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    Thread: Starter Issue?

    1. #1
      What's wrong with my car?
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      Starter Issue?

      I just bought a '09 Pontiac G3 a few months ago and its been having front suspension issues (clunking/squeeking) which the dealership is supposed take care of shortly. The point of the post: is this a bad starter? Its been doing this since the weather here has gotten below 30F.




      Last edited by Twisted-X; 12-11-2014 at 08:37 AM.

    2. #2
      I'll keep it and add a turbo
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      Doing what? High Idle? All cars run idle at a higher rpm until they warm up a bit, you probably never noticed it before because you had a car that had at least some kind of sound insulation between the engine and the passenger compartment.

      Everything sounds normal to me.

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      What's wrong with my car?
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      Ha ha no I'm referring to the kind of farting gear-clash noise that happens as soon as the engine turns over (2s into vid). I've had many cars over the years and never had one make that when cold.

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      the valve train sounds a little noisy to me but the starter sounds ok. I listened to to a few times. I think I can hear what you refer too, and I don't get starter from that. But it could be in person.. if it is the starter, pull the fuel pump relay, start the car until it runs out of gas, and then start it again. If the noise is still there then it is the starter.


    5. #5
      Still love my daily driver Thymeclock's Avatar
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      Not a starter problem, and fast idle is also normal. Valve noise on start up is usually lack of lube to the valves / lifters. How long was it since your last oil change?

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      What's wrong with my car?
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      I bought the car from the dealership in Sept and have only put 1500 miles on it. The oil change sticker on the windshield says its due at 53k and its got 51k and change now. I have no idea when it was changed last. Its not really black, but smells a bit of gasoline so it might be time. So I'm taking it that this engine has hydraulic lifters?

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      Still love my daily driver Thymeclock's Avatar
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      Quote Originally Posted by Twisted-X View Post
      I bought the car from the dealership in Sept and have only put 1500 miles on it. The oil change sticker on the windshield says its due at 53k and its got 51k and change now. I have no idea when it was changed last. Its not really black, but smells a bit of gasoline so it might be time. So I'm taking it that this engine has hydraulic lifters?
      If the oil smells bad, change it. The dealership should have at least changed the oil when they prepared the car for sale. If you do your own oil change you will get to see the actual contents of the pan when you drain it.

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      What's wrong with my car?
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      Well, they said they couldn't find anything wrong with the starter and the coolant pressure test came back negative for leaks. It made the noise when I fired it up to drive home, and it still smells like coolant after a half hour drive.

      A new little wrinkle developed yesterday (two weeks after they replaced the completely shot upper shock mounts/end links, and the steering rack because one of the inner tie rods was bad. When I moved the steering wheel a little bit from the neutral position (and sometimes under load when hitting bumps) something under the dash made an audible (and feel-able) "thunk". So I park at Wal-mart and start poking around under the dash, and find that they didn't tighten down the bolt that cinches the upper steering shaft to the splined rack-end of the shaft (it wasn't even finger tight). I have corrected this, but as you can see in the attached photo some of the splines are showing. Is this okay? I really don't want the shaft to come apart on the highway, and I *have* to drive it to work tomorrow:
      Name:  Steering rack.jpg
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      I tried loosening the bolt and shoving the two pieces together, but neither was moving. I don't think it *can* come apart, as the rack is bolted in place and the upper shaft is held in place by that bracket. Let me know what you think.

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      is it a pinch bolt, or a through the shaft bolt?

      I would think it is ok, i would check that it cycles lock to lock without binding , shifting, clicking etc. and then determine it from there.


    10. #10
      What's wrong with my car?
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      Quote Originally Posted by petrified.rabbit View Post
      is it a pinch bolt, or a through the shaft bolt?

      I would think it is ok, i would check that it cycles lock to lock without binding , shifting, clicking etc. and then determine it from there.
      Its just a pinch bolt, and I was able to find photos of the rack showing that I have about half the splines exposed. I guess I'll have to give them a call this week so they can double-check their work... Knew I should have jumped on that Honda Fit.





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