AbstractIn the present study, thermal starved elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) model is developed for a helical gear pair. The influences of inlet oil‐supply layer, input speed, lubricant viscosity, and surface roughness on the lubrication behaviour are investigated. The minimum film thickness, temperature rise of teeth surfaces and oil film, and the friction coefficient are predicted along the line of action (LOA). Results show that the effects of inlet oil‐supply layer, input speed, and lubrication viscosity on the tribological performance are remarkable. Under the starved lubrication, the influence of inlet oil supply on the temperature rise is insignificant. Meanwhile, the effect of surface roughness has been discussed. It reveals that the roughness texture along the entrainment velocity direction has significant influence on the lubrication characteristics. The results provide the tribological guidance for design of a helical gear pair in engineering.