Patent ID: 8362862

Claim:
A solenoid for a vehicle starter, the solenoid comprising: a solenoid case; a plunger stop coupled to the solenoid case, the plunger stop including a plunger engagement surface; a pull-in coil positioned within the solenoid case and removed from the plunger engagement surface in an axial direction such that the pull-in coil does not encircle the engagement surface; a hold-in coil positioned within the solenoid case axially adjacent to the pull-in coil, the hold-in coil encircling the plunger engagement surface and centered in the axial direction at the plunger engagement surface; and a plunger positioned within the pull-in coil and configured to move in the axial direction when the pull-in coil is energized wherein the hold-in coil and the pull-in coil arranged within the solenoid case such that no ferromagnetic material coupled to the solenoid case is positioned between the hold-in coil and the pull-in coil and no ferromagnetic material that is separate from the plunger or the plunger engagement surface is positioned radially inward from the hold-in coil and the pull-in coil.