You can expect to get 100,000 miles or more out of your car, truck, or C/SUV’s starter. If you drive a high-mileage automobile, Fast Lane Automotive advises that the starter could be dying if you notice any of the following things. Bring your vehicle to our shop at the first sign of trouble. Replacing the starter before it dies completely can save you dealing with a dead engine.
Strange Noises Before Start-Up
One of the things that a starter will do before it dies is make strange noises. This doesn’t happen all the time, so please understand that your starter could die without making a sound at all. If it does make a sound, that noise will either be clicking or whirring. In some cases, a whirring sound can indicate that the starter is engaged and not shutting off. This can damage the starter and your engine.
An Engine That Will Not Start
As we mentioned above, there will come a point when you will end up with a dead engine. A lot of things need to happen in order for your vehicle’s engine to ignite. One of those things is the starter. If the starter has gone completely bad, you will not be able to get the engine started. It doesn’t matter if you have juice in the battery, air and fuel in the combustion chamber, and functioning spark plugs.
Working Vehicle Lights
You can tell that the starter is preventing your engine from starting if you check your vehicle’s lights. If they are working, there is not an electrical problem with the automobile. In other words, a dead battery is not causing a dead engine. Rather, the engine cannot start because the starter motor is not working. As we just mentioned above, you need to have a functioning starter in order for the engine to fire up.
Smoke and Hot Odors
It might be tempting to turn the key in the ignition numerous times in a feeble attempt to get the engine started. Unfortunately, if the starter is dead, you will only overheat the starter motor. When this happens, you will see and smell smoke wafting from underneath the hood.
Oil Soaking the Starter
Finally, a starter can die in a low-mileage vehicle if it has been soaked by motor oil. This can happen if you have a leak in the cylinder block. The oil will damage the starter motor.
Fast Lane Automotive in Orlando, FL, would be happy to test your starter and replace it if it needs it. Call us today.
