1999 GMC Sonoma Hard to start

SANS

MEMBER
1999 GMC SONOMA
2.3L
4 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
90,000 MILES

1999 GMC Sonoma 4cyl 2.2L Manual Transmission (5 speed)

New battery with lots of juice. Starter replaced about 1.5 years ago. Truck is very hard to start. I hear electrical whirring (I imagine the starter is going) and initially it briefly attempts to crank for half a second, and then just whirring. I stop and try again, same thing, etc, etc, etc. However, I eventually did get it started up and then it seemed to be running fine. Yet, after stop it is hard to start up again. After initial startup I drove it to work because I thought the problem may have been resolved. After second startup I drove it home, where it is now, waiting to be repaired. If there is a third startup I may drive it to a mechanic, but I would rather fix it here. Any advice?

3 Replies

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

So you can hear the starter running while trying to start it but the engine isn't being rotated by the starter?If so then I would say it really sounds like a bad starter without hearing it for myself its hard to say for sure.

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Tuesday, August 18th, 2015 AT 4:27 PM

SANS

MEMBER
2 POSTS

So when you wrote that, I thought back to myself that those were near the exact symptoms when I replaced the starter a year ago. I think the fact that I replaced it recently is why I didn't automatically jump to that being the problem. I hate being right sometimes. I pulled the starter, had it tested and it was fine. What other issue would present that way?

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Wednesday, August 19th, 2015 AT 12:33 PM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

Starters can be so tricky they can test fine then fail anytime after that. They can be so difficult to diagnose sometimes.I have dodge mini van a 2008 at work and the starter very intermittently becomes inop
I have been trying to diagnose if its the starter or something else causing it. All the starters that were having a issue with a bad connection The starter didnt run without not turning the starter over like your describing. Also new parts these days are junk especially rebuilt parts like alternators starters rack and pions power steering pumps.I have had my fair share of defective ones after a short period of time. Your sure the starter the running without engaging the engine?

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Wednesday, August 19th, 2015 AT 10:35 PM