Starter Service Near Los Angeles, CA

The Starter’s Job

Beneath the hood of your vehicle lies your engine and a myriad of parts and systems. Your starter is a small motor that your battery provides power to. It’s a motor that starts your engine. Between it and your battery lies a starter relay that transmits power to the ignition system. If there is a problem with either component, you will not be able to start your vehicle, resulting in you needing a tow.

Symptoms of Starter Issues

• Clicking Sounds: Perhaps the most common symptom of a starter issue is the telltale clicking noises that signal a starter has failed when you turn the key or press the ignition switch. However, the sounds of silence can also be a signal that your starter has met its demise. It can also give one last shout with whirring or grinding sounds, so pay attention.
• There is nothing but the light: If you turn the key and a warning light shows up on the dash, it can also mean a starter problem.
• Crank it up! Or not: You turn the key, and nothing; you get a jumpstart, and nothing. If you attempt to start and nothing happens, get your vehicle into Mark Christopher Auto Center for help.
• You’re smoking: Your car’s engine runs on more than gas. It is also part of an electrical system, which means it relies on complete electrical circuits that use fuses to help regulate power. When you get frustrated and you try to start your vehicle repeatedly, you can cause a short circuit and sometimes that manifests as smoke coming from under your hood.
• Oil where it doesn’t belong: In RWD vehicles, your starter is located on the driver’s side beneath the exhaust manifold. In a FWD, it’s on the driver’s side above the transmission or beneath the exhaust manifold. In some vehicles, you may find it under the intake manifold. If you find your starter and discover oil is soaking it, you have another problem with an oil leak, but an oil-soaked starter will not function.