NO MORE CLICK click CLICK START..ONLY START! starter relay

SomethingElse · #1 09-29-2009, 09:26 PM

Well it finally happened to me..click click click yadda yadda yadda why wont this ****ing car start!.....after tracing the wiring diagram and drawing out the circuit I began to do a simple voltage drop test in the most conspicuous area....THE INHIBITOR RELAY!!! GUESS WHAT!!! BAD INTERNAL CONTACTS...VOLTAGE DROP!!!

Ok sorry I got a little CAPS happy

replace relay...start start start start start

US models only, so our non us members with non us spec SVXii could not assist....we suck..before adding relays do yourself a favor and replace the bad one first.

Inhibitor relay + inhibits starting = fail.

Hocrest · #2 09-29-2009, 09:41 PM

How about a little help for the lazy amongst us??

Where abouts?
Pics of the bastard?

SomethingElse · #3 09-29-2009, 09:49 PM

Mine was hanging under the dash... it may be attached to your steering colum..its a black box relay attached to a harness with 4 pins (connecting to a 5 pin relay as young buck Tom found out the hard way).

wiring diagram calls it starter inturupt relay adapter

I will can take pics tommorrow I need to fix the mess I made...sorry its late

subiemech85 · #4 09-29-2009, 10:15 PM

do show and tell!!

TomsSVX · #5 09-29-2009, 10:17 PM

Its the only black relay under the driver's side dash... I will give it a go sometime as my car had serious starting issues before the relay mod. Will be a good test bed to confirm

Tom

Sov13t · #6 09-29-2009, 10:21 PM

Cool find! Relay mod be gun?

Can it start cars that ran out of gas too?

Trevor · #7 09-29-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomethingElse

Well it finally happened to me..click click click yadda yadda yadda why wont this ****ing car start!.....after tracing the wiring diagram and drawing out the circuit I began to do a simple voltage drop test in the most conspicuous area....THE INHIBITOR RELAY!!! GUESS WHAT!!! BAD INTERNAL CONTACTS...VOLTAGE DROP!!!

Ok sorry I got a little CAPS happy

replace relay...start start start start start

US models only, so our non us members with non us spec SVXii could not assist....we suck..before adding relays do yourself a favor and replace the bad one first.

Inhibitor relay + inhibits starting = fail.

Good one Eric.

Hoooooray, at long long last someone has had the brains to trace the problem.

I have always suspected the inhibit relay because it is a normally closed device. This means that the contacts are closed by only spring pressure and also have limited over travel. As a result they are more prone to give trouble, than normally open contacts.

As I keep pointing out, a fault of this sort left existing, could in future result in a completely open circuit. In which case a slave relay will not overcome the problem. Be very sure it will happen on a wet dark night, a long way from assistance.

Cheers , Trevor.

BoxerFanatic · #8 09-29-2009, 11:27 PM

One question:

is it a standardized part, or is it a subaru or SVX specific module.

Part number or specification, as well as location would be helpful. I need to replace my steering column shroud covers anyway...

SomethingElse · #9 09-30-2009, 05:35 AM

Ill do my best to do a quick write up by lunch time, with pics and part #.

And hopfully by this weekend, Ill write up a how-to no start diagnositic flow chart.

Trevor · #10 09-30-2009, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomethingElse

Ill do my best to do a quick write up by lunch time, with pics and part #.

And hopfully by this weekend, Ill write up a how-to no start diagnositic flow chart.

Good one Eric.

The complete start initiate circuit is not on record and this will be of real value. The inhibitor switch, security system and starter interrupt relay are also niggers in the wood pile.

How about breaking open the faulty relay and advising what you find. Return spring pressure weak, obstruction in the armature return, or whatever. You are the first to properly diagnose the fault, so might as well go the full distance.

Cheers, Trevor.

SomethingElse · #11 09-30-2009, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trevor

How about breaking open the faulty relay and advising what you find. Return spring pressure weak, obstruction in the armature return, or whatever. You are the first to properly diagnose the fault, so might as well go the full distance.

Cheers, Trevor.

Already planned to

, im pulling it apart as soon as i get to work...i suspect ill find the contacts melted, corroded, and deformed on the secondary half as ive seen before on other bad relays.

SomethingElse · #12 09-30-2009, 07:01 AM

got to work..opened it up..sure enough...the spring was slightly deformed causing it to only make contact in one small area...after years of being abused in one spot it began to develope craters

Its just a plain relay the same one used for the band-aid fix 12v 20/30 amps
the #s read 0332204150

the location,
loc1.JPG
loc2.JPG

the relay,
rly1.JPG

and the contacts inside the relay...
opnrly1.JPG

Mike621 · #13 09-30-2009, 08:50 AM

Looks like I know what Ill be doing to the Ebony this weekend!

Trevor · #14 09-30-2009, 06:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomethingElse

got to work..opened it up..sure enough...the spring was slightly deformed causing it to only make contact in one small area...after years of being abused in one spot it began to develope craters

Its just a plain relay the same one used for the band-aid fix 12v 20/30 amps
the #s read 0332204150

and the contacts inside the relay...
Attachment 12856

Just as I had predicted.

However I did not expect such a piece of badly designed junk, even though automotive electrics tend to be cheap and crude. My company would not have rated that relay, as capable of switching more than 5 amps of inductive load. It would have been out of the question to use same in any industrial situation.

It is up to the Subaru designers to explain why a diode is not included across the solenoid winding, so as to shunt a nasty inductive opening spike. A normally closed relay opening such an unprotected circuit, is exceptionally vulnerable.

lhopp77 · #15 01-10-2010, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SomethingElse

got to work..opened it up..sure enough...the spring was slightly deformed causing it to only make contact in one small area...after years of being abused in one spot it began to develope craters

Its just a plain relay the same one used for the band-aid fix 12v 20/30 amps
the #s read 0332204150

the location,
Attachment 12853
Attachment 12854

Adding my two cents. Better pic of location to post in parts location section of How-To.

You will note that it is a long mounting bolt (14mm head) that DOES NOT need to be completely screwed out. The mounting bracket on the relay is slotted and will slip out when the bolt is loosened. IF the part you buy has a mounting hole, simply clip the ends as in pic StarterRelay4.

Bosch part# 0332204150
Autozone part# 19861
Carquest part# RY115

And I fully agree--WHY do the bandaid fix instead of the REAL fix???? Uses the same part.

Lee