Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024

STARTING SYSTEM

Introduction
the internal combustion engine must be rotated before it will run under its own power. The starting
system is a combination of mechanical and electrical parts that work together
to start the engine. The starting system is designed to change the electrical energy, which is
being stored in the battery, into mechanical energy. To accomplish this conversion, a starter
or cranking motor is used. The starting system includes the following components:

 Battery: Provides the current that flows to the starter motor

 Starter motor: Has two gears that mesh together to spin the engine
 Ignition switch: Part of an assembly that also includes the ignition lock cylinder
 Starter solenoid or relay: A device that allows a small electrical current to control a larger
current flow
 Neutral safety switch: Prevents the vehicle from starting while in gear
 Cables: Connect the components of the starting system
 Ring gear: Located on the engine flywheel

Operation

When the starter switch is turned, the current from the battery flows to the starter motor, which
causes the motor's shaft to rotate. The starter motor's gears mesh together, spinning the
engine. Fuel and spark are then introduced into the cylinders, which ignites and starts the engine.

The “starting system”, the heart of the electrical system in your car, begins with the Battery. The
key is inserted into the Ignition Switch and then turned to the start position. A small amount of
current then passes through the Neutral Safety Switch to a Starter Relay or Starter Solenoid which
allows high current to flow through the Battery Cables to the Starter Motor. The starter motor then
cranks the engine so that the piston, moving downward, can create a suction that will draw a
Fuel/Air mixture into the cylinder, where a spark created by the Ignition System will ignite this
mixture. If the Compression in the engine is high enough and all this happens at the right Time,
the engine will start.

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Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024

STARTER MOTOR
 Introduction
A starter motor converts electrical energy stored in the battery into a mechanical force
(torque) to start the internal combustion engine. The system must be capable of supplying
sufficient power to rotate the engine at the minimum speed required to successfully initiate
the combustion process in the engine cylinders. In modern vehicles this is approximately
100 rpm.
 The internal combustion engine is not self-starting and this minimum speed is required to
allow the engine to form a reasonably well-atomized fuel mixture in the cylinder and
compress it sufficiently for combustion to take place.
 In addition the starting motor must be able to operate with the very high cyclic torque
demand required when rotating an internal combustion engine at cranking speed. The
speed must be adequate to allow the momentum of the moving parts to carry the engine
over from one firing stroke to another.

Basic requirements

The power requirement to achieve a suitable speed depends upon the size and type of an
engine and the ambient conditions. To start a warm engine of 1.5 litres displacement under
normal conditions, approximately 1.2 kW is required. The same engine under low-temperature
conditions would require approximately 4 kW. The power at the shaft of the starter motor is the
product of torque and speed, that is:

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 A starter-motor pinion driving an engine flywheel must exert sufficient torque to provide
breakaway from the static condition, i.e. it must rotate the engine from standstill and
accelerate up to cranking speed.
 Interestingly the main consideration that affects the torque required to start the engine
(apart from its type – spark or compression ignition) is not the total displacement of the
engine but the displacement of the individual cylinders. This dictates the peak torque
which must be overcome to generate the compression pressures in the cylinders, i.e. larger
cylinders require larger starter motors, not necessarily larger engines.
 To provide the high power, the motor electrical circuit must have very low resistance such
that a high current, of hundreds of amps, can flow freely. The cables and switches must
withstand the large load and the motor must be capable of converting the energy in an
efficient manner.
 Naturally a starting system will not function properly unless the battery can provide the
high current demanded. In addition, under these conditions, the battery voltage cannot
fall excessively as this affects the motor speed.

The starting process

All vehicle electric starter motors operate in a similar sequence as follows:

 Drive engagement: when the driver requests an engine start. The starting motor has to first
establish a mechanical link between itself and the engine. The starter motor is mounted
somewhere on the engine block, normally via a flange-type mounting, and drives a gear
wheel mounted on the engine flywheel at the back of the engine. The general system
arrangement is shown below.

