Call Buellton Garage today if you are having problems with your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s starter. We are going to list the signs that the starter is going bad below. The sooner you address the problem the better. If the starter motor dies completely, you won’t be able to get your engine started, as the motor’s name suggests. Let’s talk more about the problems that occur when a starter motor needs to be replaced.
Pre-Ignition Clicking
Oftentimes, you will hear strange noises before your vehicle ignites if the starter is having problems. The most common sound is clicking, but you may also hear humming or whirring. Another sign that your starter is malfunctioning is if you hear these noises after the engine starts. This indicates that the starter has not disengaged as it should have. Have the starter inspected right away if you hear any of the strange noises.
Inability to Start
As we mentioned above, replacing the starter at the first sign of trouble prevents you from being stranded with a dead engine. An inability to start your automobile is an indication that the starter motor was unable to facilitate the accumulation of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. Unfortunately, you cannot start your automobile without air and fuel in the combustion chamber.
Working Lights
To determine if the dead engine is being caused by the starter, check your vehicle’s lights to see if they are working. If they are not, you may have a dead battery instead of a dead starter. If the lights are working just fine, the battery is providing power to them, so the reason why you cannot get your engine to fire up is most likely that the starter is malfunctioning or dead.
Smoke/Hot Odors
There’s an old proverb about continuing to try if you don’t succeed the first time, but in the case of the starter, you need to stop trying to start your engine. Continuing to press the start button or turning the ignition key will overheat the starter motor. As a consequence, you will see smoke and smell hot odors.
Oily Starter Motor
Finally, your starter may be dead because there is oil all over it. Generally, a starter lasts about 100,000 miles or more. It can be killed prematurely, however, if you have a serious oil leak in the engine that saturates the starter.
Call Buellton Garage in Buellton, CA, today to schedule a starter motor inspection and test. We will replace the starter if it has gone bad.