What can cause my starter, under 32 degrees, to not start the engine. The starter spins but never throws out the Bendix to engage with the flywheel? Chevrolet put a new starter last year (meaning this starter is still under warrenty) and they replaced all things before it before they replaced the starter meaning many trips to checvy and them saying it's fixed only to find the 32 below moring and the car would not start. After they had replaced virtually everything they put in a new starter and the car works fine until now a year later and the same problem and once again checvy wants to replace everything else but the starter. As a matter of fact they sent us home once already this month saying it's fixed only to find that on a cold morning it did not start. I'm getting a little miffed with Chevy (no wonder they are losing market shares with deplorable customer service as I have been experiencing) they want to replace all the before items and not just put in a new starter, which is in their database since the car was there last year. It just does not make sense; 1) To have the same problem in a years time & 2 to be jerked around by Checy like I know nothing. It seems simple look at the cars record last year and go, 'Oh hey we put a starter in and it fixed it' But they have not yet shown an ability to comprehend a vehicles history. Sorry that was long Im really interested in this bendix throw-out issue that I believe we are experiencing. Like I said you hear the starter spinning but it never engages with the flywheel?

It does sound like the bendix is not coming out on the starter. You said you had it to Chevrolet? I think I would go to an independent garage & have them look at it for you & see if they can figure it out.

I would pull it off and take it to an autozone or local parts store. They should be able to test it out for you. It sounds like a short in the wiring for the solenoid that engages the actual bendix the kickout.. just a thought.

If it was a short I would think it would not engage the bendix all of the time. That seems non-believable. In my mind a short, is a short is a short, it shouldn't take the temperature to drop below 32 degrees for it to start shorting? Chevrolet still has the car and it's cold this morning so I'm praying the Bendix will not throw out when they try yo start the car. Thanks for the input, I will keep short as a possibility. Another thought if it's a short then when this same thing happened 1 year ago it was a short then? And Chevy replaceing the starter fixed the short?

Ok I lucked out. They put in a new starter and all is good, although on Tue. morning the car started fine for them but as the day went on the temperature kept dropping and the mechanic came out & tried to start the car again and it would not. The Bendix did not throw out & so Chevy determined the starter was bad and we now have a new starrter with Warrenty & since old start was under warrenty we only had to pay for the Labor. But the best thing of all was that they witnessed how the temperature was affecting our starter.

Ok I lucked out. They put in a new starter and all is good, although on Tue. morning the car started fine for them but as the day went on the temperature kept dropping and the mechanic came out & tried to start the car again and it would not. The Bendix did not throw out & so Chevy determined the starter was bad and we now have a new starrter with Warrenty & since old start was under warrenty we only had to pay for the Labor. But the best thing of all was that they witnessed how the temperature was affecting our starter.


Glad you got it fixed :)

the starter might be it..... :woot: