Your car’s starter is a tiny motor inside the big motor. This motor helps your vehicle ignite when you turn the key in the ignition or press the start button. On average, the starter will last anywhere from 100,000 miles to 150,000 miles. After this mileage duration, you may end up with a starter that is going out. Crossroads Automotive lists five signs that your starter is going bad below. Bring your vehicle to our shop at the first indication of trouble.
1. Clicking Sounds
One key indicator that your starter motor is going bad is if you hear a clicking sound when you try to start your car, truck, or utility vehicle. Many people think that this sound will happen no matter what, but we want to caution you that your starter may die without any clicking sounds first.
2. The Lights Work
In most cases, you won’t be able to get your engine started whether you hear the clicking sound or not. An inability to start your engine can be the starter, alternator, or battery. One way to tell whether it’s the starter is to take a look at your vehicle’s dashboard. If it is lighting up when you attempt to start your automobile, you’ve got power so you likely have a functional alternator and battery. This points to a dead starter motor as the reason why you can’t start your car.
3. You Can’t Get it to Jump-Start
Another sign that the problem is with the starter and not the alternator or battery is if you cannot get your vehicle started when you attempt to jump-start it. You may get an initial sign of life, but the engine won’t crank and fire up completely. This suggests that the starter is prohibiting the engine from starting up and running.
4. You See Smoke From Underneath the Hood
It’s tempting to continue to crank your automobile in an effort to get it started, especially if you are extremely frustrated. The problem is you will overheat the starter motor and end up with smoke coming out from underneath the hood. You will also smell the burning motor. Stop trying to start your automobile immediately.
5. You’ve Got Oil On the Starter
Finally, a dead starter motor might actually be a sign of a bigger problem. Because of where the starter is located, it can get soaked by motor oil if you have an oil leak. It’s important that you have the oil leak fixed right away to avoid damaging your engine. Once the leak is fixed, you can replace the starter.
Crossroads Automotive in Topeka, KS, is your one-stop shop for all of your auto service and repair needs. Call us today if you suspect your starter is going out.