Car Starter Burnout: 4 Answers you Should Know

A car starter can have a long service life. If you have to replace the car starter motor every so often then there’s an underlying problem.

What should you do then?

Read on for the 4 answers to commonly asked questions when this happens that’ll hopefully stop the car starter motor from burning out.

1. What Causes a Starter to Burn Out?

If the car starter motor is burnout, it may be from:

Holding the Ignition Key in the Start Position for a Long Time

This is probably one of the main reasons why car starters burn out.

Holding the ignition key in the start position for a long time, 10 + seconds, repeatedly without allowing the starter to cool down between the intervals is bad for the starter and can cause burnout.

Repeated Attempts to Restart a Car Engine

Making several consecutive attempts to start the car engine can also lead to the burning out of the starter.

If the battery voltage is low or there’s a fault with the magnetic switch, the switch may not be able to hold repeatedly switching on and off the power to the motor which buildups heat in the starter and can cause the starter to burn out.

You may also want to read: Why your car battery voltage drops overnight

Stuck Starter Relay

A failed starter relay with welded contacts can continuously supply power to the starter motor, leading to the buildup of heat and causing burnout.

You may also want to read: Why your car relay may go bad

Using a Starter with a Lower Power Rating

Using a replacement starter with a lower power rating than the car engine requires (under-sizing the starter) can lead to the car starter burning out.

For example, when you use a 1kW starter in a car that requires a 2kW starter.

The excessive power demands of the car on the starter will cause the starter to burn out.

Why the car starter motor keeps burning out

If the car starter motor keeps burning out, check and confirm that you’ve fitted a replacement starter of the capacity (kW) recommended by the manufacturer.

Are you holding the ignition key in the START position for longer than is necessary?

It could also be that there’s an underlying car engine problem or electrical system fault such as weak or loose battery connections that is stopping the car from starting right away.

Always contact a qualified mechanic.

2. Signs that a Car Starter Motor is Burnt Out

You may be able to tell that the starter motor is burnt out from:

  • the burnt-out smell from under the hood of the starter motor and in some cases smoke coming from the car starter
  • melting of the car starter motor windings
  • The insulation or label on the starter body may melt

All of this results in the car starter failing to rotate or crank the engine at all.

When you open and inspect the starter, you may see:

  • burnt out windings and commutator (where the brushes make contact with the rotating shaft)
  • discolored terminals from the excessive heat buildup in the starter

3. Tips to Stop the Starter Motor from Burning Out

To reduce the chances of a car starter burning out:

Do not keep the ignition key in the start position for more than 10 seconds. Release it and allow it to cool for 60 seconds before turning the ignition to start again.

This allows the heat generated from the current flowing through the windings to dissipate

Always fix the underlying causes of car starter failure before replacing the car starter. This could be a user behavior issue such as starting the car repeatedly during cold weather or component failure, such as a starter relay.

There are cases where a failed starter relay with welded contacts that continues to draw current from the battery through the starter motor causes it to burn out.

If not fixed, it is possible to burn out multiple starter replacements!

Always replace with a starter with the recommended power rating for your car’s engine

4. Should you Fix a Burnt out Starter Motor?

If the car starter is burnt out, replace it with a new starter as recommended by the car manufacturer for your car engine to work reliably for a long time.

Closing Thoughts

With a burnt-out car starter, your engine will not be able to crank and start. you’ll likely have a burning smell, sometimes smoke from the starter, or burnt insulation on the starter body.

You will likely see a burnt commutator and windings when you open up the starter.

You can reduce the likelihood of the car starter burning out when you avoid keeping the key in the start position for a long time, allowing it time to cool between attempts to start and making sure you replace the car starter with the capacity recommended by the car manufacturer.

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