Starter just spins

Hello,

This sounds like you might have got a bad starter right out of the box. When the starter engages the flywheel/flex-plate a small gear called the Bendix gear pops out and meshes with the flywheel/flex-plate [flywheel for a standard transmission, flex-plate for an automatic] and the the electric starter motor spins the engine to get it started. In the diagrams down below I have included the instructions for the removal and installation of the starter motor for your vehicle. Please go through this guide and get back to us with how everything turns out. We can go from there if needed.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

If it were me I would remove the starter and look in the opening and make sure the flex plate doesn't have missing teeth and appears to be in the proper position. Worst case try to put a socket on the crank pulley and spin the motor over. Basically the starter has a retractable gear that meshes with the flex-plate so if it is just spinning then I suspect it is just hitting the flex-plate or not making contact with it. That would be due to missing teeth or they are not aligned properly.

The only other possible cause is you got another bad starter but that is highly unlikely to have two doing the same thing

Let me know what you find with this and we can go from there.

Hello,

Okay, so what we are trying to determine here is if the flex-plate is still intact. If you could please remove the starter and then have an assistant turn the crankshaft by hand while you look in the hole the starter left and check the teeth on the flex-plate and make sure that there are not any that are broken off or damaged. This way we can rule out the flex-plate as the problem and then concentrate on the Bendix gear of the starter as the problem. Please keep us informed as to the results.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros

Hello,

When the starter is engaged there is small gear that moves forward and engages the flex-plate teeth. This is known as the Bendix gear. Then with the Bendix and flex-plate's teeth messed together the electric starter motor turns the Bendix gear which in turn turns the flex-plate to get the engine rotating so it can start. Please keep us informed as to what you find out. We are here to help.

Thanks,
Alex
2CarPros