[T3] sticky starter revealed.

[Keith Park]

A couple years ago I put a starter relay on he 71 because when the car was
in hot soak it wouldn't engage.

This solved that problem then it started sticking engaged, I did do some
testing and eliminated the relay from the circuit and still had the problem
but at some point the starter and solenoid got changed over too to no
avail..  I finally had some time to noodle with it and swapped out the relay
and walla!  No sticky starter but the engagement was slow.  I pulled apart
the relay (old headlight relay with contacts paralleled) and found they were
really whipped, not enough of a relay for this application.

 

So I get an "Automotive" rated 50A relay (solenoid current is about 35A)
from digikey, that works great. for TWO weeks, I got off the Northway on the
way to the camp and stopped to answer nature's call  before I hit the bumpy
dirt road with the trailer on there and ended up getting pissed twice, the
second time with a NO start, no click, NOTHING.  Reached underneath (NEVER
touch the starter without making damn sure its in Neutral and the E brake
ON) and pulled the lead off the relay and put it back on the solenoid.  she
starts!

 

Pulled the relay apart. the spring material for the moving contact is spot
welded in ONE spot to the top of the relay frame, that spot weld had failed,
and what's worse is that failure mode can jamb your starter on without
releasing it. I got lucky!  I took another one of these relays, (I never buy
just one) and soldered the bloody thing on there so maybe now I can find the
NEXT failure mode of this kind of relay but my warm N fuzzy is gone.  Anyone
have a good proven source for high current relays in automotive
applications?  Something ROBUST?  I really cant be having problems like this
when the car and trailer are all stuffed and Im in the middle of nowhere.

 

Keith

 

 

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