There are two relay pin-out standards in existance; Type A and Type B. Type B is the common type that you buy over the counter almost anywhere. Type A is much rarer and yes, these are the type fitted to the K series. If you upend the relays and look at the pin numbering, this is the way to tell the difference:-

- Type A has pin 85 opposite pin 30
- Type B has pin 85 opposite pin 86

The pins numbered 87-something are the outputs.

- On a four pin relay, pin 87a is connected to pin 30 when power is applied across the coil. Frequently used as a horn relay.

On five-pin relays,

- 87 and 87 are two linked outputs. When the relay coil is not energised, these two pins are still connected together. When the relay coil is energised, continuity is pin 30 - both pins 87.
- 87 and 87a is a changeover relay. When the relay coil is not energised, continuity is pin 30 - pin 87a. When the relay coil is energised, continuity is pin 30 - pin 87.
- 87 and 87b are two independant outputs. When the relay coil is not energised, neither pin is connected to pin 30 or to each other. When the relay coil is energised, continuity is pin 30 - pin 87 and 87b. This is the fuel injection relay type.

Type A relays are getting harder to find and frequently come in at almost twice the price of a Type B relay. A premptive strike against the possibility of a relay failure is to swap terminals 30 and 86 in the relay housing and drop in a set of Type B relays. If you pull a relay and look in the relay housing, there is a small cutout on one side of each terminal. Push a thin blade into that cutout; this will depress the terminal latch and allow you to pull the terminal out of the relay housing. Before pushing it back into its new position, pull the latch back up to an angle of about 20 degrees so that it locks again.

None of this terminal-swapping applies to later models that are fitted with micro-relays. They have a completely different and consistent pinout as they are relatively modern. However, the description of the actions by pin number still apply.

I saw the thread title and thought there were three types

Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian?

(Okay it's a bit obscure)

So it took me around thirty seconds to figure it out. Go away and lock yourself in a dark room for the duration.

Thanks for the top quality tip re. swapping the relay terminals over, never realised that was all it took. One to remember.

PS Are you sure you figured it - it was very obscure. Only sticks in my mind 'cause I had a great colleague many years ago who used to walk around muttering "Ionic, Doric , Corinthian". Stress of the job back then I suppose. Didn't have the current level of mental health awareness.

In fact, during these mad, locked-up times, I think I'm going to sit down and watch every Mel Brooks film that I can find. If that doesn't help then maybe its time to call it a day 

Was this a thread about relays? Sorry 

Went and checked. Maybe I didn't get it after all What's columns got to do with relays? Initially I thought that they might also refer to a sporting event.

I always thought Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian were orders.  I guess I don't get the relay reference.  But then, I'm a victim of educemucation in the U.S.

???

I don't care.

Not sure I do! First that came to mind was actually Insulation Displacement Connectors but I havena gotta clue whit thez haz to do wi' relies.

I was just going through a few old relays and testing them, and I found this a Narva 68024 which had been fitted to my Brick from they day I got it. After it played up intermittently in Dec 2017 I replaced it with an OEM one and threw into my assorted electrical stuff. As I was testing them I compared it with a spare OEM one and it looks to be the same configuration. Price online 16.90 delivered Munich's relay $44.00 plus delivery. 
Regards Martin.
Regards Martin.

So the picture on the right is almost the same,  but as Dai notes, pins 30 and 86 are swapped, that's a problem. Hopefully the previous owner was too lazy to swap the wires around when he installed the wrong relay, since you now have the correct one.

One of my bricks, blacky of course, had these pins swapped, but Bosch and both 87, just to add another layer of confusion.

An easy option,  next time you go past a car wreckers, look under BMW bonnets  for a light green, five pin relay. I'll bet my bottom dollar the part number will be 6136-8373700. That's a substitute.

C'mon Chris, help us out, you've kept us in suspenders long enough, need some more clues.

Chris, I’m guessing: History of the World, via Corinthian. As always, thanks for the bloody diversion, I’m supposed to be testing spares...

Might any relay experts (Dai ? Chris ? ) know what the code is written on the top of the relay, I am assuming batch or date code  ?

I have some relays and seems internal as in manufacturer codes to identify part nos are embossed in some of them.

I hope you have your DIC columns in order too so you can progress to the true meaning of dic, duc, fac, fer.

I don’t think those codes are part of the ‘Standard’ just manufacturer internal references.

[EDIT] Like Olaf just said. Doh

The Bosch 0 332 019 451 (or -457) will work for the 4-pin load shed and horn relays. I found them at http://euromotoelectrics.com.for $26US.

Euro MotoElectrics’s part number is REL-588