Discover how to test fuel pump relay with multimeter by completing some very basic steps
When you have a car, you must have faced some failures in its engine or other accessories that help it to work. The relay can be the one of those elements in your car that can sometimes fail, and its misuse can be dangerous because it is part of the gasoline pump. You have to know how to test fuel pump relay with multimeter, fulfilling some basic steps to find it.
Failures in the relay can be due to many things, from poor electrical conduction or its contacts burned out. As the relay will always be exposed above the fuel pump, it can make it prone to damage or rust. Before you decide that it will cost you a lot of time and money to replace a relay, you must learn how to repair it.
This time you will learn how to test a relay using a multimeter to calculate its current power rating. The easy to test relays are the electromechanical ones, not the ones with a solid built-in circle. You will not lose anything in testing these relays in your car that you have to replace it with a new one in extreme cases.
Know a little about the relay and how it works
The relay is a fundamental part of the fuel pump in your car and comprises four electrical terminals. Sometimes you may come across 3-terminal or 5-terminal relays which can go up to 6. The task of these relays is to increase electrical conduction and stability in the car. The relay connection goes directly to a coil inside the car, and its unique configuration varies according to the number of conductors.
The relay also fulfills the function of turning on or off all the circles that are part of the transmission, pump, engine, brakes, headlights, etc. Everything that has to do with energy in your car is distributed by the relay, which is why its optimal operation is so important. You can find the relay in various sizes left off the bonnet, in the power distributor, with the fuse box, in the cabin, in protective panels, etc.
You have to know about the fuel pump symptoms by knowing exactly how the relay works in your car. The relay is like a switch in your house but unique to your car, where it will distribute all the power to essential parts. The relay has used in a sequence that activates the entire circuit in controls connected to a coil, which causes it to start the motor.
The coil inside the relay that you see produces a good electromagnetic field that closes on metal contacts for its operation. These metal contacts cause power to go into a controlled circuit that will quickly activate your car’s pump. Put with the relay; you will bring your car engine to life with an electric car essential which will help it it to start.
You can double the relay’s electrical performance with an additional one, saving a lot of money on internal wiring. It is quite a convenient setup because your circuit would be more secure and controlled for your installation. You can take this idea for some adaptations in your car’s operation by making the conduction of electricity faster.
Ways you can test the fuel pump relay
Now that you know a little about how your car works, it is time for you to discover how to test a relay with some basic ways:
- You have to find the relay
To know how to test fuel pump relay with multimeter before you have to find it inside your car for quick analysis. You have to open the hood of your car and get to work finding the relay, mostly in the fuel pump. The relay can be located near the firewall or in the fuse box under the general power panel.
Depending on the type of car you have, you can find relays in significant sizes or small parts. By looking for the relay in your car, you will not spoil its operation, but you will search for a cheap solution. You can help yourself with the dedicated auto repair manuals to quickly locate the relay hidden under the hood.
- Remove the relay
Now that you found the relay in your car, you can remove it to do a visual check and verify that it is good. You have to focus on the corrosion of the relay on its terminals or on the socket that may be damaging it. If the relay is corroded, this can get overheated, which in turn leads to power problems.
- Test the relay
To know how to test fuel pump relay with multimeter, you can test it continuously in power with its terminals. You have to set your multimeter with a low ohm range or just the continuity option to see its effect. You must connect the multimeter’s terminals to the power circuits to see its energy measurement.
If all is well with your car’s relay, the resistance should be OL or open load, and you should not hear an alert on the multimeter. If you detect 0 ohms in the relay resistance, this may mean you have a short circuit. When the relay does not emit any power, it is the right time for you to replace it with a new one.
Quick tests on the relay
When you are desperate to get your car to start, you should know how to test the fuel pump relay with multimeter quickly with:
- You have to connect the jumper wire that you may have in your power to help your friends with the positive terminal of the battery to the relay.
- It is time for you to connect the other power jumper wire to the negative terminal in your car battery with the relay’s termination.
- When you connect that second jumper wire to the relay, it should make contact because power is crossing from both ends. If you do not hear this contact, you no longer have reason to doubt the relay and its death from corrosion or factory defects.
If you test the relay with or without a multimeter and do not notice any sign that it is sending power, you have to change it. Relay repair can be complicated, so it is better to call a technician. New relay can be purchased and it is available at a very low cost.
