car not wanting to start

[Agura]

My car does not want to start when clutch is engaged. What has been happening is when you turn on the key the starter will engage and then either whir or sound make a "chunking" sound where it seems like its engaging stopping and re-engaging in quick succession, but not turning over the engine.

My thinking is the starter, but the weird thing is if you let go of the clutch and more or less stomp on it back to the floor it will start. So not sure if this could be the clutch switch (not sure what its really called) or the starter and that it is just coincidence that it worked by "stomping" on the clutch.

[fa22raptorf22]

Unplug clutch interlock switch and/or clutch position switch and jump them, and see what happens.

[Agura]

thanks gonna give that a try

[theholycow]

What kind of car is it?

Maybe the starter is failing, its pinion teeth are broken/worn, or the flywheel's teeth are broken/worn, and it's just good enough to crank the engine but turning the input shaft too is a little too much.

[six]

The weather is starting to get cold... does this happen every time you start? If it happens just in cold mornings, it could be as simple as a dying battery.

[Agura]

Its a 2000 pontiac sunfire. Starting yesterday it has been doing it everytime I start whether the engine is warm or not. Even with the command start it would do the same thing

[fa22raptorf22]

Wait. Most cars don't let you start them unless you push and hold the clutch down when starting.

I have a feeling yours was jumped to defeat the switch... and now somehow that jump maybe got loose?

Check connections down there. Mine was screwed with when I got my car.

[Rope-Pusher]

My dog turd's 1999 Cavalier is starting to get sensitive to all the junk she has hanging on her key ring. If whe uses ring with just car keys, it starts fine. If she uses keyring with house, apt, work, etc. keys on it, it sometimes won't start. Could be the ignition switch itself, or something on the key cylinder that actuates the switch is worn, or the key cylinder is tipping under the weight of the keys and not aligning well with the ignition switch.

[LHOswald]

Its a 2000 pontiac sunfire.

thats whats wrong with it

[theholycow]

the starter will engage and then either whir or sound make a "chunking" sound where it seems like its engaging stopping and re-engaging in quick succession, but not turning over the engine.

Going back to this makes me doubt it could be the clutch switch or ignition. This is almost surely a failure in the thing that makes the starter's pinion telescope to engage the flywheel.

[Rope-Pusher]

the starter will engage and then either whir or sound make a "chunking" sound where it seems like its engaging stopping and re-engaging in quick succession, but not turning over the engine.

Going back to this makes me doubt it could be the clutch switch or ignition. This is almost surely a failure in the thing that makes the starter's pinion telescope to engage the flywheel.

You can get that with intermittent electrical supply to the starter solenoid as well.

[theholycow]

What would be a good way for him to troubleshoot that? A death wish and jumper cables directly to the starter?

[Agura]

Lol..Jumper Cables yes..Death wish not so much. With all your help got it figured out. The starter is the root of it.

lol@ LHOswald.. ya ya its a sunfire, but in the 10 years I've owned it this is the first major thing I've had to do with it so I count myself lucky in that respect.

Thanks for all your input guys, very much appreciated.

[Rope-Pusher]

What would be a good way for him to troubleshoot that? A death wish and jumper cables directly to the starter?

If the terminals on the starter are conveniently located w.r.t. each other, just span a screwdriver shaft across the solenoid and starter motor lead terminals. Watch out for Spocks!

[comingbackdown]

This is almost surely a failure in the thing that makes the starter's pinion telescope to engage the flywheel.

"Bendix"

What would be a good way for him to troubleshoot that? A death wish and jumper cables directly to the starter?

If the terminals on the starter are conveniently located w.r.t. each other, just span a screwdriver shaft across the solenoid and starter motor lead terminals. Watch out for Spocks!

Spot on! Also: Don't make the terrible mistake of using a screwdriver with metal in the handle... I remember an occasion where the old Farmall was being worked on... I think dad and the neighbor were doing a spark test or something similar... Anyway, the neighbor was holding the channel locks that the insulation had worn off of on the bottom of the grips... He must've jumped four feet...