Yes, you will know if your car, truck, or C/SUV needs a new starter. John Ellis & Son advises that one or more of the things listed below will point to a faulty starter. Generally, the starter will begin to malfunction after you have clocked 100,000 miles on the odometer. There is one situation where a starter can go bad sooner than that, which we will explain below. Head straight to our auto service shop in Sacramento, California if you notice any of the following problems.
Pre-Ignition Sounds
Some starters will give their drivers warnings that they are going bad by making noises before the vehicles ignite. The most common sound is clicking. This being said, a starter can also whir. If you hear either noise and your engine fires up, drive to our shop right away. This may be the only warning that you’ll get that the starter is going bad.
Dead Engine
In other words, the next time you try to fire up your automobile, you may end up with a dead engine. Unfortunately, no amount of effort is going to start the engine if the starter has died. The reason why is that the engine needs air, fuel, and sparks to start and generate combustion. The starter helps the engine obtain these things. A dead starter means no air, no fuel, and no sparks from the spark plugs. Consequently, your engine will be unable to ignite.
Working Lights
You can check to see if the dead engine is being caused by the starter or a dead battery by checking the lights on the inside and outside of your automobile. If the lights are working, the battery is supplying them with power. It’s safe to say that you can’t start your car because of the starter.
Burning Odors
Don’t try and try again if you don’t succeed in starting your engine. If you continue to press the start button or turn the key, you will soon smell burning odors coming from the engine. You may also see smoke wafting from the engine. This is a sign that you have overheated the starter motor.
Soaked Starter
As we mentioned above, there is one instance when the starter can go bad prematurely. If your engine has developed an oil leak above the starter and it gets saturated in the motor oil, this will cause the starter to go bad.
John Ellis & Son in Sacramento, CA, is the only auto service shop you need so give us a call today to schedule an appointment for a starter test.
