You can expect to get one hundred thousand miles or more out of your German automobile’s starter. If you drive an older Audi or Mercedes-Benz, you may end up with one or more of the following problems. HQ Autosport advises that the following are signs that the starter is going bad. It’s important that you take action at the first sign of trouble to avoid ending up with a dead engine.
Odd Noises Before Ignition
In other words, if you hear strange noises before your German automobile ignites, drive straight to our shop. These odd noises are a sign that the starter motor is dying. The noises include clicking or humming sounds. You may also hear something that sounds like whirring. If you ignore the noise, you may not be able to get your engine started the next time you try to ignite it.
Inability to Start the Engine
In fact, an inability to start your German automobile’s engine is definitely an indication that the starter motor has died. The starter is called the starter because the engine needs it to start. That’s a lot of starts! As we mentioned in the introduction to this post, you can usually get about 100,000 miles out of the factory-installed starter. After this, it may be unable to start your engine.
Working Vehicle Lights
Take a moment to check your German automobile’s lights to see if they are working if the engine is dead. If the lights are working, you do not have an electrical problem that is preventing your vehicle from starting. In other words, your battery is not bad. Rather, the likely culprit of the dead engine is a malfunctioning or dead starter motor.
Burning Odors and Smoke
It’s important that you avoid putting undue stress on the starter motor if it is going bad. In other words, don’t keep trying to start your German automobile if it won’t start. If you continue to press the start button or turn the ignition key, you will overheat the starter motor. This will result in burning odors coming from the engine and visible smoke.
Oil Saturating the Starter
Finally, there is an instance where the starter may die before you turn 100,000 miles on the odometer. If your German automobile has a cracked head gasket or cylinder block, oil may saturate the starter and kill the starter motor.
Call HQ Autosport in Escondido, CA, today if you suspect that your starter is going bad. We will test it and replace it if necessary.
