How To Tell If Your Car Starter Is Bad!
Is it my starter or alternator? . . .
So your car wouldn't start this morning, and you don't know how to tell if your car starter is bad. You don't know much about cars and aren't sure how to tell if it's your car starter your battery, or the alternator?
Well, here are some relatively easy ways to figure it out.....
You've noticed your car isn't starting as quickly as it once did. Some days it clicks a few times and requires a couple of turns before it starts. Chances are your starter is on its way out. Still aren't sure of how to tell if your car starter is bad or not? Well, if you went to start the car, and you got a singular loud click when you turned the key, that's usually another tell-tale sign. Chances are, your starter is shot. One thing you can try doing is lightly tapping on the starter with a hammer. Sometimes this is all that is needed to get the starter to catch and fire the car up. If this works, you should plan on having the starter replaced sooner rather than later.
Maybe we just ruled out that, in fact, it is not your starter. Maybe it's your battery. Your battery may just not be packing enough juice to start your vehicle, or maybe you left your headlights on all night. Or maybe the battery is just old and needs to be replaced.
Possibly, your alternator is on its way out, and just not efficiently charging your battery. Or perhaps it is completely dead and needs replacing. Your alternator's job, is really to maintain a charge on your battery. It does not start your car. One sign that it is completely gone, would be the warning light that pops up on your instrument panel. It typically looks like a car battery. If that light is on, your alternator is not working, and your vehicle is running strictly off of the battery. This will not last long, and can put a serious damper on a road trip.
Wondering how to tell if your car starter is bad or if it's the battery or alternator? Contact our ASE-Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive for more information and to schedule an appointment. Since 1997, our auto shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN and in the surrounding areas of Milaca, MN and Zimmerman, MN.
Is it my starter or alternator? . . .
So your car wouldn't start this morning, and you don't know how to tell if your car starter is bad. You don't know much about cars and aren't sure how to tell if it's your car starter your battery, or the alternator?
Well, here are some relatively easy ways to figure it out.....
You've noticed your car isn't starting as quickly as it once did. Some days it clicks a few times and requires a couple of turns before it starts. Chances are your starter is on its way out. Still aren't sure of how to tell if your car starter is bad or not? Well, if you went to start the car, and you got a singular loud click when you turned the key, that's usually another tell-tale sign. Chances are, your starter is shot. One thing you can try doing is lightly tapping on the starter with a hammer. Sometimes this is all that is needed to get the starter to catch and fire the car up. If this works, you should plan on having the starter replaced sooner rather than later.
Maybe we just ruled out that, in fact, it is not your starter. Maybe it's your battery. Your battery may just not be packing enough juice to start your vehicle, or maybe you left your headlights on all night. Or maybe the battery is just old and needs to be replaced.
Possibly, your alternator is on its way out, and just not efficiently charging your battery. Or perhaps it is completely dead and needs replacing. Your alternator's job, is really to maintain a charge on your battery. It does not start your car. One sign that it is completely gone, would be the warning light that pops up on your instrument panel. It typically looks like a car battery. If that light is on, your alternator is not working, and your vehicle is running strictly off of the battery. This will not last long, and can put a serious damper on a road trip.
Wondering how to tell if your car starter is bad or if it's the battery or alternator? Contact our ASE-Certified Technicians at Rum River Automotive for more information and to schedule an appointment. Since 1997, our auto shop has served vehicle owners in Princeton, MN and in the surrounding areas of Milaca, MN and Zimmerman, MN.
