Q: Car in park. Rev the engine. Grinding noise with smoke and burnt smell
My car was on and warming up when I decided to rev the engine. I got up to 3000 RPM and heard a grinding noise. I stopped revving. I did it one more time and at about 3000 RPM heard it again - this time accompanied with smoke and a smell. Stopped revving. Looked in the engine so no leaks and heard or saw nothing. Took it for a test drive and had zero issues. What caused that grinding and should I be concerned?
My car has 144000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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What you are describing sounds like a faulty starter solenoid. A faulty starter solenoid will generally produce a clicking sound when turning the key. The starter solenoid is located on the starter and has internal electrical contacts that transmit electricity to the starter. As electricity is supplied to the starter a small gear comes out and engages the flywheel to spin the engine over as you turn the key. When this fails, it may cause a clicking sound and will not allow the starter to engage the flywheel when you turn the key. In some cases if the starter solenoid is faulty it may cause the starter gear to remain out too long which can cause the starter gear to grind against the flywheel after the engine has started. This is noticeable by a very loud grinding sound. I would recommend having a professional from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose and inspect your vehicle.
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