Starter, click... (I know one more post)

[nborton]

Sorry for all the posts, I'm trying to fix all the quirks so I won't consider selling my baby..


Ok, my starter solenoid goes, click, when I turn the key. But before you tell me what to do, I just replaced the starter with a mini tahoe from bosch, I replaced the positive battery cable to the starter, and I replaced as far as I can see the purple wire.

I thought from reading that the new magnetic starter didn't need all the current? bahh....

I wanted to replace the purple wire farther but couldn't get it out of the loom, I think I found it by the brake booster, but didn't want to cut and replace on a guess. Is there a secret for getting it out of all the taped factory wires? should I just get a big relay? which ones take 40amps?

thanks

 

[Jimmy]

It's the thickest purple wire in the loom above the brake booster.Get you some 10 gauge and replace the whole wire.

I also have the mini starter,and replaced the purple wire all the way to the booster,been working great.

Some good info in the vault and here as well.

 

[Blake]

I've experimented with this.
IF YOU DO THE REDUCTION STARTER LIKE IS ON THE TAHOES, DON'T BRIDGE THE TWO CONTACTS ON THE STARTER. Very very important. The starter will draaaaaag when you let go of the key.
What I did was kept the positive cable running through the relay so I don't have 12 volts ALL THE TIME at the starter and ran a 10g wire to the relay and down to the starter. That way the relay gets kicked and the solenoid on the starter gets kicked at the same time.
Works great.
My wife left the lights on and the headlights were dim and it still cranked and started. Does sound really different too.

 

[schavez]

What is the part# for the TAHOES starter?

What is the part# for the TAHOES starter?

What is the part# for the TAHOES starter?

 

[Ian Turgeon]

What I did was kept the positive cable running through the relay so I don't have 12 volts ALL THE TIME at the starter and ran a 10g wire to the relay and down to the starter.

Blake, I'm not picturing why this has any advantage over the way it works stock. Youre still relying on the starter solenoid to switch on right? Your still using the switched power from the ignition switch to turn it on at the starter (only passing through and aditional relay now). Is it just to prevent having 12v at the starter power wire all the time?

 

[turbodog]

A 'typical' relay install simply uses the relay to provide full battery voltage to the stock solenoid field connection (instead of routing thru the key switch, park/neutral switch, purple wire). The purple wire circuit only powers the field winding on the relay, which draws much less current than the solenoid field winding.

NBorton, you might have a bad park/neutral switch or key switch. It's sort of hard to believe a few feet of the purple wire, in an area well away from downpipe heat, it going to make all that much difference.

 

[Ian Turgeon]

A 'typical' relay install simply uses the relay to provide full battery voltage to the stock solenoid field connection (instead of routing thru the key switch, park/neutral switch, purple wire). The purple wire circuit only powers the field winding on the relay, which draws much less current than the solenoid field winding.

In that case your using the purplewire/ignition switch to flip a relay that will send power to the switched power on the starter solenoid. Basically re-routing where power comes from to turn on the solenoid's field winding. Potentially getting more voltage to it by bypassing/band-aiding any problems cropping up the stock harness.

Is this what the Hot-Shot relay does?

And from what George was saying it sounds like hes doing something a little different.

 

[turbodog]

If I interpret correctly, he is using the purple wire circuit to power the relay and the solenoid field windings, and using the relay to supply hi-current 12V to the starter motor? Not sure if I have that right.

I replaced the purple wire and still had 'click-no-start', so then I installed a external relay per this diagram:
http://www.syty.huryde.com/html/electrical/starter_wire.htm
and it works like a champ.