Starter doesn not stay engaged

[odendan]

Hi All!

Got a starter issue and could not find a similar post (which does not mean there is not one, I just did not find it)

When starting my engine the starter engages for a second and then goes into that ever so evil whirring sound. If I spend enough time at it, I will get lucky and it will be engaged just long enough to turn the engine over.

I figured the starter was on its way out but at O'Reillys it tested fine.

Gear on starter does not look too worn, and the gear the starter engages looks good too (although it is tough to really inspect it properly)

So taking the advice from the kid at O'reillys (probably not wise on my part) I put it back in to see if the bolts were just loose or something, but the same problem.

It feels like (and excuse my lack of proper descriptive terms) that the gear that extends out from the starter to engage the wheel is retracting before it cranks the engine over. Do these things mechanically go bad? Do they need to line up? Everything I have read talks about electrical problems, but I am not seeing what I would perceive as electrical.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks for your help!!

[stewy]

how did everything go with your starter problem?

[gluke1102]

Did you ever get this problem fixed? I have an 02 f-250 and it just started doing this yesterday. Just curious if you are able to help me out. Thanks.

[ttyR2]

If the engine fires but immediately stops running, it will kick the starter pinion out. I've seen it a lot of times on gas engines.

[GAS]

sounds like a weak starter solenoid. I had the same problem, poked around and found one online for 15 bucks new.