You can count on Auto Service Kingston to treat you right when you bring your car, truck, or utility vehicle to our shop. If your automobile has 160,000 kilometres on it or more, it’s probable that you are going to need a starter soon. We can install a new starter if the old one has gone bad. Bring your vehicle to our shop if it is having any of the problems listed below.
Clicks Before Ignition
One thing that can happen when the starter starts to malfunction is it will make clicking noises before your automobile ignites. Another sound a faulty starter can make is whirring noises. This is a sign that the starter is going bad, as is the noise continuing after your vehicle is running. When this happens, the starter is unable to disengage as it should. This can damage the starter and your engine.
Can’t Start the Engine
You may or may not receive the warning listed above before you won’t be able to start your engine at all. Once this happens, it’s safe to say that the starter has died completely. In other words, the starter is not facilitating the intake of air and fuel into the combustion chamber. It is also failing to send electricity through the spark plug wires so the spark plugs ignite the air and fuel.
The Lights Are Working
It’s only natural to assume that the reason why your automobile will start is that the battery has died. You can check to see what the problem is by simply looking at your vehicle’s lights. If they are working, your battery is generating power. As such, your automobile is not starting because the starter is unable to do its job.
Burning Odors/Smoke
We know that it is commendable to keep trying something if you fail at it, but in the case of the starter, stop trying. Continuing in your efforts to start your automobile is going to create burning odors and smoke in the engine. This is because you have overheated the motor in the starter.
Oil-Saturated Starter
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that a starter can malfunction prematurely if it gets soaked in motor oil. The starter is located under the left cylinder block in the engine. This opens it up to oil saturation if your engine develops an oil leak on that side.
Auto Service Kingston in Kingston, ON, would be happy to help, so give us a call today to schedule a service appointment so we can test your starter and replace it if necessary.