Fuel system - where is the "Starter Relay"?

My car was sometimes having issues starting, when I'd jump the fuel pump in the diagnostic box it'd fire up so I assumed the issue was the circuit opening relay. I replaced it with an aftermarket one, no dice, I replaced it with an OEM one, no dice. From my understanding of this circuit the COR is initially triggered by the ignition switch through the starter relay, then once air is moving the AFM triggers it so the fuel pump stays running as long as air is moving.



My fuel pump relay is jumpered so that's out of the equation along with the fuel pump resistor. I have no clutch switch (JDM). That narrows it down to the ignition switch, the starter relay, or all three CORs I have are bad.



This brings me to my question. I know where the ignition switch is. I know where the COR is. But where the heck is the starter relay? I can't find it in the parts fiche.

To answer my own question, I did some digging and the starter relay lives in the passenger kick panel. The reason I couldn't find it in the parts fiche is because I don't have one, presumably because I don't have a clutch switch. This leaves me either the ignition switch or the three CORs. I pulled the knee panel off and took a look but I can't see how the ignition comes out, it looks like it's bolted in from above? Do I have to figure out how to remove the whole thing or can I blindly test the switch somehow?

I tested the aftermarket COR, like I should've done in the first place, and it works the way it should. With the fuel pump jumped it started and ran, and when I pulled the jumper out the engine died. From my understanding either the ignition switch and the AFM are both bad, or a wire is broken. Well I decided to check on the jumper from a 5SFE that I put in place of the fuel pump relay and it looked a bit dirty. I cleaned it up, put some dielectric grease on it, and the car fired right up.

I definitely messed up the troubleshooting on this one, but maybe it'll help someone else out one day.

That’s good though you figured it out. When you say you checked on the fuel pump jumper what do you mean? You substituted a 5SFE relay?

I replaced the relay with the jumper used in some of the FWD Celicas to send full power to the fuel pump all the time. The same thing could be made with a couple of spade terminals and a piece of wire, I just liked the factory jumper because it only goes into the correct terminals. I have no clue why Toyota put it all the way out in the relay box by the alt though.

Only thing I have right now is that's the wrong diagram. 185 Doesn't use the switch in the AFM.
More later if I can find time.

When doing electrical diagnostics, you should be comfortable using a meter to chase voltage signals. It'll save you time and money vs the "throw parts at it approach".

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Normally I'm pretty handy with a multimeter and I'd spend more time properly chasing voltages. At the moment though I get very limited time to work on the car at all and even less time where I can actually fire it up (or try to) so unfortunately the parts cannon is the best I get a lot of the time.

Boom



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I don't wear polo shirts, otherwise that's pretty accurate.

LOL This is a good reminder to me to restrain myself!