Whether light-duty or heavy-duty, you are not going to get your truck started if the starter has died. Moose Jaw Truck Shop can test the starter to see if it is malfunctioning. If it is, we will replace it with a new one. The most common time that a starter dies is after you have clocked 100,000 miles on your truck’s odometer. If you are driving a high-mileage truck and are experiencing the following problems, the starter is going out and needs to be replaced.
Pre-Ignition Noises
We cannot guarantee that your starter is going to give you a warning that it is going bad, but if it does, you will hear strange noises in the engine before the truck ignites. These noises occur after you press the start button or turn the ignition key. Generally, you will hear a clicking sound. This being said, the starter can also whir if it is going bad.
A Dead Engine
We recommend that you head straight to our shop if you have either of the pre-ignition noises mentioned above before your truck starts. The reason why is that you may only hear these noises once before the starter dies completely and you end up with a dead engine. Your truck cannot start without a functioning starter because the starter is the ignition part that turns over the engine.
Working Lights
If you are stranded with a dead engine, check the truck’s lights to see if they are working. This is a simple test to make sure that the alternator and battery are generating electricity. If they aren’t, the lights won’t work. It’s easy to assume if this is the case that the battery is dead. If the lights are working, the problem is most likely a dead starter.
Hot Odors/Smoke
One thing that can confirm this is hot odors and smoke coming from your truck’s engine. This is a sign that the starter motor has overheated because you have tried to fire up the truck too many times. If the starter is dead, you will not be able to get the engine started.
Oil Saturation
Finally, as an aside, we mentioned above that the starter generally lasts about 100,000 miles. There is a situation that can reduce the starter’s lifespan, and this is leaking motor oil. If your cylinder block cracks, oil will saturate the starter motor and cause it to fail.
Moose Jaw Truck Shop in Moose Jaw, SK, is here to help, so give us a call today if you are having problems getting your light-duty, heavy-duty, or big rig truck started.
