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...

have you changed the battery since you got it ?
(iirc you got it new yeah?)

its probably just the battery getting a bit old... the cold weather doesent help so theres a bit more load on the alternator to charge up the battery again just after youve started it

nothing to worry about... its probably a pretty small battery on yours so you might as well change it sometime, but theres no hurry.... if youre not going to do it yourself then just wait till the next service etc.. :-)

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)

Is the noise when you turn the steering wheel?

Is it just when its idling?

Where is the noise comming from?

Oh, and whats on at the time of starting up? Demister? fans? heater?

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

how loud is it ?

Fuel Pump.

might be the fuel filter or an automatic choke.

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.

Maybe the stepper motor giving more revs

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 more like the starter sticking

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 ?

Quote from: bearI 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 ?