Beyond the 'Click' 5 Advanced Steps to Diagnose a Failing Starter Motor.

If your car is slow to turn over, that could signal the starter motor isn't working as it should. Your vehicle’s engine has a starter motor which is used when you turn your ignition key to start your engine.

How to Tell if Your Starter is Going Bad

One of the earliest signs of your starter motor drive going bad is when you turn the key and all you get is a click, and the engine doesn't even attempt to turn over. It's this clicking sound that tells you the starter motor is trying to operate, but for one reason or another, it's not able to crank the engine.

Your car is taking too long to start One other common sign of a bad starter is that your vehicle is taking more time than normal to start. If it takes two or three whacks to start the engine, you might have a problem with the starter motor.

Troubleshooting Common Starter Motor Issues

If you suspect that your starter motor may be the issue, the tips in this guide to diagnosing starter problems might help you find the cause. You can take a look at the connections to see if everything is tight and proper. Loose connections will prevent the starter from cranking as it should.

You might also try tapping the starter motor with a hammer or other tool to try to get it to start turning if that’s what’s wrong. The starter motor could also just need a good kick and start up.

The following DIY will help you diagnose the health of your starter motor.

If you have tested everything under the hood that might cause this problem, and your starter motor relay is still not working, you may need to test deeper into the system. A check for the operating condition of the starter is to measure the motor current consumption of the starter drive and the voltage at the starter drive, while starting the engine. If your voltage is real low, it could be the starter motor failing.

You also may do a voltage drop test - test the voltage at different points to find out where the starter motor system is losing power. This can help to trace the cause of the starter motor’s failure.

Keeping Your Starter So It'll Last

Yet there are some things you can do to help ensure your starter motor never dies in the first place, even if you are willing to make a couple of concessions to help stretch its life out. One thing you may want to note is that it is very crucial that the right kind of oil is applied to the car engine. The incorrect oil can place an undue burden on the starter motor and cause it to die prematurely.

Likewise, you’ll want to avoid turning your automobile on and off several times in rapid succession, since this can cause a good deal of abuse to a starter motor. Better still, the starter motor will last a longer time, if you will give the car a break in between starts.

When is the Right Time for Professional Assistance for Starter Motor Issus

If attempting all the troubleshooting and fancy tricks wasn’t able to change things, you probably just used up all of the good advice in one short blog post and it’s time to call a professional to come find it and fix it for you. A mechanic can diagnose the problem and help you find a way to get back on the road.

(And here’s the kicker: you’re going to need to upkeep your china starter motor to keep your car running well too) But if you know what the symptoms of bad starter motor are, how to diagnose a bad starter just in case your vehicle ever experiences them, know the common reasons why starter motors fail, know the other methods of starter motor testing and diagnosis and finally, few tricks that help maintain a good condition of your starter motor you will sure avoid a lot of headaches along the way of keeping your car in best condition possible. Don’t shy away from getting help if you encounter a problem that is more than you can handle.