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On requesting a start, the starter motor drive pinion must move into position and engage
with the flywheel teeth. If tooth-to-tooth blocking occurs, then the engagement system
must compensate for this and turn the pinion so that the teeth misalign and then engage
correctly, thus being positioned properly for torque transmission. This status is a prerequisite
before the motor can be supplied with full battery current to start the engine.
 Torque transmission: once the drive pinion is fully engaged into the flywheel ring gear
teeth, transmission of torque to rotate the engine can begin. At this point, the motor can
be switched on with full power. This is normally effected via a solenoid switch which is
appropriately rated to handle the large current with minimal electrical resistance. The
motor begins to rotate and, due to the transmission ratio between the starter and engine,
a large amount of torque is applied to the crankshaft to overcome the static friction and
rotate the engine. The compression and expansion in the engine cylinders means that the
torque required varies considerably during the process. In addition, this affects the engine
speed; the cyclic accelerations and decelerations of the crank shaft can be quite high.
 Engine start-up: a warm, modern, fuel-injected engine will normally start within two
revolutions. When cold, the engine needs longer. Generally though, as soon as fuel is
injected/ignited the engine will generate its own torque and therefore increase the
rotation speed of the engine. After a short time the engine out accelerates the starter and
at this point, even if the motor is still powered, the torque must not be transmitted back
from the engine as this will over-speed the starter motor and cause permanent damage.
Mechanisms are built into the starter to prevent this.
 End of start process/release: as soon as the driver realizes the engine has started and
releases the starter motor, the solenoid circuit disconnects the electrical power to the
motor and the drive pinion then disengages from the flywheel ring gear and returns to the
rest position. The motor is then fully disengaged and unpowered and can freewheel to a
standstill.

TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF STARTER MOTORS

DC MOTORS

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Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024
The DC motor is universally adopted in vehicle starting motor system. In the past, motors with
electromagnetic fields have been predominant, but the availability of
improved permanent magnet materials has enabled the construction of lightweight, compact
starting motors that utilize this technology.

Direct-Current Motor Principles

DC motors use the interaction of magnetic fields to convert the electrical energy into mechanical
energy. Magnetic lines of force flow from the North Pole to the south pole of a magnet.

If a current-carrying conductor is placed within the magnetic field, two fields will be present.

 On the left side of the conductor, the lines of force are in the same direction. This will
concentrate the flux density of the lines of force on the left side. This will produce a strong
magnetic field because the two fields will reinforce each other. The lines of force oppose
each other on the right side of the conductor. This results in a weaker magnetic field.

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 The conductor will tend to move from the strong field to the weak field.

 This principle is used to convert electrical energy into mechanical energy in a starter motor
by electromagnetism

A simple electromagnet-style starter motor is shown below.

 The inside windings are called the armature. The armature is the moveable component of
the motor that consists of a conductor wound around a laminated iron core. It is used to
create a magnetic field.
 The armature rotates within the stationary outside windings, called the field coils, which
has windings coiled around pole shoes. Field coils are heavy copper wire wrapped around
an iron core to form an electromagnet.
 Pole shoes are made of high–magnetic permeability material to help concentrate and
direct the lines of force in the field assembly.

Operation:

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 When current is applied to the field coils and the armature, both produce magnetic flux
lines.

 The direction of the windings will place the left pole at a south polarity and the right side
at a north polarity. The lines of force move from north to south in the field. In the armature,
the flux lines circle in one direction on one side of the loop and in the opposite direction
on the other side.
 Current will now set up a magnetic field around the loop of wire, which will interact with
the north and south fields and put a turning force on the loop. This force will cause the
loop to turn in the direction of the weaker field.
 However, the armature is limited in how far it is able to turn. When the armature is halfway
between the shoe poles, the fields balance one another. The point at which the fields are
balanced is referred to as the static neutral point.
 For the armature to continue rotating, the current flow in the loop must be reversed. To
accomplish this, a split-ring commutator is in contact with the ends of the armature loops.
 The commutator is a series of conducting segments located around one end of the
armature. Current enters and exits the armature through a set of brushes that slide over
the commutator’s sections.
 Brushes are electrically conductive sliding contacts, usually made of copper and carbon.
As the brushes pass over one section of the commutator to another, the current flow in the
armature is reversed. The position of the magnetic fields are the same. However,
the direction of current flow through the loop has been reversed. This will continue until the
current flow is turned off.
 A single-loop motor would not produce enough torque to rotate an engine. Power can
be increased by the addition of more loops or pole shoes.
 In a typical starter motor (Figure below) there are four brushes that make the electrical
connections to the commutator. Two of the brushes are grounded to the starter motor
frame and two are insulated from the frame. Also, the armature is supported by bushings
at both ends.

