Starter
An electric motor that spins the engine for a moment so it can fire up and run on its own.
In plain English
An engine cannot begin turning by itself, so something has to spin it first. The starter is a small, strong electric motor that does that job using power from the battery. When you turn the key or press the start button, a switch on the starter called a solenoid pushes a small gear out to mesh with a large toothed wheel on the engine, and the motor cranks the engine until it fires. As soon as the engine is running, the gear pulls back and the starter rests until the next start.
Why it's on your estimate
A shop recommends a new starter when testing shows it is not cranking the engine properly even though the battery and cables are good. Signs include a click or rapid clicking when you try to start, a grinding or whirring noise, the engine starting some times and not others, or nothing happening while the dash lights still come on. A weak battery or corroded cable ends can cause the same symptoms, so those should be checked first.
How urgent is it?
Fix soon
A failing starter does not make the car unsafe to drive once it is running, but it tends to get worse and can leave you stranded without warning. It becomes more pressing if starting is already hit and miss, or if you hear grinding, because that can wear the teeth on the engine's toothed wheel that the starter meshes with.
Questions to ask the shop
- Did you test the battery and the cable connections before deciding it is the starter?
- What test showed the starter itself has failed?
- Did you check the teeth on the flywheel for damage?
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