A passive two-terminal circuit element may include a resistor including a carbon-metal composite resistive element. The resistive element is configured to maintain a resistivity that fluctuates less than one tenth of an ohm per ten degree temperature change up to 400 degrees Celsius.

The engine starter includes a pinion-mobile component which is linked to an output shaft by a helical spline and can be slid in a shaft direction, in a state where the pinion-mobile component includes; an overrunning clutch which is idled when the pinion gear, which is engaged to the ring gear, is driven by the engine via the ring gear so as to be rotated at a rotational speed which is higher than a rotational speed of the output shaft; and a breaking mechanism in which the overrunning clutch breaks a transmission of a torque, which is generated in accordance with a rotation of the motor and is transmitted to the ring gear, when a value of the torque is a predetermined condition value with respect to a direction where the torque is transmitted to the ring gear.

In a method for actuating a starting device for an internal combustion engine, for the case in which the rotational speed of the toothed ring is below a limit value, first a stroke armature in a starter relay is moved and an electric starter motor is switched on after the starter pinion has engaged. If the rotational speed of the toothed ring exceeds the limit value, the starter motor is switched on before the starter pinion contacts the toothed ring.

An engine starting apparatus is provided which is equipped with a starter, an inrush current reducer, and a starter mode switch. The inrush current reducer works to reduce an inrush current flowing through an electric motor installed in the starter when the electric motor is energized. The starter mode switch works to change a starter characteristic that is an output characteristic of the starter continuously or selectively at least between a low-torque/high-speed mode and a high-torque/low-speed mode. The starter mode switch places the starter in the high-torque/low-speed mode at least at a time when a piston of the engine is passing a top dead center, and the engine friction has been just maximized for the first time after the starter is actuated to crank the engine. This shortens a period of time required to start up the engine without sacrificing beneficial effects offered by the inrush current reducer.

A starter system including a motor, a solenoid assembly having a solenoid switch, a pinion rotated by the motor and moveable into an engaging position in which an engine may be cranked and the solenoid switch is closed to energize the motor from an electric power source, and relay switch regulated by a controller and closed to apply electrical power to the solenoid assembly for actuating the solenoid switch. The controller repeatedly opens and closes relay switch during a starting operation if sensed motor energization voltage monitored by the controller falls below a predetermined threshold level within a predetermined time period after electrical power is applied to the solenoid assembly, whereby electrical power applications to the solenoid assembly are automatically repeated during a starting operation to correct “click-no-crank” events and prevent prolonged power application to the solenoid assembly. A related method is also disclosed.

The invention relates mainly to a starter (11) for a motor vehicle combustion engine, comprising: an electric motor (15), a drive pinion (60), a pinion body (61) on which said drive pinion (60) is mounted, a drive shaft (12) able to transmit a torque derived from the electric motor (15) to the drive pinion (60) via the pinion body, the pinion body (61) being mounted with the ability to slide axially with respect to the said drive shaft (12), and in which, with there being a chamber (86) delimited notably by one end of the drive shaft (12) and one end of the pinion body (61) opposite the end of the drive shaft (12), the chamber (86) is vented via a through-opening (85) made in an annular wall of the drive shaft (12) or of the pinion body (61).

A starter comprises an electric motor which drives a rotor shaft, a drive shaft that can be rotationally coupled to the rotor shaft, and a pinion mounted on the drive shaft and movable in a translational movement between a rest position and an active position by a movement system. The starter comprises a coupling system that couples a rotary movement in one direction of rotation of the rotor shaft to the pinion. The coupling system moves from an uncoupled state into a coupled state and vice versa. In the coupled state, the rotor shaft is firmly attached to the pinion in the starting direction of rotation. In the uncoupled state, the pinion is disconnected from the rotor shaft in both directions of rotation. The starter further comprises a movement system for moving the pinion from the coupling system into the uncoupled state as it moves the pinion into active position.

The purpose of the present invention is to swiftly start up an engine in a range in which electrical equipment having electric power supplied thereto by a battery is not reset, even in cases when the battery is insufficiently charged and the battery is deteriorated. An engine start-up device according to the present invention starts up an engine by transmitting, to the engine, the rotary force of a direct-current motor driven by a battery. The engine start-up device is provided with: a battery-voltage acquisition unit for acquiring the battery voltage of the battery; a target-current-value calculation unit which calculates, on the basis of the battery voltage acquired by the battery-voltage acquisition unit, a target current value for a motor current to be supplied from the battery to the direct-current motor; and a motor-current control unit for controlling a switching element which is connected to the direct-current motor, and through which the motor current flows, such that the motor-current value of the motor current approaches the target current value.

An internal combustion engine including a starter is shown. A method for monitoring the starter includes determining electrical energy consumed by pinion and motor solenoids operative to activate and rotate a pinion gear of an electrically-powered motor meshingly engageable to a starter ring gear portion of a flywheel of the engine during an engine starting event. Current ringing in the pinion and motor solenoids is monitored during the engine starting even, and a fault is identified in the pinion and motor solenoids based upon the current ringing and the electrical energy consumption of the starter during the engine starting event.

An engine, an engine starter and its housing assembly are provided. The housing assembly includes a gear mounting portion for mounting a driving gear and a switch mounting portion for mounting a solenoid switch. The switch mounting portion comprises a connecting portion and a cover body. The connecting portion is connected with the gear mounting portion and comprises a through structure for mounting the solenoid switch, the cover body covers a top end of the through structure. A wall of the connecting portion corresponding to the gear mounting portion defines an opening for mounting a shifting fork, which is in communication with the through structure.