I took my 07 lightly modified unlimited to Haspin Acres in Indiana over the weekend with my cousin. It was amazing (first REAL off-roading and wheeling I have ever done). The only problem was the 2" of rain made the trails muddy and slick. I was taking a trail through some mud holes and my right tires got caught up in the left tire track ruts...no chance of centering...just before I hit a mud hole up to about my waist. Jeep was at about a 35-40 degree angle on it's side (about rolled it) stuck in the mud hole pasenger front side first with water up over the fender.

We enlisted some help and got it out. When it was free we tried to start it and the starter just had a spinning whine. Sounded like the gears weren't engaging on the starter at all. We got the Jeep started by clutch popping it. Then turned it off and low and behold the starter worked (although sounded sluggish when turning over). We ended up trailering it back to my house after doing an oil change because the oil still had water in it and we were out of oil. Over the course of getting it on the trailer, oil changes, etc. I used the starter about a dozen times after I got the inital whinning noise. The starter still sounded odd and sluggish (almost like mud was in the starter) but it worked. This morning (4 days after getting stuck), I tried to start it and got the high pitched whine of the starter again. Any thoughts on what this could be before I take it to the dealer?

Thanks...will post some pictures of the wheeling later when I have them off my camera...GREAT shots. My jeep took every trail my cousins '97 TJ with 6" long arm Skyjacker and 35" Mickey Thompsons could! I love this Jeep!!!

 

bump...

I took the starter off today and took it to Advanced Auto to have it checked out. The starter clutch did work and the gear popped out. So the starter checked out okay although it was still making a noise.

Any thoughts? Anyone?