When your car is running normally everything is fine, however if it begins to have frequent problems you may possibly start to speculate, especially if your car won’t start. In this post we will learn you where the starter of a Audi A3 is, it will help you to resolve your ignition problems. To achieve this, we will first describe the role of a starter, then, where is the starter on a Audi A3 , and, finally, how to replace the starter of a car.

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Purpose of the starter on your Audi A3

We start this content page by detailing the role of the starter motor on your Audi A3. The starter is an electric motor which is powered by your battery, its purpose will be to make your engine run at a high enough speed to start it (usually around 300/400 rpm). It is built from three most important parts:

  • The Solenoid: This component is an electrical relay that will work as a switch, it will be activated by the key of your Audi A3 and let the current from your battery to the engine of your alternator.

    • The engine: Most important element of your alternator, it is the one that will drive the flywheel of your Audi A3 and generate enough speed for your engine to start.

  • The engagement pinion: This is the last component of your starter, it is the toothed wheel that will be in direct contact with the flywheel, it enables to transmit the force from the starter to the engine.

Where is the starter on a Audi A3?

Now that we have quickly explained what a starter is and how it works, we will answer the question that most of you have to ask yourselves where is the starter based on a Audi A3? It is quite easy to locate a starter, in truth, it is a large component that will almost always be placed in a similar place. We let you discover the two possible locations for your car starter below.

Location of the starter on traditional Audi A3

First and most basic case, where to locate the starter of a Audi A3 with a conventional motor (implied without start and stop). The starter has a specific objective, to start the engine of your car, for that, it must always be near the engine flywheel of this one because it is the component that it actuates when it is used. The flywheel is based at the junction between your gearbox and your engine.

Location of the starter to Audi A3 with start and stop

And now second possible starter location of your Audi A3 . This case is much less frequent. It only concerns engines equipped with start and stop, and a good component of them will be equipped with a starter placed close to the flywheel. However, on some specific series or engines, the starter of your Audi A3 may be included in your alternator, it is then known as a starter-alternator, to locate it nothing less difficult, identify your accessory belt and you should see the big starter block.

How to replace the starter on a Audi A3?

Finally, we’ll show you to you actually quite quickly how to replace the starter of a Audi A3. This process is not actually complex, it can be considered by people who have a minimum of simple mechanical experience and adapted equipment. Stick to below the most important steps to perform this intervention:

  • Disconnect the battery on your Audi A3, if you don’t know how to do it, don’t hesitate to seek advice from our content page which explains how to do it without taking any risk.
  • After locating your starter, loosen the fasteners that hold it in your engine block, there will usually be 2 or 3

    • .

  • It will be time to disconnect the power cables from the starter motor of your Audi A3, however before doing so we recommend you to take a picture of the set up to avoid making a mistake when reassembling.
  • It’s possible that to remove it you may possibly need to remove auto parts like the gimbal.
  • Remount the new starter, being careful when connecting the connectors.
  • Reconnect your battery and test your starter.

To find more tips on the Audi A3, take a look at the Audi A3 category.