If the start button in a motor control circuit is released and the motor starter contacts open, where is the likely fault?

In a motor control circuit, when the start button is pressed, it energizes the motor starter, which then closes the contacts to start the motor. If the start button is released and the motor still runs for a moment, that is typically due to a holding circuit that maintains the starter coil's power. However, once the start button is released, if the motor starter contacts open immediately, it indicates that the holding circuit has failed to sustain the circuit's operation.

The holding contact circuit is responsible for keeping the starter coil energized after the initial start button press. If there is a fault in this circuit—such as an open contact in the relay or a connection issue— the starter coil will lose power when the start button is released, causing the contacts to open and stop the motor. This situation highlights the importance of the holding contact circuit in maintaining operation after the initiation of motor control.

The other options represent different components and are less likely to be the source of the issue in this specific scenario. The stop switch contacts would typically need to be engaged to interrupt power, the overload resets are related to protection against overheating or overloading of the motor, and the motor starter coil itself, while it can also be a point of failure, would not typically cause