Hey everyone, I have a 2000 Montero Sport Limited 3.5L.

I drove a different car this morning so this didn't happen to me, but I got a call from my mother saying she was trying to start the Montero but the battery was dead.

I just got home and sure enough, the power locks didn't even want to work. I go get a new one and begin to install it. I hook up the positive cable and when I go to connect the negative, as soon as it comes in contact with the terminal, this buzzing electric motor sound begins.

I assumed it was the antenna motor (the antenna broke off so there was no way of verifying if it was going down) and continued installing it. After I was done, the noise hadn't stopped. I go inside and turn on the ignition (without cranking it) and the temperature gauge shoots up to the highest.

I then tried to start it and it sounded like the starter was just spinning freely. I ended up disconnecting the cable because I'm thinking whatever is making that noise might have drained the old battery.

I have no clue what to do now and any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

1. Make sure your battery polarity is correct.
2. Once battery connected and you hear the motor noise - turn the radio on or off and see if the noise changes or goes away. This will tell you if it is an antennae motor or not. If it is, you can disconnect power supply to the antennae so that the motor does not run.
3. Another way to trouble shoot this issue is to pull out fuses one by one until you find out which one makes the motor noise stop. Then check the book to see which circuit this fuse controls.
4. As far as the free spinning starter - you ether have a bad starter or missing few teeth on the fly wheel. If you did not have this issue before, the missing teeth is not very likely. Take the starter out and have it tested at the parts store.

 

find what's making the noise.