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Home / Symptoms / Bad Starter

Batteries can develop damages, become weak, or run out of power, preventing the vehicle from starting.

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Is Your Car Failing To Start?

The starter is faulty because it’s old and worn, or the car’s battery is weak and struggling to engage it. It might also be that the electrical connections are faulty. More rarely, it might be a faulty ignition switch, starter relay, or a broken ring gear.

Watch out: This could signal that something's wrong with your vehicle. Paying attention to your car's behavior and understanding how to communicate it with your local auto shop helps you assess the problem before it worsens.

Let's Get To The Bottom Of It!

Are your vehicle's lights dimming when you try to start it?

The starter system helps your car engine start through electricity. It uses a flywheel or flex plate ring gear to make the engine spin fast enough to start. However, it needs power from the 12-volt battery to work. If the battery is weak or damaged, the starter motor won't be able to spin the engine fast enough to start it.

If you notice the engine cranks slowly, clicking sounds or the car doesn't do anything when you start, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Does the battery die if you don't start your vehicle for more than one day?

A parasitic draw is when something in your car uses battery power even after you turn the vehicle off. For example, some cars have accessories that stay active for a short time after the car turns off. However, if these accessories use more than 30 milliamps, something is probably draining the battery. As a result, the vehicle might run out of battery even when parked.

Signs of a bad starter are slow engine cranks, needing to jump-start the vehicle, clicking noises when starting the vehicle, no lights on the dashboard after ignition starts, or remote doors not working. Save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Is your vehicle unable to start even if you jump-start it?

The starter motor helps your car start. It needs a good electrical connection to work. If wires going to the starter are loose, burnt, or damaged, the motor won't get enough power to spin and start the engine. So, even a jump-start attempt won't make it work.

If you notice the engine cranking slowly — or not at all, burnt wire smells, clicking noises when starting the vehicle, no lights on the dashboard after the ignition started, or if the remote doors don't work, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

If you drive your vehicle to full operating temperature, does it struggle to start after?

The charging system in your car is responsible for keeping the battery charged. It includes electrical components like the alternator, drive belt, and voltage regulator or current sensor. The alternator generates electricity to power the engine and accessories such as lights, radio, and climate control. However, it can wear out over time, and its components can fail.

Suppose the alternator, belt, regulator, or connections are not working well. In that case, the charging system won't produce enough electricity to keep up with demand, and the battery will not have enough power to restart the car.

If you notice a check engine light on the dashboard, battery warning, clicking noises when starting the vehicle, slow cranks while the engine is hot, the vehicle normally starts after the engine cools down, no lights on the dashboard when the ignition is on, or if the remote doors don't work, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Does your car makes a "click" sound before starting?

The starter in your car is a small electric motor with gears that connect to the engine. Over time, the gears can wear down, and the electrical part of the starter, the solenoid, can also have issues. For example, burn spots on the solenoid contacts can prevent current and voltage from flowing to the starter. Also, a clicking noise when trying to start the car can mean the solenoid is working, but the contacts aren't allowing the current to flow.

If you notice a sound like both engine and motor are working simultaneously, a grinding sound or dashboard lights turn on while the car doesn't start, save this information, they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.

Do you hear the starter spin but not the engine when starting the car?

The ring gear around the flywheel helps the starter motor turn the engine on. Manufacturers attach it to the flywheel by welding or pressing. Over time, the gears from the starter can wear the ring gear down, especially if the starter is faulty or misaligned. If the gear gets damaged, the starter gear may struggle to start the engine.

If you notice a sound like both engine and starter are working simultaneously and a grinding sound, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later. Plus, pay attention to how often the noise happens. Sometimes, the noise may only occur when the engine stops at a specific spot where there is damage to the teeth. This can make the problem appear to be intermittent.

The most common causes for a car failing to start

The most common causes for starting issues are:

Poor charging system: In most vehicles, the charging system consists of the alternator, battery, battery cables, and serpentine belt. If any of these components fail, you’ll have charging system issues, which affect the vehicle’s starting process. This is because many of the charging components feed power to the vehicle’s starter.
Parasitic draw: A current draw caused by accessories staying active even after turning the car off drains the battery silently, resulting in power issues that can affect the vehicle’s starting process. The parasitic draw can be tracked to internal lights, headlights, taillights, and different kinds of electrical accessories.
Weak battery: A weak battery might struggle to provide the needed voltage to keep all of the vehicle’s components and accessories working properly. If the battery starts failing, your vehicle’s radio, headlights, fuel pump relay, and even the starter motor can suffer.
Broken ring gear: The starter motor in some vehicles depends on a metallic ring gear that rotates with the vehicle’s starter and engine. However, if it suffers critical damage, it’ll result in a failing starter. This type of issue can happen for many reasons; commonly, the engine oil is low, causing extra friction in the ring gears.
Poor connection: The battery depends on wires, connectors, and terminals to drive and support power to various of the vehicle’s systems. A poor connection won’t deliver power to the starter motor properly, resulting in starting difficulties.
Worn starter: The starter motor creates the initial spark that makes the car actually engage and start. However, the motor relies on internal components like circuitry and solenoids that are prone to fail due to natural wear, electrical damage, impact, etc. For instance, if a starter solenoid fails, the vehicle spark plugs won’t get power, resulting in starting problems.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are your vehicle's lights dimming when you try to start it?

The starter system helps your car engine start through electricity. It uses a flywheel or flex plate ring gear to make the engine spin fast enough to start. However, it needs power from the 12-volt battery to work. If the battery is weak or damaged, the starter motor won't be able to spin the engine fast enough to start it.

If you notice the engine cranks slowly, clicking sounds or the car doesn't do anything when you start, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Does the battery die if you don't start your vehicle for more than one day?

