COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING MATERIAL

Module Title : SERVICING STARTING SYSTEM

PHILIPPINE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY

Garden Park Village DMSF Drive, Bajada, Davao City
HOW TO USE THIS COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING MATERIAL
In this module, you are required to go through a series of learning
activities in order to complete each learning outcome. In each learning
outcome are Information Sheets, Self-checks, Operation Sheets, Task Sheets,
and Job Sheets. Follow and perform the activities on your own. If you have
questions, do not hesitate to ask for assistance from your facilitator.
Remember to:
 Read information sheet and complete the self-checks.
 Perform the Task Sheets, Operation Sheets, and Job Sheets until you
are confident that your outputs conform to the Performance Criteria
Checklists that follow the said work sheets.
 Submit outputs of the Task Sheets, Operation Sheets, and Job Sheets
to your facilitator for evaluation and recording in the Achievement
Chart. Outputs shall serve as your portfolio during the Institutional
Competency Evaluation. When you feel confident that you have had
sufficient practice, ask your trainer to evaluate you. The results of
your assessment will be recorded in your Achievement Chart and
Progress Chart.
You must pass the Institutional Competency Evaluation for this
competency before moving to another competency.
MODULE CONTENT

MODULE TITLE: SERVICING STARTING SYSTEM

MODULE DESCRIPTOR:

This module covers the ability to carry out testing/identifying faults and
servicing starting system components.
At the end of this module, you MUST be able to:

1. Test starting system components and identify faults

2. Disassemble starter
3. Repair/replace and assemble starter components/parts
 INFORMATION SHEET

How the starting system works

By: https://www.howacarworks.com/basics/how-the-starting-system-works

Pre-engaged starter

The pinion is moved by the solenoid; there is an initial period in which the
motor turns slowly to allow engagement, so the whole operation is more
gentle and causes less wear on the teeth.

To make an engine start it must be turned at some speed, so that it

sucks fuel and air into the cylinders , and compresses it.
The powerful electric starter motor does the turning. Its shaft carries a small
pinion ( gear wheel) which engages with a large gear ring around the rim of
the engine flywheel .
In a front-engine layout, the starter is mounted low down near the back of
the engine.
The starter needs a heavy electric current , which it draws through thick
wires from the battery . No ordinary hand-operated switch could switch it on:
it needs a large switch to handle the high current.
The switch has to be turned on and off very quickly to avoid dangerous,
damaging sparking. So a solenoid is used - an arrangement where a small
switch turns on an electromagnet to complete the circuit .
The starter circuit

All the components are earthed to the metal car body. Only one wire is
needed to carry current to each component.

The starter switch is usually worked by the ignition key. Turn the key beyond
the 'ignition on' position to feed current to the solenoid.
The ignition switch has a return spring , so that as soon as you release the
key it springs back and turns the starter switch off.

When the switch feeds current to the solenoid, the electromagnet attracts an
iron rod.

The movement of the rod closes two heavy contacts, completing the circuit
from the battery to the starter.
The rod also has a return spring -when the ignition switch stops feeding
current to the solenoid, the contacts open and the starter motor stops.

The return springs are needed because the starter motor must not turn more
than it has to in order to start the engine. The reason is partly that the starter
uses a lot of electricity, which quickly runs down the battery.

Also, if the engine starts and the starter motor stays engaged, the engine will
spin the starter so fast that it may be badly damaged.
The starter motor itself has a device, called a Bendix gear, which engages its
pinion with the gear ring on the flywheel only while the starter is turning the
engine. It disengages as soon as the engine picks up speed, and there are two
ways by which it does so - the inertia system and the pre-engaged system.

The inertia starter relies on the inertia of the pinion - that is, its reluctance to
begin to turn.

Inertia system

An inertia type starter: this one is an 'inboard' type in which the Bendix gear
throws the pinion towards the motor; there are also 'outboard' ones in which
it moves the other way.

The pinion is not fixed rigidly to the motor shaft - it is threaded on to it, like a
freely turning nut on a very coarse-thread bolt.

Imagine that you suddenly spin the bolt: the inertia of the nut keeps it from
turning at once, so it shifts along the thread of the bolt.

When an inertia starter spins, the pinion moves along the thread of the motor
shaft and engages with the flywheel gear ring.

It then reaches a stop at the end of the thread, begins to turn with the shaft
and so turns the engine.
The inertia of the heavy piston assembly prevents it from spinning
immediately when the motor shaft turns, so it slides along the thread and
into engagement; when the engine starts, the pinion is turned faster than its
shaft, so it is thrown back out of engagement.

Once the engine starts, it spins the pinion faster than its own starter-motor
shaft. The spinning action screws the pinion back down its thread and out of
engagement.

The pinion returns so violently that there has to be a strong spring on the
shaft to cushion its impact.