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Dc Motor Field Winding Designs

The field windings and armature of the DC motor can be wired in various ways. The motor design
is referenced by the method these two components are wired together. In addition, many motors
are using permanent magnet fields. Also, many newer motors are designed to be brushless.

Series wound motors: Most starter motors are series-wound with current flowing first to the field
windings, then to the brushes, through the commutator and the armature winding contacting
the brushes at that time, then through the grounded brushes back to the battery source (Figure
below). This design permits all of the current that passes through the field coils to also pass through
the armature. This gives the strongest possible flux strength.

A series-wound motor will develop its maximum torque output at the time of initial start.
As the motor speed increases, the torque output of the motor will decrease. This decrease of
torque output is the result of counter electromotive force (CEMF) caused by self-induction.

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Shunt-Wound Motors

Electric motors, or shunt motors, have the field windings wired in parallel across the armature.
Shunt means there is more than one path for current to flow. A shunt-wound field is used to limit
the speed that the motor can turn. A shunt motor does not decrease in its torque output as
speeds increase. This is because the CEMF produced in the armature does not decrease the field
coil strength. Due to a shunt motor’s inability to produce high torque, it is not typically used as a
starter motor. However, shunt motors may be found as wiper motors, power window motors,
power seat motors, and so on.

Series-parallel motors: This arrangement has the field coils in series with the armature but
connects two pairs of coils in parallel. Current flowing in the armature divides as it enters the
motor, half of the current passes through each of the field coils. The advantage of this
arrangement is that a lower field resistance can be achieved and hence the motor can handle
more current and thus produce more torque.

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Permanent magnet: A more common arrangement in current designs is to replace the
electromagnetic field with permanent magnets and this gives a significant benefit with respect
to the power: weight ratio of the motor. When used in conjunction with a planetary gear set, a
very compact starting motor system can be produced.

Components of a Starter Motor

Component Purpose
Main contacts When the pinion is fully in mesh, these strong copper contacts
close to make a good electrical connection from the battery to
the main starter terminal and the brushes
Brushes The copper carbon mix brushes pass the electricity to the
commutator.
Commutator The many segments of the copper commutator pass electricity
through the appropriate windings on the armature.
Armature The armature windings become magnetic and cause the motor
to turn because the magnetism of the armature is repelled by
the main field magnetism.
Fields The main magnetic field is caused by permanent magnets on
this motor, but many use heavy duty windings instead.
Pinion The pinion is simply a small gear with a ratio of about 10:1
compared to the ring gear. A one way clutch behind the pinion
prevents the motor being driven by the engine when it starts.

Starter Drives

The starter drive is the part of the starter motor that engages the armature to the engine flywheel
ring gear. A starter drive includes a pinion gear set that meshes with the flywheel ring gear on the
engine’s crankshaft. To prevent damage to the pinion gear or the ring gear, the pinion gear must

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mesh with the ring gear before the starter motor rotates. To help assure smooth engagement, the
ends of the pinion gear teeth are tapered.

 Also, the action of the armature must always be from the motor to the engine. The engine
must not be allowed to spin the armature.
 The ratio of the number of teeth on the ring gear and the starter drive pinion gear is usually
between 15:1 and 20:1. This means the starter motor is rotating 15 to 20 times faster than
the engine. The ratio of the starter drive is determined by dividing the number of teeth on
the drive gear (pinion gear) into the number of teeth on the driven gear (flywheel).
 Normal cranking speed for the engine is about 200 rpm. If the starter drive had a ratio of
18:1, the starter would be rotating at a speed of 3,600 rpm. If the engine started and was
accelerated to 2,000 rpm, the starter speed would increase to 36,000 rpm.
This would destroy the starter motor if it was not disengaged from the engine.

Overrunning clutch starter drive: The most common type of starter drive is the overrunning clutch.
The overrunning clutch is a roller-type clutch that transmits torque in one direction only and
freewheels in the other direction.

This allows the starter motor to transmit torque to the ring gear but prevents the ring gear from
transferring torque to the starter motor.

In a typical overrunning-type clutch (Figure below), the clutch housing is internally splined to the
starter armature shaft. The drive pinion turns freely on the armature shaft
within the clutch housing. When torque is transmitted through the armature to the clutch
housing, the spring-loaded rollers are forced into the small ends of their tapered slots. They are
then wedged tightly against the pinion barrel. The pinion barrel and clutch housing are now
locked together; torque is transferred through the starter motor to the ring gear and engine.

