Starter problems

If, after turning the key in the ignition, you hear the noise of a working starter, not accompanied by the rotation of the engine crankshaft, then usually a damaged starter gear is to blame for this state of affairs.

The design of the starter requires that the rotor is not driven by the engine after the engine has started and the starter has been disengaged. If this were the case, then the ring gear on the flywheel of an already running engine would act on the starter gear as a multiplier gear, i.e., increasing speed. This can damage the starter which is not suitable for high speed operation. This is prevented by an overrunning clutch, through which the gear is connected to a screw spline cut on the rotor shaft, and which prevents the transfer of engine torque to the starter rotor. A one-way clutch assembly is commonly known as a bendix. This is because Bendix was the first to develop an easy-to-use device for connecting the starter gear to the flywheel ring gear using the inertia forces of rotating components.

Over time, this design has been improved, including with the help of a back stop. The control of this mechanism is very simple, which follows from the principle of its operation. The bollard is designed to transmit power in one direction only. The pinion should only rotate freely in one direction relative to the internally splined bushing. Changing the direction of rotation should cause the bushing to seize. The problem is that this can only be checked after the starter has been removed and disassembled. The consolation is that the overrunning clutch in the pinion clutch mechanism does not fail immediately. This process takes some time.

Initially, when the starter is running but not cranking, it is usually enough to try to crank it again to get the engine started. Over time, such attempts become more and more. As a result, the engine cannot be started. You should not wait for such a moment, and as soon as the starter does not start the engine in this way, immediately visit a specialist.