starter grind, whats wrong Options

[Hanyo]

Today my celica's starter solenoid went out and did not disengage while the engine was running.

I went a head and replaced the starter with a re manufactured one at kragens.

The problem I am having now is, the car starts just fine; but it grinds right when the engine comes to life. So it would crank nice and smooth all the way until the engine turns on.


normally with a broken flex plate; a chip teeth on would sound like errrrr *crunch* errrrr *crunch* errrrrrr

But this one is throwing me off, it only grinds right when the engine comes to life.

I'm either thinking 1) my starter wires are fried and its not sending enough amps to the starter so i have a messy engagement. OR 2) worn out flex plate and lastly 3) bad starter.


I'm gonna remove the cover and inspect the teeth later today. Any other suggestions?

[Hanyo]

When I opened it up, the bearings where covered in this gray mush. I just assumed it was metal shavings mixed with grease. The old starter gear never retracted and the car was driven a couple miles with the starter engaged. Since the starter was on the entire time it heated up really badly smelled like burnt electronics. I'm not sure if that smell as from old CV axle grease covering it or the starter itself burning.

The car would actually start just fine with the old starter but the bendix doesn't retract so the "assuming it was doing the 'single click no start' thing" wasn't my case.