The principle of operation of a CAR STARTER with video: what it is, why it is needed in a car, how it works, how it works and why it breaks, photo and diagram of the device

The starter on a car is used to start the engine; if the starting device is faulty, starting the car will be problematic - you will have to use a tow or push it.

1 Device
2 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); VAZ starter malfunctions
3 Repair and replacement of VAZ starter
4 Replacing the retractor starter
5 Replacing the VAZ 2110 starter
6 Replacing the bendix on the starter
7 Replacing starter brushes
8 Replacing starter bushings
9 Replacing the starter relay
10 Replacement starter price

The engine is started by rotating the rotor and transmitting rotating motion from the starter bendix to the flywheel of the internal combustion engine flywheel (ICE).

On VAZ cars, depending on the model, different types of starters are installed, but they are all designed almost identically, with only design differences.

Main functions

It's no secret that the internal combustion engine generates the necessary energy to move the car using crankshaft revolutions. Similarly, all electrical equipment of the car operates from this energy. When the car is not in motion, the engine cannot produce torque or generate electrical energy. Because of this “disadvantage”, it has to be turned, and a special electric motor in conjunction with a battery copes with this task perfectly.

Manual

Want more information? Here are the operating instructions for the Chevrolet Lanos: “download”. Source: vsepredohraniteli.ru

The Chevrolet Lanos starter ensures the initial start of the engine by turning the flywheel, which in turn drives the engine crankshaft. These actions create working pressure in the combustion chambers, activate the fuel supply system and electrical equipment of the car. The starter uses battery power to operate.

The starter consists of the following main components:

DC motor that rotates the drive
The drive mechanism that transmits force to the flywheel
An electromagnetic relay that controls the operating modes of the starter (selector relay).

The standard starter for the Chevrolet Lanos is designed for power from the on-board 12V network and provides a starting power of 1.2 kW.

Starter device

A large number of starters are similar to each other and always have standard components. There may have been a difference, but only insignificant. This discrepancy can most often be noticed in a system that serves to automatically disconnect gears. It is needed to prevent the engine from starting in gear while the car is moving. Main components and their purpose:

Electric motor . Serves to ensure that the device begins its movement; Solenoid relay - designed to directly transfer current from the ignition switch to the starter motor. It also performs a rather important task - it pushes out the overrunning clutch;
Bendix . Serves for smooth transmission of torque from the electric motor to the crankshaft using a flywheel;
Switching devices . The starter is connected to the electrical network using the positive terminal of the battery - this is a thick cable. But the ignition unit passes through a thin wire. Grounding is made through contact with the motor, but not directly with ground. Knowing these things will help you better figure out where things are.

When you turn the ignition key, electricity from the battery begins to flow to the coil of the solenoid relay. Thanks to the armature of the bendix retractor relay, it is possible to carry out movement. It comes into contact with the flywheel and this leads to the closure of the contact on the electric motor. The motor starts its work, rotates the bendix, and due to the clutch with the flywheel, it rotates the crankshaft. When the engine is powered and the crankshaft moves faster than the starter motor, the bendix breaks its connection with the flywheel and returns to its original position. This happens with the help of a return spring. After the process is complete, the driver can turn the key to the left to turn off the starter, since no current will flow to it.

Features of the structure of a fluorescent light source

Fluorescent lamps or fluorescent light bulbs are an economical light source made in the form of a glass bulb. It can be of various lengths and shapes:

U-shaped;
ring;
compact with base E 27 and E 14;
straight.

Types of fluorescent lamps

The appearance of a fluorescent lamp does not affect the operating principle of the light source. For all design options, a single operating principle is applicable, which is due to the presence of electrodes, inert gas with mercury vapor inside the glass flask, as well as a special special coating. When power is applied to the electrodes, they heat up, which causes the inert gas to ignite and the phosphor to glow. Due to the high risk of frequent overheating of the coils, to operate this type of lamp you need a special device - a starter. Since fluorescent lamps are small in size, standard voltage is not suitable for powering them. In this regard, they require not only a starter, but also a throttle to operate.

Operating principle of a fluorescent lamp

When this type of lamp is connected to the network, voltage goes to the starter. Since the contacts on it are still open, the full voltage does not flow through the device. It hits the throttle, where it fluctuates at zero. It is enough to discharge the light bulb. At the moment of heating, the bimetallic electrode closes the electrical circuit, which leads to the ignition of the fluorescent lamp filament. As you can see, the starter and choke are the most important elements of the electrical circuit of fluorescent light bulbs. Therefore, you need to choose them thoughtfully and correctly.

