chevy cavalier (2000)

First, check to see if you are getting voltage at the purple wire on the starter in the proper sequence (A small wire to one of the small terminals, may be marked "START". Turn the ignition to "START", see if that wire's hot. Then, cycle back to "RUN" or "OFF", and see if the wire goes dead.

If that works, have the starter checked. The drive might not be engaging. If the purple wire does not work as indicated in paragraph 1, then you need to start checking the wiring and the related components (ignition switch, relays, etc). Get a good wiring diagram for that. Could be an intermittent short in the switch or relay keeping the power applied.

Check carefully; it 's possible you have multiple problems from your description.

Keep us updated.

It's likely a good thing that the engine is not running after the starter is turned on. If it did and the starter was still running, there is a good chance that anything beyond idle rpm would destroy the starter, which being stuck in the flywheel would spin at enormous speeds.

Were it my car, I'd check to make certain that:

1.> the ignition switch isn't defective.

2.> That the starter Bendix drive is functioning properly. This is best done on a bench.

3.> If the starter has an external solenoid, that the solenoid moves freely, retracting the start drive gear after key is moved back to "run"

If the Bendix drive that engages the flywheel is rusted or bound up for any reason, than the inertial effect that pulls the gear out and into engagement with the ring gear, isn't working.

Worse case scenario is that the teeth on the ring gear have stripped and there is nothing for the starter gear to grab hold of. The starter sees a "No load" condition and spins freely. I'm not inclined to suspect this however, as this by itself would not leave the starter running.

One old trick that has worked more often than I care to admit, is to give the starter housing a smart wack with a heavy lead faced hammer or place a plastic mallet against the starter and then wack the mallet lightly with a sledge hammer. Starters that have been innoperative for any length of time, can sometimes behave funny. If this "fixes" the problem that I suggest you "cycle" the starter several times so as to insure that it's freed up.

You didn't' say if the starter has it's own relay or in the current is being handled by a remote relay.

In either case, I'd inspect the relay to insure that it releases quickly when the key is released from the start position.

If the solenoid sticks, whoopee. A remote one is easy to replace and not expensive. If the relay is mounted on the starter, as is common these days, it should be covered by the same warranty as the starter.

Last, but certainly not least, make certain that the battery and starter leads are in good condition and that the braided ground cable from the block to the chassis is intact and secure.

The starter system is part of a system that is much like a three-leged bar stool. The battery, alternator and starter motor must all be in working order or the stool won't "stand".

L. J.

One additional thing to think about is the return spring that pulls the plunger back out of the starter solenoid after the start position is released. Attached to the starter solenoid below the battery feed wire is the power for the starter motor. Test this wire with a test light, when you feel the starter is running when it should not be.

Is it just me, or is CR4 flooded with people that have Cavaliers?

if starter has no problem...check your distributor...take out one spark plug wire and ground it...then try to start about 2 secs...check if there is spark do not touch it..if no spark then your distributor or igniter has the problem...i hope this help...

simple- Bad stater or bad mechanic (did not align/tighten starter properly)

Suggest going with oem part. Way more expensive, but not reman from someplace that had a 10 year old doing it.

rosy, you said:

when I try to start the car, it doesn't turn over, but you can hear the starter still going after the key is shut off. It is not that fan that is running. The starter is almost brand new, put in by a mechanic approx. 2 months ago. Any clues?

I'm having a bit of a problem understanding that description. Normally when starting an engine, what we hear is both the starter turning and the engine turning...it has that "turning over" sound because the starter is under load until the engine fires and runs on its own. So, to be clear, let's try this:

When I turn the key to start the engine, I hear a sound that must be the starter—it sounds different from the usual sound...more like a whirring sound—but as I hold the key turned to Start, the engine doesn't seem to turn over, and doesn't start and run. Additionally, even after I release the key, I continue to hear the whirring sound of the starter...and I know it's not the cooling fan or any other fan running. Any clues?

Is that closer...? If so, then it's fairly safe to say, that the solenoid is not actuating and engaging the starter motor to the engine flywheel in order to rotate the wheel and the (attached) engine crank shaft. This could be a fault in the starter solenoid, a starter relay problem, or the starter key switch...let's stop there. The fact that the starter does not stop upon key release suggests a defect (sticking) in the starter relay; rather than opening and "disconnecting" current to the starter when the key is release, it's sticking closed, keeping the starter energized. The question then would be, why isn't the solenoid functioning at the time the starter motor starts to turn? This could also be related to the relay or to wiring connected with the relay. (If the formerly replaced starter also had the problem of not turning the engine, then this recurrence strongly suggests that the other starter was not really at fault...it was something else in the starter system circuitry.)

Since the starter is new, and because starter replacement is more involved and expensive on a transverse engine, your first step should be to take the car back in to the repair shop that installed the starter...pronto...and under warranty. It could be that a defective installation created the problem. It could also be that the starter was replaced when the defect (before starter replacement) was actually something else...and now the new starter is making that misdiagnosed defect show the same and/or a "new" symptom. You need to prepare yourself to be cooperative but firm with the service shop and insist on their fixing their problem. Try to start with the shop supervisor/manager and not with the mechanic or service writer. Let us know how it goes...in case you run into any stonewalling. This definitely sounds like a service defect problem, first and foremost.

Good luck with it.

Let me quote from Bob's book of auto repair.

Rule #1. The last person that touched it screwed it up.

Go back to that mechanic, and plead your case.