What are the signs of a car motor failure?
3 Answers
Signs of car motor damage: 1. Failure to start or sluggish response: For example, when starting the vehicle, it may "cause" the inability to "start." The accessory electromagnetic clutch may also lead to "abnormal operation" of the starter's overall components, preventing the vehicle from starting. 2. Difficulty starting: Although it may still "start," the starting time is "too long," which can easily cause overheating in the vehicle's wiring, the starter's internal components, and other concurrent "symptoms." In severe cases, it may burn out other electrical facilities and wiring. 3. If the internal wiring is damaged and the owner "starts" the vehicle under "special" conditions: It may lead to serious consequences such as open circuits, short circuits, or even burning out of other electrical components due to the internal wiring. Therefore, all parts of the car are closely "related" to the vehicle's ignition, engine operation conditions, and safe driving. Whether it's the starter or other components, any faults should be promptly addressed to ensure normal operation and safe driving.
Last time before my vintage car's starter motor had issues, I noticed several warning signs that now seem like alarm bells in hindsight. First, the engine struggled a bit to turn over when starting, and after pressing the ignition switch, I heard a 'rattling' sound instead of the usual smooth operation. Gradually, the starting delay became longer, sometimes requiring several turns of the key to barely get it going. Second, the battery light occasionally flickered for a moment during startup—though I thought it was minor, this was actually a sign of the starter gear beginning to wear out. Finally, during long drives, the dashboard showed some unusual flickering, hinting at potential electrical faults. I think if you encounter such symptoms, don’t delay—promptly checking the battery cables and relays could save you major trouble, as breaking down on the road would be dangerous.
I'm just an average car owner who enjoys tinkering with my own vehicle, and I've experienced the warning signs of a failing starter motor. Occasionally when starting the engine, I wouldn't feel that familiar vibration feedback, replaced instead by a faint buzzing sound, as if the motor was struggling. This is usually caused by worn carbon brushes inside or aging relays leading to unstable current. Later it progressed to complete non-response - pressing the ignition button produced no sound at all before I urgently needed repairs. During daily driving, if the car shakes slightly after starting or the engine light flashes momentarily, these could be early warnings. I recommend checking the fuse box and related circuits early to avoid spending more money replacing the entire starter motor assembly.
