Common signs include the engine not turning over, starter engaging but not spinning the motor, and grinding noises or smoke when starting the motor.
The most common sign of a failed starter is a clicking noise. If you turn the key but get this, it is definitely your starter that has the problem. Lights on the dashboard that illuminate without a start show that the car has power, so it is likely to be a starter and not a battery problem.
In most cases when a starter goes bad, it's completely random with no warning signs or symptoms of mechanical failure.
Push-Start Your Engine
Push-starting, also known as bump-starting, is an old-school yet effective way to start a car with a bad starter. However, it only works if you have a manual transmission vehicle. Here's how you do it: Keep the ignition on and put the manual transmission of your car in first or second gear.
No two starters will last the same length of time and there is usually no way to know that your starter is dying until the day your car doesn't start and you have to call for service. They could last as long as 200,000 miles or as little as 30,000.
A brand-new starter can range from $80 to over $350. For a qualified mechanic to replace or rebuild your starter, you can expect to pay between $150 and over $1,100. These estimates vary dramatically depending on the particular issue and the make, model, and year of your vehicle.
Starter motors should make noise when you turn your ignition key fully to activate your car. If you turn the key and do not hear anything, there's a chance that there's something wrong with the vehicle's ignition switch.
If you hear a whine or the sound goes fuzzy when you hit the gas, your alternator is probably failing. If the vehicle won't crank or start but the headlights are still working, look to problems with the starter or other parts of the engine.
So can a bad starter drain your battery? The short answer is: Yes, it can. It could also drain the battery even faster if you repeatedly try to start your car with a faulty starter. A faulty starter is also one of the leading causes of battery overcharging.
Your car's ignition switch, alternator, battery, starter, or a fuse could be malfunctioning. Your safety switch could be broken. This switch keeps your transmission from starting unless you're in park or neutral. If it is malfunctioning, it will keep your car from starting.
Excessive cranking
This will run down the battery, and the technician is likely to hear the engine turn over slower than normal. The effect of prolonged cranking causes the starter motor to burn out due to low speed/high current.
This works because the brushes wear out which results in an inadequate electrical contact. By gently tapping on the back of the starter with the hammer, the brushes are knocked back into place so they can make contact one more time.
You can start a car with a bad ignition switch using jumper cables.
A starter motor's lifespan varies between automobiles, but you can expect to get about 100,000 miles out of the factory starter. Stringer Auto Repair advises that your starter may start to go bad once the odometer has reached this coveted mileage milestone.
Replacing a starter motor isn't the simplest job for a mechanic. Quite often, there are a lot of components to get past to access it. It can take a good couple of hours to clear the way, remove it, pop its replacement in place and put everything back together again.
Connected to the battery is the alternator, which works to generate power for your vehicle's electrical components. When you have a brand-new battery but still can't start the car, the alternator might be the issue. Cold and damp climates may increase wear on an alternator, causing it to fail.
The battery will charge faster if you rev the engine faster. Why? Because the faster the crankshaft turns, the faster it turns the belt that runs the alternator. And the faster the alternator turns, the more electricity it produces to run all the electrical stuff in the car — and recharge the battery.
If you decide to jump start your car that has a bad starter: It's unlikely that your engine will die or stall while you're driving—but never say never. In some instances, the shorted starter can cause a continuous battery discharge and your vehicle cannot operate without proper voltage.