Is there a difference between a starter and a starter motor?

Question

My car wasn't starting, it only did one "click" sound. I thought it was the battery at first. I had a neighbor check the battery and the battery is fine. He said the problem is the "starter motor". I had never heard of that. Is that the same as the starter? Or is it a separate part?

Answer 1

It's one and the same.

Answer 2

The starter is an electric motor and they are the same part.

Answer 3

Hi so the terms refer to the same item. the starter motor.

Answer 4

90% odds your battery terminals need to be disconnected, cleaned and put back on tightly. This is a very cheap thing to do and is the first thing an honest mechanic will do. A dishonest one will sell you a new battery and starter.



As for your question, the starter is actually an electric motor. Calling it a starter motor is the same as saying "electric motor motor"

Answer 5

In proper OS terminology, they are called an electric motor or a "IE" gasoline engine. *Only outboard engines are called motors.

There's also a starter solenoid (high amp electrical switch) that is usually (not always) piggybacked on the starter, or bad B+ wire.



No dig, but there are many varieties of starters from electrical motors, compressed air, turbofan blower, and even a shotgun shell.

Answer 6

The "starter" and "starter motor" are not exactly the same thing, but they're close enough that people might use the two terms interchangeably. Technically your starter motor is an electric motor which forces the gas engine to move until it can fire and run on its own. The starter is the entire system that makes your car start - it includes the starter motor, a solenoid to connect electric power to that motor, a drive gear to connect the motor to the engine, and all the wires & electrical components necessary to make the whole thing work.



But most of the time if someone just casually mentions the car's "starter" they are talking about the electric motor.



I agree with what other's have said: before you run out and spend money on a new starter motor, get the battery checked more thoroughly. Car batteries tend to die slowly and may be operating at less than peak performance for months or even years before they die completely. Most auto part's stores or repair shops can test the battery under a load to see if its working. You can also try charging the battery if you have a charger, or try jump-starting the car. Or swap batteries with another vehicle to see whether its the battery or the starter.



Anyway, its very common that a battery will still output 12 volts on a volt-meter and can power the car's accessories such as lights and radio, but cannot produce enough amperage to spin the starter motor. The radio might draw 5-10 amps while the starter can easily draw 200+ amps.



Bottom line is that I'd spend more time on checking the battery before I would spend a penny on the starter.

Answer 7

Ask around for somebody with a set of jump leads who knows how to use them.

If your car starts using the jump leads then it IS the battery. Time for a new one

Answer 8

And just HOW did your neighbor check the battery? If all he used was a volt meter that isn't enough. The battery needs to be tested under load. It may well be strong enough to turn on the lights and run the radio but not strong enough to operate the starter motor which can draw several hundred amps. Dirty or corroded battery connections can also cause the same thing. I would suggest having the system tested by a professional mechanic before spending hard earned money on parts which may not be needed. I have cleared too many no start problems by cleaning battery terminals to arbitrarily replace a starter which rarely fails.

Answer 9

No. A starter usually is made of two parts, the motor and the solenoid. The condition you describe could be EITHER the motor or the solenoid malfunctioning, or loose or dirty cable connections. Replace the starter and solenoid, after checking to make sure your battery cable connections are clean and tight.

Answer 10

A starter consists of a motor, a solonoid switch and a drive gear

Answer 11

In your case, same difference.

Technically, the motor is separate from the bendix, solenoid, etc, especially if a Ford.

Technically, a starter can be a crank, compressed air, not just an electric motor.

People used to say "automatic machine gun" to distinguish it from a hand powered gun, like a Gatling, too.

Answer 12

My car has a crank. I make my wife start it. She is my "starter motor" or "starter" - same thing.

Answer 13

Sounds more like a bad ground. But yes a starter is the person or persons who push your vehicle so you can let out the clutch & start it. A starter motor takes electric to start your vehicle. A few are air.

Answer 14

Some women say: Perm

Some women say: Permanent

Some women say: Permanent wave



They all mean the same thing. One is long. One is super abbreviated.



Sorry to use non-automotive terms, but maybe you'll understand my examples.



Starter and starter motor mean the same in car repair.

Answer 15

Your neighbor is old school. Does not really matter. Get a jump. Car starts, get your battery charged and load tested at a battery shop or a mechanic. Replace if it fails the load test.. Car does not start, get it towed to a mechanic.

Answer 16

Same difference. It's just goofy use older terminology. We used to fix things not replace them; there are many parts in a starter assembly but who cares: you will not fix it you will buy a complete one.



The important thing is that he systematically diagnosed this problem and isn't just pretending to be a mechanic. Your problem could most likely be a battery, a connection, a cable, a solenoid or a stater motor or a seized engine. Even a seized air conditioning compressor can cause your exact symptom, it can stop the engine from turning.



Bad contact in solenoid or motor brushes is pretty common. Worn part, it needs rebuild or replace in those instances. Smacking the starter with hammer can get it to work again plus diagnoses the problem is in the starter. If that works you don't need a tow truck to get it to a shop either.

Answer 17

A starter is an electric motor, therefore "starter" and "starter motor" are synonymous dumbass.



A starter / starter motor has two parts, an electric motor and a solenoid that passes battery power to the starter motor. The click you hear is the solenoid engaging.



When a starter doesn't turn the engine over, the first thing to look for is a bad connection. In most cases it is corrosion on the battery posts and battery cable terminals. Make sure those are clean and tight because even if the battery is still good the corrosion can block the flow of electricity.



If the battery terminals are clean and tight, check the starter terminals. Corrosion can also cause the same problem there.



If that isn't the problem, then the problem is with the solenoid or starter motor. Since you hear a click, it isn't the solenoid. However, since the solenoid is integral to the starter and not separate on most cars, when you replace the starter a new solenoid comes with it.

Answer 18

The click is the solenoid. It is a switch that uses a little bit of electricity to make the connection for a whole lot of electricity to power the electric motor that makes the gasoline engine operate for the second it takes until the gasoline operation starts. Now the solenoid is a separate part that is attached to the starter motor. The click is the solenoid making the contact that is the switch. When things are working OK, you don't hear the click because the sound is hidden by the louder sounds produced by the engine starting (the things that move when the whole lot of electricity turns the electric starter (the uhhhhhhhhhhh) and when the gasoline starts working (the vroooooom)). Now, there is sequence to get to this. First, How old is your battery. Your battery may be old and weak and about ready to die. The easy thing to do is replace your battery if it is old and see if this fixes the problem. If the battery is good, then take it to a mechanic and replace the starter and the solenoid. If you do put on a new solenoid and still have an old starter, you will just be repeating this whole situation in a couple of years. Get rid of the old parts and get new. So, with all new parts, the engine should start fine.

Answer 19

The starter motor is an electric motor that turns over the car engine to start it. This is connected to the car battery by a starter solenoid controlled from the ignition key. All three components can be referred to as the starter. Your problem sounds like a jammed solenoid.



Trace the thick wire from the car battery and you'll find a cylinder with two thick wires and one thin wire attached to it. That's the starter solenoid. Get a length of timber and place one end on the body of the solenoid and give the other a sharp whack with a hammer. If that doesn't fix the problem, you need professional help.

Answer 20

No. It is an old fashioned term for the thing that turns the engine over to get it going. On my old car (a Morris Minor 1000, one of Lord Nuffield's horseless carriages.) you could bypass it and hand crank the engine if you were willing to risk breaking your wrist in the process. A life saver if the starter conks out.