1987 Nissan Pathfinder RELAY Help

[NiTeRiDeR]

Hey guys,my pathy wont startwhen i have the ignition in the ON position the main relay is making a ticking/humming sound so I assumed it was my relay that was messing things up... but it isnt, I tried 3 different relays and they all have the same problem...

any ideas?

thanks a million guys.

EDIT: truck does turn over and I am able to use all of my electrical accessories.

[NISTECH]

its a poor connection between the relay and the ecm or the ecm it self. The ecm turns that relay on[ assuming this is the eccs relay] try checking the wire that grounds that realy both at the ecm and at the connector at the relay.

[NiTeRiDeR]

ill be sure to check that out tomorrow(how hard is it?)anything else i should look for?

[NISTECH]

do you have a FSM? That is a good place to start since you can hear the relay shuttering. your focus needs to be on stopping the relay from doing that. you can cheat this though by jumping the correct terminals in the relay you could see if it will start. But you jump the wrong terminal and POOF you fry your ecm for sure. how many terminals are in that Relay 4 or 5?[ do not go by the numbers on the top] look at how many spades are in the bottom of the relay.

[NiTeRiDeR]

4 if I recallits the green main relay

all four blades run in the same direction

i have a FSM for an 88 pathy (same difference right?)

[NISTECH]

yea it will work. ok if the terminals are marked 1,2,3 and 5 you need to jump 3 to 5. now use the numbers that are inside the terminal portion of the relay not the numbers on the top of the relay to match the terminals in the connector. now remember when your looking down into the relay it is upside down. The numbers are a little hard to see but you can see them with good light. match where each of those terminals would plog into the socket and jump them. with the relay out and those 2 terminals jumped try and start it. I cant stress enough though that you be sure to jump the correct terminals so you dont smoke your ECM.

[NiTeRiDeR]

ok so I jump 3 and 5 using what? anything?

and what do i do with 1 and 2? leave them?

I also presume that this is only a temporary solution

what if this does not solve my problem?

[NISTECH]

You do nothing with pins 1 and 2 leave them open.

I always use a paper clip to jump terminals 3 and 5.

yes it is only temporary but it is a diagnostic step to help you determine where the problem is. If the car starts and runs while its running check terminal 1 for power with a volt meter. if it has power and it is steady battery voltage you know that part of the circuit is good and since the car would be running you know the other 2 parts of the circuit is good. so that leaves you with the wire I metioned in the first post or the ECM. you will them pull the service manual and check the continuity on the wire from the relay to the ecm connector. you need the service manual to figure out which wire it is at the ecm connector. and you will need to disconnect the ecm to do the continuity test. if the wire test ok you are looking at a new ecm. If the car does not start doing this post back and tomorrow night I will respond accordingly.

[NISTECH]

oh this last wire is terminal 2

[NiTeRiDeR]

ill try it out tomorrow and see how it worksthanks a bunch

[NISTECH]

no prob have a good night

[NiTeRiDeR]

alrightywell i dont really know what i did i cleaned off the terminals and connecters a bit with my fingerlol bit crude of a method but i cant locate my terminal cleaner

then i put the connecters back on the posts and tightened them more (tighter than they were before)

now she starts (For the time being)so I'm guessing it was just the ground cable that wasnt tight enough on the post

thanks for the help thoughim glad i didnt have to endulge in the huge slew of wiring