Engine Starters Installation & Repair
OHIO Owned & Operated 
CERTIFIED Mechanics
OHIO Owned & Operated
CERTIFIED Mechanics
Engine Starter Installation & Repair
Many car parts have confusing names that require a little research to determine what it does. The automobile engine starter is not one of them. It simply does what it’s name implies, it starts the engine. But behind the simple name is a complex engine component.
The starter of your automobile engine works with the battery to start the car. When the ignition is engaged, the starter boosts the power received from the battery to get the pistons moving and start the combustion cycle. After a couple seconds, it’s job is done and it remains off until the next time the car needs started.
Unfortunately, the first symptom you may notice that the starter is failing is the car doesn’t start. Simlarly, if the car started with a jump but fails to start the next time, this could also be an indication its the starter motor. You might experience intermittent ignition problems.
A click, or series of clicks, when engaging the ignition can be an indication of engine starter problems. In some cases, smoke may be visible or oil may be seen gathering around the starter.
Commonly, if you’ve recently experienced an issue with the battery or alternator, this can lead to premature starter problems.
Starters, and other ignition components, can degrade quickly, especially in extreme weather. If you suspect a potential problem with your engine starter motor, call the expert mechanics at Ohio Autocare Cincinnati. A quick diagnostic analysis will pinpoint the issue so we can get you back on the road.
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Engine Starter Motor Repair
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Engine Starter Motors
ENGINE STARTER MOTORS
Before electronic ignitions, one limiting factor to automobile ownership was cost. If you managed to clear that hurdle, you also needed to be a pretty sturdy individual to operate and maintain this new novelty. It could be laborious and a little dangerous.
A combustion engine is designed to keep running. After a cylinder has been blasted downward following the fuel ignition by the spark plug, it needs to cycle back up to the firing position. The cylinders are timed to fire at different times for a smoother ride and assist the other pistons to return to the fire position. So each individual piston helps the other pistons power through their cycles. Once the cycle is started, its pretty efficient at maintaining it. But without an electronic ignition device, the problem was getting the engine started.
To start the cycle, early automobiles resorted to few different options. The most popular and more widely recognized was the hand crank. The motor hand crank was located at the front of the vehicle and would need turned, often several times, to start the engine. Another option included a lawn-mower-style pull string. If the engine timing was off, these methods could result in an engine backfire and violently jerking the string or hand crank in the opposite direction. This could lead to dislocated shoulders and fingers, broken bones and more.
The Electronic Starter System
Starter systems improved over time but were quickly being replaced by the electronic ignition in 1920. Hand crank starters remained as a backup starter on some cars even into the 40’s and 50’s, but as vehicles got larger, electronic starter systems became more attractive.
Electronic ignitions combine the efforts of the battery and the starter to turn the engine over. The ignition switch is positioned between the battery and the starter motor solenoid. When the ignition is engaged, it completes the circuit and allows power to flow from the battery to the starter solenoid. Within the solenoid, a long metal wire that wraps around a metal core accepts the charge which creates a magnetic field. The magnetic field forces a metal rod, called a plunger, to move. This pushes the starter pinion gear that extends from the starter motor to engage with the crankshaft flywheel.
The battery also sends power to the starter motor. The starter motor begins spinning, boosting the power from the battery and creating enough torque on the starter pinion gear to turn the flywheel. The flywheel turns the crankshaft which gets the pistons going and starts the car.
Once the engine is going, the driver releases the ignition which cuts the power to the starter solenoid and starter motor. With it’s job complete, the starter solenoid and motor remain disconnected until the next time the car is started.
That is all designed to, and should occur within a couple seconds. If the ignition remains engaged after the engine has started, it can quickly degrade the starter components. It takes quite a bit of power to start the engine and the starter provides the power burst needed. But without enough time to cool down between bursts, the starter components can start to break down. While its almost instinctual to keep cranking the engine if its not starting, that can quickly damage not just the starter, but the battery and alternator as well. Manufacturers suggest at least 10-20 seconds between starts.
ENGINE STARTER MOTORS
Before electronic ignitions, one limiting factor to automobile ownership was cost. If you managed to clear that hurdle, you also needed to be a pretty sturdy individual to operate and maintain this new novelty. It could be laborious and a little dangerous.
A combustion engine is designed to keep running. After a cylinder has been blasted downward following the fuel ignition by the spark plug, it needs to cycle back up to the firing position. The cylinders are timed to fire at different times for a smoother ride and assist the other pistons to return to the fire position. So each individual piston helps the other pistons power through their cycles. Once the cycle is started, its pretty efficient at maintaining it. But without an electronic ignition device, the problem was getting the engine started.
To start the cycle, early automobiles resorted to few different options. The most popular and more widely recognized was the hand crank. The motor hand crank was located at the front of the vehicle and would need turned, often several times, to start the engine. Another option included a lawn-mower-style pull string. If the engine timing was off, these methods could result in an engine backfire and violently jerking the string or hand crank in the opposite direction. This could lead to dislocated shoulders and fingers, broken bones and more.
The Electronic Starter System
Starter systems improved over time but were quickly being replaced by the electronic ignition in 1920. Hand crank starters remained as a backup starter on some cars even into the 40’s and 50’s, but as vehicles got larger, electronic starter systems became more attractive.
Electronic ignitions combine the efforts of the battery and the starter to turn the engine over. The ignition switch is positioned between the battery and the starter motor solenoid. When the ignition is engaged, it completes the circuit and allows power to flow from the battery to the starter solenoid. Within the solenoid, a long metal wire that wraps around a metal core accepts the charge which creates a magnetic field. The magnetic field forces a metal rod, called a plunger, to move. This pushes the starter pinion gear that extends from the starter motor to engage with the crankshaft flywheel.
The battery also sends power to the starter motor. The starter motor begins spinning, boosting the power from the battery and creating enough torque on the starter pinion gear to turn the flywheel. The flywheel turns the crankshaft which gets the pistons going and starts the car.
Once the engine is going, the driver releases the ignition which cuts the power to the starter solenoid and starter motor. With it’s job complete, the starter solenoid and motor remain disconnected until the next time the car is started.
That is all designed to, and should occur within a couple seconds. If the ignition remains engaged after the engine has started, it can quickly degrade the starter components. It takes quite a bit of power to start the engine and the starter provides the power burst needed. But without enough time to cool down between bursts, the starter components can start to break down. While its almost instinctual to keep cranking the engine if its not starting, that can quickly damage not just the starter, but the battery and alternator as well. Manufacturers suggest at least 10-20 seconds between starts.