Hi,
So my car was looking really rough, covered in salt. I took it to a car wash which was across the street from where i was staying last night. After the car wash, I drove home about 1 min.
The car sat overnight (temp to -5).
The car won’t start today. When I turn the key, it makes a “whirring” sound but doesn’t turn over. No clicking. Good power, all lights are on. Put a booster battery back on the battery to try to rule out a batter issue, still no start.
I suppose its possible. If you mean one of those drive through car washes that spray underneath pretty good as you drive in. I always make sure the cars can sit in the garage afterward.
At any rate, a whirring sound could be the starter motor itself running, but the gear not engaging o the flywheel by the bendix solenoid. So maybe if water got into the solenoid, its frozen. You’re gonna wanna thaw the starter out with a heat gun or something or just get it inside.
I went thru a wash once and my brakes refused to work upon leaving the drive thru. Took a block or so to warm up the calipers/rotors. Never heard of a starter freezing due to a car wash spray.
I’ve never heard of that either but I guess it can happen. Maybe it just coincides with driving it through a carwash.
I’d smack the starter with a rubber mallet for punishment. Maybe it will get unstuck. If that doesn’t work, smack it some more until it is obvious that it needs replacement.