The past couple of days every so often when I've turned the ignition its made this 'screeching' noise and hasn't started, I turned the key again and its started fine.

Can someone please advise, is this the sign of something on its way out or just the car starting in the cold? I got the car in April so haven't really experienced it in the bitter cold yet!

If it isn't turning over while screeching, it's likely to be the starter motor at fault though worth getting a free battery test - batteries loose capacity in the cold, especially if they are on the way out.

The starter motor has a mechanism to pre-engage with the engine before it cranks. If this pre-engage mechanism sticks or partly engages, you can get some strange results. Sometimes the fix is simply to remove the starter and clean the mechanism.

It could be a loose connection at the starter (or the battery or the engine earth) but this is less likely as it starts on second attempt.

red.

Thanks RED.

I haven't had a chance to look into it, will certainly have a look tomorrow-ish!

Alternator Belts are know to screal a lil bit
But It could be the poster above saying about a mechanism

Ziggy