KARIYA, Japan ― DENSO Corp. says it has developed one of the world’s lightest starters for small, compact vehicles. The new starter, which is about 40 percent lighter than a conventional starter, finds its first application in the MR Wagon launched by Suzuki Motor Corp. in Japan earlier this month. DENSO says this lightened starter allows for easier installation in the engine compartment, and the reduction in weight also helps increase fuel efficiency.

”Since early in its inception, DENSO’s challenge has been to make its products smaller and lighter. Sometimes this is easier said than done. Because starters operate only when the engine is cranked, the greatest technical challenge has been to reduce their size and weight,” said Masahiko Miyaki, senior executive director responsible for DENSO’s Electric Systems Business Group. “DENSO has overcome this challenge and dramatically reduced the weight of this new starter by using an innovative pinion shift mechanism that separates the pinion and overrunning clutch.”

The new starter can be used for compact cars powered by gasoline engines of 660 to 1,200 cc displacement. In addition to this product, DENSO has developed a starter, which is about 30 percent lighter than existing ones, for vehicle engines of 1,200 to 2,500 cc. DENSO aims to produce a total of 5 million units of both models a year, and sell them in China, Thailand, Brazil, India and other compact gasoline vehicle markets.