- 8/22/2024
-
What is a car's starter?
The starter is a small motor located next to the car's engine, and its function is to start the engine only, as this very important part of the car works when the ignition key is rotated in order to start the engine, when the starter is rotated, the battery transfers energy to it to rotate quickly and strongly to start the engine.
When the starter starts working, a gear comes out of it quickly to connect to the flywheel that is connected to the crankshaft, and as a result of the movement of this gear, the engine rotates and works, and then as soon as you let go of the ignition key, the starter's gear returns to its place so that the engine works comfortably.
It is important to know that Motorgy offers you used cars for sale in Kuwait that are fully inspected by experts to ensure that you buy the right car for you after reviewing the comprehensive inspection report to know its full condition to ensure peace of mind and stay away from breakdowns after purchase.
Read also: Symptoms of poor engine performance
What are the signs of a bad starter?
There are several distinctive signs that your car's starter is failing:
Check engine light comes on
Many cars display a check engine light if the starter is damaged or has lost its ability to start the engine, so if you can't start your car's engine and notice the orange check engine light on the dashboard, there's a good chance that your starter has failed.
The engine won't start after several attempts
One of the most common signs that your car's starter is weak is that the engine may not start until after several attempts to start it, so the starter may be very weak or close to complete failure, but you should know that the engine starting issue has several causes, not just the starter.
The engine won't start at all
One of the most important signs of a weak or damaged starter is the inability to start the engine at all, you may hear a grinding sound every time you turn the key, or you may not hear anything at all, and the inability to start the engine may have several causes, it may be in the electrical system or the solenoid and others.
Hearing a grinding sound when starting the engine
Hearing a grinding sound when starting the engine indicates an issue with the starter, which is caused by the friction of the starter's main gear against the large flywheel gear, because the contact between them is wrong and makes grinding sounds similar to the sound of changing gears in a manual transmission when the clutch is worn out.
Gear wear sound
A gear wear sound usually occurs when there is an issue with the starter. When the starter gear comes out of its place to start the engine, it should return to its place as soon as you release the car's ignition key, but an issue may cause the starter gear to not return to its place and remain attached to the flywheel and make a wear sound as if you are still turning the ignition key after the engine has started.
The starter continues to work after the engine starts
When the engine starts, you should immediately let go of the ignition key because the main gear of the starter will still be connected to the engine and will move with it making a strong friction sound, but if you take your hand off the ignition key and the starter is still running at full power, the cause could be an electrical issue, which can cause other issues later on.
You will smell something burning
The ignition system in every car contains mechanical and electrical components, and these components are usually close to the engine so they will be overheated, or they will be overheated due to their own movement like the sulfur, so if you are trying to start your car, and you smell something burnt, or maybe you see some smoke from under the front cover, the cause may be the sulfur which is corroded and close to deteriorating.
The starter is covered in oil
The starter is usually located at the bottom of the engine, and is connected to it, and if you notice oil surrounding the starter, especially from the side of its connection to the engine, the cause will be the wear of the starter or its gaskets that allowed the oil to escape from the engine to the starter.
