Starter motor not turning engine...

Hi everyone, just found out my s3 won't start, having been sitting for a week or two. It sounds like the starter motor is turning ok, and just not engaging the engine.
As usual the haynes manual offers me a simple solution, but doesn't explain anything in detail. It says something about ensuring the starter pinion hasn't jammed in mesh with the flywheel, which sounds simple enough, but then says to check this by "turning the square end of the armature shaft with a spanner".
I'm hoping this is the quick fix I need, but can anyone explain what the armature shaft is and where i can find it, because obviously the haynes manual doesn't want to tell me...

Thanks in advance.

if its still petrol remove starter and check drive gear slides whilst been turned by hand

Cheers for the quick reply mate, yes it is petrol. Do you mean as in turning it over with with the crank handle?

Sounds like the bendix gear has siezed, easiest to remove the starter and free up. The "armature" is the starter motor shaft that the bendix slides on, some have a square end so you can turn it backwards if the bendix gets stuck on the flywheel but I don't think this is your problem.

Sometimes a stuck bendix can be freed by a sharp whack on the stater casing with a long bar as a mate turns the key.

Doesn't sound like your starter has seized on the flywheel...
more likely that the bendix is not 'throwing' forward to engage.

take the starter out...

if you can't test it your self, get it tested...

they sometimes stick due to mud, dust
or they're just knackered.

Harrris303 said:

Cheers for the quick reply mate, yes it is petrol. Do you mean as in turning it over with with the crank handle?

Click to expand...

no remove and try gear by hand,

Ok well that sounds like a unanimous verdict, cheers for your help everybody.

(although I may well be back for more...)

Hate to resurrect an old post but I've only just got round to getting the starter motor off. So I take it the bendix gear is basically the cog attached to a spring that slides up and down the shaft. The cog was sticking at one end so I cleaned it up and put some new grease on it so now it slides freely, does that sound about right?

Also (schoolboy error coming up...) when i took it off I was getting so frustrated by the awkward spaces that i didn't pay attention to which way round it was. I guess it might not matter which way round you put it, but if it does should the cable that bolts onto the casing be towards the driver's side or the passenger side?

Thanks for all your help guys

passenger side ,you shouldnt grease helix just clean