ttw18

Starting the car has been progressively more difficult. Sometimes would take 2-3 cranks. Now the starter will make a"whirring" sound on occasion, will crank and eventually start. Pushing the accelerator will usually help the car get started. The car is due for a tune up and will be completing it shortly. I am just worried about the whirring, sound like starter solenoid issue or broken teeth from starter gear. The starter and RS flywheel are about 25k old.

ca993twin

Hmmmm. My guess: If it were broken teeth, I don't think it would ever crank. The solenoid is supposed to throw the starter gear forward to engage the flywheel. This may be weak on your car, and sometimes it may throw the gear far enough, and sometimes not. I vote for faulty solenoid or some defective starter linkage in that area. This does not explain any sort of connection to "Pushing the accelerator will usually help...", but perhaps that is an unrelated "tune-up" issue. IMHO.

<edit> I suppose there could be some broken teeth on the starter, but I think the symptoms would be different... a very odd, rhythmic pattern to the starter noise. Ugh. In any event, I would pull the starter motor, examine it, and bench test it with a 12v source.