The violent engagement and disengagement of an inertia starter can cause

heavy wear on the gear teeth. To overcome that problem the pre-engaged
starter was introduced, which has a solenoid mounted on the motor.

There's more to a car starter system: As well as switching on the motor, the
solenoid also slides the pinion along the shaft to engage it.

The shaft has straight splines rather than a Bendix thread, so that the pinion
always turns with it.

The pinion is brought into contact with the toothed ring on the flywheel by a
sliding fork. The fork is moved by a solenoid, which has two sets of contacts
that close one after the other.

The first contact supplies a low current to the motor so that it turns slowly -
just far enough to let the pinion teeth engage. Then the second contacts close,
feeding the motor a high current to turn the engine.

ACTIVITY
1. Memorize the different parts of starter motor

INFORMATION SHEET
 Starter motor, starting system: how it works, problems,
testing
By: https://www.samarins.com/glossary/starter.html

Updated: May 06, 2020

The starter motor is an electric motor that turns over or "cranks" the engine
to start. It consists of a powerful DC (Direct Current) electric motor and the
starter solenoid that is attached to the motor (see the picture).

Starter motor. Click for a larger photo.

In most cars, a starter motor is bolted to the engine or transmission, check

these photos: photo 1, photo 2. See how the starter motor works inside
below.

The starter motor is powered by the car's main 12-volt battery. To turn over
the engine, the starter motor requires a very high electric current, which
means the battery has to have sufficient power. If the battery is discharged,
the lights in a car might come on, but it won't be enough power (current) to
turn over the starter motor.

What are the symptoms of a bad starter motor: When starting a car with a
fully charged battery, there is a single click or nothing happens at all. The
starter motor doesn't run, even though there is a 12-Volt power at the
starter control terminal.

Another symptom is when the starter motor runs, but fails to turn over the
engine. Often, this might cause a loud screeching noise when starting the
car. Of course, this could also be caused by damaged teeth on the ring gear
of the flex plate or flywheel.
Starter solenoid

Starter solenoid.

A typical starter solenoid has one small connector for the starter control
wire (the white connector in the photo) and two large terminals: one for the
positive battery cable and the other for the thick wire that powers the starter
motor itself (see the diagram below).

The starter solenoid works as a powerful electric relay. When activated,

through the control terminal, the solenoid closes the hi-current electric
circuit and sends the battery power to the starter motor. At the same time,
the starter solenoid pushes the starter gear forward to mesh with the ring
gear of the engine flexplate or flywheel.
Battery cables
 Starting system simplified diagram.

As we mentioned, the starter motor requires a very high electric current to

turn over the engine, that's why it's connected to the battery with thick
(large gauge) cables (see the diagram). The negative (ground) cable connects
the negative "-" battery terminal to the engine cylinder block, or
transmission, close to the starter. The positive cable connects the positive
"+" battery terminal to the starter solenoid. Often, a poor connection at one
of the battery cables can cause the starter motor not to run.
How the starting system works:

When you turn the ignition key to the START position, or press the START
button, if the transmission is in Park or Neutral, the battery voltage goes
through the starter control circuit and activates the starter solenoid. The
starter solenoid powers the starter motor. At the same time, the starter
solenoid pushes the starter gear forward to mesh it with the engine flywheel
(flexplate in an automatic transmission). The flywheel is attached to the
engine crankshaft. The starter motor spins, turning over the engine
crankshaft allowing the engine to start. In cars with a push button start, the
system disengages the starter as soon as the engine starts running.
Neutral safety switch

Automatic transmission range switch.

For safety reasons, the starter motor can only be operated when the
automatic transmission is in Park or Neutral position; or if the car has a
manual transmission, when the clutch pedal is depressed. In vehicles with a
manual transmission, the clutch pedal switch completes the starter motor
circuit when pressed. In cars with an automatic transmission,
the transmission range switch allows the starter to operate only when a
transmission is in Park or Neutral.

The job of the transmission range switch is to tell the vehicle computer
(PCM) which gear the transmission is in. If your car has a gear indicator on
the dash, you might be able to see when a transmission range indicator is
not working.
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The most common problem is when you shift the transmission into "Park"
and the letter "P" doesn't show on the dash. This means that the vehicle
computer (PCM) doesn't know that the transmission is in "Park" and will not
allow the starter to operate. The symptom of this problem is when the
vehicle starts in Neutral, but doesn't start in "Park".

