hey everyone.
lately my car has been a bit troublesome at start-up (2004 3s, manual). i will engage the clutch and turn the key and all i get is the sound of my engine trying to start but wont turn over...its a pretty loud and obnoxious sound. when this happens, to get my car started ill either: disengage the clutch then engage it again then it will start up; give it some gas while clutch is engaged and turn key then it will start; or just push down with all of my might on the clutch (definitely more than is required) and it starts (sometimes). this situation does not occur at every start up, but sporadically.

what could this be?

ive been thinking that it could either be: the clutch, fuel pump (or something dealing with fuel), or i was reading on the mazda3forums that someone had a defective clutch switch (not exactly sure what that is).

if anyone has any ideas or advice, please help.

thanks everyone.

 

Lupae3s, is the sound it makes similar to what it might sound like to drop a bunch of wrenches and tools into a metal bucket all at once. Have been replacing a few starters on the 3 and four cyl 6 for that problem.

 

babyhuey: i wouldnt compare the sound of the car trying to start to dropping tools into a bucket all at once...id say it sounds more like grinding gears. could it still be the starter?

 

It sounds just like a problem my friend had on his Bronco. The starter solenoid either wasn't firing, or was partially engaging the starter gear. he'd have to try it a few times with a few second wait between starts to get it to fire up. He replaced his starter and no more problems.

 

That is actually an exact description Lupae3s. Did not know if you knew what griniding gears sounded like so tried to make a more general description. It actually is a gear grinding condition as sstlaure described about a partially engaging starter. Keep in mind that the starter correctly engaging and turning over the engine is the starter pinion GEAR fully engaging the flywheel ringGEAR, turning over the engine and releasing quickly and fully. It is still covered for 4 years, 50k miles.

 

Just bring it in. Thats wierd though that if you push in your clutch even harder, or release it and push it in again it works. Must be where you stop the starter gears...

 

The gear fires back/forth out of the starter to engage the flywheel. Each time you key the car off then back on you will be re-setting the starter, so it could just be a coincidence that pushing the clutch in seems to help.

My friend always closed his eyes and gave it a second before cranking it over again, which seemed to work. (With an embarrassed look on his face, of course) His was an auto trans.