Need help with an issue on my Daily Driver

[Rengo]

1998 Chevy Lumina 3.1 v6 auto
I am having issues starting my car now, I have talked with three different shops and each shop said something different. flywheel, starter and battery. The car will start if I apply my foot on the gas pedal and pump gas but the starter is grinding and the car does not want to start. My dad agreed with a shop and thinks that there is a bad spot in the fly wheel, so he likes to put the car in neutral and shove it around to try to start it. But with it being auto I wouldn't think that it would turn?? :dontknow: I have lights, clock, can roll up the power windows, turn on radio and such.. so I think my batter is okay.. Let me know

 

[diymirage]

if the starter is grinding it might be the starter is not fully engaging
this could be an issue with the gear on the starter, it could be a bad spot in the flywheel (like your dad thought) or it might be a bad silly-noid or maybe a barrage of other different issues

i would pull the starter off and check out the gear and silly-noid for starters (no pun intended)

 

[Bad Sport]

Is the starter tight?

 

[green1]

Try this; a v8 always stops in the same 3 positions. pull off inspection plate, rotate the converter with a screwdriver. Starts- new ring gear.

 

[toolmanmike]

1998 Chevy Lumina 3.1 v6 auto
I am having issues starting my car now, I have talked with three different shops and each shop said something different. flywheel, starter and battery. The car will start if I apply my foot on the gas pedal and pump gas but the starter is grinding and the car does not want to start. My dad agreed with a shop and thinks that there is a bad spot in the fly wheel, so he likes to put the car in neutral and shove it around to try to start it. But with it being auto I wouldn't think that it would turn?? :dontknow: I have lights, clock, can roll up the power windows, turn on radio and such.. so I think my batter is okay.. Let me know

I'm thoroughly confused. Your car is fuel injected so pumping the gas doesn't do anything for it. If you are having a hard start problem (have to crank a long time before the engine starts) you probably have a fuel pump problem. If the starter won't engage or it won't spin the engine over you will have a battery, starter or flywheel problem depending on what it does or doesn't do or how it sounds. Pretty hard to diagnose a problem like this over the net without testing components or hearing the problem. We need more clues.
tmm

 

[Mopar to ya]

Pumping the gas and starting is either a coincidence or you have more than one issue. If it is cranking and not firing until you pump the gas, I would suspect the fuel pressure regulator or fuel pump. Pull the vacuum line off the regulator. Tap it on the manifold and see if any fuel comes out. If so, that is one of your problems. If dry, check your fuel pressure to see if the pump is giving you enough fuel.

If it is not cranking until to apply the gas pedal, that is purely coincidental. Flywheels don't go bad often these days, but you are going to have to pull the starter and inspect the flywheel. If the teeth are good, your starter is not fully engaging the flywheel and will need to be replaced. If the flywheel has ground teeth, well .... buy some beer and settle down for a nice weekend of tranny pulling.