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Bendix drive starter drive: is a type of engagement mechanism used in starter motors of internal
combustion engines. The Bendix system places the starter drive pinion on a helically-splined drive
shaft of the starter motor. When the starter motor first begins turning, the inertia of the drive pinion
assembly momentarily resists rotation even though the shaft through its center is turning. Since the
pinion has internal splines matching those on the drive shaft, this causes the pinion gear to slide
axially to make initial side contact with the gear teeth on ring gear of the engine. The pinion then
rotates enough to allow the gears to mesh, after which the pinion then continues along the shaft
to reach a stop on the end of its allowed travel, at which point the gears are fully meshed. Since
the pinion gear can no longer travel axially, it must then turn with the drive shaft and begins to
drive the ring gear. When the engine starts, back drive from the ring gear causes the drive pinion
to exceed the rotational speed of the starter, at which point the drive pinion is forced back along
the helical spline and out of mesh with the ring gear.

Cranking Motor Circuits

The starting system of the vehicle consists of two circuits: the starter control circuit and the
motor feed circuit. These circuits are separate but related.

 The control circuit consists of the starting portion of the ignition switch, the starting safety
switch (if applicable), and the wire conductor to connect these components to the relay
or solenoid.
 The motor feed circuit consists of heavy battery cables from the battery to the relay and
the starter or directly to the solenoid if the starter is so equipped.

Starter Control Circuit Components

Magnetic Switches:

The starter motor requires large amounts of current (up to 300 amperes) to generate the torque
needed to turn the engine. The conductors used to carry this amount of current (battery cables)
must be large enough to handle the current with very little voltage drop. It would be impractical
to place a conductor of this size into the wiring harness to the ignition switch.
To provide control of the high current, all starting systems contain some type of magnetic

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switch. There are two basic types of magnetic switches used: the solenoid and the relay.
Starter-Mounted Solenoids. A solenoid is an electromagnetic device that uses the movement of
a plunger to exert a pulling or holding force. In the solenoid-actuated starter system, the solenoid
is mounted directly on top of the starter motor. The solenoid switch on a starter motor performs
two functions:

i. It closes the circuit between the battery and the starter motor.
ii. Then it shifts the starter motor pinion gear into mesh with the ring gear. This is accomplished
by a linkage between the solenoid plunger and the shift lever on the starter motor.

In the past, the most common method of energizing the solenoid was directly from the battery
through the ignition switch. However, today’s vehicles use a starter relay in conjunction with a
solenoid. The relay is used to reduce the amount of current flow through the ignition switch and
is usually controlled by the powertrain control module (PCM).

Remote Solenoids. Some manufacturers use a starter solenoid that is mounted near the
battery on the fender well or radiator support. Unlike the starter-mounted solenoid, the remote
solenoid does not move the pinion gear into mesh with the flywheel ring gear.

When the ignition switch is turned to the START position, current is supplied through
the switch to the solenoid windings. The windings produce a magnetic field that pulls the
moveable core into contact with the internal contacts of the battery and starter terminals. With
the contacts closed, full battery current is supplied to the starter motor.

A secondary function of the starter relay is to provide for an alternate path for current to
the ignition coil during cranking. This is done by an internal connection that is energized by
the relay core when it completes the circuit between the battery and the starter motor.

Starter Relay Controls

Most modern vehicles will use a starter relay in conjunction with a starter motor–mounted
solenoid to control starter motor operation. The relay can be controlled through the ignition
switch or by the powertrain control module (PCM).

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In a system that uses the ignition switch to control the relay, the switch will usually be
installed on the insulated side of the relay control circuit (Figure below).

When the ignition switch is turned to the START position, battery voltage is applied to the coil of
the relay. Since the relay coil is grounded, the coil is energized and pulls the contacts closed.
With the contacts closed, battery voltage is applied to the control side of the starter solenoid.
The solenoid operates in the same manner as discussed previously.

