Starter Relay - What am I missing???
64 /6 auto
Starter does not crank when key is in start position (no click – no nothing). Cranks fine and starts when jumping ground post to hot post on relay. So I did the following tests:
· Battery a little low – voltage between batt terminals is 11.5
· G (ground) post – brown wire to NSS – continuity to ground – voltage between post and POS battery post 11.5 – looks good
· Ign post – yellow wire from ignition switch – 11.5 volts when key turned to start position – looks good
· Starter ground post (screw on) – brown wire in pigtail to starter ground bolt – continuity to ground - voltage between post and POS battery post 11.5 – looks good
This was last weekend, so I thought maybe the starter relay was bad. Ordered one online which came yesterday. Installed it this morning, got same results. Redid the tests above – got same results. Wiring all looks in good shape. So what am I missing?
The "Starter ground post" as You're calling it, is the solenoid wire, continuity isn't everything because resistance & load carrying capacity aren't checked/caught that way.
The relay on the firewall is clicking, or no? You stated "no click - no nothing", so.......
The best tester is a 2-blade headlamp bulb with test leads, ground one to Batt. Neg. and test for power at the non functioning device, if it lights bright You have a connection
with integrity and will supply sufficient current to power all of the devices on an automobile/truck. For You this means;
1) Verify the relay is engaging 1st, if not there is not enough current to power it, use test lamp described above and test at yellow wire...should be bright in start, if so test
at brown terminal to NSS, shouldn't light at all....if it does in start the ground is poor either by wire or NSS .
2) If the relay is functioning fine, use test lamp and test at solenoid post on starter, it should be bright as the Sun even on a good solenoid while cranking, if Yes.....You
have a bad starter solenoid(which Your jump test really ruled out), if no,...move jumper to solenoid screw-on terminal at relay and re-test.....Yes- the sol. wire is bad or
poor connection,...No- relay no good.
