starter relay removal question.

[fullercameron]

I recently removed a non-functioning starter from my '72 xs2. I want to remove the starter relay as well and I wanted to double check that I am not missing something before I run into trouble.

The relay appears to have 4 wires: Large wire from battery, large wire to starter, two smaller wires - red/white (from ignition?) and blue/white (from decompression lever/start switch). Since I have already removed the starter, I am just trying to figure out if I can just remove the large power wire from the relay and disconnect the two smaller wires.

It looks to me like I can just remove the power from the relay and put a piece of shrink tubing over the end of the boot so it can't touch anything metal (given that the boot would be open on the side where it used to connect to the relay). The large cable would still be connected to the battery, but the power would be fed to the bike through the smaller red wire only.

My main concern is whether or not I need to do something with the two smaller wires. It looks like I shouldn't have any problem just disconnecting them, but I wasn't sure if power fed from the ignition through the starter relay.

I am using a replacement, stock style harness from mike's and the only alteration to the electrical system I have made is to remove the safety relay and the starter.

I have been looking at the wiring diagrams, but since my brain processes the electrical stuff a little slow, I thought I'd run it by the committee before I made my life more difficult. Thanks for any advice.

 

[fullercameron]

I really just want to know if I can just remove the relay or do I need to connect the blue/white and red/white wires in the harness to keep things in working.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[TampaSVT]

I think you're referring to the Starter Solenoid, not the safety relay. And, if so. It all can be removed if the starter has already been deleted.

With that in mind, you should actually be able to remove the safety relay, also.


Rich

 

[fullercameron]

Thanks Rich

I am referring to the starter solenoid (not exactly sure what the difference between a relay and solenoid is officially) I already removed the safety relay and capped the yellow wire from the alternator loom. Just wanted to make sure that I could still just use the stock positive cable and simply remove the solenoid without cutting power to the coils.

Stock wiring diagram shows only a blue/white, ground, and hot wires on the solenoid but mine has a red/white that is also connected to the same lug as the blue/white and I wasn't absolutely sure what this was going to. I thought it was possible that something in the system was receiving power after the relay in that circuit.

I can probably figure it all out with a VOM, but since my electrical knowledge is at kindergarten level I like to ask before I get myself into trouble.

Thanks

 

[Hairyblackdude]

Try to think of a relay as an electrical switch.

When the relay is activated, it will connect those 2 heavy wires together as long as its activated for...

The relay is activated by supplying a negative and a positive signal to the smaller terminals.. when the relay is not provided with BOTH neg and pos, its inactive.

So, if your starter button provided a ground signal when the button was pressed, you would hook 1 of the thin wires on the relay to a positive pwr source. When the starter button provides that neg signal to the other thin wire, the relay will activate & connect the 2 heavy wires together.. ie- battery to the starter...

If your trigger wire was a positive signal, you would provide the relay with a ground on the other thin wire...

As simple as it sounds, they have a thousand uses and applications.. you can even use them to change polarity of wires if needed...