Let’s say that you’re running overtime for work. You race to your vehicle and try to start the ignition, but the car doesn’t move.

It is likely it is that your starter may be a bit agitated. Don’t fret. You can do something to change it!

For a driver in a car, being aware of how to begin a car that has an ineffective motor is a must. Motor is an important ability to possess.

We’ll teach readers how to get your car started that has a defective starter. We’ll also let you know what issues to check for if your vehicle isn’t starting.

Then, we’ll go over a few of the most frequently asked questions, which include the symptoms of a defective starter and the best way to bypass the relay for a starter.

This Article Contains:

  • How To Start A Car With A Bad Starter
    • Jump-start Your Car
    • Push-Start Your Engine
  • What Should I Check If My Car Still Won’t Start?
  • 5 Starter FAQs
    • What’s A Starter?
    • What Are The Signs That I Have A Bad Car Starter?
    • How Do I Check For A Blown Fuse in My Starter?
    • How Do I Bypass The Starter Relay?
    • How Do I Start My Automatic Car With A Bad Starter?

Let’s get your car started.

How To Start A Car With A Bad Starter.

If you’re experiencing problems with your starter motor, there are two methods to rev your engine:

  • Jump-start your vehicle.
  • You can start your engine by pressing the button.

Before you can begin working on a beginner problem, you should possess the necessary tools at hand.

  • Jumper cables
  • Hammers
  • Gloves
  • A screwdriver

If you don’t see these issues, it’s ideal to consult a technician to investigate the issue.

If you don’t have the tools, you can start your vehicle using one of the two methods below:

Jump-start your car.

Most of the time, the car you drive to start because of an unbalanced or discharged battery. Ensuring that the battery is amplified enough to the starter could aid in its normal functioning and, in turn, will increase the power of the engine.

To jump-start your vehicle, you could utilize a different car’s battery and jumper cables, or you can use the portable jumper starter.

What you must do:

  • Unscrew the hood of your car to locate the car’s battery. If you are unable to locate it, check the manual for your car. If your car’s battery appears over-inflated or appears to be leaky or leaking, you shouldn’t attempt to tackle it. Instead, contact a mechanic because you might need to replace the battery.
  • If the car battery is great, you can use your positive cable (red jumper wire) for connecting the positive end of the weak battery with the positive end on the reserve battery or jump start.
  • Make use of the black-colored jumper cable for connecting the positive terminal on the battery charged to any metal that is bare in the vehicle.
  • Then, switch on the ignition, and wait some time to allow the battery to recharge.

Dead batteries will take about. 5 to 20 minutes for them to be fully charged, depending on the health of the battery as well as the deep of discharge (DOD) and engine type.

If you are able to jump-start your vehicle, unhook your jumper cable. The first is first, the (-ve) clamp, followed by one that is (+ve). (+ve) (+ve) clamp. Also, make sure these cables do not touch one another.

Note In the event that your battery’s charging and your car is unable to start, it could be due to an issue with the starter. In this situation, you could remove this relay.

But there’s an easier method that you can utilize as well:

Push-start your engine.

Push-starting, also called bump-starting, is an old-fashioned but effective method of starting an automobile with a defective starter. But it only works only if you own manual transmission vehicles.

Here’s how:

  • Keep the ignition switched on and place the auto transmission of your vehicle in second or first gear. It is recommended to drive in the second gear because it lets you start without a hitch. This also helps reduce the damage to your vehicle’s system. It is recommended that you should use the first gear only if you’re able to drive a much smaller distance to push-start.
  • Find someone who is strong enough to pull the car away from behind in order to achieve speeds of 5-10 miles an hour.
  • When you reach this speed, release from the clutch. The speed you have reached will be sufficient to start the vehicle.
  • Repeat the process if your initial attempt fails.

If you’ve tried the previous methods of starting an automobile with a defective starter motor but it not succeeded, you might need to examine your vehicle’s other parts.

What Should I Check If My Car Still Won’t Start?

There are many reasons that the starter motor doesn’t function properly.

It’s among the reasons that it’s always better to get a professional mechanic to investigate the issue with the starter. They’ll be able to look through all possible scenarios to identify the issue.

