Don't know this electrical part, what is it?

[Geocritter]

I'm about to start work determining why my starter on my 1994 Holiday Rambler with the 460 V8 is giving me trouble (FWIW it's a new starter). Pictured here is a prehistoric circuit board located on the firewall above my battery. The big switch and knob is for isolating the battery. My question is, what is the item with the two cables going to it that I have circled in red, my guess is that it's some kind of fusible link but before I bypass it or jump it out while trying to determine what's not allowing adequate power to go to my starter I'd like to know what it is.

Thanks in advance for any help identifying the item.

Steve

[tropical36]

I'm now curious as to what day the winner of this contest is to be announced, or are we to assume that after 5 days, the OP still doesn't know what it is?

[nomad297]

It is a solenoid

[joeprinter]

I think Charles is right, looks like a solenoid isolater.

[RLS7201]

That relay is an isolator relay for your two battery banks. Look to the left of the relay and see the Intellitec isolator relay controller. Then note the control wire from the controller to the relay. It has nothing to do with your starter.

Richard

[Peg_Leg]

20 years old, yeah it's just like me got some rusty joints. Love the board and it's still readable after all this time, wish more units would provide as much info.

[Argosy24]

It's a relay, I've got a board nearly like that on my 1990.

[mvpmich]

Geocritter wrote:
I'm about to start work determining why my starter on my 1994 Holiday Rambler with the 460 V8 is giving me trouble (FWIW it's a new starter). Pictured here is a prehistoric circuit board located on the firewall above my battery. The big switch and knob is for isolating the battery. My question is, what is the item with the two cables going to it that I have circled in red, my guess is that it's some kind of fusible link but before I bypass it or jump it out while trying to determine what's not allowing adequate power to go to my starter I'd like to know what it is.

Thanks in advance for any help identifying the item.

Steve

Definitely looks like an ignition solenoid. Note the cable leading back to the vertical relay bank to the right. Small red wire sends power to it when the ignition is turned on and the relay closes and sends power to whatever is wired to the bank of wires to the right. Probably dash items like heater/AC, power mirrors, windshield wipers, etc. if you jump the wires the aforementioned will always be on whether the ignition is on or not. If you short circuit the relay it will probably melt.

[tropical36]

PaulJ2 wrote:
Do the two large terminals have 12 volts on them all the time? If so it may be nothing but a terminal/tie point. If only one then it may be a relay.

I'm going with a terminal block as well, that's being used as a distribution point.

[dubdub07]

It is a relay. You can actually start the engine from the relay (if the key is on) by touching connecting the big wires. It just sends power to the starter. In the old days they were nice because you could crank the engine from under the hood....should you have a need to do that.

ww

[bluwtr49]

I would also guess relay but the image is not great...it also might be a shunt or fusible link, Just can't quite tell.

[rgatijnet1]

It looks like it is mounted on a board with a printed circuit diagram on it. What does the diagram say it is? How many wires going to it? It may be a junction for a solar charging system at one time.

[JimM68]

it doesn't look like any relay I've ever seen, but I do think it is one.

Such things tend to corrod onthe inside too, and corrosion causes resistance which could then cause low voltage to your starter.

My monoco had a problem with the "bypass" relay, it acted good, but would not pass any real current. opening it up, which did require drilling out rivots and replacing them with screws and bolts, made it work way better, including the ability to start the diesel when the chassis batteries were dead, while holding the boost switch.

[ScottG]

It looks just like the relays Dodge used for its grid heaters.
FWIW, I agree with the others that it's a mess in there. Your going to want to remove all the corrosion and probably just replace that buss bar. Otherwise your going to start having odd problems.

Good luck,
Scott

[John_Joey]

Wow, the first thing you want to do is attempt to find some Corrosion X and spray all that rust with it. That alone will save you future headaches. From that picture I'm guessing that rig sat out by the Texas Gulf coast for awhile.

There isn't enough to see in your picture, but I think it's a good guess that it's the emergency start off the house batteries relay. That is a pretty stout wire going to it and it would carry a lot of current.