A parasitic draw is when something in your car uses battery power even after you turn the vehicle off. For example, some cars have accessories that stay active for a short time after the car turns off. However, if these accessories use more than 30 milliamps, something is probably draining the battery. As a result, the vehicle might run out of battery even when parked.

Signs of a bad starter are slow engine cranks, needing to jump-start the vehicle, clicking noises when starting the vehicle, no lights on the dashboard after ignition starts, or remote doors not working. Save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Is your vehicle unable to start even if you jump-start it?

The starter motor helps your car start. It needs a good electrical connection to work. If wires going to the starter are loose, burnt, or damaged, the motor won't get enough power to spin and start the engine. So, even a jump-start attempt won't make it work.

If you notice the engine cranking slowly — or not at all, burnt wire smells, clicking noises when starting the vehicle, no lights on the dashboard after the ignition started, or if the remote doors don't work, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
If you drive your vehicle to full operating temperature, does it struggle to start after?

The charging system in your car is responsible for keeping the battery charged. It includes electrical components like the alternator, drive belt, and voltage regulator or current sensor. The alternator generates electricity to power the engine and accessories such as lights, radio, and climate control. However, it can wear out over time, and its components can fail.

Suppose the alternator, belt, regulator, or connections are not working well. In that case, the charging system won't produce enough electricity to keep up with demand, and the battery will not have enough power to restart the car.

If you notice a check engine light on the dashboard, battery warning, clicking noises when starting the vehicle, slow cranks while the engine is hot, the vehicle normally starts after the engine cools down, no lights on the dashboard when the ignition is on, or if the remote doors don't work, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Does your car makes a "click" sound before starting?

The starter in your car is a small electric motor with gears that connect to the engine. Over time, the gears can wear down, and the electrical part of the starter, the solenoid, can also have issues. For example, burn spots on the solenoid contacts can prevent current and voltage from flowing to the starter. Also, a clicking noise when trying to start the car can mean the solenoid is working, but the contacts aren't allowing the current to flow.

If you notice a sound like both engine and motor are working simultaneously, a grinding sound or dashboard lights turn on while the car doesn't start, save this information, they're essential if you go to an auto shop later.
Do you hear the starter spin but not the engine when starting the car?

The ring gear around the flywheel helps the starter motor turn the engine on. Manufacturers attach it to the flywheel by welding or pressing. Over time, the gears from the starter can wear the ring gear down, especially if the starter is faulty or misaligned. If the gear gets damaged, the starter gear may struggle to start the engine.

If you notice a sound like both engine and starter are working simultaneously and a grinding sound, save this information; they're essential if you go to an auto shop later. Plus, pay attention to how often the noise happens. Sometimes, the noise may only occur when the engine stops at a specific spot where there is damage to the teeth. This can make the problem appear to be intermittent.

Typical fixes to address the cause(s)

These are typical processes and repair services that fix a check engine light issue

The most common cause: Weak battery

The most common reason for a car struggling to start is a weak battery. A vehicle’s battery is, together with the engine, the vehicle’s heart and soul; those two need to be working properly to make the car start and run efficiently. The battery is an ever-so-common component that loses power after about two years or so, leading to starting issues and electrical failures. If the battery is weak, the pump in the fuel tank won’t work as expected, leading to starting issues.

Symptoms it causes: Apart from the starting issues, you might notice a battery warning light on the dashboard, engine stalling, dimming headlights, loss of power steering, etc.
High risk of priority: The battery is a top priority in a vehicle. Without a working battery, you’ll lose safety accessories, performance, and even the vehicle itself. If the battery dies, the vehicle might leave you stranded randomly.

How exactly does the battery fail?

A vehicle battery typically lasts roughly two years, but its life cycle depends on how much —and for what— you use the car. Batteries mostly die out of natural conditions, they have limited power which is periodically consumed until you need to replace them. However, batteries can also fail due to unpredictable situations, like internal short, chemical reactions, leaks, overstress, etc.

Go safe: Ask for a mechanic to inspect your vehicle’s charging system to investigate if the dead battery failed due to surrounding components and if there’s further damage to check out. Many shops do transparent vehicle inspections and lay out your options after investigating your vehicle’s conditions.

What’s a vehicle inspection? It’s “detective work” on your vehicle, checking its systems to see if anything prevents the car from working as expected. In this case, mechanics examine different parts of your vehicle to track if anything is causing the battery to fail. They’ll also check the condition of components during their inspection, noting which are causing the problem and which got affected by it, recommending to replace them in order of priority.

Transparency example in a weak battery service

A charging system inspection is the most transparent process to understand why your vehicle’s battery is faulty. This is because many components surrounding the battery and charging system components like the alternator and serpentine belt can have a say in the issue, indicating the real culprits that caused it all.

Let’s read an example of how this kind of inspection helps to service a weak battery.

A customer had to tow their vehicle into the shop. Their concern was that when they tried to start the car, they pushed the start button, and the battery dashboard light popped up and dimmed. They also heard a rapid clicking noise.

The technician tried to start the vehicle during the test drive but only heard a rapid clicking noise. The technician jump-started the car to drive it. No other related issues to the customer's concern were found in this first test.

During the vehicle health inspection, the battery failed the load test and needed replacement. After replacing the battery, they tested the charging system, which worked fine.

The customer approved additional tests to ensure no other components were damaged from the low battery voltage. The technician recommended the customer replace the car battery quickly to avoid further issues when starting the vehicle. In this case, the car didn't suffer further damage.

Weak battery

In this case, the mechanic put the “Immediate Action” tag on the battery.

Similar Symptoms

Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing

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