Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Relay amp ratings

[tgordon]

I belive it is time to change the fuel relay again. I am woundering if I go to a higher amp rating, is it likely to last longer? Or it the cycleing going to kill it any ways?

 

[Joe G.]

Are you talking about the fuel solenoid relay? It should be rated for 70 amps. If you use a 30 amp like Radio Shack sells it will work for a while. The fuel solenoid draws about 40 amps. I've replaced my fuel solenoid relay once in 248K miles and a lot of starts. Have you checked the blue wire on the driver's side battery positive post? If it is corroded or loose you will get those symptoms.

 

[tgordon]

I need to check that, but when 12v is applied directly to the relay from the batt it sparatically makes contact. But maybe as long as I am doing repairs I will pull out the wire and replace it with a fuse for faster easier replacement. This would be my 2nd replacment in 140K

 

[Joe G.]

It it is not completely dead, but works once in a while then a fuse won't help. The fuseable link is just a smaller gage wire so if it works at all then the wire is ok. It my be corroded or loose. That would cause those symptoms. If the relay (you didn't say what the rating of it is) always pulls up but sometime does not make contact that also suggests that the blue wire may be the problem. Of course, if the relay is only rated for 30 amps then you may have bad contacts that are partially burned up. The correct relay should go a lot longer than 140K which also makes me think the problem is not the relay.