Should I have any concerns about relay support to my starter? What if any adverse effects might I encounter?
I have a 1987 Celica GPS. I have changed the starter several times. I have had it done by Toyota and other mechanics. It usually lasts about a month after which time I have start-up trouble again. In every case the car can be started with a push in first, second or reverse gear.
I recently went to a mechanic who decided to attach a relay to the starter in order to boost the current to the starter. This seems to have solved the problem. Should I be concerned?
The starter should already go through the solenoid relay, which sends current through the big, thick red battery cable which is as boosted as you can get. Maybe he put it somewhere between the ignition switch and the primary part of the soleniod, which seems odd, but probably not harmful. If it works, don’t worry about it.
I’m curious if anyone tested the bad starters. It could be some sort of corroded wiring that when it gets manipulated to change the starter, makes contact again for a while. What were the specific no-start symptoms?
Where are they installing the relay? Is this relay controlling the small wire to the starter solenoid rather than the main battery cables?
If this is the case then that is a repair that was done in the old days to the old VW Beetles. However, there was a good reason for this fix on those cars. They were 6 volt systems and had a bad voltage drop with aged wiring so the relay was added to “shorten the distance” the power had to travel before it hit the solenoid.
You should not have to do this on an 87 Celica. If there is a voltage drop bad enough to cause an inoperative solenoid then there is a corroded wire connector, faulty ignition switch, etc.
It sure sounds to me like someone is guessing on your car here since there is no excuse for changing the starter several times.
Another possibility, and IF you do not hear a solenoid click when the key is turned, is that you may have a defective clutch switch.
Not too concerned. I used a solenoid type from a boat on a Mazda and got about seven more months on the rebuilt atarter before It went bad again. I then got one that worked right and then removed the solenoid.