Major short blowing ECU relay pack...'95 SPI Cooper...

[MartinCr]

Hi all,

Had no joy on other forums with this one, so thaught I'd try here.

My g/f's '95 SPI Cooper has developed a nasty habbit of blowing up the ECU relay pack...and at a cost of £100 new, we can't afford to carry this on (onto the 2nd one as it is).

We've had the relay pack apart and narrowed it down to a short drawing a huge amount of current through the starter relay in the pack. We've traced the wiring, and all looks in good condition, still in it's trunking and no wear through.
Could a shorted starter solenoid cause this?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Martin

[Pitstopralph]

Hello, I would suggest the fault is much more likely to be an earthing fault, check the body earth and the engine eath strap.
Ralph

[MartinCr]

Thanks for the reply.

I had considered a bad earth strap, however would this not show up in other ways too? The rest of the electrics work well, and, once bump started, the car drives and runs fine, headlights e.t.c. all on.

Thanks,
Martin

[Pitstopralph]

Maybe, but the draw at cranking is huge and as the relay switches the first earth is the one in that relay. It's worth a look bud, I've had it when steadies break and pull the earth strap out of the crimp on the eye of the strap.
It cost's nothing to have a look and clean them up!!

Ralph

[minimonkey]

I had the same issue...

The Multi Function starter relay was burning out every time, at 40 pounds a time its not cheap?!

I could bump start the car fine, but it just would not turn over... but all earth straps etc checked out...

I the end I took it to a auto electrician, he bypassed the MFS relay box with a new relay...




It cost 50 pounds to sort... simples?!

Might help?!

Monkey

[the mini mole]

My friend had a similar problem with his MPI, I will check with him later, but I believe that the problem was the bonnet hinge had worn through some wiring on the bulkhead (IIRC) creating a short.
I will get hold of him and find out and post back my findings!