So I was checking for why my car wouldn't start, so after replacing the plugs and all the plug wires, I followed the battery cables to the starter. I found the starter under the car right where the transmission is, is this the starter?

 

Yes the starter is on the drivers side attached to the bell housing for the trans.

 

NVM, I'm dumb, it is. Mods please remove thread. I was just weired out that it was way down there. My friend told me it is.

 

Dur De Dur

 

Where else would it be?

 

Yeah, it's pretty weird that the starter would be right there by the transmission. Almost like it's connected to the flywheel or something. Mazda engineers are amateurs, they should put it in the trunk next to the spare like my Civic.

Seriously though, on every car I've ever seen, the starter is mounted to the flywheel, which is between the engine and transmission. Apparently there are some older cars where the starter turns the engine from the front side of the engine (near the crank pulley) instead of the rear (where the transmission is) but I've never seen one up close and personal.

Theoretically you could mount the starter on the back wheel, but the battery cables would have to be REAL long, and the starter would have to have mad torque.

edit: although on electric cars, the starter doesn't turn the engine mechanically, it's a great big capacitor, so you could theoretically put it anywhere you wanted.

 

Thats wierd.... I have been using a hand crank thru the front grill to start my car??

 

although it turns the "flywheel", the starter on a caddy northstar motor is under the intake manifold, between the heads.

not sure why i posted this. just wanted to join the fun i guess.

 

There's a Starter on the Car?..****!..for the Last Year I have been parking on STEEP Hills..and Just "jog the clutch" ..she fires up and I go on my Merry way..Yuk,Yuk,Yuk..

 

 

Oh yeah, and while we're on this topic, where's the starter fluid reservoir. I bought a great big bottle of starter fluid but I can't find where to put it!

 

I alway thought is had a rotary starter, how odd.

 

right next to the VTACK reservior, this running low could cause you 5th and 6th ports not to open

 

See that's how I got all confused, that's where it is on my Trans Am, the only other car I've worked on.

 

I had just figured since most cars are front wheel drive anymore, it's easy to forget about the transmission being right there too. On my Neon, the starter is like RIGHT on the front center of the engine compartment just under the intake runners, but it's still on the flywheel between the engine and transmission.

BTW, don't take any of this other stuff to heart. It's all in good fun.

 

Crap, I just got back from autozone and I can't find the VTACK oil! Luckily they had the head gasket I needed for the Mustang and I got it installed, but I think I did something wrong. The car still smokes like crazy and I can't get RTV out of my hair. Is the gasket supposed to go on top of my head, or around my neck?

 

Yeah, thats what I thought at first, too. Although its still under the car on my wife's 6, and its front wheel drive.

 

Technically speaking, the "starter" is used on piston motors. Here in the rotary world it is referred to as the "starter."

 

I thought the starter was the guy in the driver seat holding the key...

 

No, it's the guy on the sideline with the pistol and the stopwatch.

 

Sweet, thanks for clearing THAT up! I feel so foolish. All this time I've been calling it a starter when I should have called it a starter instead. Imagine my chagrin! I'll never call a starter a starter again!

 

Yeah, thats what I was thinking.

 

Hey no problem. Any time. I was hoping I was able to clear up any misconceptions about starters versus starters.

 

OK people, we've established the location of the starter and had our jollies...any more of the off topic posting should be taken to the Lounge...