From: tombiasi@optonline.net   
      
   On 5/7/2018 7:02 AM, Jim Thompson wrote:   
   > On Mon, 07 May 2018 05:38:49 -0400, default    
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >> I was poking around in my truck the other day and had cause to open up   
   >> the starter relay. (not the solenoid, the relay that energizes the   
   >> solenoid)   
   >>   
   >> I was amazed at the size of the contacts.  They were under 1/8" in   
   >> diameter yet the relay is rated at 40 amps.  The AC clutch relay-   
   >> ditto, tiny contacts.  In the case of the clutch relay I know for a   
   >> fact the inductive kick must be >100 volts since it is shocking..   
   >>   
   >> Now how can they do that, when I have lots of plug-in Potter Brumfield   
   >> 12V relays with contacts easily 4 times the size and only rated at 10   
   >> amps. (240 volts AC or 28 VDC resistive)   
   >>   
   >> (The actual problem with the truck was not the relay itself but the   
   >> intermittent neutral switch in the tranny.)   
   >   
   > I know that queasy feeling.  I just bought some 110VAC (coil and   
   > contacts) relays.  Contacts rated at 10A!  Flying lead from contact to   
   > spade connection looks like #20 :-(   
   > 		   
   >                                          ...Jim Thompson   
   >   
   Auto manufactures want top reliability from their vendors but at a very   
   low cost. The engineers that design the relays play it very close and   
   play the odds.You probably would be surprised at what you would go   
   through if one of your relays failed in the field.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)