Types of starters

Car starters differ from each other in design. Namely:

A gearless starter has the most common design, in which the bendix is located directly on the armature shaft. In most cases, such a starter can be seen on low-power gasoline engines. Due to their very simple design, such starters are repairable. They have a short response time (the connection between the bendix and the flywheel occurs very quickly). Accordingly, it is not heavy and not expensive. But such a mechanism cannot have only advantages. A significant disadvantage of a gearless starter is its low power rating. Because of this, it is not unsuitable for starting high-power engines. He is also sensitive to cold;
Gear starter . Here the armature shaft is connected to the bendix using a planetary gearbox. The introduction of a gearbox into the starter made it possible to increase power and starting torque, while the starter did not change at all in size. And the weight is about two times lighter than a gearless one. Its characteristic advantage is that even with an incompletely charged battery, it will ensure the engine starts. This kind of starter is capable of starting powerful diesel and gasoline engines not only in passenger cars. And also in trucks and special equipment. The main disadvantage is that it is an additional unit; additional malfunctions may occur in it.

Replacing the retractor starter

The main problem of the solenoid relay (SR) is burning of the contacts (nickels). The contacts burn out due to the high starting current when starting the internal combustion engine, and often the contacts oxidize under the influence of the environment. On many VAZ car models, the solenoid relay can be changed without removing the starter itself.

Let's look at replacing the starter retractor relay without removing the entire starting mechanism using the example of a VAZ 2112. It is more convenient to carry out repairs in a pit or a car lift, but you can do without them by placing the car on a flat, dry area.

We change the VR as follows:

open the hood and disconnect the ground terminal;
pull off the red wire with the chip that goes to the VR;
Using a 13mm wrench, remove the nut securing the supply wire and move the wire to the side;
unscrew the bottom nut on the BP by 13, remove the stator winding wire from the terminal;
take a flat-head screwdriver (or a wrench if bolts are installed) and unscrew the two screws (bolts) securing it from behind the solenoid relay;
We remove the old BP and install another one in its place, reassembling it in the reverse order.

Replacing the VAZ 2109 starter

On VAZ 2108-09-099 models, replacing the starter is not at all difficult; this does not even necessarily require a pit or a car lift. We make the replacement as follows:

open the hood and first remove the battery terminal (ground);
We disconnect the upper wire with the chip from the solenoid relay; it simply pulls off;
unscrew the fastening of the positive terminal with BP (key 13), take the wire to the side;
Using the same 13mm wrench, we unscrew the three nuts securing the starter itself, the most difficult thing is to get to the bottom nut, but if you try really hard, you can get to it;
Having freed the unit from all fasteners, we dismantle it, and put a new starter in place, putting everything together in the reverse order.

That's it, replacing the VAZ 2109 starter is complete; with some skill, the work takes no more than two hours.

Specifications

Like every part in the electrical equipment of a car, the characteristics of the starter are clearly adjusted to the characteristics of adjacent components. All these correspondences are described in manuals from automakers. Let's summarize those related to the starter:

Voltages . The supply voltage must be in accordance with the rated voltage of the battery. For a passenger car this figure is 12 volts;
Power . Power is the determination of the maximum force that the starter reaches to crank the crankshaft. Can vary from 0.7 to 8 kW;
Current consumption . This is the name given to the energy consumption of the starter. When the car is not moving, but the engine is idling, determining the current consumption will not be a problem;
Moment of resistance to turning . This is an indicator that describes the engine rather than the starter itself. Namely, this is the force without the application of which it is impossible to rotate the crankshaft. Through the value of moments, engineers can calculate power and current consumption;
Direction of rotation . Pay attention to this when choosing a starter with asymmetrical mounting;
Number of teeth on Bendix gear;
Extra options . These include the type of fastening, the type of connectors used, the number of holes, etc.

Breakdowns and their causes

Starter malfunctions can occur for completely different reasons. Starting from the banal mechanical wear of parts, which any equipment will encounter over time, to the human factor. In addition, breakdowns in the starter have a domino effect - one fault provokes a second, most often more serious one. But not everything is so bad, because the starter can be repaired. Since the device is dismountable, an unusable unit in it can be replaced with a new one. Most often, people encounter breakdowns of the following components:

Traction relay;
Brush unit;
Armature commutator.

