Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting starter not cranking engine

95 contour sat for about 11 days while on vacation. When tried to start it yesterday, it made loud buzzing kind of sound...sort of like when you try to start when already running. So I assume starter motor is spinning but not turning engine at all.

Based on what I found from searching forums sounds like this is starter problem, but seems like an unusual cooincidence that this would pop up suddenly after having car sitting for a week and a half. Any chance this is just weak battery, after sitting for all that time? Or is there definitely a problem with starter motor.

I figure I should give it a try with jumper cables once before push starting and taking it in for repair. I assume that buzzing is gears grinding...how quickly is that likely to cause further damage?

Sounds like battery has run down and needs to be charged and/or replaced - not enough juice to engage starter. Get a boost or with MTX a rolling start and you should be on your way battery shopping in no time.

Bad starter solenoid not pulling the motor into contact with the flywheel?

If the starter is spinning but not engaging the flywheel this is called milling. A metal on metal sound. It means you've got a weak flexplate and probably a bad spot on your ring gear with missing or damaged teeth. That would require pulling the tranny and replacing the ring gear. I just had this done on my 96 SE. A new starter will not fix this problem.

My girlfriend's 94 Concorde did the same thing. I had to go out to her work and try to start it up, and I'd hear the starter pop out and spin. I finally got it to crank and had her drive it home, and my dad took the starter to a local shop that does starter/alternator repairs (RNS in Erie, PA is the BEST). They said that the solenoid was bad, and also the gear that pops out on the starter was bad too, wasn't pushing out all the way. Basically, what was happening was, it wasn't pushing out far enough, so that's why he'd hear it spin. So yes, that can happen.

Well, jumping did not help. So did the push start and took it in. Shop is pulling starter this morning...

Turned out to be starter...about $250 parts and labor to replace. So not too bad.