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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ hard start relay

Posted by: sk8kat1 Dec 15 2005, 10:22 PM

being only 1 month into owning a914 .. I found thi s hard/hot start rely on ebay

http://http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-914-VW-Bosch-Starter-Relay-Kit-Hard-Start-Cure_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ46101QQitemZ8022818983QQrdZ1

is this something that is really needed? or is it just a scam?

mike

Posted by: sk8kat1 Dec 15 2005, 10:23 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Porsche-914-VW-Bosch-Starter-Relay-Kit-Hard-Start-Cure_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ46101QQitemZ8022818983QQrdZ1

Posted by: r_towle Dec 15 2005, 10:24 PM

if your car is hard starting...you need a new starter...it is a thirty year old part...

There is a more powerful starter available...someone will chime in...

The relay will only mask the problem..

Rich

Posted by: sk8kat1 Dec 15 2005, 10:34 PM

nope not hard to start just didn't nkow if this was know grimlin of the car and this wa sthe fix before I stranded so place in the summer

mike

Posted by: sj914 Dec 15 2005, 10:41 PM

The one in the link is the same one I had on my first 914 and it didn't work for Sh!t on hot days.

Posted by: jasons Dec 15 2005, 10:49 PM

Here we go again. The relay doesn't mask the problem of a bad starter. If your starter is goin' bad, its goin' bad, the relay aint fixin that.

The relay will cure the problem of resistance in the 30 year old, marginal at best wiring harness of a 914. The problem with the 914 starter circuit is this. By the time you run 12v from the battery up to the ignition switch in the cabin, all the way back to the rear of your car where the starter is, you've run that thin old wire about 10-12 feet. AND through a crappy switch. That creates resistance. Internal strands of 30 year old copper wiring corode. That creates resistance. Look at your old wiring, its not shiny copper its dull ugly corroded copper. By the time you add all of those factors, your starter doesn't get enough juice to close its own solenoid.

All the relay does is shorten the path of voltage delivered to the starter. The crappy old wiring has enough balls to close the relay, but not engage the solenoid. Instead of running 12 feet of old thin corroded wire to your starter, you can run a few feet of fresh 12g wire from your battery to the starter via the relay. Also, its a good time to add a kill switch or remote start. To do remote start, you only have to jump the relay.

So it cures a problem, but not the problem of a bad starter.

Posted by: sj914 Dec 15 2005, 10:55 PM

Jasons,
You are correct with your post, but the relay in question is actually really a crappy one. I had one of those and still had to jumper the wires off the realy to get my car to start on some days.

A good relay, so I've heard and it was on my current car is the relay off of a Ford.

Posted by: sj914 Dec 16 2005, 01:01 AM

The Ford relay looks like this one.

Attached image(s)

Posted by: jasons Dec 16 2005, 07:41 AM

QUOTE (sj914 @ Dec 15 2005, 11:01 PM)
The Ford relay looks like this one.

I cured a hot start problem in a FJ40 Landcruiser with a 350 swap using the ford part. You can get one of those for less than $10 at your FLAPS.