I have a 2000 F150 with a 5.4L. Every 1 out of 20 times when I go to start it the starter will make a loud grinding sound. I will immediately stop starting it, then it will restart with no issues.....

Anyone out there experience this? If so, what was the problem? Starter?

Thanks in advance....Jay

 

hey jaymags,

My 2000 f-150 was doing the same thing. It started grinding like yours but got to be more often as time went on. I would change your starter now. I waited a little too long I think on mine and probably have some damaged flywheel teeth as it still does it but not near as often... maby every 40th start. It all depends on where the engine stopped at cut-off. Hope this helps.

Ed

 

Yes it is your starter causing the problem. The pinion gear on the starter is not engaging into the ring gear and it simply drives against the side of the ring - called milling.

This is caused sometimes by internal starter grease levels and will work themselves out, but not always. It could be the tolerance stack-up in the starter/bell housing/ring gear that is causing it. There is a fairly wide stack-up tolerance (worst case) between the pinion and ring gear.

Definitely stop the starter if you hear it and if it continues have it replaced. Otherwise, like Jay mentions you might be replacing your ring gear also.

 

Thanks for the replies gents...I think I will replace the starter..

 

Are you referring to a sound that is similar to what you hear when you "restart" a running vehicle or something else? I have an '00 Lariat with the 5.4L and it was doing just that. Very imbarrasing. Turns out I was missing about 35 degrees worth of teeth on the flywheel (they weren't entirely gone, just shaved down to a portion of what the should have been). We figured that the starter wasn't throwing out all the way...bad connection, salt..who knows. Repacing the starter and flywheel seemed to do the trick.

Steve
'00 Lariat 4x4
'97 Mystique LS
'94 Mustang 5.0 Converatble

 

Exactly what it sounds like......I will replace the starter and see whta that gets me...Thanks

 

I don't know if it would be worth it these days, but you ought to be able to just replace the 'bendix' - the pinion/gear assembly on the starter, since that's what's causing the trouble....

 

Good luck...

 

THe gf's 00 4.6 was doing this exact thing every so often. This past Saturday I got in there and swapped it out with a reman from the dealer. The flywheel looks perfectly fine. Toss the new one in, at least 5 times faster than getting the old one out. Two days and no issues other than a mysterious stall once. Take the truck for a ride tonight to Home Depot, come out and SCREEEEEEECH, pull the key back, turn again SCREEEEECH, profanities, turn key and it starts right up. The weather was high 60's and no humidity. This has got me stumped, last thing I want to be handed a $765 flywheel bill. Anyone got ideas?

 

thread resurrector!!!

did you even think about the starter?

 

Sure he did Klitch , that's when the SCREEECH happends - When he has tried tuh starter

 

What are the odds that a new reman starter would have the same outcome? I'd think it's pretty slim. Something specific I should be thinking about with the starter?

 

When you pulled the old starter and looked at the flywheel, you may have been looking at a good portion of the flywheel. You may want to pull the starter again and have it tested (reman starters can go bad) and also turn the flywheel to be sure you have no missing teeth and wear is normal.