You can also examine a few of these parts to figure out the cause of your initial problems.

Check the connections.

Check for loose connections within the battery path to the starter.

If the connection appears to be good, then check both ends that are connected to the battery’s positive end. The positive wire splits into two pieces. One end is connected to the car’s alternator, and the other is connected to the starter. If the connections between the alternator and starter are in good condition, test the jump-start technique again.

Check the engine grounds.

Sometimes, a defective grounding or grounding wire may affect the grounding provided to the starter.

Examine the two grounds for corrosion or damage since they could open a circuit, which can stop the starter from working.

You could also avoid this problem by using the use of a jumper cable that provides an unimpeded base from the negative pole to the frame that is used as a starter.

Examine the starter solenoid cable.

The solenoid for the starter engages the starter and your car’s transmission. When you turn on the ignition, If you can detect the starter turning off, then the issue could be related to the solenoid.

To determine if you have a defective starter solenoid, inspect the solenoid’s wiring for dirt or rust.

If you suspect that rust is the cause, it is possible to bypass the defective solenoid wire for your starter.

For this, you’ll need an 12V cable to bring the battery of your car to the point at which the solenoid and starter connect. There will be a sound to indicate that the connection has been established. Then, turn the ignition on.

When the engine is started and the engine is running, it’s important to immediately disconnect the 12-volt wire. If you don’t, your starter gear (pinion) will not retract, and it could be damaged if it remains engaged with the flywheel, which is spinning at a greater speed.

Examine the engine flywheel.

The pinion gear of the starter motor is engaged with the flywheel’s ring gear to turn the engine. Sometimes, the flywheel may be the cause of why your car will not start.

To look at the flywheel:

  • Then, take out the Motor from the electric circuit.
  • Then, put the car’s transmission to neutral.
  • Request someone to turn the central bolt that is on the crankshaft pulley with the aid of a ratchet or break bar. The pulley is used to run the steering pump, the alternator, and various other components.
  • Look for any missing or damaged teeth within the flywheel that could cause it to not be able to engage to the starter gear. If you find any irregularities, it is possible to repair the ring gear on the flywheel.

Note It is recommended to leave this task to a professional technician.

Inspect for corrosion.

Erosion is among the most common problems that arise with car starters. To avoid it, you must make sure your battery cable, as well as the terminals, are clean of acids that may have accumulated.

Acid deposits appear like the appearance of a green, white, or blue-tinged cover around a post, terminal, or cable for a battery.

Here’s how to clean the corrosion:

  • Make the solution using sodium bicarbonate, water, and an 1:1 ratio
  • Spread the mix on the battery’s terminal that is affected
  • Allow it to soak for a period of time, and then wash the connectors using hot water.

You could also look over this guide on corrosion for more in-depth guidelines.

Also, look for rust, dust, or acid deposits on the starter solenoid, the motor ground wire, and the engine connections. Get rid of the deposits using the help of a brush made from metal.

Tap the starter.

As time passes, the Motor can become more prone to dead zones within the Motor’s armature and field coils.

Tapping the defective starter gently using a hammer could take out the dead spots and let the Motor of the starter run.

Check the battery voltage.

It is also possible to use a Voltmeter or a multimeter to check the battery’s power to verify whether the solenoid of your starter is getting sufficient power from the battery or if it is an unresponsive battery.

To find a weak battery:

  • Set the meter’s scale at 20V (higher than your battery’s current voltage).
  • Switch around the dial. Join both the (-ve) or (+ve) wires of your meter to respective posts.
  • Then, switch on the headlights of your vehicle and take note of the reading. A reading that ranges from 12.7 – 13.2 Volt indicates that the battery is charged, and the issue lies elsewhere. Anything below 12.4 Volts indicates that you have to recharge your battery in order to start the engine.

If the meter readings read approximately 12.6V and the issue isn’t resolved, a bad alternator could be the cause of the problem.

Once you’ve figured out the reasons that could cause the malfunctioning starter, let’s look at some of the common questions regarding car starters.

5 Starter FAQs.

Here are some of the answers to the most frequently asked starter motor questions:

1. What’s a starter?

A starter can be described as an electric motor used to turn on the internal combustion engine in order to begin the engine’s work.

