Inside a cheap quad/scooter starter relay solenoid

The cheap Chinese quad/scooter wiring loom yields another treasure for our exploration. The starter solenoid. It's internal operation is different to what I was expecting. In hindsight I guess the way it works allows it to "bang" the contacts apart when turned off, to prevent them sticking. This is the bit that sometimes fails, making loud clicking noises when your car's starter motor is supposed to be turning over. A sharp blow with the handle of a large screwdriver can sometimes get you back in action temporarily. The coil is controlled from your start button/key and switches the high current required by the starter motor. The solenoid coil seemed OK on 6V (1.75A) and 12V (3A), but has a low duty cycle for thermal reasons, so is not suited for continuous operation. If you enjoy these videos you can help support the channel with a dollar for coffee, cookies and random gadgets for disassembly at:- http://www.bigclive.com/coffee.htm This also keeps the channel independent of YouTube's advertising algorithms allowing it to be a bit more dangerous and naughty.

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