Starter button on a car

Imagine you take to get somewhere, you rely on your machine to take you to your destination seamlessly and comfortably every bit usual. You are already envisaging the smooth ride, your favourite radio show in the background, the heater on, maybe a loving cup of coffee on your side (conscientious with that!). And so, you open the door and y'all sit in your commuter seat. Like a thousand times earlier yous plough the keys (or hitting the 'start' button, if your car is a fairly new model). Nix happens. How come??? All your lights are on and there are no signs of depression power supply – it tin't be the battery. Then a sudden realisation. You are dealing with a declining or bad starter motor. Have you ignored any signs? Did you know what signs to wait for??

If you think this could be yous, then we promise this article will shed some light on a problem that is more than common than you may think. Bad starter issues are relatively frequent and, as a garage, we deal with those on a daily basis. As we will get into some technical details, we provided links to simple explanations for some of the less common terms nosotros will be using. Nosotros are not all petrol-heads after all!

Then, a starter is equanimous of two chief parts: the primary motor that turns your crankshaft and starts your engine, and the solenoid that simultaneously engages the starter's bulldoze gear and closes the main motor's electrical contacts. Starting system troubles may be caused past poor maintenance, or only by article of clothing and tear. Even with decent maintenance, the unlike organisation components get a lot of vesture during their service life and they are bound to accept problems eventually.  With more than and more than vehicles being fitted with end/beginning technology the strain on starter motors and batteries has been greatly increased.

Starter motors and solenoids don't typically fail outright. If you observe the following alert signs, brand certain you lot contact your trusted local garage to book a complete inspection of your vehicle equally these symptoms might indicate issues with more than one component.

Grinding noise

When the starter bulldoze gear is worn out or not engaging properly, it will oftentimes produce a grinding racket. This is similar to the one that is heard if you lot beginning your engine and then accidentally activeness the ignition switch once more. If the grinding symptom is ignored, it may also result in damage to the engine flywheel.

Freewheeling

Dashboard of a car, with keys hanging from the ignition

Freewheeling occurs when you creepo the engine and simply hear a whining noise without the engine cranking.

When this occurs, it means the starter is not engaging with the flywheel. This is a worrying state of affairs which could consequence in having to supercede the whole component. If this happens, service your vehicle as soon every bit possible.

Intermittent issues starting the vehicle

If you effort to beginning your machine and the engine doesn't ignite instantly, but you action the switch once again and it works, this is near likely due to a problem with the relay. The starter relay is an all or cipher device, meaning that information technology either sends the full electrical current or it sends nothing to the starter. In some occasions, a damaged relay can cause the starter to make a clicking audio when you turn the central.

Starter stays on afterward engine started

When you start the engine and release the key (or cease pressing the starter push on a new auto), the circuit which will discontinue the ability to the starter motor is supposed to close. If this stays on after the engine has ignited, the main contacts in the solenoid have about likely welded together in the airtight position. If this problem is non addressed immediately, the relay will be stuck in the 'on' position. This volition ultimately cause serious harm to the whole starter organisation and the transmission flywheel.

Smoke

Bottom of a car, showing the front wheels and smoke

If power is supplied continuously to the starter gear, it will eventually overheat. Fume usually indicates that as well much power is beingness drawn through the electric supply. This is either considering the starter has been operated likewise long without a residuum or there is a connection problem. Fume coming from underneath the engine, accompanied by a burning smell, can be a symptom of serious problems.

Batteries

It may appear that you accept ability to your starting system, eg, you lot have lights on your dashboard and your headlights are working, only the engine will non plow over.  This can be misleading equally a lot of bombardment ability is required to crank your engine over.  If your car does not crank, trying to showtime it with jump leads or a starter pack volition indicate if a weak bombardment is the cause of your problems.  9 out ot 10 cars with starting bug during wintertime months are battery related.

At Exminster Garage we offer adept solutions for a diversity of mechanical issues. We also provide a wide range of machine services to help maintain the smooth running of your vehicle. Don't forget, at Exminster Garage we provide a complimentary vehicle collect/return service inside a 10 mile radius of Exeter.  Book your adjacent service here.