Tedster and Bob, let's keep this friendly and not let our differences of opinions or viewpoints lead to something we all here at FTE might regret. Let's not get personal.

Both of you are very knowledgeable and I have learned a lot from both of you. I respect your expertise.

And I hope my plea was not needed.

 

Nothing arbitrary here.
I just have to get used to not being accurate anymore.


It's only 4 mW @ 4,160 VAC 3Ø.
What would you call it if you had to get parts for it?

 

Sorry Abe. I'll bite my tongue.

 

I beg to disagree. A solenoid is a more generic term: an electromagnet doing mechanical work. A relay is a specific type of solenoid - one using its mechanical work to make/break electrical contacts. A contactor relay is a specific kind of relay generally making/breaking an AC circuit with multiple legs. And while there may be the odd exception to these general rules, basically, they're subsets of each other. Consequently, just as all cats are mammals, but not all mammals are cats, so too all relays are solenoids, but not all solenoids are relays. Specificity is key.

So, for automotive starter applications, Ford uses a "starter relay" and GM uses a "starter solenoid" (which is both mechanical and contains a relay).

The nonsense from that website about a metal can is simply that; nonsense, as it has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not something is a solenoid, relay, or contactor. There are plenty of Starter Relays that have metal housings (I like the early Ford ones with the manual button on the bottom).

But I can put away my pedantic ways and simply accept that folks use the terms interchangeably in the automotive world...it doesn't change the conversation.

 

When I was a smart mouthed teen I used to go to the parts store and ask for "points and capacitor" just to get the "points and a what?" from the counter guy.

Now I'm a smart mouthed adult. I find other ways to amuse myself at other peoples expense.

 

I will concede that this is a topic for a completely different thread.
Yes, there is a decided difference between a solenoid, a relay, and a contactor, OEM labels aside. A rose by any other name is still a rose. It just depends on if you want to use the terms correctly or not, that's all.

I acquiesce...............

 

If I remember the basic definitions I learned about sixty plus years ago, a relay controls electricity and a solenoid does mechanical work. And then we have combinations thereof and rotary solenoids. Oh, what fun.

 

I was just wondering if something like this would work, sorry for the mess I started! Lol

 

Ford calls the above a starter relay (cause that is what it is, a relay)
And the electro-mechanical actuator mounted the starter a solenoid. (also cause that is what it is a solenoid.)

And yes that would work.

 

It might work but it depends on the years it services. You really need to know how it's wired. Is the "S" terminal supposed to go to a grounding start switch, or is current FROM a start switch applied here? To check this, connect an ohmmeter between "BATT" and "S", you will get a reading if the "S" terminal is to be used with a grounding switch. If you get a reading between between the "S" terminal and the steel mounting bracket, then it is to be used with a two-wire "hot" start switch or ignition switch. The "I" terminal by-passes the ignition coil dropping resistor only when the starter relay is closed.

 

It's wired like this