Agree it's the starter. I have the same issue. Just sticks a little bit once started and makes that nasty sound.

 

you guys are overthinking it. from what you are explaining..it sounds like the freakin starter to me. this is from personal experience. also, if u wait to long..the starter may not work at all.when it starts doing it again...have someone start the car and you go under the hood and listen

 

ive had this problem from about 60k...im now at 120k.....all mechanics say its the starter sticking.....it only happens to me on cold start ups. ive been waiting for the starter to go out but its still troopin on

im not really looking forward to it going out either...that starter bolt is a B*TCH X 2 to get out.

 

Thanks guys. I will jsut wait till it dies on me. It hasn't done it since I posted this. BTW - It was like 37 degrees the morning this happened, so I do think cold weather had something to do with it.

 

if cold weather had something to do with it, check your battery as well. =) make sure its getting a full charge...or else a lot of other things will start going wrong as well.

 

I get this all the time when it's cold. If there's frost on the car, I know I'll hear the noise. I'd actually put in a new battery anyway since the original Honda battery was getting weak and now the problem sounds worse, probably because the starter is getting more than enough cold crankin' amps to really spin and grind away. I've also tried pushing the start button for as minimal amount of time possible which doesn't help either. With a recent oil change with Mobil 1 didn't change it. As everyone else says here it's likely the starter or TCT, I'm leaning toward the starter but am tempted to just let it run it's course as I've lived with the problem through one winter already.

 

Had the sound for the first time this morning. Just for giggles, I hit the start button for a sec when the engine was running and sounds similar. I have got about 35000 miles and it was in the 30's this morning.

Maybe it is the TCT.

 

When I replaced the starter on my Nissan that made the same noise I carefully compared the old and new. The starter and gearset were identical and apparently not the problem, but the solenoid and spring did not react the same way... I am convinced it was the solenoid that retracts slower when cold. In some cars you can just replace the solenoid but on others it is integrated so you replace the starter.

 

I get the same thing as well. When the starter goes, Ill replace it

 

this is how you can check it, take the starter out and inspect it, if it looks in good condition get the car in jacks and while one of your buddies rotate the tires while in gear inspect the flywheel teeths.