The culprits are not only improper operation and the effects of time. The starter is influenced by the battery, crankshaft flywheel, wiring, grounding, ignition switch - in short, the entire system responsible for starting the engine. Shaft bushings are the most susceptible to mechanical wear. Because of this, the shaft begins to run out during rotation. This very quickly renders the armature commutator, gearbox, and flywheel teeth unusable.

Other problems with the starter and the reasons for their occurrence:

The starter refuses to operate when you turn the ignition key. There can be two main reasons: short circuit of the traction relay winding and jamming of the retractor relay armature. In both cases, the relay is replaced with a new one or repaired;
No current from battery. There are already many reasons for this, from a simply discharged battery to problems with wiring or terminals. It is quite possible that the ignition switch is also faulty;
The starter seems to make operating sounds, but the crankshaft does not turn. Most likely, the cause of the malfunction is the already poor condition of the Bendix gears, gearbox or crankshaft flywheel. Or a non-working overrunning clutch. It ensures that the bendix is disconnected from the flywheel after the engine has started operating;
The starter does not do its job as quickly, causing the crankshaft to turn slowly. Mechanical wear of the brushes, and because of this poor contact with the commutator, short circuit or burning in the commutator, short circuit in the armature windings, winding breaks - all this can be the causes of this problem. But also insufficient power is the result of a low battery charge or terminal oxidation;
Uncharacteristic sounds (creaking) during starter operation. There is a 99% chance that the sounds are caused by worn gears;
The starter continues to operate even after the engine has started. Most likely, this is a broken return spring or a malfunction of the traction relay. It's also worth checking the ignition switch.

Sometimes it can be difficult to accurately determine the cause of a malfunction. It can manifest itself on an irregular basis : at first the starter squeaks occasionally, and then more often. So if you suspect the slightest malfunction or you simply do not like the operation of the device, contact a service station, where they will diagnose you and, if necessary, carry out repairs.

Symptoms of a problem

There are only 2 ways to check starter faults: based on characteristic symptoms and based on the results of troubleshooting after disassembly. The main causes of breakdowns and their symptoms.

The starter turns, but the engine does not start. Having ruled out problems with the power supply, ignition, timing and immobilizer systems, we can conclude that the starter brushes are worn out. Most often, when the brush assembly wears out, you can hear by ear that the engine crankshaft rotates more slowly than usual. But before removing the starter for repairs, check the reliability of the terminals, the absence of oxides on them and the charge level of the battery.
The starter clicks but does not turn. The cause of the breakdown can be either wear of the brushes, low battery charge, oxides on the terminals of the supply wire, or flexible mass.
The starter engages, but the crankshaft does not rotate. You can visually hear the rotation of the launcher armature, but the flywheel stands still. Failure may only manifest itself from time to time. Do-it-yourself starter repair involves replacing the bendix. In very rare cases, similar symptoms can be caused by licking the teeth on the flywheel ring or on the Bendix gear.
The solenoid relay does not operate. The solenoid inside the traction relay, when voltage is applied to it, moves the plug, engaging the bendix gear with the flywheel ring, and closes the power terminals of the electric motor with a contact plate. If, after turning the key to the Start position, voltage does not arrive at the control terminal of the solenoid relay, or the solenoid relay itself is faulty, the contacts simply do not close to turn on the electric motor.
The starter does not stop turning after the engine starts. The reason is the contact plate of the solenoid relay is stuck.

Why does the starter burn out?

During the winter, you are much more likely to burn out your starter than at other times of the year. This is directly related to the ambient temperature. Starting the engine in winter is more difficult than in summer. Consequently, during cold periods the load on the starter will be maximum. Inexperienced drivers can easily burn out their starter if they are careless. There are a number of reasons why the winter period is the most unfavorable for a car starter:

The battery does not hold a charge;
Engine oil thickens;
It's harder to start the engine.

The starter and battery will have to do work that they may not be designed for. When you try to start the engine, a fairly large current is supplied to the starter, and if operation in this mode is prolonged, the contacts and electrical windings will begin to quickly overheat. Long-term operation in this mode is guaranteed to result in component burnout.

Another problem only applies to diesel engines. Special additives are often added to diesel fuel. Sometimes they provoke detonation of fuel in the cylinders, causing the crankshaft flywheel to make a quick jerk that breaks the starter. In order to never encounter the above problems, you need to remember one thing: continuous operation of the starter for more than 8-16 seconds is strictly prohibited. After such hard use, the starter will need time to cool down (about a minute, sometimes more). If the battery is not working correctly and if the contacts are oxidized, the likelihood of burning out the starter increases significantly. So during severe frosts, pay more attention to all electrical mechanisms and the starter in particular.

