REALLY easy Relay question...

[hgray]

OK, I am embarassed to show my ignorance on this one....

The headlight washers are not working. The relay goes 'click' but does not send any electrical current to the washer.

Can a relay go 'click' and be defective?

[eddiehotrod]

Have you got your lights on?

[hgray]

Yes, lights are on. The relay goes 'click' when the dash button is pressed, but no current is passed to the pump.

Can it be the relay's primary switch is working, but the secondary has failed?

[david914]

Yes, it's possible that the relay contacts are bad. Make sure the power feed into the relay contacts is good. The relay is obviously getting coil voltage, but the power feeding the contacts that feeds the pump may not be there.

[RickM]

This shows how a relay works: http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/relay.htm

I'd agree with the possibility of dirty contacts.

[ed martin]

A relay is simply a electromagnetic operated switch remotley turned on or off by another switch. So it sounds as though that part is working, but what you don't seem to have is current going through that secondary circuit. I would check for continuity there.

[Early_S_Man]

hgray,

The relay could be bad or good ... a bench test would tell for sure. Multimeter and a couple of clip test leads [18" - 48" long with alligator clips or grabbers on both ends] would be needed.

I doubt that contacts inside the relay are dirty ... MUCH, MUCH more likely that the relay socket terminals are corroded or that Fuse #19 is blown, corroded, etc. Do you have +12 Volt power at terminal #30 of the relay, at the Red/White wire???

[Superman]

Or the washer pump is frozen. I'd first check whether power to the pump is leaving the relay on its way to the pump.

[911pcars]

Sounds like the control side of the relay is okay (click test is usually valid).

Use a multimeter and test for source voltage at the pump motor.

If none, backtrack through the circuit until you find where it's missing. Could be broken wire, bad connector, faulty power side of the relay or blown fuse as others have suggested.

If source voltage is available at the pump motor, then the circuit up to that point is working fine. Could be the pump, the connection at the pump or the pump ground circuit.

Hope this helps,
Sherwood

[hgray]

Thanks for all the replies.

I have re-tested to make sure that I did not mess up. The headlights are on, the fuse is not blown, the relay goes 'click', I am getting power at the red/white wire, and if I pull out the relay 1/2 way, I get power to #30 pin.

Sounds like a bad relay...... but one question. The wires to the pump are individual, but there is a connector lying unplugged just above the pump. What is that connector for?

[fintstone]

If you have the 12v at pin 30, it should be a simple matter to test the output for 12v at pin P (yellow/black wire). when the washer switch is on. If that is good, maybe you should test the pump.
Just disconnect the pump and run a jumper from your battery positive terminal to where the yellow/black wire was and a wire from ground to where the brown one was to test it.

[hgray]

I will test in the morning, but am certain that there is no power from 12v at pin P (yellow/black wire). when the washer switch is on.

Any ideas what the lime green/white wire is supposed to feed?

[fintstone]

There is a green/white wire that is a test connection from the oxs control unit. If that is it, it should already be disconnected. Is there an unused brown or red wire there too?

If nothing at P (output)...check for 12v at S (green wire) and 58 and ground at 31 (brn). Those are probably there since it is clicking...but not hard to check.

One easy test would to be to pull out the relay and put a jumper between 30 and P. Should turn pump on continuously.