Q: my car is having Weird cranking, grinding noise at start for few seconds when my car is cold

asked by on November 22, 2016

my car is having Weird cranking, grinding noise at start for few seconds when my car is cold

My car has 76000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Is the grinding noise coming from the starter as it is being turned, or from the engine when it is starting up? The starter will grind when it is improperly installed, or it is broken and the gears are not meshing correctly. Sometimes a shim will align the starter and keep it from grinding. If the gears are worn the starter will need to be replaced. The engine can make a grinding noise when it is starting because the oil is not circulating through the engine yet. The oil collects at the bottom and needs a moment to becone warm and properly circulate through the system. Pinpoint where the noise is coming from and then you can determine if you need to take action or not.

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