Symptoms of a failing Starter Motor

Car won’t start

It’s right there in the name! The starter motor helps the car start. When the starter motor decides to call it a day, the car might not start any more. If the starter motor is fully dead, you won’t be able to start your car. If it’s only just malfunctioning, you might experience intermittent starting, as the car will sometimes turn on, and sometimes won’t. And yes, that is as frustrating as it sounds. If you’re experiencing intermittent starting, it could be do to some faulty wires going to the starter motor, rather than a starter motor that is dying.

Lights dim or music lowers upon start up

If there’s an electrical issue in the starter motor, then it may draw too much electrical current. That means that there won’t be enough electricity for other parts of your car when the starter motor is in use. So, if you’re sitting in your car with the lights on, or the music on, and then you turn on your car, watch the electrical components. If the lights dim or the music fades, it’s because electricity is being sapped from them as the starter motor heads into action. That could be a problem.

Funny noises

By now, you should probably know that your car shouldn’t make funny noises. A busted starter motor can cause two different weird noises. If the car won’t turn on, it may be due to the starter motor, as mentioned above. But it could also be due to other things, such as a drained battery. If you hear the car making a whining noise when it tries (but fails) to turn on, then that’s usually a good sign that it’s the starter motor. That noise is due to the starter motor spinning, without being attached to the flywheel. The second noise occurs if the car is running. It’s a grinding noise that you’ll hear as a result of the starter motor gear not disengaging after the car is up and fully running. The noise could also indicate damaged starter gear teeth.