Starter engagement issues

Nissan 300ZX technical discussion forum: Maintenance, performance, installations, modifications, how-to's and troubleshooting.
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Momosc
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri May 23, 2014 1:02 pm
Car: In market for Z32

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'91 Z32 N/A 5-speed. 145,000 miles. Got this car 1 1/2 years ago and love it. Engine is bone stock. Here's the issue: 9 times out of 10 it starts just fine. Then every once in a while, rather than starting, it'll make a high pitched, high rpm sound which I'm assuming is the pinion gear not extending fully and engaging the ring gear as it should. Might be catching just a corner of the ring gear (not a pleasant sound :)

Give it a minute, maybe run the shifter through the gears, or even just open and close the door (?!) and it'll start fine for another week until it acts up again.

It's not a hardware issue, because this is the 3rd starter and second flywheel, and the symptom remains the same.

Voltage? I think I'll replace the hot wire from the battery to the starter next. I notice that previous owners have allowed a fair amount of oil to drip on it through the years.

What do you guys think? What else would you check?
Thanks, Mo


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themadscientist
Posts: 26254
Joined: Tue Nov 12, 2002 3:30 pm
Car: R32 GTR, DR30 RS Turbo, BRZ, Lunchbox, NSR50 Sportster 883 Iron
Location: Staring down at you with disdain from the spooky mountaintop castle.

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I think you have a good thing to try next with the wire. You have definitely ruled the starter and flywheel out.


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