Spoil Alert: Your dead engine is being caused by the starter if the lights are still working, but we’re going to talk more about that below. Accurate Auto can determine why your engine is having problems starting or won’t start at all. If the issue is the starter, you may notice one or more of the following signs of a bad starter. We will replace the starter to restore your engine’s ability to fire up seamlessly.
Strange Pre-Ignition Sounds
You might hear strange noises before your vehicle fires up if the starter is malfunctioning. You may hear a humming sound that stops or continues after the engine is running, or you may hear a clicking sound before the engine starts. Not all starters will make noise before they die, but if you hear either of these noises, it’s important to head straight to our shop that is closest to you so you don’t end up with…
An Inability to Start the Car
As we mentioned above, you may not be able to get your car started if the starter is dead because, as its name suggests, the starter helps to start the engine. The average lifespan of a starter is 100,000 miles, so you shouldn’t need to worry about this until you’ve put a ton of miles on your automobile. This being said, if you cannot get your vehicle to fire up, it could be a problem with the starter motor.
The Lights Are Working, Though
As we also mentioned above, if you check to see if your lights are working and they are, the starter is most likely the reason why your car won’t start. When the lights are working, there isn’t an electrical problem that is preventing your motor from starting. In other words, the battery has power and the alternator is functioning. Rather, your starter motor may have died and cannot start the engine.
Burning Odors and Smoke
It’s tempting to keep trying to get the motor started, but you’ll have zero success if the starter is dead. The only thing that will happen is you will smell and see smoke coming out from underneath the hood. When you keep turning the ignition key, you overheat the starter’s motor; hence the smoke.
Accurate Auto in Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, or Tigard, OR, is here to help so give us a call today. We’d be happy to test your car’s starter and replace it if necessary.