Ignition Switch
The ignition switch allows the driver to distribute electrical current to where it is needed. There are
generally 5 key switch positions that are used:
 Lock –. Most ignition switches must be in this position to insert or remove the key from the
cylinder. All circuits are open (no current supplied) and the steering wheel is in the lock
position mechanically. In some cars, the transmission lever cannot be moved in this
position. If the steering wheel is applying pressure to the locking mechanism, the key might
be hard to turn. If you do experience this type of condition, try moving the steering wheel
to remove the pressure as you turn the key.
 Off – All circuits controlled by the ignition switch are opened, but the steering wheel can
be turned and the key cannot be extracted.
 Run – All circuits, except the starter circuit, are closed (current is allowed to pass through).
Current is supplied to all but the starter circuit.
 Start – Power is supplied to the ignition circuit and the starter motor only. That is why the
radio stops playing in the start position. This position of the ignition switch is spring loaded
so that the starter is not engaged while the engine is running. This position is used
momentarily, just to activate the starter.

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 Accessory – Power is supplied to all but the ignition and starter circuit. It will
not supply current to the engine control circuits, starter control circuit, or the ignition
system. This allows you to play the radio, work the power windows, etc. while the engine is
not running. Supplies current to the vehicle’s electrical accessory circuits.

Starting Safety Switch

The neutral safety switch is used on vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. It opens
the starter control circuit when the transmission shift selector is in any position except PARK or
NEUTRAL. The actual location of the neutral safety switch depends on the kind of transmission and
the location of the shift lever. Some manufacturers place the switch in the transmission.
Cranking Motor Designs
The most common type of starter motor used today incorporates the overrunning clutch
starter drive instead of the old inertia-engagement Bendix drive. There are four basic groups of
starter motors:
1. Direct drive.
2. Gear reduction.
3. Positive-engagement (moveable pole).
4. Permanent magnet.
Direct Drive Starters:
A common type of starter motor is the solenoid-operated direct drive unit (Figure below).
Although there are construction differences between applications, the operating principles
are the same for all solenoid-shifted starter motors.
When the ignition switch is placed in the START position, the control circuit energizes
the pull-in and hold-in windings of the solenoid. The solenoid plunger moves and pivots the
shift lever, which in turn locates the drive pinion gear into mesh with the engine flywheel.
When the solenoid plunger is moved all the way, the contact disc closes the circuit from
the battery to the starter motor. Current now flows through the field coils and the armature.
This develops the magnetic fields that cause the armature to rotate, thus turning the engine.

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Gear Reduction Starters:

Some manufacturers use a gear reduction starter to provide increased torque (Figure below).

The gear reduction starter differs from most other designs in that the armature does not drive
the pinion gear directly. In this design, the armature drives a small gear that is in constant
mesh with a larger gear. Depending on the application, the ratio between these two gears is
between 2:1 and 3.5:1. The additional reduction allows for a small motor to turn at higher
speeds and greater torque with less current draw.
The solenoid operation is similar to that of the solenoid-shifted direct drive starter in that the
solenoid moves the plunger, which engages the starter drive.
Positive-Engagement Starters:
A commonly used starter on Ford applications in the past was the positive-engagement starter
(Figure below).

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Positive-engagement starters use the shunt coil windings of the starter motor to engage the starter
drive. The high starting current is controlled by a starter solenoid mounted close to the battery.
When the solenoid contacts are closed, current flows through a drive coil. The drive coil creates
an electromagnetic field that attracts a moveable pole shoe. The moveable pole shoe is
attached to the starter drive through the plunger lever.
When the moveable pole shoe moves, the drive gear engages the engine flywheel.
As soon as the starter drive pinion gear contacts the ring gear, a contact arm on the pole
shoe opens a set of normally closed grounding contacts (Figure below).

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With the return to ground circuit opened, all the starter current flows through the remaining three
field coils and through the brushes to the armature. The starter motor then begins to rotate. To
prevent the starter drive from disengaging from the ring gear if battery voltage drops while
cranking, the moveable pole shoe is held down by a holding coil. The holding coil is a smaller coil
inside the main drive coil and is strong enough to hold the starter pinion gear engaged.
Permanent Magnet Starters:
The permanent magnet gear reduction (PMGR) starter design provides for less weight,
simpler construction, and less heat generation as compared to conventional field coil starters
(Figure below).

The permanent magnet gear reduction starter uses four or six permanent magnet field assemblies
in place of field coils. Because there are no field coils, current is delivered directly to the armature
through the commutator and brushes.
The permanent magnet starter also uses gear reduction through a planetary gear set (Figure
below).

