Signs of a Bad Starter

Imagine this. You get up in the morning in a hurry because you are late for work. That is because you were working on a presentation all night, which is scheduled for today. Now you get ready, take your stuff, put it in the car, say bye to your partner, and put in the key and turn the ignition. To your horror, you discover that your car is unable to start, it's making weird noise but won't start. You realize that it had been doing this since the past few days. But you didn't pay attention to it. Well, you must have found out some or the other way to reach office. But then, things would have been different if you were able to pick up signs of a bad starter.

What are the Signs of a Bad Starter?

A bad starter means obviously, a starter problem or a faulty component. Hence, whenever you feel like the starter is giving problems carry out a few tests yourself to know where the problem lies. Mentioned below are a few signs of a bad starter.

• One of the simplest sign is no response or cranking noise. When you turn the key to ignition for starting the engine, you may either get no response or it will make a cranking noise.
• It would be wise to check if it is a battery problem or what. To check this, switch on the interior lights and the headlights. If the light is dim it means that battery is the problem, if not then there may be some problem with the starter. Most of the time, starter problem arises because of an electrical problem.
• Labored or slow cranking is also one sign. When you turn the key towards ignition, it may make a low noise or it may make low noise and after sometime may start the engine. If it does this in spite of no battery problem, then the problem is with the starter.
• Freewheeling is one of the most prominent signs of a bad starter. Let me explain what it is. When you turn the key to start the engine the starter gear comes out and attaches itself with the flywheel. The flywheel or the flexplate then starts the engine. Once the engine is started, ideally, this starter gear must go back to its original position. If it doesn't, then it will make loud grinding noise because it will make contact with the teeth of the flywheel. If this happens, then it's time for you to take the car to a mechanic.
• One of the most obvious symptoms is that the car won't start. Most of the time, it is because of a car starter problem that the car engine will not turn on. The starter utilizes power from the car battery to turn on the engine. The battery power will not be of use if the starter itself is faulty.
• If it smells like burning or if you see smoke coming out from the starter it means that there must have been some electrical problem. It may be the case if the wires which supply power to the starter from the battery is faulty or worn out.
• Starter solenoid problem. Starter solenoid is a small instrument which is located above the starter motor. This mechanical instrument is responsible for engaging and disengaging of the starter gear. There may be a possibility that a car may not start because of a starter solenoid problem even when the starter is working properly.
• Once you know how to spot a bad starter, it then becomes easier for you to understand when is the correct time for you to take your car to the mechanic.

The average price of a car starter is approx. $100 or less. But then, the price will vary depending upon the model of the car for which you require the starter. If you plan to get it done from a professional mechanic then the price for fixing it may be approx. $150 - $250, it may or may not include labor charge or taxes. Hence, if you don't want to get charged with such a high bill, pick up the early signs of a bad starter and increase its life. Cheers!