[alfa] RE: Starter Running On

["John S." <roadtrip999@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Bill - You are correct. Evidently '74 was the only year a relay was 
installed for the starter. My old '71 did not have one. The wire diagram for 
a 75 does not show a relay. Why Alfa took it back off, I have no idea. 
Running a lot of current through the key switch doesn't sound like a good 
idea to me.

The "starter running on" problem did happen to me on my 71, but never on my 
74. I did have a click, no crank problem which was due to burned contacts on 
the copper contact bar in the solenoid. Although I replaced it, I suspect 
that I could have cleaned it satisfactorily. I suppose if the contacts were 
dirty, they could also arc, and stick causing a starter run on like you had.

The bottom line is I think a relay is a good idea for both the starter and 
the CSS, since they are both high current items. Might save an expensive key 
switch and ensure a full current to the starter solenoid and CSS.

-------------------------------

My 79 SPICA spider did not have a factory relay, I also had this problem,
First I added the relay because this is the easiest to do, did not fix it. I
used the same relay for the cold start solenoid and the starter relay, there
was no feed back form one solenoid to another, when power is removed the
solenoids they should dis-engage, no witch craft here. The starter still ran
on after the key was released. I then cleaned the starter solenoid,
reassembled it dry (as per Fred) and have not had a problem with it.

Bill LeClair

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