Car Starter Problems That Can Leave You Stranded

A dead starter means a dead engine; it’s that simple. Mark’s Auto Service can replace your car, truck, or utility vehicle’s starter when it has gone bad. This is usually after you’ve put 100,000 miles on the odometer. Aside from the dead engine, which we will talk more about below, we are going to list the other signs that your starter is going bad. The sooner you have the problem addressed the fewer chances you have of getting stranded with an engine that you cannot start.

Pre-Ignition Noises

Your starter may give you a warning that it is going bad by making strange noises before the vehicle fires up. The most common sound a faulty starter will make is a clicking sound. You may also hear a whirring sound, and if this sound continues after the engine starts, the starter has not shut off. 

Inability to Start the Engine

As we mentioned above, if the starter has gone bad, you won’t be able to get your engine to fire up. Unfortunately, the engine needs several things going on at once in order to ignite, and one of those things is a functioning starter motor. You may have difficulties getting your engine started before the starter motor dies completely. Have these difficulties investigated as soon as possible.

Working Vehicle Lights

There is a way that you can tell whether your engine refuses to start because of the starter or because you have a dead battery. If you have a dead battery, the lights in your automobile will not work. They are not receiving electricity from the battery. This can also be a sign that your alternator has died. If the lights are working in your automobile yet the engine won’t start, the starter is likely the culprit.

Smoke and Burning Odors

If you keep trying to ignite your automobile, you won’t accomplish much with the dead starter. You will overheat the starter motor and cause smoke and burning odors to waft from underneath the hood. If the starter motor has died completely, no amount of effort is going to get your engine started.

Oil All Over the Starter

Finally, there is one instance when the starter can die prematurely in low-mileage automobiles. This is if the cylinder block starts to leak oil onto the starter. Unfortunately, this oil will saturate the starter and kill the motor.Mark’s Auto Service in Loves Park and Loves Park, Belvidere, Roscoe, and Rockford, IL, is here to help, so call us today to schedule an appointment if your vehicle’s starter is going bad.