Hey guys! I'm new on this forum. This is my first post, but hopefully it's an interesting one. I have a 99 LS400 with 152k miles on it. A few weeks ago, it started taking more and more turns of the key to start it, until one day, when all I got was the infamous single click. So I figured it's time to replace the starter and ordered a Denso Remanufactured one. It came in late yesterday, and my friends and I got started. We finished today and got the car all put back together. When I went to start it, it started right up! However, right after it turned over, there was a very high pitched whining/whirring noise ( like something spinning very quickly) which lasted a second or two. I've tried starting it about 12-13 times since then, and it does it almost every time, although the noise has gotten a bit quieter.
My friends and I immediately suspected that the noise was coming from the starter not disengaging and pulling back out of the flex plate after starting it. After doing some quick searching on this forum, I figured we were probably right about that theory. Is this because we possibly didn't seat the starter properly? Maybe it might've been at a slight angle? But the two 14mm bolts went right in and we tightened them properly. The starter seemed like it was very stable and properly fitted. Or is this just an issue with the starter itself?
In any case, my main concern is... Will this cause any long term problems to the flex plate or something? Will the new starter go out quickly? Basically, what should I do at this point?
Thanks in advance guys!
Karthik
PS. I have to take the LS400 on a 900 mile road trip from Chicago to NY tomorrow . That's why I'm kinda anxious and worried about this noise haha. At least we got the starter replacement done fairly quickly and on time. I have to say, although it was an annoying job, it really wasn't as bad as I was expecting!