What is the starter relay mod?

6strngs

New member
When I first bought my car I noticed a relay above the starter and wondered what it was. After browsing the forums for a while, I've seen the mention of a "starter relay mod" once or twice. I've done a search, but no luck. What I want to know is, how is this mod done, what problem is it fixing, and what real problem is it a "band-aid" for? At least to educate me so I know how it was done if I ever wanted to undo it, and so maybe I could fix the actual problem so I don't have some random relay sitting on top of my starter :doh:
 

Rick89GTS

New member
Read all about it here:
http://www.st162.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=48&t=236

starterrelaydiagram.jpg


Another thread I cross-referenced:
http://www.celicatech.com/forums/showth ... st29986365

One more thread:
http://alltrac.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php ... rter+relay

Still one more link:
http://alltrac.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php ... rter+relay
 

psipwrd

Member
i'm replacing my starter for the 2nd time in a year. the car cranked intermittently before starter relay mod, and fine for about a year after. now it's intermittent and tapping the starter helps it crank. what could cause the starter to go bad so fast?
 

yyonline

Member
psipwrd":131nlp42 said:
what could cause the starter to go bad so fast?

You didn't specify what you're replacing it with. A lot of the aftermarket rebuilders don't seem to do a very good job of rebuilding them. I had issues with Napa and Autozone starters on my Celica ST for years. I was replacing them every 1-2 years. I got fed up with that and rebuilt one of the rebuilds myself with Toyota parts. It's been fine since 2010 now.
 

entrax

Member
the starter relay mod fixed an issue where the wire from ignition-start to the starter is too thin. over time/age, it doesn't allow for enough current going into the starter.

So instead of that wire firing up the starter, you instead run it to a relay. a relay will be much easier for the weak current to turn on/off. once the relay is energized, it allows for a strong (and hopefully safely fused) 12v signal straight from the battery to the starter.
 
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