Gday Guys,
Brand new and need a little help.
My camry (1998 GL220, the 2.2 four cylinder manual) is having issues with the starter lately.
I turn the key, it makes a whirring noise kind of like a jet warming up, then after maybe 10 seconds of this starts with a really gaunching metal on metal sort of sound. This sound is loud, as in people look at me weird when it starts like this from ten metres down the road.

It doesn't do it all the time, i recently drove it for a weekend away (3 hrs drive) and it was fine, but i got it back last night, and started it this morning to go to work and it happens.
I know it will just get worse if i don't do anything about it...
Can anyone help? or am i going to need to replace the starter? Can i do that myself (no experience but pretty mechanically minded).

Cheers all

Tim

 

sound like the starter is not engaging correctly. possible issue with the starter and also the ring gear..

 

suggest? I don't know what the 'ring gear' is, so is that the starter or something more serious?!!

Can replace the starter without too much hassle I think, as long as its fairly straightforward and i can find step by step instructions on the net...

Cheers