How to Start A Car With Bad Starter – Step by Step Process

When you start a car, the electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy, which gets the car up and running. The part responsible for performing this function is called the starter of the car.

If your car starter encounters any kind of issues, your engine is not going to work. And the smooth function of the engine is the only thing that moves a car, nothing else.

One of the most irritating rules of life is that your machines can sense it when you are in a hurry. And they have to break down at that very moment.

In those moments, you have no other choice. You have to use your car, and you have to go wherever you have to go quick. You don’t have options that take time at all.

At that point, you are not in a position to call a tow truck or your mechanic. So, what are the hacks that are going to help get you out of such a situation?

What will be your immediate plan after your car stops working? But let me ask a question that is even more important than that.

What do you do if your car stops working, AND you have no clue about what is a car engine all about? Reading this article is going to give you a clue as to what you will need to do.

Moreover, as soon as you are done reading the article, you will know how to come to your own rescue as soon as you face such an unpleasant situation.

What are the signs that are going to warn you about a bad starter?

Any car starter that functions properly is going to have three basic requirements, and that is ground, a battery that supplies positive current, and a trigger of the positive current.

If anyone of these is not present, your starter is going to function properly. However, there are ways to substitute them temporarily when they go bad.

The best options always remain, replacing your bad starter if you have the time, or calling your mechanic to take care of it. The other procedures are only for the sake of emergencies.

Signs that your car starter has gone bad

·        You will hear whirring sounds

When your starter refuses to function in a proper manner, you will experience something called “freewheeling.”

Freewheeling is when your car feels like it is operating separate to the flywheel. The flywheel is critical to the energy of your car, as it is its main source.

In turn, it is going to make a wheezing sound.

·        You will hear clicking sounds

Sometimes when you start your car, you might hear clicking sounds. This is going to mean two things. One, your battery could have stopped working.

Two, your starter must have stopped functioning. To see which problem your car is facing, you can do a simple experiment.

Turn your headlights on. If they are bright enough, it means the battery of your car is just alright, and your starter is the main issue.

·        Dimming of the lights inside the car

Whenever you start your car up, the internal lighting lights up as well. If by any chance, you notice that they are dimmer than usual, it must mean that your internal wiring is going through some problems.

There might be a short circuit in the wiring. So, the starter is consuming more current than it usually does, and the other parts of the car are now getting less.

·        A scent of something burning, or smoke

The smell of something burning can never be a good sign unless you are making a barbeque. And certainly not in this case.

Such a smell only means trouble. Now that trouble could be anywhere, including in your starter.

  A starter soaked with oil

the starter is located in such a place inside the engine that heats up very quickly. that can cause the engine fluids to seep into the starter’s motor.

This sign, for sure, means that you need to get your starter replaced as soon as possible.

·        The starting speed

Your car might take a while to start if your starter is not working as well as it should. Check the charging of your battery through the voltmeter.

If the battery is full, the starter is where the problem lies.

·        The vehicle refuses to start entirely

This is what this article is going to help you with. The symptoms sometimes begin to show, but we do not pay attention to them until the parts die out completely.

Tips to get the car up and running even when your car starter is bad

1. Check the battery using a voltmeter first

Before operating the cables of the car, the thing that you need to do is this. You need to determine the voltage in your battery before you proceed.

How to use a voltmeter

• For the first step, you need to know the voltage of your battery. when you figure that out, set your voltmeter on a higher voltage.
• Then, turn the meter on.
• Connect the positive leads to the positive posts of the battery and the negative leads to the negative ones.
• Switch the headlights of your car on.
• Check what the display of the meter says. Your battery is fully charged if the display has a reading that falls in between 12.6v to 12.4v. If it is any lesser, means your battery is out of order.
• Charge the battery, because this is why your engine refuses to start.

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2. Hit the starter to shake it a little bit

Don’t be too gentle, don’t be too harsh. Take a hammer or any other iron object, and with a medium force, tap on your starter.

Use a tool that is a preferable option. This is going to work as a temporary solution if your starter has something stuck inside it.

However, if your engine is not of the transversal kind, then this technique is not going to work. Transversal engines are the ones that cannot be reached by the arm, because they are located too far.

Then again, even in this case, the recommended solution is taking the car to a mechanic as soon as possible. Because the more you delay, the more expensive future solutions are going to be.

3. Check the wiring of your car and make the connectors tight.

If the connection between the battery and the starter is loose, the number of amps that are being received by your starter will be reduced.

This is going to decrease the efficiency of your starter’s performance, for sure.

in case of a loose connection, take a ratchet and tighten the terminal connectors of the battery. One thing to note is that a ratchet should be present in your car at all times.

if you think they are as tight as they need to be, then trace the positive wire. it will say positive on it so you will know.

Trace the wire that runs from your starter to your battery and gently shake it. If there are any loose connections, you will be able to detect them that way.

Read Also: How To Test A Starter Solenoid

4. jump-starting a car when your connector has gone bad

The sole source of electricity for your battery is your starter. If they refuse to work, you can take the battery from another car, which is called a jump start.

Make sure of the following two things before you do that, though:

The electronic devices that are present in the vehicle turn them all off. The batteries of both of the cars should not have any damage or leaks whatsoever.

After you make sure these conditions are fulfilled, you can proceed to connect both the batteries.

Make sure you connect the black cables to the negative terminals and the red cables to the positive terminals. Double-check, too, just in case.

Also, do all this while you are wearing gloves. Gloves can prevent electric shocks, and electric shocks are extremely deadly.

5. check to see if the cables are corroded

if your starter fails to work while you are taking your vehicle out of your home, you can stop and check if your cables are corroded.

You will need to clean them if that is the case. Remember to disconnect the battery first, or you will end up getting a shock!

Use sandpaper to wipe the rust off of the cables. If that doesn’t work, you can use a solution of caustic soda and vinegar to wipe it.

Can you push your car and then start it?

Let me give you a warning. Only do this if you have a manual car. You will break your car otherwise!

Put your car in the second gear and start it.

After depressing the clutch, keep pushing the car until it reaches a speed of 10 mph or even more than that, if possible.

Release the clutch, depress it, so your car does not stall.

Try not to stall your car until you reach your destination. Or you will have to repeat this process all over again.

Final Thoughts

These are the ways you can use to save yourself only temporarily. So when you do get a chance, the first thing you need to do is to get yourself to a mechanic!