What turns on when key is on?

[PewterBird]

Rarely when I turn the key to the on position, before I start it. I get a loud grinding noise. It lasts a few seconds then stops. The car starts fine. What could it be? It is definantly not the power antenna, it sounds just like it, but my antenna has been disconnected for over a year, and the sound is from the front of the car.

[D_Fisher]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

Do you have flip up headlights?

[Big Tymer]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

Do you have flip up headlights?

betcha thats what it is.... get the metal gears off eBay

[cam98aro]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

its either the headlights, or the fuel pump

[PewterBird]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

Nope its not the headlights, they work fine.

I don't think it is the fuel pump. The sound is comming from the front of the car, and shakes the floorboard and the pump is in the tank. But I won't rule that out yet. I will have to check the pressure.

Anything else?

[1998silverbird]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

you sure its not the headlights?? The lights will still work fine and come up but just when they go down they make that grinding sound.. When my motor went bad in the WS6 everytime I turned the key to the on position my lights would come up and go back down then that grinding noise would happen.. If not the lights then maybe its the cooling fan hitting something if you have your fan wired to stay on all the time??

[T-Mill]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

I'm not too sure about this one, but it could also be the starter solenoid engaging the flywheel... I believe that when the key is turned to "on" the starter solenoid pushes the gear to the flywheel, might be that. Any hesitation on the start? Any sort of grinding right after starting the car? I have a 95 GMC Safari and the new starter I put in didn't match the flywheel and I had to shim the flywheel, and everytime I turned the key to "on" prior to turning over it made a noise, it wasn't a grinding, but was definitely a noticeable sound.

[PewterBird]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

you sure its not the headlights?? The lights will still work fine and come up but just when they go down they make that grinding sound.. When my motor went bad in the WS6 everytime I turned the key to the on position my lights would come up and go back down then that grinding noise would happen.. If not the lights then maybe its the cooling fan hitting something if you have your fan wired to stay on all the time??

The lights will go up and down with no grinding noise. It sounds similar, I have heard what a grinding headlight sounds like on my other 96 Firebird. This is definantly not headlight related.

The car does hesitate longer on the start, than it used to.
I will get a video of it tomarrow.If the fuel system was leaking backward and depressurizing, would it make a sound when it repressurized. If not, it probably is my starter selenoid.

[PewterBird]

Re: What turns on when key is on?

Donde esta Bulldogg?