jpck2004

can some please tell me what this noise is when i try to start my jeep. its a 2004 limited 4.7l, i replaced the starter about a month ago. it does start, sometimes on the first try and sometimes its take 3-5 trys. the link below is the video of the sound on youtube

GreaseMonkey17

Sounds like the flywheel is toasted ! Pull off the inspection cover covering the flywheel and torque converter and turn the engine over by hand and inspect the entire flywheel for missing teeth . Best way to make sure you got the whole thing is to mark your beginning spot with a sharpie or paint marker .

GreaseMonkey17

Another thing to do is when it makes that sound make sure key is off etc and turn the engine over by hand a little bit if it starts fine you know you were hitting a bad spot on flywheel . That method will also get you by until you can replace it or atleast get you home .

jpck2004

Thank you! What do you mean turn the engine over by hand? Turn the flywheel?

GreaseMonkey17

Turn it over without the use of the starter . By hand I mean take a socket and ratchet on the crank pulley and turn the engine in that manner .

jpck2004

Oh ok got ya. Thanks, you probably just saved me a big mechanic bill

GreaseMonkey17

Let me know what you find out . Good luck .

dave1123

Yes, that sound is the starter not engaging the flywheel but spinning. Either the teeth on the flywheel are bad or the starter drive is hanging up. You have a good solid engagement after the flywheel moves off the damaged teeth, so I'm assuming it's the teeth.

Actually, it's not a flywheel, but a thin sheet metal plate called the flexplate that connects the torque converter to the crankshaft.

blueseasons

For whatever reason. It sounds like the starter is not engaging with the flexplate. It takes a lot to mess up the teeth on a flywheel. I know a flexplate isn't as tough as a flywheel. I am not sure how easy they are to chip off teeth. How long have you owned it? I had a CJ-7 once that had a dead spot on the flywheel. But it only came around to the starter occasionally. Was it fine and it just started to do this and the first thing you did was change out the starter? Or, is it a recent purchase and you bought it like this? I have replaced a bad starter and installed another one and encountered this, but with a clutch. . The old one was not shimmed, but the new one had to be shimmed to work properly. A little more history may help us sort this out.

4.3L XJ

This is a fairly common problem that happens to just about every brand. The bendix gear is not sliding out enough to engage the teeth of the flywheel. Typically you can fix this by removing the starter and cleaning the gear and shaft it spirals out on

blueseasons

I believe he said it was a new starter. What we don't know is if it was doing this with the old starter.

dave1123

My thought exactly! The previous starter may have caused the damage.

budweiser.junky

You should try shimming it first and see if that helps.

freegdr

Get starter off and replace it deff. If teeth are damaged on ring gear it needs to be replaced.

97grand4.0

Having had to replace brand new starters myself on the xj, my vote is for a bad starter right from the box.