Start-Up Squeel/Grind

Hey everyone, I am new to this forum and the LGT and so far I love both.
Anyhow, I have had my 2005 LGT for 2 weeks now and the weather has finally started to get cold in the PA mornings (about 35-40 degrees F). My car has started and run beautifully thus far cold or hot....
This morning though it gave me a little apprehension on start up. It was 35 degrees out, and when it cranked over it made about a 1-2 second long squeel or grind kind of sound (almost like a fan belt but not really). It only made this sound as it cranked over and once it was running it was fine, and then when i restarted at the gas station once I bought my pumkin spice coffee it started up normally and queitly. This sound was probably nothing at all, but the slight grind in the squeel had me worried a touch and wanted to ask and see if it is nature of the beast when it gets cold (i.e. a fan belt getting cold or slipping), or even if it is sign of something failing (i.e. a battery going bad or even a starter).
Please let me know what any of you think to ease my nerves lol.
Also, on a side note, what oil weight is everyone running...I know the manual says 5w30 but I am an Amsoil fan and they reccommend their 0w30..any thoughts or recommendations???
Thanks a lot for your help and sorry for the long winded post!

My starter has been doing that off/on for a couple of years now when it's cold. It did it Tuesday this week but not lately. Sounds like the starter is trying to spin the enigine over after it starts.


You have a 05, you can use what ever oil you like, your out of warrenty.

Originally Posted by Max Capacity

My starter has been doing that off/on for a couple of years now when it's cold. It did it Tuesday this week but not lately. Sounds like the starter is trying to spin the enigine over after it starts.


You have a 05, you can use what ever oil you like, your out of warrenty.

Thanks a lot for you reply...sounds like nothing to worry about, and it did kinda sound like the starter was tryign to turn over an already turning motor...hopefully it wont destroy anything
Ya the warranty expired in August, I just wanted to ask bout oil so that I dont get any slduge or anything like that and ruin my motor

Amsoil 0w30 has been recommended to me as a year round option so long as I don't do anything more strenuous than autocross. With a favorable used oil analysis, I may be able to get a whole year out of one oil change. We'll see. It goes in within the next couple weekends.

Also recommended to me was the Amsoil EA020 (OEM replacement is EA012) oil filter. It has a slightly larger capacity and slightly lower bypass pressure than OEM spec filters. The justification for this was "do you really want a pressure differential of more than 21 psi before you get bypass oil flowing in an engine design known for spun bearings?" Sounded reasonable. Plus, it costs less.

Realistically, anything 5w30 should be fine if you change it regularly. 0w30 might be better if you experience cold winters.

I use 5-30 in the winter, and currently have 15-40 Shell Rotella in there. That's coming out next week and Castrol 5-30 going in may be 10-30. I have been using Fram filters for most of my 133,600 miles.

Main thing I found is change the oil on a regular basis. Hammerdown on here uses Amsoil and swears by it, he has 154,000 miles. and goes with 17,000 mile OCI.

It's not a normal noise. This is not the starter or other starting only equipment. It's kind of a scrapping and squeal in the first .5 second till oil pressure is up. Could be other pump like steering or brake but I only get this when I start the engine after at least an overnight sit.

I wonder if it's the first seconds worth of oil starvation?

I don't know if these engines keep pressure on the filter as some cars do to reduce time to prime and pump oil at start-up.

I don't like the sound but not much to do about it.

It seems that since the weather has cooled off, I am also getting this grinding / squealing sound when I start my car on a cold morning (about 30 degrees). It sounds like the starter is staying engaged for a second too long. I called and asked the dealership and they have never heard of this.


Is this something with the starter or a different issue? Has anyone else who has had this issue been able to fix it , or did it just go away?

I've heard this same squeel/squeal/squel on my '05 with 106k on VERY cold morning start ups, around 19-30 degrees. That's the only time. After it's warm, nothing wrong with the start-up and no sounds.

I have the same 'issue'..

Only on very cold startups, does it every once in awhile, split second noise. Mines done it a dozen times over the years (this morning), never really worried me too much, everything seems fine..

Just adding that mine does the same thing. Only in the cold, like this morning, it was about 25 degrees out.

This is a bad sound, it scared me the first time I heard it. Seems to be normal though.

Mine usually lets out a 1.5 to 2 second squeel right after it fires up, more often in the cold. Doesn't sound like the starter running too long, sounds like something else. It would be nice to know what it is. Belts are all tight and don't squeel at any other time so I don't think it is a belt.

Doesn't sound like metal on metal either.

loose belts?

Not the belts on mine, they're all tight.

What if i'm getting this grinding sound going from 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd on the 5EAT after a cold start then going? I'm afraid to know...

Originally Posted by blongo804

What if i'm getting this grinding sound going from 1st-2nd and 2nd-3rd on the 5EAT after a cold start then going? I'm afraid to know...

Then I think you're dealing with a different problem than the one that lasts for only a second immediately after startup.