How to Start a Car with a Bad Starter? Try This Emergency Guide

It is not very uncommon to find a car with starter problems. Almost every one of us has often faced the challenge of how to start a car with a bad starter? That is probably the question that might have popped up in your mind quite frequently. It can be a result of some poor maintenance, or the regular wear and tear of the starter itself. It can especially happen in some bad weather as well. You are in for a meeting, and your car refuses to start. How would you resolve this issue? These tips may be a little handy for you.

How to start a Car with a Bad Starter Automatic?

The most frustrating thing that one can experience in the morning is ending up with a car that wouldn’t start up in the morning. However, you need not worry. You can always try few tips mentioned below to start your car within minutes.

1. Check Your Connections

One of the common reasons for the car not starting up can be the loose connections. Most noticeable, but generally neglected! A starter is an electric motor, and it sets off your engine in motion. Check out the cables running from your battery to the starter. If you have any loose connections, tighten them. Check all the joints for any issues. Tighten everything to ensure a smooth flow of electricity between the starter and battery.

2. Clean Corrosions

Corrosion can be another significant issue affecting the performance of your car starter. Check if the battery terminals or clamps have corroded. The clamps on your starter may also have developed corrosions. Dirt and grease can be the primary culprits in introducing corrosion, thereby hindering the flow of electricity.

You can disconnect the battery and starter and use good quality sandpaper to clean off the dirt and corrosion if any. If the corrosion seems to be stubborn, it would be advisable to use a mixture of caustic soda and water for cleaning the dirt. It will ensure that your connections get rid of dirt, grease, dust or any other impurities. Opt for a soft approach while cleaning the contacts. Take care not to damage any connections.

3. Jumpstart Your car

Jumpstarting means connection your car battery to the battery of a working vehicle. In fact, the starter in your car is a mean of providing the electric current to your battery. Jumpstart provides an alternative way to give the electric current and thus can be quite helpful.

There are instances wherein you may not find a car nearby to aid you in jumpstarting your vehicle. In such cases, a Jumpstart device can be quite handy. Generally, it replicates a battery on another car. In essence, it would work as a substitute to supply electrical current to your battery so that it would be able to start.

You can make use of any of those methods to bring your disabled car back into life. Of course, opting for a jumpstart device may not be utterly necessary, but having enough knowledge of the connectors and jumpstarting technique can be quite helpful in addressing the issues you may be facing with your bad starter.

4. Tapping the Starter

Well, you may not believe it, but tapping your starter should help you start your car in many cases. In fact, we would advise it as the first thing before you can opt for any other methods outlined above.

Check if it is an issue with starter alone or more than that. If your headlights and other electrical components are working correctly, it could only mean that starter has a problem. In many cases, the culprit can be a stuck gear. Just give a few taps onto the starter, preferably with a hammer. It may help you start your car with ease. Miraculous it may seem, but it solves the issue in many instances.

Maybe it is because of the dirt or something else being stuck inside the starter. However, do remember that even when the starter is faulty, this method can provide you with a temporary fix so that you can take your car to the nearest service station. Please note that the process may not be reliable as your car may stop again after covering a distance.

 Can you start a Car with a Bad Starter?

Well, you can. If you follow the steps in this emergency guide, you can start your car and attend your all-important meeting just in time! Of course, we do understand that a bad starter is a real headache and can ruin your patience every time you start your car. We are sure that the tips provided in this tutorial should have indeed helped you in starting up your car quickly.

Do remember that the fixes featured above can be helpful in cases where you face the terrible starter issues occasionally. If your starter tends to have problems consistently, you may need to give a thought to get it checked by an expert or replace it with a new one.