trulytex

It's an Automatic.

And yes, I was told by a Mechanic friend of mine that the Remote Starter Relay is an "Old School" fix for Heat Soaked Starters on Chevy's and has been used for a long time.

trulytex

Here is a little more clarity to the Remote Starter Relay issue. I also own a 1987 Cadillac Allante' and receive the "Insider Magazine" published by the Allante' Club of America. An Allante' Specialist that has a regular column in the magazine suggests installing the same thing on an Allante' (made from 1987-93) that has "No-Start issues when Hot". The following is his explanation of why this works:

"This issue can show up in all GM cars up to 1999. [The Remote Starter Relay] reroutes the power so that it goes directly from the battery to the Starter Solenoid. With the cars now 20 years old, resistance can build up in the now older wires and not allow the Starter System to work the way that it was designed."

I hope that helps explain why this works. I have never professed to be a mechanic by any means and even less of an electrical engineer. Just trying to pass on what little bit of knowledge that I have learned playing with these toys to other people who were as frustrated as I was with my Baby leaving me somewhere on the road waiting gor her to decide to start.

TheKid!!

TrulyTex - I was having the same problem. My car would start then after 10 mins or so di on the road and not start again. After many false repairs and starts It seems as though the relay on the car (which is in the SAME LOCATION as the relay you have pictured here turned out to be bad. my mechanics electrical guy troubleshot to that relay - though it is not a remote start. My log winded question is would the original relay in that position be the starter relay? If not what? Right now I have it bi-passed with a fuse.

spatz406

My 1990 Vette is doing this exact same thing:if I drive it for about 30 mins to an hour, it sometimes won't start unless it sits for about 10 mins. I googled "Painless starter relay" and got a company("JEGS") that sells them. They offer two 30 amp relays, part#764-30201 and part#764-30202. Would you please look at them at your convenience and advise me which one I should buy? Thx loads. Maybe I can keep this old girl after all.. :-)

Tom400CFI

My opinion is aligned with this one...If you car won't start, fix the root cause....don't need to add a switch, to turn on a switch.

WVZR-1

You need to determine the for sure why the "no crank". What condition is the battery in? Cables etc.? You likely only need the contacts and maybe a plunger repair IF the balance of what I mentioned is in good condition.

with Tom here in this particular case with this particular brand cranking motor.

MaSTeRofDZaSTeR

I actually had this prob on my 90 too. But of course I live in the desert so in the summer's here at 112 degrees dry heat, it could be far more brutal. You may have bypassed the problem with similar concept, just via a different method. But if it gives you problems again, just put on a starter heat shield/wrap if you haven't(it's like 20 bucks). They sell many, but this one from JEGS seemed to do the trick(says it reflects 90 percent of the heat that other shields don't claim to, whether they do or don't.): http://www.jegs.com/i/Thermo+Tec/893/14150/10002/-1

I had f***ed with the vats system every which way but loose on my '90 to make sure it wasn't a problem and eventually just bypassed it with a switch kit(only downside is I have to warn mechanics of it everytime I take her to get any service done because some idiot always messes with the switch and it shuts off injectors). I went to shop after shop that said it was probably my starter or the solenoid in it, or the contacts....all that bulls***. And what was happening is my starter enable relay would just fry. One after another. I think I went through 4 or 5 of them one summer. It was just a 10 buck part, but replaced new, the starter would fire right up until about a week later in the heat. So likely some connection in the starter's chain was the culprit. It could have been crappy relays, but likely not if I went through so many. Anyhow, knowing the VATS was out of the system, I put on the specific heat shield I linked to above and haven't had a problem since with the starter. The last time I had a problem like this was about 3 or 4 years ago right before getting the shield wrap. It's been so long I almost forgot how well it worked.

Stellabarbara

Help, my 1990 decided not to start this morning. So I got my little HHR out and hooked up the cables... Started right up. Let her run for 10 minutes, turned her off and back on. Started right up. Disconnected cables, turned her off. Turned her back on, started right back up.
About 10 to 15 minutes later, went to start her back up, dead as a door nail.. New battery in May.
Got the cables out again, hooked them up, she started right up.. It's been almost 2 hours now and I checked her again and she started right up...
All of the gauges are reading correct and it shows a full charge to the battery. I thought it might be the altinator because it didn't hold the charge, I thought!!! But now I am wondering if its not something else because she started up after 2 hours...
Checked the forum and didn't see anything that could help...
Thanks in advance for your help...

Tom400CFI

This very old thread isn't really related to your issue.

You most likely have a bad/intermittent connection some where. I'd start by checking the battery cables to the battery.

Stellabarbara

Ok, I'll start there. I have 15,900 miles on her and she spends 90% of her time in doors. Seen rain a couple time by accident, but has never seen snow.. Well can't say never.. She does see it from the garage when the door is open.

Thanks again

bstults

Just ordered my 30AMP relay through Jegs. I have a 1990 Vette with the same problem. Not a VATs issue...I hear and can feel my starter relay click (brand new) when I turn the key. CCM is recognizing the correct key, but I've been having an non start issue when the car is hot.

I'm wondering if you have had any problems with the relay since installing? I didn't order the bump start given I have a MT.

mtwoolford

I don't mean to question your starter rebuilder, but a "rebuild" can mean different things to different people. It's fine to "rebuild" the mechanical end of a starter (bearings, bushings, brushes, contacts, etc.), but if the insulation in the windings is slowly breaking down from age, heat, and vibration, (hard to tell under a coat of shiny new electrical paint) the starter never will be 100% unless the windings are replacer or rewound.