Starter Trouble

[dsmelfi]

Quick update and looking for a little sanity check ..

I started to dig in and run a new wire today. When I started tracing wires I found that the START wire from the ignition switch is spliced. One side to the purple "START" wire in the harness, and the other side runs into a relay.. here's what I can't understand.

The START position on the ignition switch runs to the 30 pin on the relay, then 87a is connected to something, not sure what... but 87 it is cut. The wire is just hanging off the relay. My understanding of Relays is that 87a is normally closed and 87 is normally open...

So assuming I understand correctly, that would mean that the relay only gets power during crank, but then opens the normally closed circuit which is the only thing connected...

If this is the case, the relay would never be connected.. am I missing something?

 

[Oldtimer]

It would also need a ground wire on pin 85.

And you need to determine what 87a is connected to.
Is the relay plugged into a socket, or just individual wires with spade lugs, that could be moved between relay pins?
The relay may be set up to disable a circuit* during crank?

* Some feature of proflo 4 EFI, stereo, oil pressure kill switch, who knows what PO had in mind.

 

[DirtDonk]

Seems to me that no matter what it’s connected to, you’re getting rid of it and bypassing it anyway. So cut the splice to the relay and get rid of the relay.
If the old red with blue wire is intact still (sorry, meant purple), and still runs out all the way to the engine compartment, reconnect it.
If, by splicing the relay, they cut the connection, and if you can’t find the two halves that need reconnecting, just run your bypass wire straight to the starter relay.

Follow the purple wire from your first splice by the ignition switch and see where it goes. There may be another relay interlock.

But it still wouldn’t hurt to find out where the other wire goes, in case it’s also somehow interconnected to the ignition system.
I think that a simple test would secure that though. If you turn the key to ON and you have power to the ignition, you’re probably good to go.

 

[dsmelfi]

Thanks @Oldtimer - The relay is plugged into a socket.. so no moving things around.

To me it seems like if the Start circuit is connected to 30, and nothing is connected to 87.. the circuit would never be complete.. 87a would only be complete if 30 was constant, not connected to start, and once the relay receives power at 30 from crank, it would open 87a... so as far as I can tell.. this isn't doing anything... this is also assuming that 86 is either always hot or connected to RUN/ACC..

For now, I am bypassing it completely as Paul suggests, and will give it a crank and see what happens! Will report back.

 

[dsmelfi]

Got the new wire run and bypassed the relay. She fired right up!

I'll keep the thread updated with anything else I find when I can trace these wires down. I'll have to fully pull the old start wire so hopefully will find where the issue was

Thank you for all the help and happy bucking!!

 

[DirtDonk]

Great!
Thanks for following up.