Village Diesel Works advises that you cannot start your diesel truck without a functional starter. The starter turns the engine over so it can draw air and fuel into the combustion chamber. The glow plugs warm the chamber to the perfect temperature in order for the air and fuel to ignite. This is what starts your diesel engine. Below are five signs that the starter is bad and needs to be replaced.
Strange Pre-Ignition Noises
In some cases, your diesel truck will warn you that the starter is having problems. You will hear whirring or clicking when you turn the ignition key. This is an indication that the starter is having a hard time turning over the engine. Your truck may or may not start. If it does start despite the noises, drive straight to our diesel truck shop in Roseville or Woodbury right away.
Inability to Start the Engine
The reason why we recommend that you head straight to our shop is that you may not be able to get the diesel truck’s engine to start the next time you turn the key. When the starter dies, it can no longer turn over the engine and you will not have the fuel and air the engine needs to produce combustion. Consequently, you will be stranded with a dead engine.
The Truck’s Lights Still Work
You can run a quick light check to see if the starter is the reason why the engine won’t start or if you’ve got a dead battery. If the lights work, the battery is fine. If the lights don’t work, the battery is dead. Working lights point to the fact that the battery is supplying them with electricity. When this is the case, the starter is most likely what is causing the dead engine.
Burning Odors and Smoke
Another thing that points directly to the starter is burning odors and smoke coming from the engine. This means that you have tried too many times to get the engine started with the dead starter. The only thing that will happen is you will overheat the starter motor.
Oil All Over the Starter
Finally, in most cases, your starter will last at least 100,000 miles. There is one thing that can cut a starter’s life short, however, and that one thing is motor oil. The bad news is that the oil generally leaks from a cracked cylinder block, which is worse than replacing the starter.
Village Diesel Works in Roseville and Woodbury, MN, are diesel truck experts, so bring your truck to our shop today if you need a new starter.