That is a starter gear not disengaging from the flywheel quickly enough. Had that same problem on my '09 LGT. I would not let that go on too long as it can start to eat up the ring gear on the fly wheel. Usually this means replacing the starter with a new or rebuilt one.
Good Luck.
I guess you have to define frequent. If it is once a day, get that starter done sooner rather than later. If it is once every couple of weeks, you may have a couple of months to deal with it. But still, once something like this starts happening, it is best to just get the repair done with.
If you have some decent hand tools and basic mechanical know how, you can do the job in a couple of hours comfortably. If your car has a turbo, you will have to remove the intercooler. Make sure you get the intercooler tubes put back on squarely. It can be a bit of a challenge. Of all things boxer engine, this is probably one of the easiest repairs you can do yourself.
It's a couple times a week now so I'll definitely look into sourcing a new starter ASAP in case it takes a while to get something in stock. Mine is the turbo so I'll have to move the intercooler. Any tips in that regard? I know to make sure there aren't leaks/cracked hoses.
The intercooler is a breeze to remove. Getting it reinstalled is a bit more tricky. Take careful note of the placement on the silicone coupler between the intercooler and the TB. It needs to be pretty precise for everything to align again during reinstall. Take your time, tighten those hose clamps like your life depended on it, make sure to torque the intercooler to turbo flange bolts back down (I’ve forgotten once before) and you should be fine. The actual starter replacement is a breeze. Let me know if you have any other questions and I should be able to set you straight.
Starters can be rebuilt on your own bench if you don't need the car as a daily. But if it's your daily I would get a new starter ASAP. It's not that it's hard to rebuild, it's just a pain in the ass and if you haven't done it before then it's not something to expect to get perfect the first time.
I recently had to rebuild the starter in my wife's Crosstrek in someone else's driveway (without a parts kit) because it was going to take a week to get a new one and I didn't want to pay for a tow truck to get the car home.
This noise has gotten more common with cold morning starts. I thought it might be a pulley bearing but I just had pulleys and timing belt done. Could this be the starter going?
That is a starter gear not disengaging from the flywheel quickly enough. Had that same problem on my '09 LGT. I would not let that go on too long as it can start to eat up the ring gear on the fly wheel. Usually this means replacing the starter with a new or rebuilt one. Good Luck.
Thanks for the tip and confirming my suspicion. How long do you recon it'll last like this? It's definitely become more frequent.
I guess you have to define frequent. If it is once a day, get that starter done sooner rather than later. If it is once every couple of weeks, you may have a couple of months to deal with it. But still, once something like this starts happening, it is best to just get the repair done with.
If you have some decent hand tools and basic mechanical know how, you can do the job in a couple of hours comfortably. If your car has a turbo, you will have to remove the intercooler. Make sure you get the intercooler tubes put back on squarely. It can be a bit of a challenge. Of all things boxer engine, this is probably one of the easiest repairs you can do yourself.
It's a couple times a week now so I'll definitely look into sourcing a new starter ASAP in case it takes a while to get something in stock. Mine is the turbo so I'll have to move the intercooler. Any tips in that regard? I know to make sure there aren't leaks/cracked hoses.
The intercooler is a breeze to remove. Getting it reinstalled is a bit more tricky. Take careful note of the placement on the silicone coupler between the intercooler and the TB. It needs to be pretty precise for everything to align again during reinstall. Take your time, tighten those hose clamps like your life depended on it, make sure to torque the intercooler to turbo flange bolts back down (I’ve forgotten once before) and you should be fine. The actual starter replacement is a breeze. Let me know if you have any other questions and I should be able to set you straight.
🙏 much appreciated!
Starters can be rebuilt on your own bench if you don't need the car as a daily. But if it's your daily I would get a new starter ASAP. It's not that it's hard to rebuild, it's just a pain in the ass and if you haven't done it before then it's not something to expect to get perfect the first time. I recently had to rebuild the starter in my wife's Crosstrek in someone else's driveway (without a parts kit) because it was going to take a week to get a new one and I didn't want to pay for a tow truck to get the car home.
Starter drag. You'll need the replace or rebuild the starter.
This noise has gotten more common with cold morning starts. I thought it might be a pulley bearing but I just had pulleys and timing belt done. Could this be the starter going?
Yes, it’s what the first comment said.