RE: [alfa] RE: Starter Running On

["John Katos" <john_katos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

1974, hmmmm, that was the year of the seatbelt interlock. Perhaps that
is the reason for the relay.

John Katos
West Dundee, IL USA

-----Original Message-----
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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