Relays Solenoids

About Our Solenoids and Amp Relays for Classic Auto Restoration and Repair

Anyone that is an antique car lover can learn to rebuild and repair classic autos. But an understanding of the parts involved and how they interact is still important, especially for figuring out what you need to keep your vehicle on the road.

Starters are frequently one of the areas where classic cars can struggle, as old starters are often not equipped to continue to handle vehicles on the road today. Two parts that you may find yourself needing to fix the starting mechanism are the “relays” and “solenoids.” 

How Relays and Starter relays are used to take the voltage off of switches in Classic Cars

Starting a car or truck requires a lot of energy. But the transmission switch is typically a very small amount of energy – not nearly enough to start a vehicle. So a switch is needed to tell the electrical components in the car that it needs to turn on high power to start the engine. Relays, solenoids, or both are used to tell the starter to switch the engine on. 

The terms relays and solenoids are often used interchangeably because they are both, essentially, switches. They can also both be used to turn a lower power signal (turning on the ignition) into a high power signal (starting the car), which is how they tend to be used in starters. They are also both electromagnetic switches.

Still, in theory, there are some differences between them. 

What Are Relays?

Relays are simplified switches that typically only have an “on” or “off” function. Most auto relays are also not powerful enough to turn on a starter on their own. 

What Are Solenoids?

Solenoids are similar to relays (and it could be argued they are a type of relay), but instead of a simple “on” or “off,” these devices convert electrical energy to mechanical energy, and are able to send more power to the starter to make sure the vehicle turns on successfully.

Many vehicles, especially the more recent the models, have both a relay and a solenoid performing different functions, even though both are used to trigger the starter. 

Our Relays and Solenoids Here at Vintage Auto Garage

Vintage Auto Garage has relays, solenoids, starters, and sets of different products available for antique cars and trucks of most American makes and models. These include:

• GM
• Ford
• Chrysler
• Mercury
• Lincoln

We also have universal solenoids, and related products like 12 volt headlight relay kits and Borg Warner R10 R11 solenoids and relays Find what you need here at Vintage Auto Garage, today.