Purpose, features of the device and the principle of the car starter

As you know, to start the car engine you need to crank the crankshaft several times. The first machines did this manually. But now all cars are equipped with starters, which allow you to rotate the shaft without any effort. The driver only needs to insert the key into the lock and turn it to the third position. Then the motor will start without problems. What is this element, what is the purpose and principle of the starter's operation? We will talk about this in our today's article.

Appointment

Due to the crankshaft speed, the engine generates the energy needed to drive the car. But the problem is that in a stationary state the motor can not give out any energy.

This raises the question of its launch. To this end, the starter was invented. The principle of its work will be considered a little later. This element is able to unscrew the shaft with an electric motor and an external power source. The latter is a rechargeable battery. Depending on the model and the type of car, the power of the starter can be different. But for most cars, a 3-kilowatt electric motor is sufficient.

Device

The design of this element includes several details:

• Starter Anchor. It is made of alloy steel. It is pressed collector plates, as well as the core.
• Retractor relay starter. The principle of its operation is extremely simple. The relay serves to supply power to the electric motor in the event that the ignition key is turned. Also the relay pushes out the overrunning clutch. In the design of the element there is a movable jumper and power contacts.
• Overtaking clutch (in the common people - "Bendix"). It is a roller mechanism that transmits the torque to the flywheel's ring through the gear wheel.
• Brushes. Served to supply current to the starter armature plates. Thanks to the brushes, the power of the electric motor increases at the moment of its engagement with the flywheel.
• Housing. It is in it that all the above elements are combined. Usually the body has a cylindrical shape. Inside it there is also a core and an excitation winding.

All modern starters have a similar design. Differences can only be minimal. So, on cars with an automatic box the starter is equipped with retaining windings. They serve to ensure that the machine does not start on a "drive" and other modes, except for "neutral".

Types

There are several types of mechanisms:

• With reducer.
• Without him.

The principle of operation of the starter of the latter type is in direct contact with the rotating gear. The main advantage of such a design is high maintainability and resistance to increased loads.

But on most cars an element with a reducer is installed. The principle of operation of a starter of this type will be considered below. Compared with its analog, the gearbox element has a higher efficiency, consumes less current, is small in size and maintains high performance throughout its life.

Principle of operation

Since this element operates on a battery, a mandatory condition for its startup is the presence of 12V or higher in the network. As a rule, when starting the starter, the voltage "settles" by 1-1.5V, which is very significant. In this regard, it is not recommended to turn the starter for a long time (more than five seconds), because you can easily discharge the battery. The principle of the car starter is quite simple. First, the driver puts the key in the lock and turns it to the extreme position. So he will launch the ignition system. To start the starter, you need to crank the key again. At this time, the contacts will be closed, and the voltage will pass through the relay to the retractor winding. The relay itself can make a characteristic click. This indicates that the contacts are closed.

Further, the armature of the retractor moves inside the casing, thereby pushing the bendix and engaging it with the flywheel crown. When the anchor reaches the end point, the contacts close. Voltage goes to the winding of the starter motor. All this leads to the rotation of the engine flywheel. At the same time, the crankshaft of the motor itself rotates. The combustible mixture starts to flow into the cylinders themselves, and candles light up. Thus, the motor is activated.

After the speed of rotation of the flywheel exceeded the frequency of rotation of the shaft of the starter, the gearing out of gearing. It, thanks to the return spring, is set to its original position. At the same time, the key in the lock returns to its original position. The power supply to the starter is cut off.

Thus, the principle of the starter (VAZ including) is aimed at short-term rotation of the flywheel, so that the engine is started. The element stops working as soon as the motor has successfully wound up.

What happens if you do not turn off the starter motor while the engine is running?

Often, such problems are observed with a failed spring return. If the starter continues to rotate with the flywheel, you will hear a characteristic loud screech. It occurs because the speed of rotation of the crown does not coincide with that given by the gear of the starter (the difference is 2 or more times). This can also happen due to a broken ignition lock.

Note that this process is very harmful for gears and for the starter as a whole. Even a short crunch can lead to serious problems with the electric motor.

Requirements for starter

This mechanism must meet several requirements:

• Reliability. Implied the absence of breakdowns in the next 60-80 thousand kilometers of run).
• Possibility of starting at low temperatures. Very often the starter rotates badly at a temperature of -20 and below. But usually the fault is the cold electrolyte in the battery. To warm it up, before starting it is recommended a couple of times to "blink" the main beam.
• The ability of the mechanism to re-start for a short period of time.

Conclusion

So, we found out what the starter is, and how it works. As you can see, this is an integral element of any modern car. If it fails, it will be possible to start the engine only "from the pusher" (and in cars with automatic transmissions it is completely impossible). Therefore, you need to monitor its condition and not ignore the breakdown.