The starter is a motor that, when supplied with electricity from a vehicle’s battery, will engage the flywheel ring gear and crank the engine. When a driver turns the key to start the engine, the battery sends a small supply of electricity to the starter solenoid. In turn, the solenoid powers the motor which sends a gear to mesh with the ring gear on a vehicle’s flywheel. Depending on the vehicle, the starter may be a direct drive (DD), planetary gear (PLGR), permanent magnet gear reduction (PMGR), permanent magnet direct drive (PMDD), or offset gear reduction (OSGR). In a DD starter, components are attached in a line and run off the armature. A PLGR starter has a shaft that the armature uses and is good at increasing torque. A PMGR starter is similar to a PLGR starter except the PMGR starter uses permanent magnets instead of field coils. Similarly, PMDD starters are akin to DD starters except PMDDs use permanent magnets instead of field coils. Finally, OSGR starters do not run directly off the armature. No matter the type, each starter ultimately plays an essential role in powering a vehicle.