Where Is The Starter Relay Located?

The starter relay is most often located

under the car hood

, found in the power distribution center. It can also be located in the fuse block in the cabin. The relay has wires coming in and out of it.

Where do I find the starter relay?

Starter relays are usually

mounted on the engine bay

but not on the engine block. You can track down the fuse box starter relay by following the big wire from the positive battery terminal. They are located close to the battery sitting in a box with a black lid on most vehicles.

How do I know if my starter relay is bad?

1. The Vehicle Is Dead. The most obvious symptom is a completely silent car that does not respond when you turn the ignition key. …
2. Starter Making Clicking Sounds. …
3. Occasional Failures In Starting The Vehicle. …
4. Starter Does Not Get Switched Off.

Can you bypass starter relay?

Place the metal blade of an insulated

screwdriver

across both metal contacts. This bypasses the solenoid and creates a direct connection between the starter motor and the ignition switch.

Is it the starter or starter relay?

The

starter

is a small motor, powered by the battery. It gets the engine of your car running. A starter relay sits between the battery and the starter motor, transmitting power. Without a properly working starter relay and motor, you won’t be able to start your vehicle and may need a tow.

Can Autozone test a relay?

A relay can be checked with a jump cable

, a voltimeter, an ohmimeter or a test light. If the terminals are accessible and the relay is not controlled by a computer, the fastest method will be a jump cable and a test light.

What happens when your starter relay goes out?

If your starter relay has gone bad,

the electrical signal will never make it from the battery to the starter motor

. As a result, your engine won’t turn over – no matter how many times you turn the key. A faulty relay often produces an audible clicking sound when you turn your car.

How can you tell if a relay is blown?

1. Locate the relay you need to test. …
2. The quickest and easiest way to test a relay is to swap it out with a known good replacement. …
3. Grab a multimeter and set it to Ohms. …
4. Leave the multimeter on ohms or continuity. …
5. Energize the electromagnet coil with a 9-12V battery across the pins.

What does it mean when starter relay clicks?

4. Clicking sound coming from the starter. This symptom is common when your battery is low on amps, but is also an indicator that your starter relay is not sending a full signal. The relay is an all or nothing device, meaning that it either sends the full electrical current or

sends nothing to the starter

.

Is a starter relay and ignition relay the same thing?

Like most of the switches in your vehicle, the ignition switch controls only a low-powered signal, in this case to start the engine. … In the case of a starter, the ignition switch signals the

relay/

solenoid (possibly by way of a computer) and the relay/solenoid switches on the starter circuit to engage the starter.

How do I know if my starter or ignition switch is bad?

1. Car Won’t Start. If you turn your key and the car attempts to start, but fails, then you might have a broken ignition switch. …
2. Key Won’t Turn. …
3. Car Stalls. …
4. No Noise From The Starter. …
5. Dashboard Lights Flicker.

How do you test a starter relay?

Set your multimeter to be

on the Ohms scale

. Place one probe on the lead on the ignition circuit terminal and the other on the ground lead. The reading should be less than 5 Ohms. If it’s more than that, the starter relay is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Is it easy to replace a starter relay?

Damage to the starter relay often happens from a bad power connection on the starter that causes it to short circuit. A

nonworking

relay cannot be dismantled for repair; you will have to install a new one in order to start the engine.

Can Autozone test a fuse?

Once you find the fuse box, locate the right fuse by checking the diagram located inside the cover. Then test it with a standard automotive test light (photo 1). Or, buy a

fuse testing tool at an auto parts store

, like Autozone, and just touch it to each fuse in turn (photo 2).