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srarter relay, pins 30 and 87

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Old Feb 21, 2026 | 02:08 PM
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From: Prescott Valley, AZ
srarter relay, pins 30 and 87

1988 pickup SR5 22RE 465K
I am replacing my starter relay. The pins on the aftermarket replacement do not mate with the factory pins. I have tested the relays for continuity, activation of the solenoid, and continuity of the power connection.
I was ready to cut and splice the mew leads to the old plug until I found this: Do not switch connections to pins 30 and 87. At about 6 mins into this YouTube.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUSxo-CCLR8>

Do any of you know why?
Can any of you label the 30 and 87 pins on the plug from the relay to the harness? Or on the relay? The leads are soldered to the relay.

In my pic, the pins inside the red ellipse do not show continuity: they are 30 and 87, but which is which? The other two pins are 85 and 86.

Is there a way to identify pins 30 and 87 without following a wire to the battery?

Thanks.

This plug connects starter relay to harness. The circled pins do not have continuity. Which is 30, and which is 87?
This plug connects starter relay to harness. The circled pins do not have continuity. Which is 30, and which is 87?
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Old Feb 22, 2026 | 07:07 PM
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Previous testing revealed which pair of pins was the power side, pins 30 and 87. I looked closer at the connections of the pins to the relay body. I had two choices: Black and white. I chose black as the hot wire, and the connections to the new relay fell into place. The pins on the new relay were clearly marked. I soldered the new relay to the original plug. My soldering was a bit rough, as some of the wires were thick and didn't twist easily, and my low power soldering gun was barely adequate to melt the soft solder, I tested the first two soldered wires for continuity. A-OK. . But I did it, wrapped the joints, and installed it.
Voila.! The pickup started readily.
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