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Jim
Grant has been working in the automotive industry for over twenty
years. In addition, Jim is an ASE Master Technician with advanced
L/1 certification. He works as manager and technician in his
family's automotive business in New Hampshire. He writes weekly
automotive consumer columns and is editor of an automotive newsletter
that is circulated throughout North America. |
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Jim Grant's Tech Tips
'98 Toyota Corolla, No Insurance Relay
Q:
I took the engine
relay out of my ‘98 Toyota Corolla so my daughter couldn’t drive
it when she did not pay her insurance. I put it back in and the engine
light comes on. Lights, AC works but no engine. I have jumped it and used
a battery charger. Still nothing. Any ideas?
-
Chris M.
A:
Removing the main engine relay is an affective
deterrent in stopping unwanted operation of a vehicle. When I take my
vehicle into Boston I always pull a relay and plug it into an empty slot.
A good car thief can get around about any theft system to steal a vehicle,
but a car thief doesn’t stand a chance if a critical relay is not
in place to provide electrical power. If they’re smart enough to
figure which relay I moved and get it plugged into the correct slot, I
might as well throw them the keys. I’m not too worried about throwing
my keys to anyone soon. As for your no start problem, I cannot provide
an explanation on why removing and then reinstalling the main engine relay
would cause or create a no start condition. Any chance something has occurred
that you may not be aware of? Does someone else know you pulled the relay?
Did you know that installing the wrong relay or installing a jumper wire
in the wrong place could cause damage to the electrical system? Are you
sure you’re putting the relay in the correct spot? It just may be
that there is a problem that is unrelated. You just happened to be in
the right place at the wrong time. It’s that “ever since you
touched my car” syndrome.
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