The planetary gear train transmits power between the armature and the pinion shaft. This allows
the armature to rotate at greater speed and increased torque. The planetary gear assembly
consists of a sun gear on the end of the armature and three planetary carrier gears
inside a ring gear. The ring gear is held stationary. When the armature is rotated, the sun gear
causes the carrier gears to rotate about the internal teeth of the ring gear. The planetary carrier
is attached to the output shaft. The gear reduction provided for by this gear arrangement is
4.5:1. By providing for this additional gear reduction, the demand for high current is lessened.

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PINION ENGAGING MECHANISM

The drive pinion of the starter motor has to be engaged with the flywheel ring gear teeth before
any torque can be transmitted to rotate the engine. There are two main methods for this on light
vehicle starting systems. The two engagement systems are used on light vehicles; they are:

 Inertia engagement
 Pre-engagement

Inertia: This method was employed extensively in the past for small to medium-size petrol engines.
It is not generally used now as developments in technology have reduced the cost of pre-
engaged starters.

Inertia is the property of an object to resist changes in velocity unless acted upon by an outside
force. For the inertia starter drive, this property is used to drive the pinion along its shaft (axially)
and slide into mesh with the flywheel ring gear. When the pinion becomes fully engaged, the
rotation then drives the flywheel.

Operation

When the motor is operated, the sudden acceleration of the armature and the inertia of the
pinion causes the pinion to move along the helix towards the motor. In this process the pinion
engages with the flywheel aided by a chamfer on the teeth. The sudden shock as torque is
transmitted is absorbed by a compression spring. When the engine starts, the flywheel speed out-
accelerates the pinion and this throws it back along the helix and disengages the drive. The
ejection is quite rapid and a spring is also employed to cushion the pinion against this shock force.

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The pinion can be arranged ‘outboard’ (it moves away from the motor) or ‘inboard’ (it moves
towards the motor). The latter is most common as this reduces the bending stresses on the shaft.

An important point to note is that inertia engagement is not suitable for diesel engines.

Pre-engagement starter motors: This type was originally confined to diesel engines, but now the
pre-engaged type is the most common starter motor used by manufacturers across petrol and
diesel cars. The change from the inertia type to a pre-engaged drive on petrol engines was due
to the difficulty of maintaining pinion engagement with an inertia drive when an engine ‘part-
fires’ during the cranking period.

The use of this type of starter motor drive takes into account the special starting requirements of
a compression-ignition (CI) engine. These include:

 Component inertia – considerable torque is needed to rotate the crankshaft initially and
accelerate it to the cranking speed.
 Cranking speed – the cranking speed of a diesel engine should be higher than that of a
petrol engine to initiate combustion.
 High compression pressure – during the cranking period the ci engine draws in a full charge
of air and compresses it to a much higher pressure than a petrol engine. As a result, the
cranking torque is high and the speed is too irregular to maintain engagement of the
starter pinion.

Pre-engaged starters are fitted to the majority of vehicles in use today. They provide a positive
engagement with the ring gear, as full power is not applied until the pinion is fully in mesh. They
prevent premature ejection as the pinion is held into mesh by the action of a solenoid. A one-
way clutch is incorporated into the pinion to prevent the starter motor being driven by the engine.

Operation

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Figure below shows the circuit associated with operating this type of pre-engaged starter.

The basic operation of the pre-engaged starter is as follows.

 When the key switch is operated a supply is made to terminal 50 on the solenoid. This
causes, the hold-on winding and the pull-in windings to be energized. The pull-in winding
is of very low resistance and hence a high current flows. This winding is connected in series
with the motor circuit and the current flowing will allow the motor to rotate slowly to
facilitate engagement. At the same time the magnetism created in the solenoid attracts
the plunger and via an operating lever pushes the pinion into mesh with the flywheel ring
gear.
 When the pinion is fully in mesh the plunger at the end of its travel causes a heavy-duty set
of copper contacts to close. These contacts now supply full battery power to the main
circuit of the starter motor. When the main contacts are closed the pull-in winding is
effectively switched off due to equal voltage supply on both ends. The hold-on winding
holds the plunger in position as long as the solenoid is supplied from the key switch.
 When the engine starts and the key is released, the main supply is removed and the
plunger and pinion return to their rest positions under spring tension. A lost motion spring
located on the plunger ensures that the main contacts open before the pinion is retracted
from mesh.
 During engagement if the teeth of the pinion hit the teeth of the flywheel (tooth to tooth
abutment), the main contacts are allowed to close due to the engagement spring being
compressed. This allows the motor to rotate under power and the pinion will slip into mesh.

