Starting problems

[waseemrafiq94]

what could affect a car from starting?

the car in question is a 97 toyota starlet, when starting it makes a zzzz sound.

and also, is the starter motor directly ontop of the g-box?

thanks

PS: what could a DIY person do at home with a basic toolkit.

[trickywoo]

Sounds like the starter is spinning without engaging.

Could just be a duff solenoid if you are lucky.

[waseemrafiq94]

what does one look like, and is it easy to change.

when letting the h-brake off and letting the vehicle go back and starting it starts fine (bump start i think)..

[Deluded]

Sounds like the starter is buggered.

If it starts being bumped then you can pretty much rule out any fueling or ignition problems.

As for DIY replacement. Anything is doable on the drive, just a matter of how confident you are.

Never done a starter on a Starlet myself but they are usually fairly easy to change on smaller cars. If anything, they are just fiddly or awkward to get to. Actually swapping the parts out is only a matter of a few bolts. Getting to it is usually the tricky bit.

Hopefully the design of the starlet engine/gbox will mean that you don't have to get the gearbox off to change the starter...

Invest in a Haynes manual or get on an owners forum and see if you can find a guide.