolt, still heard loud clunking and pretty soon it didn't start at all. So I had a shop put in a brand new starter, and it started perfect, but about a week later I started to hear the clunking noise again so I took it back so they could look at it. All they said was the starter was "fried" and the flywheel could be the problem. The flywheel was almost brand new though.

 

[Old Mitsu Tech]

The term fried doesn't help. Breaking bolts could mean several things. If you don't engage the starter into the housing squarely and just crank it in you can damage the lip on the starter and housing. If the bolts are not a good grade this can also cause breakage. I would use grade 8 bolts of the proper length and use a good starter on it. This is a pretty rare occurrence in my experiences. If the flywheel was bad you would have a constant zinging noise when the starter came across the damaged teeth. Besides a new starter doesn't prove anything either. That's why we have warranties. It has to prove itself over the length of the warranty period to prove to me that it is good.


Good Luck