Yah, this is pretty common in commercial electrical appliances, and in refrigeration/air conditioning - my business. There should be markings on the relay showing which is NO (normally open) and NC (normally closed). It's easy to prove with an ohmeter. Where people get messed up is with "open" & "closed." Think of a light switch - when the points are touching (closed) current can flow and the light will be on. Flip it "off" and the points will "open," current can't flow, and the light goes out. The coil voltage and switched voltage don't necessarily have to be the same, tho' I'm not sure how that would apply to a car. Maybe using 12VDC in a 6 VDC car ?? I use them a lot for having a 24 volt coil connecting/disconnecting a 110 or 220 (or 480) VAC circuit.