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Has anyone installed a relay to stop starter clicking?
Topic Started: Apr 5 2014, 01:03 PM (1,928 Views)
96Geoman


I have seen some posts that mention using a relay to start the car instead of the power going through the ignition switch

I see there's a relay solution for the Suzuki Samurai...

http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/index.php/suzuki-samurai-clicky-starter-upgrade-kit.html


I'm tired of parking on hills and push starting the car like it's a Go-Kart lol

I just want to make sure that I don't mess up something else by installing the relay

Is the Samurai relay ok to use or does anyone have other suggestions like buying one at Autozone etc

Thanks!

(96 Geo 1.0 5 speed)
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David95237


Is your starter bad? Its not going to fix a bad starter.
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96Geoman


No, I replaced the starter with a brand new starter a few months ago...still had the clicking.

I just put in a brand new heavy duty battery and installed new battery terminals on the cables at the battery about a month ago.

The only thing I have not replaced is the battery cables.
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Old Man


Many use a Ford relay. Lots of threads here:
https://www.google.com/#q=geometroforum+ford+relay
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crankcase


This not a direct answer to your question, but I like keeping things stock.
Given I don't know what you have tried, but if it were me,
I would put a volt meter on the starter and try to verify where the problem is.
At the starter, clean the female terminal on the small wire with wire brush and brake cleaner etc.
Squeeze terminal with pliers to make a snuger connection between terminals.
Examine wires for breaks inside the insulator (bends too easy),
corosion hidden inside insulator (swelling) and any splices.
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Memphis metro


crankcase
Apr 5 2014, 03:48 PM
I like keeping things stock.
:gp
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Hotrodray1
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Over Educated parts guy

It is voltage drop ! I put a 30amp
Driving light relay in mine!
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Stiffchezze
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Sir Metrologist

crankcase
Apr 5 2014, 03:48 PM
This not a direct answer to your question, but I like keeping things stock.
Given I don't know what you have tried, but if it were me,
I would put a volt meter on the starter and try to verify where the problem is.
At the starter, clean the female terminal on the small wire with wire brush and brake cleaner etc.
Squeeze terminal with pliers to make a snuger connection between terminals.
Examine wires for breaks inside the insulator (bends too easy),
corosion hidden inside insulator (swelling) and any splices.


:gp

Big Rhino
Apr 5 2014, 03:57 PM
crankcase
Apr 5 2014, 03:48 PM
I like keeping things stock.
:gp

:+1

There is no need for an additional relay, to provide power to a relay. :shake
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terry8750
terry8750

check the ground on the transmission and the one against the back of the firewall by the throttle body.can cause a low amp condition.when my starter started doing that i did that and it helped my my starter was going bad.ended up taking it apart and cleaning the commuter with 600 grit sandpaper and then took the brushes and filed them flat and cleaned the com on that side as well.started like a brand new starter.most people don't realize that bad contacts can cause a starter to act like its bad
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billay
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[ *  * ]
check the starter safely switch on clutch pedal.
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geogonfa
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Just $.02...double check those grounds, and that means take them off and clean them... :type
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

And after reading all of this and fussing with all the grounds, when it keeps doing it or starts doing it again, go ahead and put the relay in and solve the problem. I installed a starter button partially because it came with a relay and I have not had the clicky starter issue since. I fussed with this for years after I bought the car. It would jump start or push start but turning the key just clicked. Replaced starter, no luck. Battery replaced and cables cleaned etc, no luck. Added grounding block with big wires to multiple locations, including the starter, no luck. Take a 12 volt wire and touch it to the starter and it spins no problem. Added a relay sometime before 2003 I believe and have not had the click click issue since.
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crankcase


The need to rely on the "guess don't test" service philosophy is a valid and sometimes necessary method.
I think almost everyone has done it to some extent. The problem is that we spend $ on parts that we didn't really need such as starters, batteries and cables, but when the problem does not get fixed, we get frustrated and say it is too much trouble and just want the problem to go away. Understandable, but at a cost to our pocket books and skill sets.

Mechanics should always try to advance their trouble shooting skills, if only because they will get better as a result.

With the relay route, fusing is a good idea. You only need a few amps capacity for voltage to the smaller starter wire.
Voltage drops are not too hard to trace. Start by lookimg at the source voltage for a correct reading. Look a bit further down the line untill you find a drop, then check between the drop and the good voltage. You should find a switch or connector ect. where the voltage is good on one side but not the other.

A couple of things to remember:
1. Test under load (trying to run the thing that is not working correctly).
2. Try to use the same ground point that the problem device uses. Give close consideration to this. If the original ground is the problem, but you are supplying different ground points everywhere you test, you will never see or find a voltage drop. This particular problem fools people here with blinkers that do not work. The test light shows they should be working, but with a different ground than the bulbs are actually using.
Edited by crankcase, Apr 6 2014, 06:20 AM.
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96Geoman


As many people know, fixing something that is broken is easier than fixing something that works intermittently.

The car almost always starts in my driveway.

Here's another strange thing about the starting problem, it will click & click while sitting still. However, if I start to roll the car and turn the key it will start up...sometimes it does not. I can't figure out if it's a vibration problem and or if it's heat related because If I get off the expressway and turn it off, there's a strong chance it won't start.

The next logical parts to replace is all the wire ends and then the ignition switch.

(I bought a brand new Fiat Spider that had intermittent starting problems, turns out it was the wire end that connected to the starter)

Regarding the clutch safety switch, I have wiggled that wire too in case of a bad connection.
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geogonfa
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BTW...if your grounds are all good to go and your still having a problem, that sami starter kit looks exactly what I do for this same problem...and I usually will bypass the clutch switch and put a kill switch in-line instead...just sayin'... :type
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