i am not undertsanding how to check to see if the relay is bad or good . my cooling fans will not work when the relays are pressed in all the way the fans will not work . but if i pull them half way out and wiggle them a bit i can get the fans working. i am not sure if this is a contact issue or the relays are weak or bad ? i already paid some joe smoe $35.00 to tell me the relays are bad ! but he did nt seem very familar with the problem. can anyone help ?
toyota relays ?
Mar 14, 2006
4 Replies
Normally you test a relay by removing it and finding its pinout (where the lugs connect internally; there's often a diagram on the relay itself for this) and applying 12V across the 2 coil terminals and listening for clicking. Clicking means the coil is good and that the contacts are at least moving, but they could be heavily corroded with carbon and should be checked with an ohm meter as well ($10 digital multimeter can measure ohms). Tap and wiggle the relay during testing to bring out any marginal connections and defects.
If you don't have a spare relay, you can temporarily connect jumper wires where the relay contacts normally go, but take care to make the right connections so that nothing shorts or becomes damaged.
The relay panel may have loose contacts, but it may be possible to tighten them by gently prying between the plastic and the folded-over metal ears.
That does not sound like bad relays, it sounds like bad connection. Unless the feet of the relays are broken. Otherwise I suspect the terminals of the connector you are plugging the relay into is not holding in place. Maye try some of that electrical heat grease on them. Cant remember what its called. But normally its already on the relays feet if they are underhood.
thank you everyone for the comments ! they really helped. i eneded up replacing the relAYS . i also cleaned the contacts and it seems they might be be working but i still have to take it for a drive and see ! i have codes that keep coming back that i dont understand why ? p1131 and p0401 these codes keep coming back.
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