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Elite Veteran
  
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | Howdy,
On the pretext that this might actually help someone someday if they have the same no-start issue I just suffered on the weekend far from home in middle of nowhere, I'm going to post what I've learned about ignition troubleshooting from our wonderful Club Prez - aka: Billy Sitton - and the mobile mechanic who got out of bed early on a Sunday morning to help get me going.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a mechanic and make no claims or guarantees that the methods described herein are the best, correct, or, only way to resolve this issue; it's simply an account of what happened to me and what I did to fix it.
I've also got a few pics and a link to the company that makes the inexpensive relay I chose for the replacement. Whether the pics make it to the screen here is, at this juncture, sketchy at best as I've not tried it before.
After we did the spark-plug test to confirm 'no-spark' I decided to call Billy to see if I could fluke catching him near the phone. He answered right away but gave me an earful for interrupting his dish-washing session.
Here's what he advised to do as best as I can remember:
- with the key 'ON' he told me to check for power at any terminal on the ballast resistor. There was NONE.
- this, he said, pointed to the 'ignition relay' which is next up the line towards the key switch. It is located on the pass-side firewall in the engine room to the left of the battery- isolator, just below the 3-glass fuses.
It has 3-wires to it in a plug. Looking at the terminal end of it unplugged with the odd-ball 3rd terminal pointing to the left (see pic) the top one should be hot (battery) with the ignition turned off; the next below and in-line with it should be hot only with the ignition key 'ON'. The 3rd terminal - when plugged into the relay - then will send the current out to the rest of the ignition. When you've determined there is power to the top terminal without the key on as well as power to the bottom one (in-line with it) with the key 'ON', you have a BAD ignition relay.
BYPASS RELAY TO GET HOME OR TO THE PARTS STORE:
Warning: WHEN YOU DO THIS WIRE-JUMP ON THE RELAY WIRE TERMINAL BLOCK - YOU MUST REMEMBER TO QUICKLY 'UNPLUG IT' AFTER YOU TURN THE KEY OFF, AS THE ENGINE WILL KEEP RUNNING UNTIL YOU DO AND IF YOU LEAVE IT 'PLUGGED-IN' WITHOUT STARTING THE ENGINE IT WILL CONTINUE TO ENERGIZE THE IGNITION SYSTEM WHILE RUNNING DOWN YOUR BATTERY TO SAY THE LEAST.
Make a jumper wire to get her running. A short 4 to 6 inch #14 or #16 GA wire with a spade connector crimped on each end, did the trick.
One end of the jumper goes in the top hot-battery terminal (see pic) while the other goes into the odd-ball terminal - out to the ballast resistor and rest of the ignition.
THE FIX:
After getting home I visited my parts guy and came home with this 30 to 40 amp headlight relay:
http://www.picocanada.com/en/product/926.php
This is the one that I decided to try; its likely there are several brands of similar units out there that would work. You only need to know the amperage of the relay (OEM was 25amps); which terminal to hook up the 12 volt (common/battery) line to (#30-blue, in this case); the key-switch (smaller wire trigger voltage) line (#86 wht.) and last, the line out to the rest of the ignition (#87 yellow).
There is a ground wire included and this unit has to be grounded in order to work.
I'll try to post a few pics for posterity.
Hope this helps someone someday.
Regards,
Terry
#846
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Elite Veteran
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada | Sorry, the pic thing didn't happen.
I don't have time to mess with this any more right now but I'll get a hold of Stephen or someone soon and add the pics if it helps.
Terry |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | Terry, washing dishes is the best way to get the dirt out from under your nails.
Bill |
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Veteran
Location: Olympia, Washington | When it comes to relays pick a common style and stick with it. Newer vehicles are so nice to have all the same 'substitute' relays handy for testing. Bill: I find if I don't work on cars my fingernails stay cleaner so I don't have to wash the dishes.  |
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Extreme Veteran
Location: Ignacio Colorado | I find working in the garden gets more dirt under my nails, and I don't think I should say what doing the dishes gets me!
Bill |
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Contributor
Location: Washougal, WA | I’m bringing this thread back to life as I have this issue.
In searching the webs, I found this relay that visually matches the starter relay pictured in the manual:
Standard SR105T
It is 20A while Terry mentioned the spec says 25A. What say you all?
I’m going to order one to have on hand the next time I turn the key and hear silence. |
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Ignition Relay: No start.
