الأحد، 6 فبراير 2011

How to test a fuel pump relay switch


I help people fix their cars over the internet as a main source of income to pay my bills and support my family, and have never heard of such a thing. Many people get the two of them confused, or say one thing when they really mean another. So I am going to try to straighten some things out for you in this article, and then if you need more specific help, I can do that also. Read on...
Okay, for one thing.. Whoever wrote the title for this article 'How to replace a fuel pump relay switch' is a complete moron who has no clue what a relay is or does. Another thing.. There is a relay, and there is a switch.. I am going to assume that they are talking about the relay, and to replace it is very simple, just pull it out and put in a new one. So you know if someone says they had to change the relay switch, then they have no idea what they are talking about.
Where the switch part comes into play is the computer shoots power to the fuel pump relay when the ignition switch is turned to the run position. So in a sense, the computer is a switch also. If you want some more explanation about how this system works on your particular vehicle.. click here (link opens in a new window)and ask me a question about it. I say this because not all vehicles do this the same way. Some go through theft systems, and another series of relays befre they get to the computer.. and then once the signal leaves the computer and grounds the relay, there is sometimes even another switch between the relay and the pump itself.
This can be a complicated system and it is not always as easy as changing a relay to make it work again. The relay is usually located in a under the hood fuse box (or relay center), they are not always labeled as to which relay is for which system either. This is another good reason to click here (link opens in a new window) and talk to someone who knows all the specific details about your vehicle.
Now we will talk about the 'switch' part of the system. If you want to change a 'mechanical switch' then that switch would normally be the one that the ignition key actuates when you turn it. Sometimes this switch is part of the actual cylinder that the key fits on, and sometimes it is further down the steering column, and is actuated by a rod. Again, you would have to talk to an expert on your particular vehicle to be more familiar with the specifics.
Ok, hopefully by now you know the difference between a relay and a switch.
Have a good one, and thanks for reading.

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