Relay coil?

Hi, all. This is my first post, I just found this board over on another car board. I have a question about the relay running my elec. radiator fan. Its running off a simple 30amp relay and a toggle switch on my dash. What I want know is, why is the coil side of the relay pulling the same amperage as the current side of the relay? Do I need a new relay? I suspect I do. thanks for your time.

it should defintly not use that much current just to power the coil, it should take less than 200 mA (.2A), are you sure you dont have any of the coil terminals touching the contact terminals. How do you know it is drawing 30 A?

Its drawing 10.8 amps, same as the fan its passing power to. I have a clamp on ammeter. UEI, it measures ac/dc current to 400amps very accrautely and auto-ranges, pretty idiot proof. None of the terminals are touching. I am sure. I hooked up the fan on high and it drew 27amps. Enough to make the switch in the car and the 10awg wires hot. Thanks I think I need a different relay, it must be shorted internally somehow, but why would it still work?

Relays draw 130 milliamps of current. Is your ammeter inductive, doesn't pierce the wire? If it is then it could get interference. How do you have the relay wired? Do you have the power for the relay and to activate the relay going through the same switch? You should take the power for the relay from the battery and run a ground from the switch to the relay, IMO.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

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