Must Be Repaired Immediately, Recognize the Signs of a Damaged Car Starter Relay

In your car, you will find a system known as the starter system. The presence of this starter system makes it easier to start the car engine, so you don't have to push or crank it first. 

Therefore, you need to recognize the signs of a faulty starter relay so that you can fix it immediately. Here are the details.

1. Swollen and Blackened Starter Relay Body

The first sign that indicates the starter relay is damaged is that the part appears swollen or bulging, and seems to be blackened as if it has been burned. 

The starter relay itself is actually one of the components in the starter system. This part is very important because it serves as a safety function and also as an electromagnetic switch.

So if the starter relay is damaged, the electromagnetic switch cannot work to activate the starter motor. As a result, when started, the car engine does not turn on and only produces a clicking sound. 

The condition of the swollen and black relay starter body indicates that the coil and magnetic switch inside it are damaged.

2. No Reaction from the Starter Motor When Started

The next sign of a faulty starter relay that you can identify is the absence of a reaction from the starter motor when the engine is started. 

Even though the indicator light on the dashboard is on and shows a normal condition, the car engine does not start as usual and only produces a clicking sound.

This sign is the easiest for you to recognize, even before you check whether the relay part is swollen or not. 

So when you turn the ignition key or press the start button, there is still no sign of the engine starting normally, indicating that there is no reaction from the starter motor.

Read also: Causes of Car Starter Motor Damage

3. No Connection on the Starter Relay Windings

The absence of a connection on the starter relay windings can be one of the signs of a faulty starter relay. To determine the connection between the relay terminals, you will need a tool called a multimeter. 

This multimeter should be set to the OHM meter position to check the connection between the terminals.

For example, terminal 30 is connected to the car battery, terminals 85 and 86 are connected to the ignition switch (in the form of coils or windings), while terminal 87 is connected to the starter solenoid. 

If the relay is damaged, then when terminals 85 and 86 are measured with the multimeter, the result will show no connection. If so, it can be confirmed that the relay has a problem.

However, if the results show a connection, further checks are still necessary by applying electrical current to terminals 85 and 86. 

Then terminals 30 and 87 should be connected due to the magnetic power. If they are not connected, this could be one of the signs of a faulty car starter relay.

Read also : All About Car Electricity, From Systems to Schematics