How do you troubleshoot starter relay?

[mrf0rd]

I disconnected my battery for 2 weeks while working on car. REconnected and now all I get is a single click from starter relay area when trying to start.

Any ideas of things to check out?

Thanks in advance.

 

[HISSIN50]

I'd toss a charger on the battery and/or use a jumper battery.

We'll assume you have 12 volts to the control side of the relay (since you get a click).

Double check the battery-lug connections on the solenoid to make sure all terminals have good contact (to ensure the battery cable has a good connection).

You can put the car in neutral and apply the E-brake. Then, with the key in the run position, jump the two large lugs on the solenoid. If it starts now, the solenoid might have taken a doo-doo.
NOTE that jumping the solenoid bypasses the interlock devices (meaning you can have the car lurch, run over your foot, and/or take off down the road, if you have it in gear while doing this).

Good luck.

 

[mrf0rd]

Shorting large posts on starter relay produces same click.

Battery shows 12 VDC on voltmeter and starter is new.

 

[mrf0rd]

produces same click with jump

 

[HISSIN50]

Again, charge the battery. Voltage and load handling capability/capacity dont relate very well. A static voltage reading of 12.0 volts isnt great (12.6 is charged).

I'd also double check your battery cables, connections and motor grounding pathways. I use jumper cables in parallel with existing cables to find cable issues. WHen the car starts after parallelling a given cable, that cable and its connection is questionable.

I'd charge the battery first.

Random thoughts.
Good luck.

 

[mrf0rd]

Problem corrected. During my work, the small wire on the starter separated from the connector.

HISSIN50 thanks for the feedback, it helped me quickly isolate this.

 

[HISSIN50]

Problem corrected. During my work, the small wire on the starter separated from the connector.

HISSIN50 thanks for the feedback, it helped me quickly isolate this.

Glad to hear you got it. That's kinda weird because that S-terminal wire is just a very low current trigger to energize the solenoid. It should have either worked or not, rather than allowing a clicking but no-starting situation.

Again, glad to hear it's fixed.