How Long Does A Car Starter Last? What Signs Tell You?

The first thing to start a journey is to start your vehicle, but it is not always ready. Unfortunately, no matter how careful you are, the system is faulty.

So, how long does a car starter last? How do I know if it’s a problem?

Don’t worry; this is what we want to share in this article. Let’s find out together.

What Do The Starters Do?

How Long Does A Car Starter Last?

Internal combustion engines cannot operate independently, so they always need outside help. That’s why the vehicle starter system was born to play the important role of helping the start and operate.

This system is very important in helping the vehicle’s performance.

It works on the principle of converting the chemical energy in the battery into electricity and then converting it into mechanical energy in the motor.

For the engine to “wake up,” the crankshaft must rotate faster than the minimum rotation speed.

This rotation speed varies depending on the engine’s construction and operating condition, usually 80-100 rpm (diesel engine) and 40-60 rpm (gasoline one).

In addition, the operating time of the car starters varies.

How Long Does A Car Starter Last?

The starter is a simple but extremely important part of the engine. It’s not too expensive, but it’s quite complicated to repair when something goes wrong.

Therefore, knowing how long starters last on cars will help you arrange the most suitable maintenance schedule.

Determining the life of starters by mileage is no longer the most reliable basis because it depends on many factors such as engine design of auto manufacturers, owner’s driving habits, usage conditions, bad starter conditions, age factor, etc.

The lifespan of these devices can be quite different, even though they come from the same brand.

It usually ranges from 30,000 to 200,000 miles, and you can’t tell the exact number based on the total distance traveled.

The automobile starters of older cars or have traveled great distances will signal for help earlier than this number suggests.

No specific date on when a car starts last, but a brand-new product can create a vehicle up to 80,000 times.

This is an impressive number because if you use your vehicle twice a day, you only turn on the engine over 700 times a year.

What Are The Signs That The Starter Motor Has Failed?

What Are The Signs That The Starter Motor Has Failed?

No matter how long the starters in cars period can last, there will come a day when you notice its irregularities.

Do not be subjective because degradation over time can lead to many dangers when driving, be careful with the following biggest signs: 

The Engine Is Hard/Won’t Start

Auto electrics today have a smart key or push-button start, but they cannot replace this device’s role in the electrical and starting systems.

When you press the start button or turn the key to the start position, the signal will go to the starter relay to perform the power supply to rotate it.

However, if you’ve done these steps and the motor won’t run, it may have a problem, or this device’s circuitry has failed.

As soon as you discover this problem, you should bring the vehicle to the garage for inspection and repair as quickly as possible.

Starters Still Spin Even Though The Engine Is Running

Normally, as soon as the engine has started, you will release the key or stop pressing the start button (engine start-stop systems) to cut off the current to the starter.

But when broken, the starters spun when the engine started. This can jam the contacts in the relay, causing them to stick together.

In a case like this, it’s best to replace the relay to avoid damaging other components.

Making Strange Noises

The strange sounds like clicking sound and abnormal grinding sound are common signs when the battery is dead, but it also indicates that the relay is not working correctly.

A relay is an electrical device that acts like an electrical switch; it sends all the current to the starter, and sometimes it doesn’t.

Although it is a fairly durable and less damaged part, sometimes, for some reason, the starter relay still cannot work correctly, which makes starting the vehicle difficult.

If you see a vehicle with these signs, take it to the garage to be checked and repaired.

Car Interior Lights Dim When You Start

Many owners are often quite subjective when they see that the car’s interior lights dim every time they start the vehicle. This mistake can be a warning that the boot system is having problems.

A short circuit causes the dimming light in the starter’s wiring. It causes your device to need more electricity to start up than usual, so the car doesn’t have enough power to keep the lights on.

There are also some other signs such as dim dashboard lights, dim headlights, dashboard dim, etc.

Smoke Rises From The Back Of The Engine

If you see white smoke coming out of the exhaust, try to determine the reason, as it can be a big problem, depending on the thickness of the smoke. The thicker smoke can be a big problem.

There are many reasons a vehicle emits white smoke from the exhaust, such as damage to the cylinder head, leaking coolant, etc., and some of it is due to a boot system failure.

The starter is an electromechanical system. When a fault occurs, the engine will still provide power for it to operate even after the car has finished starting, which causes its temperature of it to rise.

When the temperature rises too high, drivers can smell burning and see smoke rising.

How Much Does A Starter Replacement Cost?

Knowing how long starters on a car last doesn’t mean you’ll avoid breakdowns.

When your vehicle shows these signs like the aforementioned factors, it is better to bring it to the auto repair center or auto parts stores soon. Problems will destroy your engine over time.

Usually, auto repair centers recommend that you should use new starter replacements to ensure operation and safety.

The cheapest auto repair costs about 350 – 550 dollars (215 – 400 dollars is the price of the device and 130 – 160 dollars is the service fee).

Conclusion

Above is the information about the question: how long does a car starter last?

All numbers are approximate, as a life of starters highly depends on your driving habits. Always pay attention to unusual signs to take early action.

Thanks for reading, and see you in other posts.

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