This problem is often caused by a corroded or seized cable, or cable lever

(see the photo). The rust at restricts the cable movement and prevents the
switch from working properly. The solution is to lubricate the cable
connection point and, if needed, replace rusted parts. The transmission
range switch position might need to be readjusted too.
Starting system problems

Starting system problems are common and not all of them are caused by a
faulty starter motor. To find the cause of the problem, the starting system
must be properly tested. If when you are trying to start the car, you hear
that the starter cranks as usual, but the car doesn't start, then the problem
is most likely not with the starting system - read our car no-start
troubleshooting guide for tips on how to find a problem. Here are a few
common starting system problems:

Corroded batter terminal Good

connection

The battery is very common to fail. Sometimes one of the electrical

components that was left on or has a defect causing parasitic current draw
drains the battery. Sometimes, an old battery can just die one day, with no
warning. In either case, if the battery is low on charge, it won't have enough
power for the starter motor to turn over the engine.

If the battery is low on charge, when attempting to start the engine you
might hear a single click or repeated clicking, or the starter may turn over
slowly and stop.
Poor connection at the cable terminals can cause the starter not to work or
run very slow too. Often the battery terminals or the ground cable
connection get corroded causing starter problems (see the photo above).

Corroded starter solenoid control terminal

Sometimes the starter control terminal gets corroded (in the photo) or a
starter control wire gets loose or disconnected from the terminal causing the
starter not to work. For example, this corroded starter control terminal was
the cause of a no-start, no-crank condition in the Mazda 3. We only noticed
this after disconnecting the control wire connector. Cleaning the terminal
and replacing the connector solved the problem.

Another part that often fails is the starter motor itself. Sometimes the
carbon brushes or some other parts inside the starter motor wear out and
the starter motor stops working.

For example, a failed starter motor was common in some Toyota Corolla and
Matrix models. Even with a good battery, the starter would click, but would
not turn over.

If the starter motor is faulty, it will have to be replaced, which may cost from
$250 to $650. Rebuilding the starter motor is usually cheaper, but takes
more time.

Sometimes the starter gear for some reason won't mesh properly with the
engine flywheel. This may cause a very loud metal grinding or screeching
sound when attempting to start the car. In this case, the flywheel ring gear
needs to be checked for damaged teeth.

An ignition switch also fails often. The contact points inside the ignition
switch wear out, so when you turn the ignition switch to the "Start" position,
no electric current is going through the starter control circuit to activate the
starter solenoid. If jiggling the key in the ignition helps start the car, it's
possible that the ignition switch is defective.

A neutral safety switch can also fail or get out of adjustment. For example, if
a car starts in "Neutral" but doesn't start in "Park," the neutral safety switch
should be checked first.
How the starting system is tested

A technician checks the battery state of charge

with the battery tester

When the starter motor doesn't work, first the state of charge of the battery,
battery terminals and battery cables must be checked. One of the symptoms
of a weak battery is when the dash lights go dim when the key is turned to
the START position.

The next step typically involves testing the starter control circuit. Your
mechanic may start by measuring the battery voltage at the starter solenoid
control terminal with the key in the START position. If there is no voltage,
the problem is most likely in the starter control circuit (ignition switch,
starter relay, neutral safety switch, control wire). If there is a battery voltage
at the starter solenoid control terminal with the key in the START position,
the starter motor itself could be bad. The starter solenoid control terminal
must also be checked for proper connection.
How does the starter motor work inside?

Starter motor inside

The starter motor typically has four field windings (field coils) attached to
the starter motor housing from the inside. The armature (the rotating part)
is connected through the carbon brushes in series with the field coils. On
the front end of the armature, there is a small gear that is attached to the
armature through an overrunning clutch.

How does the starter motor work? When the driver turns the key or presses
the Start button, the solenoid winding is energized. The solenoid plunger
moves in the direction of the arrow and closes the solenoid contacts. This
connects the battery power to the starter motor (field coils and armature). At
the same time, the plunger pushes the starter gear forward through the
lever. The gear then engages with the ring gear of the flexplate and turns it
over. The flexplate is attached to the engine crankshaft.

Most of the starter problems are caused by worn out or burned solenoid
contacts, worn brushes and a commutator and worn armature bushings.
The symptom of worn out solenoid contacts is when the solenoid clicks but
the starter motor doesn't run. When the starter brushes are worn out, the
starter motor doesn't make any noises. When front and rear armature
bushings wear out, the armature rubs against the field shoes causing the
starter motor to run slow and noisy. Many modern starter motors have
small ball bearings instead of the bushings. If you want to rebuild the
starter motor, the starter motor rebuild kits that include common wear
parts are sold online.

See videos on how starting system works:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuGbxWDxX_M
 ACTIVITY

1. Make a vlog about starter motor. Discuss how to test starter motor.

Vlog Rubric

20-Excellent
 The Vlog is related to the topic and provided with illustration and
props.
 The discussion is clear.
15-Good
 The Vlog is somehow related to the topic but there is no visible
illustration and examples.
 The discussion is clear
10-Needs improvement
 The Vlog is far from the topic.
 The discussion is unclear.