Jb1123

5.7 with 140,000 miles

The last time I started it was on Sunday or Monday and it started fine and ran fine, it turn over once and felt like the battery was dying but it started on the second turnover.

I went to start it yesterday and all it did was turn over but it turned over rough, went it sounded like it was gonna start it sounded like metal on metal like when you put a manual car in gear without the clutch.

It's been raining the whole week and it sits out in the rain, but that shouldn't mean anything right? I don't get how it can start and run fine one day then not start like this. Any ideas?

oldchevy

The metal on metal sound while cranking is probably the starter motor. How old is the battery and is the alternator charging properly? Did it crank real slow or like it normally does? It could be either the battery or the starter. If it continues to make the metal on metal sound you could damage the the teeth on the flywheel/flexplate.

Jb1123

I was hoping it is the starter, an employee said it might not be disengaging? No clue on the battery I just got the truck, before it did this, it would crank kinda slow then start instantly, so the battery might be bad.

This time it cranked like normal not slow, but it kept making that metal on metal sound every few turns

oldchevy

You can take the battery to Autozone or Advance Auto Parts and ask them to do a load test on the battery. It is free. If the metal sound is all the time now, it might be too late. Take the starter out and check the starter gear for damage or wear. You can also look into the hole where the starter goes to look at the teeth on the flywheel. You will have to turn the flywheel to look at all the teeth. Don't know about the 98, but the older Chevy's had a flywheel cover you could remove to get at the flywheel.

Jb1123

ok ill have the battery checked out, i work at a dealership so ill take it there.

It does it all the time i try to start it now, so maybe looking at a starter and flywheel replacement? I gotta pull the tranny to get to the flywheel right?

I think i might have it towed to work to work on it there.

shamrock246

Did it sound like the engine was kicking back when you heard the grinding noise i had this twice on mine the first time it failing crank sensor,the second time it was a aftermarket cap and rotor it only did it on rainy days the bad crank sensor cost me a starter and flywheel,you can pull the starter to inspect the flywheel you will have to move the trans back to get hte flywheel out

Jb1123

I wanna say yes, I almost freaked out and thought the engine was seized until I calmed down lol

It only started doing this as soon as it rained hard the whole week and my truck sits in the rain.

Well I took the starter out and the gear looks ok from what I can tell, I'm gonna compare it to a new one, flywheel looks good from when I looked in the hole, so so far so good?

An employee suggested the starter wasn't getting enough juice from the battery to fully engage the starter? What do you think? I ran the code reader and no codes came up, so no sensors failing?

kevinkpk

If you have someone to jump start it, and it cranks fine, then suspect the battery or with a voltmeter check the battery before , during crank, and after it starts. The voltage should be around 12-13 setting for ahwile, then it will drop to 11 or so, with it running the alternator should be charging it at 14+.

Jb1123

had the battery charged and tested, came out good, starter tested good, i think the battery just needed a good charge, starts up fine and on the first crank now, now on to the next problem lol

kevinkpk

Thanks for the follow up.