Where is the starter relay
How To Test and Replace A Starter Relay
now today we'll be showing out how to
test and replace a starter relay now
chances are you're watching this video
because you're attempting to start your
vehicle and nothing happens there's no
cranking if you hear cranking this is
not your problem but if you have no
cranking from the starter maybe you try
jumping the vehicle
nothing happened still this may be the
culprit now very quickly before we begin
you may be thinking how do I find this
on my vehicle two things you can try
number one is a web search specific for
your vehicle and very often you can find
images and diagrams showing where the
relay lives even try a forum specific
for your vehicle most likely you will be
successful so we know based on that
diagram that the relays live underneath
the dash and right there on the corner
in fact if I remove this cover I have
some fuses and then directly above it
that's where we find the relays let me
place down the camera and we'll remove
this plastic cover now holding on this
plastic cover really are just a few
plastic fasteners which you will see in
a moment typically there could be one
here and a couple on the top corners now
removing them can be quite tough
sometimes if you can't fit a couple
fingers underneath the plastic it can
also hurt your fingers as you try to
remove it well you can do is purchase a
set like this maybe ten eleven dollars
off Amazon I'm really nice a nice set
this is definitely one of the better
ones that I've owned it's just a trim
removal set as you can see of a number
of different adapters I'll include a
link if you guys do need this off Amazon
in the description box below
very very simply all that you do just
insert the tool and you rotate okay
let's rotate the gold very very slowly
around the perimeter and slowly pull off
there you go the housing as you can see
you have these plastic fasteners now if
you do break these there are a number of
kits they can purchase
you can easily as you can see this one
is is broken I I'll have to replace this
but you can purchase a kit that will
have a number of adapters so you can go
ahead and take care of that now let's go
ahead and take a look what we have here
and right here these are our relays in
this case for the starter this is the
starter cut relay so let's go ahead and
remove it the relay is pretty much
removed just once you get a good grip on
it that's all it is very very simple
small device testing that really is
quite simple you really just need three
components number one is a battery pack
that pushes out 12 volts you can use
your car battery in our case I have an
RC battery pack that does the job number
two is a digital multimeter do not get
overwhelmed with these very simple to
use and absolute must-have if you plan
on doing your own auto repair also very
very useful for inside the house but
that being said take a look at the
multimeter this one is roughly fifteen
dollars and you have a number of
different symbols what you want to find
is the symbol for continuity now
continuity means two points make a
connection that's it
very very simple so looking at the meter
the continuity setting is it looks like
a Wi-Fi hotspot so that's what you want
to find they all have the same symbol it
doesn't matter what brand you purchase
so a Wi-Fi hotspot take a look at the
screen right there Wi-Fi hotspot so now
I'm on the continuity setting so if I
touch these two leads we have continuity
so this is ready to go then I have
alligator clips because I need to get
power from the pack to the relay now
don't forget this is really just a
switch so when power and ground is
supplied to the relay there's a little
switch that turns on here and it allows
current to flow to in our case at the
starter now you may be looking at this
and thinking well how do I know which
prompts to touch well two things
trial and error which I'll show you now
I'll do that based on I don't know which
prompts to touch or if you have the
factory
repair manual as I was stating earlier
the repair manual will tell you which
prongs to touch okay in other words
which prongs receive power and which
prongs to test for continuity but don't
go crazy it's very very simple so what
we're going to do here are the alligator
clips so positive the positive of course
don't cross the leads and negative to
negative okay now let's say I don't know
which two prongs to touch well the first
thing is you want to test the horizontal
in my case and the vertical now most
likely yours will look very very similar
to this one you have two horizontal
leads and two vertical leads now if you
do have five leads we have a separate
video think that was a fuel pump uh no
clue that link below and with the five
leads you can also test this very very
simply but that being said chances are
you'll have a Ford lead as this really
is
so let's first apply power and ground to
the top relay now it doesn't matter if
you're positive is here and your
negative is here or vice versa because
what you want to hear for by the way is
a clicking noise okay that tells you
that the relay is energized I didn't
hear anything there so let's try the
other way okay nothing okay I don't hear
anything so let's try the vertical guys
so one lead here one lead here and there
you go you hear that that is a very good
sign that this is working but it's not
foolproof but let's say I did this the
other way okay still turns on so now let
me just move this to look too close so
now I want to verify once this is
powered these two leaks should be
connected inside the relay so again this
switch will now be touching both leads
so let's see if this is working
correctly so if you hear that clicking
noise very good sign but it's not again
it's not a hundred percent grab your
multimeter and check for continuity okay
one lead goes here the other lead here
let me zoom in just in case
there we go okay here we go one lead on
the bottom one on top there we go
continuity if I reverse it does it make
a difference okay that's it so that
verifies let me make it study so that
verifies that the relay is working now
if you do this test and your relay is
perfectly fine but you're having trouble
with your vehicle in other words you're
turning the key and nothing is happening
you're not getting a crank from the
starter we just did a video a few days
ago regarding how to check the battery
the starter we talked about the ignition
switch this is something called a
transmission range switch I go through
all of that like 20 minutes long I'll
include a link in the description box
below if you want to check that out but
that's all it takes to test a relay very
very simple as you can see quite simple
to test one of these now before we wrap
this up very very quickly I'm going to
create a playlist specifically for
relays I'll include the link above my
shoulder and in the description box
below and that will just add to that
list over the next two weeks I'm going
to start really adding to these
uploading relay videos just so we can
get everything on one source in a sense
so fan relays power window relays
ignition coil relays there are a lot of
relays in your vehicle so in the future
if you have a problem you'll have this
one link to really test any really that
you really need for the most part and
hopefully this will save you money you
know as opposed to your car not running
now you have to get a tow truck bring it
somewhere and that sort of thing it may
just be a $10 part so that being said
thank you for watching I will see you
next time
