the PO of my 89 firebird had no clue what they were doin at all when working on the car. my newest problem is somin with the starter. it clicks when trying to start. so im trying to check all fuses and other electrical lines leading to and from the starter. i was checking the wires by the fuse panel when i saw the relay above( black box with green and white wires) had the large green and yellow wires cut and twisted together. what is the function of the relay and why ould the PO have attached those two wires directly


thanks Andrew89tpi for the pic

 

Thats the starter enable relay, it was stock from the factory. Its part of the VATS system. If the VATS stopped functioning at one point, the car would no run. The way the VATS works is, your key has a small "chip" in it. That chip is a carbon pellet resistor. When you insert the key in the column, it completes an electrical circuit with the VATS module. The VATS module then determines if the correct key is inserted in the column by measuring the resistance of the "chip" in the key. If it reads the correct resistance, it grounds the start enable relay, allowing it to function and send voltage to the starter when the key is turned. It also send an "enable" signal to the ECM to allow the injectors to fire and the distributor to fire the spark plugs.

As to why the PO twisted the yellow and green wires together I dont know. But if it was the problem the starter wouldn't do anything since it wouldn't be receiving ANY power. You said it clicks, which means the solenoid is getting power, but its not getting any/enough battery power to the main starter terminal.

Have you had your battery tested to make sure its not the culprit? Or checked all your cables to make sure they arent corroded/melted/frayed?

 

i had the same problem with the relay but i just cut the wires and splicest them together and it worked just fine. maby not the safest way to go about it but it works