What Are The Symptoms Of a Bad Ignition Relay? The ignition relay is a key component of the ignition system in your vehicle. It’s a small, but important part that ensures you can start your engine with ease – and in this article, we’ll be exploring what signs to look for if it’s not working properly.
The vehicle will not start
The vehicle will not start. The engine cranks but does not start, the starter does not engage, or the engine turns over but does not start. This can be caused by a bad ignition relay if you have any of the following symptoms:
- Your vehicle will crank but not turn over
- Your car won’t start up
- It’s time to replace your ignition relay
The engine starts then stalls
When the ignition relay is bad, the engine will start and then stall. For example:
- The engine starts but stalls immediately
- The engine starts but stalls after a few seconds
- The engine starts but stalls after a few minutes
Dim lights or headlights not working
If your headlights or other lights are dim, it’s possible that the ignition relay is at fault. Sometimes it will cause the lights to completely stop working, but more often it will only cause them to be dim. In some cases, this can help you determine whether or not the problem lies with your ignition relay.
If your headlights are not working at all and then work intermittently when you turn on/off certain accessories (such as air conditioning), this could mean that something else has gone wrong with your car. However, if only one headlight is affected by this issue, chances are that it’s because of an issue with its corresponding fuse rather than anything else.
On the other hand, if both of your headlights are constantly too bright or too dimly lit for no reason at all (even after replacing fuses), then there may be something wrong with your system’s wiring or wiring harnesses which can cause issues including flickering lights and poor illumination (especially during nighttime driving).
Blower motor does not work
- If the blower motor does not work and you have an older car, this could be a sign of an ignition relay problem.
- If the blower motor does not work and you have a newer model, it may be that your blower motor is just burnt out or broken.
Radio does not work
If the radio is not working, it could be a problem with either the ignition relay or the CD player. If you are unable to get any power to your radio and it does not receive any power from the battery when you are in park with your key in the on position and the engine running, this could indicate that you have a bad ignition relay. If no lights come on when pressing buttons on your stereo or if there is no sound coming from your speakers, this could also be due to a bad ignition relay.
If it’s difficult for you to start up your vehicle or if it starts but won’t stay running, this could mean that something has gone wrong with one of these parts: fuel pump; fuel filter; air filter; spark plugs (and wires); distributor cap; rotor arm inside distributor cap; electronic ignition module (EIM) – which controls all aspects of starting up an engine including timing advance angle during cranking process so combustion can happen efficiently enough within combustion chamber before valves open during starting sequence); catalytic converter(s).
The ignition relay is an important component in a car
The ignition relay is an important part of your vehicle, as it’s used to turn on the engine. The ignition relay is a switch that connects to the ignition switch and battery and allows you to start your car. When you turn the key, this initiates an electric current that runs through a wire from the battery through your starter solenoid and into your starter motor. Once this happens, it starts turning over until it reaches about 2 revolutions per second (RPMs).
At this point, there’s enough voltage flowing through its coil to create an electromagnetic field between its contacts, which causes them to close together. This creates even more current flow—and boom! You have electricity getting to all of those other systems in your vehicle like lights, computers and warning signals so they can work as well!
Ignition Relay Vs Starter Relay: What Are The Differences?
It’s common for people to use the terms “ignition relay” and “starter relay” interchangeably. Although this is technically wrong, it doesn’t really matter too much. The only issue is that when you do use them interchangeably, it can lead to some confusion. So, what is the difference between an ignition relay and a starter relay?
Ignition relays are used in vehicles with cable driven ignition systems while starter relays are used in vehicles with electronic ignition systems. In older model cars, an ignition switch will be used in place of an ignition relay while the starter solenoid will be used instead of a starter relay. This means that there are a number of different types of relays that can be found on various cars depending on the age of the vehicle and how old school or modern its design is.
The purpose of all these different types of relays is to control and provide power to certain electrical components within your car such as lights, air conditioning units etcetera without causing damage to other components like your car battery – which would happen if they were connected directly together without any form
What’s the difference between ignition relay and starter relay?
Ignition relays are designed to open and close circuits for accessories, such as air conditioners, power windows, and other electrical components. They control the flow of current to these devices.
Starter relays are designed for the starter system on a vehicle, which can be heavy-duty and requires a high-current switch. The starter relay helps to provide power from your car battery directly to your starter motor so that you can start up your vehicle when it’s not already running. It also prevents reverse polarity in this system—which means that it ensures there are no crossed wires or other issues with how electricity flows through these two parts of your car’s electrical system.
The main difference is that the starter relay is a heavy-duty, high current switch that turns on the battery in the starter system.
The main difference is that the starter relay is a heavy-duty, high current switch that turns on the battery in the starter system.
The ignition relay has no direct link to the battery. Instead, it’s connected to your car’s electrical system and deals with higher voltage and current than a starter relay does. The ignition switch operates by closing its contacts as you turn it from position “off” to “on.” This sends power from your battery through your ignition coil (which produces high voltage) and then into your spark plugs. The spark plugs then ignite fuel in each cylinder to start your car running—and keep it running until you turn off again!
The ignition relay simply controls power to accessories and the ignition system.
The ignition relay simply controls power to accessories and the ignition system. You can usually find it near your battery, or you might have one buried in the engine compartment. It’s basically a relay that turns on when you turn over your key, sending power to either the starter system or any other accessory you want to use at that time (like lights or radio).
The ignition relay is not to be confused with the starter relay, which sends power directly from your battery to your starter motor. This relay is also called an “ignition switch”, but it’s better known by its brand name: Delco Remy Starter Relay
Starter relays are usually rated for more amps, such as 100 or 150 amps, while ignition relays are usually rated for 30 to 40 amps.
Ignition relays are usually rated for 30 to 40 amps, while starter relays are rated for 100 or 150 amps. The high amp load of the starter relay makes it more likely that you’ll damage the ignition switch if you have a short circuit. For example, if the wire in your power steering pump shorts out and fries your starter relay, you might find yourself stuck on the side of the road because you’ve blown out two key components: your battery and now also your ignition switch!
On top of this increased risk of blowing out a component during an electrical failure, using an incorrect type of relay could put extra strain on other parts in your system as well. For example, if you have a 30-amp fuse protecting both circuits (ignition and starter), but accidentally use a 40-amp starter relay instead of an ignition relay – which is rated for less current – then you could blow those fuses faster than expected!
There are two different relays but they each serve different purposes
There are two different relays but they each serve different purposes.
Starter Relays:
- Primarily used to energize the starter motor when you turn the key in your car, a starter relay is designed to handle higher amperage loads than an ignition relay. For example, if your car has a 100-amp starter relay and 40-amp ignition switch, it means that your car can start with less than half of its total current capacity (100 amps).
However, if you have a 30-amp starter relay on your engine and the same 40 amp ignition switch as before then it would mean that both systems are working below their maximum capacity (30+40=70)
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post will help you diagnose any car troubles you have. If your ignition relay is sending the wrong signals, there can be a number of things wrong with it. We recommend checking and replacing the fuse if needed first–then looking into whether or not it’s connected correctly by following a few simple steps outlined above. If all else fails, take your car to an auto shop or talk with someone who has more experience than you do about these issues before doing anything drastic!
