Scotty’s Automotive advises that the title of this blog post is unfortunately true. If your vehicle’s factory starter is beginning to go bad, you are going to experience a handful of problems that are not only annoying but could leave you with a dead engine. If you drive a car, truck, or utility vehicle that has over 100,000 miles on the odometer, the starter motor is at a high risk of going bad. This is the average lifespan of the factory starter. Let’s talk more about the signs that you need a new starter below.
Pre-Ignition Noises
One of the first things that might happen is that you will hear noises before your automobile ignites. Generally, the noise you will hear is a clicking sound as the starter struggles to turn over the engine. In some cases, you may also hear a whirring sound. Either of these noises points to a faulty starter.
A Dead Engine
If you hear either noise and your engine fires up, head directly to our shop so we can test the starter and replace it if necessary. If you ignore the noise, the next time you try to start your automobile, you may end up with a dead engine that refuses to start. This is a sign that the starter is no longer turning the engine over. This means that the engine is unable to bring air and fuel into the combustion chamber.
With Working Lights
One way to tell whether your engine is dead because of the starter or because of a dead battery is to check all of your vehicle’s lights to see if they are working. If they are illuminated and are not dim, your car is not starting because the starter motor has died. Working lights means the battery is sending them power.
Burning Odors
You can also determine that the dead engine is being caused by a dead starter if you start to smell burning odors coming from the engine. This is an indication that the starter motor has overheated because you have tried to start your automobile too many times.
Oily Starter
Finally, we mentioned above that the factory starter lasts about 100,000 miles. This being said, you may end up with a need for a new starter before this mileage milestone if the cylinder block has leaked oil onto the starter and saturated the motor.
Call Scotty’s Automotive in Montague, NJ, today to set up a service appointment if you are having difficulties starting your automobile. If the problem is the starter, we will replace it.
