5 Common Signs of a Faulty Starter Motor

It doesn’t matter how powerful the engine or responsive the handling: a car that won’t reliably start is going to cause you inconvenience and stress. Here are some of the signs that it might be time to contact your Kia dealer to get your starter motor checked.

5 Signs That It’s Time for Your Kia Dealer to Replace a Faulty Starter Motor

1. Difficulty Starting

It might sound obvious, but one of the key signs that your starting mechanisms are failing is that your car has trouble when it comes to igniting the engine. If the problem is intermittent and occurs on the first attempt but is resolved on the next, then it might be a problem with the starter relay. If it malfunctions when sending the electrical current to the starter, then the system won’t work. A damaged relay may make a clicking sound when the ignition is engaged.

Problems with the ignition are often down to a weak battery. If the engine is failing to crank or turn over when you use the ignition, you might be able to solve the problem temporarily with jump leads or a starter pack.

2. Grinding Noises

Grinding noises are generally never good news when you drive, but if you hear them when you turn the ignition on, it’s probably down to your starting mechanisms. It could be the result of a worn starter drive gear that isn’t engaging properly, or it could be coming from within the motor itself. Allowing this to continue could mean damage to the engine flywheel, so schedule a checkup as soon as you can.

3. Whining Noises

You might find that the engine starts “freewheeling” when you turn the key or press the ignition button. If the engine makes a whining noise but doesn’t crank, it usually means that the starter and the flywheel aren’t engaging with each other. It could be that the gears have been stripped of their teeth or have become dislocated from the flywheel.

This can mean that the whole starter needs replacing, so it’s an urgent sign that maintenance is required.

4. Burning and Smoke

If there’s a blown fuse or a fault in the ignition switch, the starter might fail to switch off even once the engine has fired up. This can lead to overheating of the motor owing to an excessive amount of power being delivered to the starter gear. If this happens, you might detect smoke or a smell of burning coming from the engine. It’s another serious problem that needs immediate attention.

5. Dimming Lights

You might notice that your interior lights and dashboard start to dim when you switch on the ignition. This means the wiring in the starting mechanism has a problem and is draining power from other systems.

Need to Get a Starter Motor Replacement in Lanham, MD?

You need to know that you can rely on your car to get you to your destination on time, so contact us at DARCARS Lanham Kia to get top-notch maintenance care and ensure that your car is firing on all cylinders. If you need a starter motor replacement, you can count on our Kia dealership in Lanham, MD!

Tags: Starter Motor FAQs, Starter Motor Replacement Signs
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