You may never need to have your starter replaced. This is because this part can last as long as 10 years. This being said, if you drive an older automobile, Urb’s Garage cautions that there will come a time when you do need to replace the starter. The starter may be too old, or it may get soaked by oil from an engine oil leak. Either way, once the starter is going bad, there are some unmistakable signs of the problem that we are going to list below.
You Hear Clicking Sounds Before Ignition
One telltale sign that your starter is going bad is clicking sounds. You will hear the sounds before your vehicle fires up when you first start it. There is a possibility that your vehicle won’t start and all you will hear are the clicking sounds. There is also a possibility that you won’t hear any clicking sounds before your starter dies and, consequently, you won’t know there’s a problem until you end up with a dead engine.
Your Car Won’t Ignite But the Lights Work
If your engine is dead, check the lights. This is an easy way to tell whether the problem with the dead engine is electrical or the starter. If the problem is not electrical, i.e., the battery or the alternator, your headlights, dashboard lights, interior lights, and taillights will work. If you have lights but a dead engine, chances are your starter motor has died and it cannot start your engine.
Your Car Won’t Start Even With a Jump-Start
Another sign that the problem lies with the starter is an inability to jump-start your engine. When this happens, again, the problem is not electrical. The only time a jump-start will get your engine running is if the battery is dead. It won’t fire up the engine if the starter motor has died. Your engine cannot start without the starter motor, so you will need to replace the starter in order to get your engine fired up.
You See Puffs of Smoke From Underneath the Hood
Finally, don’t try in frustration to get your car started. If you keep trying to start your car, truck, or utility vehicle, the only thing that will happen is you will overheat the starter motor and it will start to smoke. Consequently, you will smell something hot and sees puffs of smoke coming out from underneath the hood.
Urb’s Garage in Burlington or Erlanger, KY, would be happy to replace your starter if it needs it. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.
