Sound like a starter relay issue?

[Grec]

Car recently (beginning of the year) had the motor completely rebuilt and has been running like a clock ever since... (woohoo! :-) However last weekend, two times, I went to start the car and... nothing. Zero starter engagement.

Both times I played around with the clutch-safety switch connections thinking that was the culprit and both times it eventually started up. (it has started 5 or six times since then with no problem)

But I started thinking about it and am wondering if this kind of intermittent starting problem couldn't be a starter relay issue. Do they generally start going out here and there or just die all at once?

(The relay that's in the car is prob about 8 years old, although the car was not being run for a lot of that time.)

Thoughts?

[Chryco Psycho]

Sure could be the issue , if they are OK you will hear them click closed if there is no click it is either the relay or power / ground problems
 they are cheap so put in a new one

[brads70]

Check/replace your battery cable if its old. Might " look" ok but might have the " green death" inside. I leaned this the hard way once..... flatbed home. 

[burdar]

When it acts up, it's easy to test.  You should have power at the yellow wire on the relay with the key in the START position.  If you have power there, but don't have power out of the relay, you have your answer.  Like Chryco said, they are cheap.  It is probably a good idea to have one on hand anyway just in case.

[HP_Cuda]

It's always good to have a spare just like having a spare VR on hand.

[Grec]

Went ahead and ordered a new one.

Good to know on hearing them "click," CP. Also, good advise on testing the yellow in. I'll keep a meter in the car for awhile so I can test if it does it again.

Of course, it hasn't acted up since it did it those couple times last week. So I have a nice random problem... my favorite. :-)

Thanks, guys.


P.S. Battery cable is relatively new 

[73_Cuda_4_Me]

I had a similar issue with mine... it was a grounding issue...  turned out the rivet that held the relay onto the mounting bracket was just a wee bit loose from over the years... I'd go to start it, and nothing...  some days worked fine, other days not... pop the hood, and twist the relay can a tad, and vroom... bought new relay with ground wire so not relying on relay case for grounding to inner fender well...

[Grec]

@73_Cuda_4_Me  we may be looking at almost the same issue...

Went to swap mine out and realized that the two screws that hold it to the fender are slightly stripped. Can't tighten it down real firmly. If it has to ground solidly to the fender, that's probably the culprit.

[burdar]

Unfold a paper clip and put it in the hole while you install the screw.  It will take up some space and allow the screw to tighten.

[Grec]

@burdar  Heh. Very McGyver. I dig it. 

[Chryco Psycho]

It doesn't need to ground , it has 4 wires with a  dedicated ground either to the clutch switch on a 4 spd or to the NSS with an auto trans .

[Grec]

Gotcha. Thx, CP. Good to know.