Work smarter, not harder, says Delco Remy. That’s what the company’s automotive starters with its Smart Starter technology do, leading Delco to add the feature to many of its high-volume aftermarket starters.
The new starters have Delco’s Smart Integrated Magnetic Switch (IMS) plus Integrated Overcrank Protection (IOCP). In addition to updating the original Smart IMS part numbers to the newer Smart Starter ones, the company is adding more part numbers for the aftermarket. The protective feature has been added to seven of the most popular Delco Remy starters including for brands such as Paccar, Navistar, International, Caterpillar, Detroit Diesel and Cummins.
“The Smart Starter is an ideal solution if you have customers or a fleet population with repeated warranty claims due to operator error,” says Brian Koehlinger, Senior Sales Manager. “It’s designed to eliminate the six most common failure modes that are often due to operator error. That means it also prevents costly repair or replacement costs.”
The technology protects against common failure modes. For each, there is a protection feature in the Smart IMS to counter it and prevent the failure from occurring. The Internal Magnetic Switch Solenoid (IMSS) is a patent-pending one-wire design integrated inside the solenoid. Input current is compatible with an engine control module and protects it from voltage spikes while withstanding high temperatures. Because of its integration inside the solenoid, it is protected from corrosion caused by environmental factors and damage from vibration issues. Installation is simpler since no additional wiring or mounting bracket is required and corrosion is reduced with no connection points.
But don’t remove the integrated magnetic switch, Delco cautions designers and installers, for both performance and safety reasons. The benefit is that the IMS provides a higher current draw for the motor by reducing voltage drop and controlling battery current. This ensures the solenoid receives the maximum available voltage in any starting condition. Removing it would result in significant control circuit problems, also void the warranty. If an IMS is part of a gear reduction starter, it should never be removed, bypassed or uninstalled, says the company, and In the event of replacing a unit with an external magnetic switch, there are options for accomplishing the task.
Always designing its aftermarket products with the needs of dealers and service outlets to minimize their parts inventories, Delco Remy’s 39MT gear reduction starter features a rotatable flange for compatibility with replacement of many original equipment models. The Integral Magnetic Switch is rotatable, too, into six different positions. See www.delcoremy.com.
