fmmoto

Hello all. Two nights ago I stopped for gas and when re-starting the car there was a rattle and the engine stopped turning over. The rattle lasted two seconds at the most; almost as if the fuel was cut off. It didn't sound good so I checked under the motor and didn't see anything spewing. I crossed my fingers and started the car for a second time and it rattled again but this time the motor fired up and continued to run normally. Checked under the car again and saw nothing so I drove home. Since then everything has been normal; the car runs great, no strange sounds and starts as it should. The only (possible) notable is I had the 60k service done at the dealer 2,000 miles ago and the serpentine belt has a faint squeak while warming up at idle but goes away once the motor warms. I'm mechanically inept so I provide this detail in case it may have something to do with the unusual rattle. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Gretch

rattle has been attributed to several things. least worrisome: loose baffle in muffler........... mid worrisome: water pump is on the way out. Most worrisome: IMSB on the way out.

Generally the latter two are not intermittent, where as the muffler baffle can be.

that is the limit of my knowledge on the subject.

Macster

Gretch covered the rattle. I'll add my only expeirence with a rattle -- this from my Boxster -- the first time proved to be a bad water pump. The 2nd time it was more a knock and this was from a loose converter brick in the exhaust. The knock became a buzz when the converter was up to temperature.

My expeirence with the squeaking (faint chirping) -- with my 996 Turbo -- is this is a sign an idler/tensioner roller bearing is bad.

Gretch

agree with the squeaking coming from the tensioner roller....... least expensive and often the last place looked.

Cuda911

Maybe a heat shield over the cats? That's the first thing I would check.

Edit... reading from my cell phone
.. didn't see that the motor also stopped.

FRUNKenstein

Hmm, anybody else think that the starter might be on its way out?

fmmoto

Thank you all for the replies. The concern with the rattle is it was associated with the motor not turning over. I've heard of starters getting "stuck" for lack of a better term and kc has the vote for the closest diagnosis.

Thanks kc......My only other experience with a starter going away was on a motorcycle and it would squeal when started but no rattle. But, since it has only happened twice and it happened on consecutive attempts to start the car it may be starter related I believe as well. Better than being motor related