Most vehicle owners can expect to get 100,000 miles or more out of the factory starter. If you drive an older automobile that has a lot of miles on the odometer, you may start to have problems with the starter motor. Don’t worry. Service Masters can install a new starter when your old one goes bad. The following problems are signs that the starter motor is dying and needs to be replaced.
Whirring or Clicking Noises
Strange noises before your vehicle fires up can be made by the starter motor if it is going bad. Generally, these noises are whirring or clicking. The starter has not disengaged if the noises continue after the engine starts. We recommend that you bring your vehicle to our shop right away if you heard either noise before the engine fired up. This is a warning that you may end up with a dead engine next.
An Engine That Will Not Start
Part of the reason why a dead starter will prevent you from being able to fire up your automobile is that it helps to facilitate the accumulation of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. Your vehicle needs this air and fuel in the chamber in order to start and run. You won’t always get the clicking or whirring morning discussed above. It could be that one day your engine simply will not start.
All of the Vehicle Lights Work
To isolate the problem, check to see if all of your vehicle’s lights are working. The reason why you want to check this is that the lights need electricity to turn on. If they are not getting electricity, i.e., the battery or alternator is dead, they will not turn on. If all of the lights are working, the problem is most likely that the starter has died because you have electricity generated by the battery and alternator.
Burning Odors and Smoke
It might be tempting to try to earn an A+ for effort, but if your engine won’t start, stop trying to start it. If you keep turning the key in the ignition, you will overheat the starter motor in the engine. Consequently, you will end up with smoke coming out from underneath the hood and burning odors.
Call Service Masters in Clearwater, FL, today to schedule an appointment for your automobile if you believe the starter motor could be going bad. We will test the starter and replace it if your car needs a new one.