Im a total noob when it comes to cars and the likes. I drive a micra, enough said.

Anyway, for the last month or so, my car has started to make a strange whirring noise sometimes when starting it. Typically its when it hasnt been driven for a few days, or like today, when it was really cold.

The noise is very similar to the whirring noise you get when using the windscreen washer jets.

What happens is, I turn the key, car starts, and then a split second later I get the whir noise for maybe half a second or so? If it were the starter motor or something surely itd whir before the engine kicks in, and not a split second after?

Any suggestions appreciated, as its not done it before (5.5 year old car) so Im presuming something is going wrong rather than it just aging...

I think its had new batteries at various services over the years, I dont think the battery can be any more than 2 years old (CBA to look in the service book as that means going outside)

Nothing on, nothing being turned (wheel)

Literally I get in car, put key in ingnition, turn the key, car starts and ~0.5 secs after ignition I get about a second of this electric whirring.

no headlights on, no wipers etc, just standard "on"-ness

Fuel Pump.

Tis about as loud and very similar to the whirring when you are using the washed jets.

I am guessing its maybe to do with the choke as you only hear it first thing in the morning when its cold, or I havent driven for a few days. I bet Ill hear it today.

http://www.zpyder.co.uk/forums/MOV_0002.3gp

Video from this morning, because of thw weird acoustic properties going on it sounds slightly louder/different than it does for real, but the whirring noise is the noise that sounds like Ive just kicked a small cow after starting the engine at the end of the video (its in mobile phone movie format, sorry)

sounds like the starter motor isnt disengaging fast enough, i think its usually a sticky relay that causes that.

I have a similar noise but it seems to come from dashboard, when car cold a whirr is heard right after start
and the clock and the trip meter zeroes. I might be that my battery is getting weaker (especially when cold).

Does your clock and trip meter go to zero when it happens ?

If it comes from the dash board then like the above posts say, could be a relay. I dont know tbh, but are your relays in this old car in the dash board bear ?