Nitro 200 e-start Relay

[Bell407]

Hey guys,

Just curious if anyone out there with an e-start Nitro 200 has had any issues with the relay in the start system failing.  I have had a few instances, primarily on the 1st start of the day, when the prop comes up with the piston hitting compression and the starter tries to rotate the prop over top dead center.  That slight hesitation, along with repeated "normal" starts over time and the continual arcing at the relay contacts essentially welds the contacts shut and the starter continues turning even after the motor is running.  It's a bit unnerving because when this happens after the the motor is started the kill switch on my throttle handle will not shut the motor off.  The only way to kill it is thru the master switch on the frame.  Additionally, if the motor does start it is possible that you could not be aware that the starter motor is still engaged (although I hear it even with my helmet on) and most certainly the starter motor would fail.

The relay itself is not at all heavy duty and therefore it's understandable how/why this happens.  They are quite cheap, maybe $9 off Amazon, which are the exact same thing you can purchase as a spare part thru an Air Conception parts supplier.  I carry several spare relays and a long 2.5mm allen wrench in my tool kit in the event I have to swap one out at the field.  Remove the mounting screw (not easy without the long allen extension), disconnect 4 wires (remember the orientation (take photo)), swap relay.  

So my questions are:

1) Has anyone experienced this issue?

2) If so, what sort of remedy have you found to correct the situation? 

I always make certain that my on board starter battery is charged up.  I have a spare starter I could install but I don't think it's the starter causing the issue.  It would be nice to find a more heavy duty relay or solenoid to fit the application.  Definitely a time when having a dual start set up would be preferred.

Thanks for anyone's feedback.  Let me know if there are any details I am leaving out of my explanation that would be of assistance.

Nick

[Pete S]

This is not an uncommon problem with relays (and switches) where no arc suppression has been added to the circuits.  A good fix would be to add a suppression and cure the problem rather that continually replacing the relay. The circuitry is is pretty simple and is explained in the link here. https://www.nutsvolts.com/questions-and-answers/relay-contact-life

Hope this helps.