Jim Grant's Tech Tips

'98 Toyota Corolla, No Insurance Relay

Q: I took the engine relay out of my ‘98 Toyota Corolla so my daughter couldn’t drive it when she did not pay her insurance. I put it back in and the engine light comes on. Lights, AC works but no engine. I have jumped it and used a battery charger. Still nothing. Any ideas?

- Chris M.

A: Removing the main engine relay is an affective deterrent in stopping unwanted operation of a vehicle. When I take my vehicle into Boston I always pull a relay and plug it into an empty slot. A good car thief can get around about any theft system to steal a vehicle, but a car thief doesn’t stand a chance if a critical relay is not in place to provide electrical power. If they’re smart enough to figure which relay I moved and get it plugged into the correct slot, I might as well throw them the keys. I’m not too worried about throwing my keys to anyone soon. As for your no start problem, I cannot provide an explanation on why removing and then reinstalling the main engine relay would cause or create a no start condition. Any chance something has occurred that you may not be aware of? Does someone else know you pulled the relay? Did you know that installing the wrong relay or installing a jumper wire in the wrong place could cause damage to the electrical system? Are you sure you’re putting the relay in the correct spot? It just may be that there is a problem that is unrelated. You just happened to be in the right place at the wrong time. It’s that “ever since you touched my car” syndrome.