Your Mazda has a starter that starts the engine; hence its name. Mazcare advises that you will be unable to start your automobile if the starter is bad. It’s easy to mistake a bad starter for a bad battery or alternator because you can’t get your Mazda to fire up. There are some little things to note that will point to the starter rather than the battery or alternator. We are going to list these things below as well as another engine problem that can kill the starter.
Oil Can Soak the Starter
This engine problem is leaking motor oil. Your Mazda’s starter is located on the driver’s side of the engine underneath the bank of cylinders. Consequently, if you have an oil leak, your starter might get saturated with the motor oil. When this happens, the starter cannot operate effectively and you won’t be able to get your Mazda started. You’ll have this problem until you get the oil leak fixed. If the oil kills the starter motor, you will have to replace the starter, as well.
Other Signs of Starter Problems
There are other signs that your starter has died or is dying. For example, when you first press the start button or turn the key in the ignition, you shouldn’t hear anything but your motor firing up and running. If you hear clicking sounds instead, this is a sign that your Mazda’s starter is going bad. You may or may not be able to get the engine started.
Another indication that there is a problem with the starter is a dead engine with lights. In other words, you can’t get your engine started but the dashboard lights turn on when you turn the key in the ignition. This is an indication that the problem isn’t an electrical one, i.e., the battery or alternator. Rather, the issue lies with the starter.
Please note that attempting to jump-start the engine will not do you any good if the starter motor is dead. Again, the reason why your engine won’t start isn’t because of the battery or alternator. Rather, you need to replace the starter in order to get the engine running again. Jump-starting the battery will do no good because the starter motor is unable to fire up the engine.
Continuing to attempt to start your automobile will only overheat the starter motor and cause it to smoke. Rather, call Mazcare in Marietta, GA. We are Mazda specialists and we can replace your starter if it needs it.