what are the main components of a starter motor

If you’ve ever wondered what makes a starter motor work—you know, that part that fires up your car’s engine—here are its main components, broken down simply:   1. **Solenoid**     Think of this as the "on-off switch" with muscle. It’s a small electromagnetic device that does two big jobs: first, it pushes a metal rod (called a plunger) to connect the starter motor to the engine’s flywheel. Second, it sends electricity from the car battery to the motor itself, kickstarting the whole process.   2. **Armature**     This is the motor’s "spinning heart." It’s a coil of wire wrapped around an iron core, sitting inside a magnetic field. When electricity hits it, the armature spins fast—this is what creates the power to turn the engine over.   3. **Field Coils**     These are strong electromagnets (or sometimes permanent magnets) surrounding the armature. They create a powerful magnetic field that makes the armature spin when electricity flows through it. Without them, the armature wouldn’t move!   4. **Bendix Gear**     A tiny but crucial gear attached to the armature. When the solenoid kicks in, this gear slides forward and meshes (connects) with the engine’s flywheel gear. As the armature spins, it turns the flywheel, which starts the engine. Once the engine is running, the Bendix gear slides back to disconnect—so it doesn’t get damaged by the engine’s faster spin.   5. **Commutator and Brushes**     The commutator is a metal ring attached to the end of the armature. Brushes are small carbon blocks that press against it, carrying electricity from the battery into the armature. They work together to keep the armature spinning in the right direction.   Put it all together: When you turn the key, the solenoid activates, the Bendix gear connects to the flywheel, electricity flows through the brushes and commutator to the armature, and the field coils’ magnetic field makes the armature spin. Then—vroom!—your engine starts. Each part has a job, and they all need to work together to get things moving!