AXIAL STARTER

The axial starter employs a sliding armature, which is moved axially against spring pressure to
bring the pinion into mesh. The starter also has a two-stage switching arrangement to ensure that
pinion/ring gear engagement occurs before maximum torque is developed.

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Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024
The armature is held by a spring so that it is offset to the field poles. When the field is energized,
the armature is pulled to the left and the pinion is slid into engagement with the ring gear.

Figure below illustrates the electrical circuit of the starter motor, which uses three field windings.
The main winding as usual is of thick section and low resistance winding, and is connected in
series to the armature. The auxiliary winding is wound with thinner wire so that it has a relatively
high resistance and is also connected in series with the armature but in parallel with the main
winding. The holding winding is also a high resistance winding but is connected in parallel with
the armature as well as with the other two windings.

A two stage solenoid switch, mounted on the starter operates the starter and is energized by the
drivers switch. When the switch is operated, the first pair of contacts closes but the second pair is
held open by the pawl that engages in a slot in the trip lever. Once the pinion is near fully
engaged with the ring gear, the pawl allows the second pair of contacts to close.

Figure below show the operation of the motor. Figure A shows the first pair of contacts is closed,
which energizes the auxiliary windings, holding windings and armature. The armature rotates
slowly and moves axially so that it is central to the field poles. Simultaneously, the pinion is slowly
slid into mesh with the ring gear.

When the pinion is on the verse of its full engagement, the release disc on the armature strikes
the pawl so that the trip lever closes the second pair of contacts (figure B). Now current passes
through the main windings causing the motor to develop full torque.

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Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024

As cranking speed rises, the current through the main and auxiliary windings decreases due to
back emf generated by the rotating armature, especially when the engine fires spasmodically
but does not start. Now the magnetic strength in the main and auxiliary winding is insufficient to
oppose the armature return spring and hold the pinion in full engagement. The pinion is then de
meshed and returns back.

COAXIAL (SLIDING GEAR) STARTER MOTOR

Similar to the axial starter motor, the coaxial starter motor moves the pinion into engagement
under reduced power and when it is fully meshed only then full power is applied. The main
difference lies in the method of sliding the pinion into mesh with the ring gear. Instead of the
whole armature assembly moving axially, in this type a solenoid mounted coaxially with the shaft
in a housing moves only the pinion for engagement. The arrangement si as shown below.

The main terminal is connected directly to the battery and the terminal marked sol is connected
to the battery through the drivers starter switch. When this switch is operated, the two stage
solenoid is energised, which moves the pinion into mesh and also closes the first set of contacts,
the second set is kept open by trip lever. During this period, a resistor limits the current to the main
field, so the armature rotates slowly. Just before reaching the fully meshed position between the
pinion and ring gear, a lever trips the second set of contacts. This action by passes the resistor
and supplies full current to the main field so that the motor produces its maximum torque.

Diagnosing starting system faults

Circuit testing procedure

The process of checking a 12 V starting system operation is as follows.

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Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024

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Daniel Comboni Technical College DTME 212 Automotive Engine Technology I Lecture Notes 2024
The idea of these tests is to see if the circuit is supplying all the available voltage at the battery to
the starter. If it is, then the starter is at fault, if not, then the circuit is at fault. Figure below shows a
circuit with voltmeters connected.

 The numbered voltmeters relate to the number of the test in the above list.
 Note that connections to the starter should be made to the link between the solenoid
contacts
and the motor not to the main supply terminal.

Starting fault diagnosis table

Symptom Possible fault

Engine does not rotate when trying  Battery connection loose or corroded
to start  Battery discharged or faulty
 Broken loose or disconnected wiring in the starter
circuit
 Defective starter switch or automatic gearbox
inhibitor switch
 Starter pinion or flywheel ring gear loose
 Earth strap broken. Loose or corroded
Starter noisy  Starter pinion or flywheel ring gear loose
 Starter mounting bolts loose
 Starter worn (bearings, etc.)
 Discharged battery (starter may jump in and out)
Starter turns engine slowly  Discharged battery (slow rotation)
 Battery terminals loose or corroded
 Earth strap or starter supply loose or disconnected
 High resistance in supply or earth circuit
 Internal starter fault

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