One way to tell if your starter is about to die is to look at your odometer. If your car, truck, or utility vehicle has over 100,000 miles on it, the starter is going to malfunction sooner rather than later. This being said, you will notice the specific signs we are going to list below when the starter goes bad. Don’t worry. York Tire & Auto Service can replace your starter when it needs it.
Noises Before Start-Up
One of the first signs of a malfunctioning starter is noises before your vehicle fires up. The most common sound you will hear is a clicking noise coming from the starter motor. You may also hear a whirring sound that will either stop when the engine starts or continue after the engine started. If the noise continues, the starter is still running even though it shouldn’t be.
Zero Start-Up
There isn’t a guarantee that you will hear noises before the starter goes bad. You may end up trying to start your automobile and being unable to do so. An engine that refuses to start is a sign that the starter motor has died. The reason why this auto part is called the starter is that it gets your engine started. If the starter is malfunctioning, you may end up stranded with a dead engine.
Working Lights
If your engine refuses to start, check your lights to see if they are working. If they aren’t, there is an electrical problem that is causing the dead engine. In other words, either your battery or alternator is dead. If the lights do turn on, the battery and alternator are functioning, so it’s a safe bet to assume that the starter is the reason why you cannot get your vehicle’s engine started.
Hot Odors and Smoke
It’s better to give up than to keep trying to start your automobile’s engine. No amount of effort is going to get the engine to fire up if the starter is dead. Rather, you will overheat the starter motor and end up with hot odors and smoke coming out from underneath the hood.
Oily Starter
Finally, we mentioned in the introduction to this blog post that starters usually go bad after 100,000 miles. This doesn’t mean that your starter cannot go bad prematurely if there is something else wrong with your engine. The starter is located underneath the cylinder block, and if you have an oil leak, the oil will saturate the starter and cause it to malfunction.
Again, York Tire & Auto Service in Red Lion, PA, can replace your vehicle’s starter if it needs it. Call us today.
