starter noise: is it a "screech" or a grind?

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

My 2004 Boxster starter has just started making a slight noise. When I do a forum search for "starter noise," I find a number of posters referring to a "starter screech." My noise isn't what I'd call a screech, it's a momentary slight grinding, as though the Bendix is hanging up briefly. The start sequence proceeds normally, the starter turns and the engine catches, but just as it does, there is a slight, brief grinding noise.

I think the Bendix disengaging a second late is exactly what's happening, judging by the sound, but I just wanted to confirm: is my "grinding" what other posters have referred to as "starter screech"?

Car has 80,000 miles and is 15 years old, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Bendix grease had deteriorated.

[Jeff Alton]

Sounds like one and and the same. Not that uncommon. We have one in the shop right now doing the exact same thing.

Cheers

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Is there any reason to do a precautionary new-starter replacement, since the shop will be doing the remove/replace labor anyway? Or is that overkill? This is a 15-year-old Boxster that we plan to keep forever, though it does have only 80,000 miles on it. And starters aren't that expensive.

[Brian in Tucson]

I'd just go ahead and replace it.

The bendix can be remove, cleaned and lubed and probably last another 15 years. But if you aren't doing the work yourself, it's all labor you pay for.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Yeah, at age 83 my DIY days are behind me. The Gold-Plated Porsche remains a marker of my better years...

[Jeff Alton]

Piece of mind, if it is already starting to show signs, get it done, never worry about it.

Good to see you back.

[ddodgen]

my 98 was making the same noise. I found a site on the internet that actually had recorded his starter with the same noise. It is caused by the starter not receding after start for a moment. Replace starter and all is well. If you want to try to find site search under boxster starter noise and find an entry that has the recording.

[lkchris]

It's my off the wall speculation that this is common for Bosch starters in the early 2000s.

My BMW R1100S motorcycle did the screech and I fixed it simply by removing it and putting some grease on the Bendix shaft. BMW service literature called for a Bosch grease that's not available anywhere. I used some Krytox.

Obviously it's a little more difficult to extract the Boxster starter.

[Jim & Kim 986]

We have 2001 986 base - 159,000 + miles. It's my wife's daily driver and we've owned it for 14 years.

The starter noise is caused when the gear fails to withdraw after the engine starts. I did the research on the problem and figured out how to remove the starter and fix the problem but before I could take on the project, it stopped! No, not the starter. The starter is just fine. The noise stopped! That was about two years ago.

If it ain't broke...