electrical and ignition Relays...round or square?

[MikeD]

At what point did BMW switch from square to round relays?  I find reference to both being in 74tii's.  Just wanted to know what is correct and factory installed during that period.

[Conserv]

Mike,

 

I'm not able to answer your question definitively, and I even wonder if there is a single correct answer.  Why?  Because I believe BMW viewed these relays as a commodity and used what they had.

 

Two points:

 

First, are either the round or square metal relays dated at all?  I have some of the square metal relays in my parts collection -- not available currently -- and I don't recall whether they had manufacturing dates.

 

If one style absolutely replaced the other style, I might guess -- and it would solely be a guess -- that the round relays came first.  Why?  Because they look like the pre-square taillight relays more than the square metal relays.  But even if that was true, how do we know when the cut-off occurred?  We'd need lots of data points to prove anything.

 

And my second point involves the square plastic relays that came on my '76, manufactured April 23, 1976.  Their dates range from August 1975 ("8/75") to June 1976 ("6/76"), the latter of which I purchased from my dealer in July 1976, and used to wire my fog lights.  I have seen multiple other '76 '02's with these square plastic relays -- and have salted away a couple spares -- but I have also seen '76 '02's with square metal relays that appeared to be original.  And these other cars were dated both before and after my car's April manufacturing date!  Meanwhile, the relays used on my '76 for the 49-state emissions controls are of the square metal variety.  So BMW was installing both square styles contemporaneously.

 

Maybe others will jump in, but we're going to need a bunch of reliable data points (one-owner and/or highly-original examples) in order to develop an answer that is definitive or even mostly convincing.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

Edited October 13, 2016 by Conserv

['76mintgrün'02]

My 76 looks about like Conserve's; except there was one metal relay in with the two plastic ones.  It was the front one with five prongs.  That particular relay was made in Spain, as were all of the five prongers I have seen.  The rest are made in Germany.  fwiw.  My two plastic relays were made in 8/75 and installed on my 10/75 '76 2002.

 

One of the plastic ones had a cracked cover, so I wound up replacing them with the metal (galvanized) variety, when I added a fourth one for some running lights.  The dull metal matches my engine bay and the plastic covers are delicate, by comparison.

I pulled a handful of them out of some e21 cars and they were all metal.  Some galvanized and some cadmium plated.  The cad plated relays are dated.  8/80, in this case and also stamped with the BMW logo.  Apparently they were made in Italy.

 

I am not sure whether any of this is helpful, but it's what I have to add : )

 

My way of thinking is that square relays belong on cars with rectangular tail lights and round ones go with round tail lights.  That may have nothing to do with what came out of the factory, but just seems right.

Tom

[MikeD]

Steve, Tom

Thanks for your info.  I think the best answer is that BMW used what they had at the time.  My square relay picture is off of a completely original 74tii bought at 8000 miles and owned by him since them. The round relay picture is off of my 74tii (I am the original owner)  which, supposedly are the relays that came with the car, cleaned up when it was restored.  I am trying to determine if they were cleaned up or new ones were put on.  There are no date codes on the round ones.  I just need which one is really correct or are both correct.  I realize I am just being a little anal-retentive over this but would like to know.

 

Mike

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, MikeD said:

Steve, Tom

Thanks for your info.  I think the best answer is that BMW used what they had at the time.  My square relay picture is off of a completely original 74tii bought at 8000 miles and owned by him since them. The round relay picture is off of my 74tii (I am the original owner)  which, supposedly are the relays that came with the car, cleaned up when it was restored.  I am trying to determine if they were cleaned up or new ones were put on.  There are no date codes on the round ones.  I just need which one is really correct or are both correct.  I realize I am just being a little anal-retentive over this but would like to know.

 

Mike

 

Mike,

 

Were your round relays made in Germany?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[MikeD]

51 minutes ago, Conserv said:

 

Mike,

 

Were your round relays made in Germany?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Steve....Yes....they were "Made in Germany".  That is about the only things on the relays.

[Conserv]

2 hours ago, MikeD said:

 

Steve....Yes....they were "Made in Germany".  That is about the only things on the relays.

 

So, Mike, perhaps that's a sign they are original, or, at least, of the period!

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

[Simeon]

Made in West Germany?

[MikeD]

56 minutes ago, Simeon said:

Made in West Germany?

It doest say....

[Simeon]

I remember at the time, some companies made a point of not specifying 'which' Germany. 

 

Mind you the wall came down over 20 years ago now. 

[JohnH]

Just fit the new square relay inside the old round one.

[avoirdupois]

15 hours ago, Simeon said:

I remember at the time, some companies made a point of not specifying 'which' Germany. 

 

Mind you the wall came down over 20 years ago now. 

 

 

An interesting observation.  The subject was briefly discussed in connection with a thread on swan neck mirrors.  http://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/181263-swan-necks/  Denotations of "West" or "Western" Germany seems to have been sporadic and voluntarily based on notions of political pride, propaganda and maybe even to avoid confusion between FRG/FRD and GDR products.  Some tools bore the distinction, others did not.  BMW seems to have been on both sides of the divide since VIN tags did not seem to make the distinction, yet factory literature listed the company's address as "West."   Whether electrical components from Bosch and Hella, among others, bore the distinction seems equally sporadic.  

 

 

I do not know when round was replaced by cube.  Anecdotally, I am familiar with several original pre '73 models and they were equipped with round relays.  It is probably more of a coincidence that generic "cube" relays seemed to appear with the mid '70s sheet metal and model changes.  Suffice it to say, the cube design is more space efficient than the round counterparts and appeared to be adopted by all of the Deutsche auto manufacturers by the end of the decade. 

 

 

 

Made in "Germ[any]"

 

 

 

 

 

Made in Germany

      

 

 

Made in Western Germany

 

 

 

Made in Western Germany (Porsche)

 

 

 

 

Made in West

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2016 by avoirdupois

[HBChris]

My experience with these relays is as follows based on owning a 74 back in the day and currently an original 75:  always small round can relays near battery, square metal ones only on the smog/emission harness.  On the e9 coupes, only Large round metal relays (small and large all had Hella graphics on them).  I can't speak to the Tiis but I always thought the square relays if found near the battery were simply replacements.

['76mintgrün'02]

how common are these white connectors?

are they original?  (photo from post #1 above)

[HBChris]

The white plastic bases are very original and hard to find, NLA for many years.  Those look flawless as they all turn yellow over time.