Replacing starter brushes

The engine on VAZ cars may not start well due to worn brushes. On the starter, the entire brush assembly is replaced at once; it is located under the rear cover. To change the brush assembly, the starter must be removed and disassembled:

unscrew the fastenings of the back cover;
here, on the cover, we tighten the two screws securing the brush assembly;
remove the cover, prying up the rubber seal, take out the brush assembly, you can slightly pry it off with a screwdriver;
install a new brush assembly, it is necessary to fill the brushes so that they can be installed on the rotor commutator;
then the starter is reassembled in the reverse order and it is installed in place.

At this point, the replacement of the starter brushes can be considered complete.

Is the device repairable?

We have already figured out that the starter is a rather complex mechanism consisting of several components. It can be repaired in case of localized failure, i.e. failure of one of the units. Purchasing and replacing a bendix or solenoid relay will be much cheaper than buying a complete device. Repairs are only a good idea if they are carried out immediately after problems arise. Here's an example: a bushing is subject to mechanical wear over time. Purchasing a repair kit and replacing consumables is simple and inexpensive. But if this is not done in a timely manner, you will have to buy a completely new starter, since adjacent components will have time to wear out. There is no way to avoid completely replacing a burnt-out starter, but we have already told you how to reduce the likelihood of such an outcome. The starter does not have a resource as such; it all depends on its operating conditions. We recommend that car enthusiasts do not put loads on the starter and inspect it on a regular basis.

Selection rules and brand selection

The starter must be selected so that its characteristics correspond to the engine power and battery parameters. This way you will be sure that the engine will start without misfires. First option : look for a spare part according to the parameters of your car. Second : search by VIN code.

If you want to install non-native components, choose a starter in accordance with the characteristics that will show the best performance under the given operating conditions. Looking at the relatively low cost of the starter, trying to save money on it is a rather stupid idea. And the best option when buying is to pay attention only to the original and forget about the existence of inexpensive analogues. The leaders in sales of car starters in European countries are the German ]Bosch[/anchor] and the French VALEO. They produce starters not only for the auto parts market, but also supply them directly to automakers. And this tells us that transport manufacturers trust these brands. Among budget options, we can recommend the Polish Lauber and JP Group from Denmark. Their popularity is due to their reasonable price and good quality for the money.

Replacing the VAZ 2110 starter

On a VAZ 2110 car, the starter is changed in the same way as on other front-wheel drive models of the VAZ series (VAZ 2108-09-14-15, VAZ 2111-12). The only difference from the replacement on the “nine” is that the VAZ 2110 starter housing is secured not with three, but with two nuts. Replacing the VAZ 2110 starter is also quick and does not present any difficulties.

Replacing the bendix on the starter

A characteristic sign of a Bendix malfunction is that it spins idling - when the engine starts, it does not engage with the flywheel. In order to replace the Bendix on front-wheel drive VAZ cars, the starter must be removed in any case. It should be noted that the starter housings of the VAZ 2108-09-14-15 and VAZ 2110-11-12 models differ from each other; on the housings of the “nine” the bendix is of an open type, and the rear end of the rotor is installed in the gearbox bushing (in the figure below - under number 5).

For VAZ 2110-11-12 starters, the bendix is covered with a housing that is cast from aluminum.

We replace the bendix on the VAZ 2109 (2114-2115) starter as follows:

on the unit removed from the car, unscrew the rear cover (key 10 bolts are installed);
We knock down the stopper on the rotor shaft and remove the spring ring;
dismantle the aluminum front cover assembly with bendix and fork;
unscrew the two BP fasteners and remove the relay;
we remove the old bendix with the fork and install the new one, in this case it is necessary to install the fork correctly;
putting everything back together.

You can slightly change the course of disassembly (remove the retractor first), but this does not change anything much.

Conclusion

From all of the above, you can easily understand that the starter is an important part of the car, which requires close attention. There is nothing complicated in the starter design, but this is its integral advantage. Since the starter is divided into several components, we can talk about its maintainability. Starter breakdowns can occur for completely different reasons, but mainly there are two:

Mechanical wear due to lapse of time;
Lack of attention to detail.

So don’t forget about timely maintenance. If you suspect a starter malfunction, an inspection must be carried out. When purchasing a new starter, don't skimp. It is better to buy an original and reliable part that will last longer than an inexpensive counterfeit. This is savings for the future. This is quite simple to do: select a starter in accordance with the characteristics of your car, giving preference to the products of the companies mentioned above.

