The starter solenoid is responsible for transferring the electrical current from the battery to the starter itself.
While it is not very common for the starter solenoid to go bad, it might get damaged due to excessive heat, moisture, or bad wiring.
Luckily, the starter solenoid would tell you when it is about to go bad before it even does.
This article covers the most common signs of a bad starter solenoid, along with the common causes of damaging your solenoid. We also provide you with a step-by-step guide to replace your starter solenoid by yourself to save on labor costs.
What are the main signs of a bad starter solenoid?
Like any other component of your vehicle, the starter solenoid tells you when it goes bad before it even does.
There are very common signs of a bad starter solenoid; some of them are easy to detect while others are a little more tricky and require some level of keenness before you detect them.
· The starter solenoid makes a rapid clicking sound
As a driver, you always need to remember that hearing any weird noise coming from your vehicle is not a good sign, whether it’s coming from the starter solenoid or other parts.
Once you hear these noises, you must take immediate action and get the vehicle inspected and repaired by a professional mechanic. While some of these sounds might occur due to simple issues, other sounds can be very serious and might be referring to significant damages.
One of the first and most common signs of a bad starter solenoid is hearing weird rapid clicking sounds. These sounds happen as the solenoid is not receiving the right amount of electrical current.
One of the main reasons for this issue is loose connections and issues with the wiring.
· The starter keeps rotating
When you release the starter button or turn off the ignition, the starter should stop rotating. However, with a bad starter solenoid, the starter will not understand as you turn off the switch and keep going.
According to automotive experts, one of the first causes for a continuous rotating starter is a melted or damaged starter solenoid surface due to high heat.
This problem must be taken care of to avoid dealing with complicated damages requiring very high repair costs.
· A clicking noise coming from the solenoid without starter rotation
When you turn on the key in the key housing, the starter solenoid moves, then the starter rotates to get the engine going.
As your starter solenoid goes bad, you might hear the clicking sound and the slight movement in the starter solenoid happening, but you won’t see a corresponding starter rotation, and thus, the engine won’t start.
In this case, the culprit could be a broken solenoid connection due to erosion, breakage, or dirt.
· The driver gear reverse
typically, once the starter starts rotation, the drive gear is not supposed to reverse; otherwise, there is something wrong with the starter solenoid.
One of the biggest root problems, in this case, could be a broken spring due to electricity loss.