If you switch on the ignition of your vehicle, the Motor of the starter is activated. The electromagnet in the Motor of the starter causes the drive gears of the starter drive to interact with the gear’s ring wheel, which causes the engine to start working.

2. What are the signs that I have a bad car starter?

A variety of indicators could indicate an unsound start.

This includes:

  • The Car Won’t Start Even With A Fully Charged Battery.

This is possibly the most frequent indication of a defective starter. To check quickly whether you have an energized battery, start by turning on your headlights or the music system in your car.

If they’re running fine, it’s likely that you have a problem with your starter.

  • Strange Clicking Sounds.

A loud click sound can signal a malfunctioning starter. It could also be a result of the battery being dead. If it’s an ear-splitting noise, it could indicate an interlocking issue between the start gear as well as the ring gear of the engine flywheel.

Make sure to check your battery first in order to rule out the reason. If your battery is charging and you are not able to charge it, that means you have a damaged starter motor.

  • Slow Starting Speed.

If your vehicle takes a number of attempts or longer than normal to start, it could be a sign of an issue with the relay or a poor starter.

  • Dimming Interior Lights.

If the interior lights are dim as you start your car, it could be a sign that there is a short circuit in the Motor of the starter. The starter motor is able to draw more current, which leaves less power to the rest of the car’s systems.

In addition, you should listen for a sound that sounds like chugging.

This indicates a malfunction of the bearings in the starter’s electric Motor, which indicates that you must repair your starter.

  • Starter Continues To Run Even After The Engine Has Started.

If it seems like the engine is still operating even after you’ve removed the ignition switch, It could be a sign of that there is a problem with the electrical system of your car.

In this situation, it is imperative to immediately contact a technician to get assistance.

  • An Oil-soaked Starter.

Sometimes there is an oil leak in the engine can cause a problem with the starter.

If your car’s starter is covered in oil and you are unable to fix it, contact an expert mechanic to resolve this problem.

3. How do I check for a blown fuse of my starter?

The fuse test is the most minimal way to determine if you have a damaged starter.

Here’s how:

  • Remove the ground wire from your battery.
  • Locate the fuse box in your car. It’ll be either close to the battery of your car as well as on the left side of your dashboard.
  • Check for the fuse for the starter. It’s usually marked as “IG.” You can refer to the vehicle’s manual to determine the proper fuse.
  • Examine the fuse for the link made of metal inside. If it is broken, it could indicate an overblown fuse.
  • Replace the fuse that was blown by installing another fuse with identical ampere capacity.

4. How do I bypass the starter relay?

If you are trying to switch the ignition switch and the car won’t begin, it could be caused by a defective starter relay.

Before you attempt to bypass the relay that is malfunctioning, test the battery’s voltage. If the batteries are fully charged, then you can begin to bypass the malfunctioning starter relay.

  • Grab the screwdriver that has an insulation grip.
  • To get rid of the relay that is malfunctioning to bypass the relay, place the screwdriver’s head to the “S” terminal of the solenoid and connect it to the terminal of the solenoid’s batteries.
  • You can ask someone else to switch on the ignition.

If the voltage of your battery is within the range, the ignition will start your car.

Note when trying to bypass a malfunctioning starter relay, take off the screwdriver when the engine is turned to prevent damaging the pinion gear on the starter drive.

5. How do I start my automatic car with a bad starter?

If your vehicle has an auto transmission, you can start your car and examine other possible causes to determine if you have a damaged starter.

The push-starting technique isn’t going to work for cars that are automatic because you’ll require manual transmission in order to start your car.

Closing Thoughts

When a car fails to start, it is a big problem. The vehicle is a common problem for car owners, but it isn’t always easy to repair a damaged starter by yourself. Sometimes, the issue with starting could be due to other issues like spark plugs not firing correctly or a defective fuel pump.

So, getting a professional to examine the problems with your car’s starter is the easiest alternative.

You don’t need to go far.

A practical mobile vehicle maintenance and maintenance service that gives competitive upfront pricing.

Experts will be waiting at your door within minutes waiting to assist you with any issues related to the starter. A 12-month, 12,000-mile service warranty on any repairs.