Almost Silent Starter/Starting Problem Golf

Hope someone can help on this one.

1991 Golf 1.3 very basic model. Petrol I must add (and LPG)

I have an intermittent starting problem whereby when I sometimes return to the car, irrespective of weather conditions when I turn the ignition key I simply get a faint whirring from the starter, but not any actual turning as such. Whirring/or whizzing is the about the best description I can give.

The car is not used on a daily basis, and often it only involves about 1 mile journey, almost as a glorified shopping cart.

I have changed the battery, so can only assume that to be up to scratch. Also the previous belt on the alternator had so few teeth remaining and was so loose wasn't a big surprise that it screetched, so replaced that and seems fractionally squeaky(might be the alt pulley) but fairly sure its giving charge back to the battery and is tight as best I can calculate to required tension(incidentally I bought the belt, as recommended by the mechanics book, and it is 'toothed' but the pulleys on the crank and alternator are smooth, is this normal?)

I feel that perhaps the lack of giving the car a good run might be reducing the battery charge over time (1 mile then off - then 1 mile back home and off again for a couple or so days), and usually if I give the battery a charge for a very very short time it will turn the starter successfully.

But whirring? without just turning slowly?

The lights on the ignition come on ok when this problem occurs, and the lights and horn seem ok. Could it be the battery is just not giving enough out, and has become semi discharged and not providing enough power to turn the starter.

Is a whirring starter a sign of a dying starter?

The car was owned by a mechanic previously, who obviously had less knowledge about servicing than me, so I have no reason to believe that anything on this car has ever been changed in the 3 years he had it, and it is 16 years old.

I live in Bulgaria and needed to buy and runner, so with the language barrier here, it would great to hear any suggestions.

It's been a while since I had a MKII Golf but;

The squealing belt can be solved simply by adjusting the alternator arm.

The no noise/faint whirring is either the starter on its way out (tap with hammer used to solve my problems!) or the alternator isn't performing.

Thanks for the reply

Belt seems more squeaky than squealy now, and seems at a good tension, but I must monitor this with it needing to run in (only just changed) Can you recall if the toothed belt for the smooth pulleys is normal. Sounds like I have a squeaky pully on the alt.

If the whirring of the starter is possibly a sign its on its way out do you think it might be requiring more charge than it ought to to turn, What I mean by this is usually 10 mins on the battery charger means the starter will turn.

And could the pitiful length of the journeys mean not enough time to put charge back to the battery used up during starting, and slowly reducing the battery level?

Any help, all help appreciated

I once had a similar issue with a 1.1 litre Mk1 Golf. The starter had somehow got wet and would spin without actually turning the engine. I bumpstarted it, drove it around for a good ten or twelve miles to warm up the engine, and the problem was gone once the water had dried!

Thanks Huweth

Thats not an impossible scenario in this situation. I had another problem with the fuel pump diaphragm and getting one here in Bulgaria became a problem over the christmas period, so the car was stood in snow for some time. Its never had a good run since, and when it rains here, it really rains, as it did last week.

Maybe there has been some moisture finding its way in and with only short runs has never had chance to get truly cleared. After bump starting the car yesterday and getting back home, I left it running for a while. Turned it off and then started again without problem, again leaving it running for a little while. Going to give it a good run and see how the problem develops.

Thanks again