What happens if the clearance between the starter pinion and the engine flywheel is too great?

When the clearance between the starter pinion and the engine flywheel is too great, it results in a situation where the engagement between the two is not optimal. The starter pinion is designed to mesh with the teeth of the flywheel when the starter is engaged. If the gap is excessive, the pinion may not fully engage with the flywheel, causing it to spin without adequately catching or engaging with the flywheel teeth.

This leads to the starter producing a high-pitched whine during cranking as the pinion gear spins in a free state instead of properly engaging the flywheel to turn the engine over. The whine is the result of the pinion gear rotating without resistance from the flywheel, creating a sound associated with the gear teeth rapidly moving past each other without interlocking.

The other options depict scenarios that don't accurately describe the symptoms of excessive clearance. In particular, the starter drive will still attempt to rotate even without full engagement, and the solenoid is generally functioning if the starter attempts to crank, though it may sound improper. Therefore, the best description of the consequence of excessive clearance is the occurrence of a high-pitched whine during the cranking process.