Kia Starter Service Near New Orleans

What Is a Starter?

Your starter is a small motor powered by the battery. Its function is to start your engine. Between the starter and the battery is part of the ignition system called a starter relay, which transmits power to the engine so your vehicle will start. If either of these parts is damaged or worn out, your engine will not start.

How to Tell If the Starter is the Problem

If you aren’t well-versed in automotive repair or maintenance, it will be hard to tell for sure without a computer diagnostic test, but there are some common signs that may point you in that general direction.

• Something sounds weird: A symptom is the clicking sound when you turn the key or press the starter switch, but it may not make a sound at all, which conveys the same information. It may also present as a grinding or whirring if your starter is on its death bed.
• Illumination, but lacking action: You turn the key, and the lights come on, but the engine doesn’t turn over.
• Engine doesn’t turn over: If the engine isn’t doing anything even after a jumpstart, you’ll probably want to have your vehicle towed to Premier KIA of Kenner.
• Smoke from the engine: Your starter is part of an electrical system in your vehicle and is subject to short circuits and blown fuses. Sometimes when you try to start the car over and over again the starter can overheat, causing electrical issues. If fuses blow or something shorts out, it can lead to smoke coming out of the engine compartment.
• Starter covered in oil: To find the starter in a RWD, it is just below the exhaust manifold on the passenger’s side. If you have a FWD, look on the driver’s side above the transmission or under the exhaust manifold. In some vehicles, you can find the starter under the intake manifold. If you see oil covering the starter, you have an oil leak, which is a different problem that has led to the starter malfunction.