HELP! '04 Liberty won't start. Grinding noise.

[choyehgirl]

My '04 Jeep Liberty won't start and makes a grinding noise when you try. The noise is similar to a drum roll or to the sound a playing card makes when put in the spokes of a bike wheel. This is out of the blue. It's very cold (for Dallas) this am (about 25-30 degrees) but I don't think that has anything to do with it. It's been cold off and on for a few weeks. Help! Is it the starter? Something I can fix myself?

 

[SteelHeadz]

Is the NOISe a constant Clicking like noise? and does the engine turn over at all when this happens?

 

[dbxtr3]

From what you described it sounds like the engine isn't turning over and you are hearing a clicking sound of the starter relay. IF SO, you have a battery that is going bad. The recent stint of cold weather will kill batteries. Extreme weather will kill a cell or two in your battery then it can not supply the voltage to the battery to turn over the motor that when you just here a clicking noise or a baseball card in the spoke sound.

 

[tricky-1948]

hi m8 have you had the starter motor off ? the sound could be the bend ex spring stuck ? which when you turn the key to start the motor it turns over but does not engage the flywheel,it just hits the teeth of the fly wheel which gives you that sound normally a good clean and replace it at worst a new bend ex or starter motor ? good luck.
Richard