As of this past week or so, there has been a grinding/clanking sound when starting. I did some research and found its likely the starter needs to be replaced. Seems to be that the teeth wear out over time and grind on the flywheel. (I replaced my starter 5 years ago...I thought they are supposed to last ~10 years?). Hoping for a second opinion before I buy another starter.
I'm hoping to fix this soon to avoid being left stranded anywhere. Maybe the flywheel needs replacing? Any ideas?
[Sounds like this most of the time]
[Not the best video here...much louder/more violent most of the time]
Yea, unfortunately, the starter died just a few weeks later. So i replaced it to find no more weird noises. Looks like this sound is likely a sign of the starter being on its last leg.