Spare parts for Mitsubishi Lancer

Starter
LANCER F II sedan (A17) (03.83 - 01.84)

The most common reasons why the starter does not turn

Having ruled out the simplest and most banal reasons why the starter does not work, you need to remove it from the car, disassemble it, and try to diagnose it yourself. Here are some of the most common situations:

Battery problems. If there are no problems with the charge, then you need to check the condition of the terminals and contacts.

The most insidious point is the negative wire connecting the gearbox and the car body. The contact may appear and disappear again. You need to completely disconnect it, clean it and put it back in place. If nothing has changed, then we continue to look for the cause of the breakdown further.

There are situations when the solenoid relay makes appropriate sounds, but the motor does not start working. The reason for this situation is also a discharged battery. In this case, the lights on the instrument panel also go out. To solve the problem, simply charge the battery, but think about what could lead to its complete discharge.
Security systems sometimes present surprises and surprises. It’s easy to identify breakdowns of this nature, but getting rid of them is quite difficult. The reason is the discrepancy between the characteristics of security systems and immobilizers of some cars. They do not appear immediately, but after some time. This problem was relevant for the second generation Ford Focus, released in 2008. The car ran exceptionally, but one day the starter stopped working. After a thorough check, it was possible to say for sure that everything was in order with the contacts and electronics of the car, but the part stubbornly did not perform its functions. The problem was solved by replacing the standard immobilizer. It turned out to be easy to identify the breakdown - bypassing all systems, the button simply sent power from the battery to the starter, and it worked perfectly. The case looks more like an exception, but still should not be discounted.
Problems with the solenoid relay. Diagnosing it is extremely simple; just apply a charge directly from the battery to the relay terminal. If the engine starts to operate normally, then the problem is coming from the relay itself. You just need to clean the contacts, which are most likely burnt. But keep in mind that after such cleaning the relay will still not last long, because the manufacturer applied a special anti-corrosion layer to the terminal blocks, which disappears after cleaning. So be prepared to purchase a new part.
Bendix is a gear that is located on the same shaft as the starter rotor. The main task of the Bendix is to transmit torque from the electric starter motor to the car engine. To determine that the culprit of the starter not working is Bendix, you just need to connect the two power terminals on the relay. This way we will allow current to bypass the relay, and we will be able to find out whether it works in this position.

Another problem associated with Bendix operation is wear of the gear teeth. In this case, the part is loosely connected to the flywheel, making idle speed. If there is such a problem, a characteristic noise and crackling noise is heard. To solve this problem, it is enough to replace the gear by completely disassembling the starter.

Starter bushings. In front and behind the starter there are special bearings on which the shaft rotates. In this case, the relay makes a clicking sound but does not turn the starter, because the shaft can no longer perform this function, and the primary winding of the part closes with the secondary. In this case, you need to be extremely careful, because this situation leads to melting of the wires, which can cause a short circuit, a malfunction in the car’s electronics, and in the worst cases, a fire.

If, when starting the car, the relay clicks and the starter does not spin, then you cannot keep it turned on for a long time. After several attempts, the shaft often falls into place and the car starts as usual. But as soon as the first symptoms appear, you need to immediately seek qualified help or replace the bushings on the starter yourself. If you ignore this problem, the consequences can be very disastrous.

Brush block. We penetrate deep into the starter; its electric motor operates only if there is a stable supply of electricity from the battery through the brushes to the primary winding. But the brushes have a limited service life, as they are made of graphite and wear out quickly. This option is easy to calculate by looking at the total mileage of the car. To eliminate the breakdown, you need to disassemble the starter, get to the brushes and visually objectively assess their condition. If they are worn out, you just need to replace them with new ones.
Starter windings. The starter is a familiar electric motor, which is characterized by all the usual diseases for such devices. One of the most common is the problem of winding wear. If you smell a pungent odor when starting the engine, this is a clear sign that the winding will need to be replaced in the near future. Having disassembled a starter with a burnt winding, we will see that it has changed color, smells of burning, the protective varnish has burned out, and the color has changed to a darker one. This happens if the driver is overzealous in trying to start a broken starter.

Normally, the starter's operation should be limited to a few seconds, but inexperienced drivers may try to start the engine without leaving the starter alone for several minutes, thereby burning the winding of the part. After such an incident, you have to change the entire starter, since replacing the winding is a long, expensive and troublesome task. And in terms of money, often buying a new starter and replacing the winding cost the same. Therefore, do not try to squeeze all the juices out of the starter, take care of it.