How Does A Car Starter Motor Start the Engine?
When you press the push start-stop button (or turn the key in the ignition keyhole in entry-level cars), the starter circuit gets completed, which triggers the starter motor. All starter motors come equipped with small pinion gears, which engage a larger ring gear.
When the starter motor gets started, this larger ring gear comes on the flywheel, which is turned on by the pinion gear at a lower rpm. Due to this operation, the engine starts due to the connection created between the flywheel and crankshaft.
Signs Indicating Faults in A Starter Motor
While a starter motor is durable in general, there are some instances when they go wrong. Some of the early signs of a faulty electric starter motor are as follows:
- Slow turn-on operation – Due to a mechanical or electrical fault, more than the required current flows to the starter. Due to this, the engine starts slowly.
- Strange noises – Sounds like a grinding noise while starting the engine comes into play if the starter motor faces an internal failure.
- No starting operation at all – Despite pressing the start-stop button or twisting the key in the ignition keyhole, your car refuses to start, which indicates a potential fault in the starter motor.
How to Repair A Car Starter by Yourself?
The process of repairing a car starter motor might seem like a complex procedure best-taken care of by a trained mechanic. However, it's not that hard and is something you can do yourself even after having low expertise in car repairing. Following are the steps which you need to follow to rectify a starter motor by yourself:
- After getting the indications of a faulty starter motor, disconnect the battery before starting the operation of rectification.
- Disconnect the starter's wiring after plugging off the battery.
- In most cases, the starter motor is bolted to the engine block or transmission case. To remove that, lower or remove other components of the vehicle.
- After removing the faulty starter motor, you can replace it by installing a new starter motor in its place.
- After installing the new starter motor, tighten the mounting bolts.
- After replacing the starter motor, you need to clean the electrical connections and attach them back to the starter motor.
- Check the operation of the starter motor to confirm it is working properly.
