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    Main Relay 91 LX

    Hello all. I will try to be as breif as I can.

    I have a 91 Honda Accord LX 2 door. I have had the same troubles starting the car in the heat as the rest of some of you had and I am aware of the Relay problem. I bought a sun visor that fixed this at most times. Here is the situation:

    I was driving a mile down the road after it got cooler(so I could start it) and it suddenly died on me right in the middle of a dang 4 way highway. When it died, there was no sputtering, no nothing. It just lost power and I had to coast it onto a median.

    Ok, I was very low on gas. I walked and put gas into. The oil barely touched the dipstick and I was low on antifreeze. I have replaced oil and antifreeze when I got a freind to tow it to my house. Now it will not start at all, even in the dead of night or morning. It will turn over like it is trying and it is a strong turn over as I also got a brand new battery.

    My mechanic freind says it is getting fuel but no spark as he did the screwdriver in the spark plug test. So he says he can hear the fuel pump go on, however when I stick my key into the ignition and simply put it into run position without trying to crank, the engine light comes on and off, but I can't hear the fuel pump coming on. After reading some posts on these forums, they say that is a sign of the main relay. But mabye I just am not hearing it come on.

    I have had my starter and timing belt replaced in the last two years. I have had my distributor replaced within the last seven years. I don't drive hardly at all now and have 280,000 miles on car. I have had some wires replaced that caused me to only stay into 2 gears about 5 years ago. Brand New battery from only a week ago. Anyway, on to the questions:

    1. I have not replaced or soldered my main relay yet. But could that cause it to die in the middle of the road going about 20mph?

    2. It will not start at all now, period. Even with new oil, gas, and anti-freeze. Even in cool weather. I always had problems starting it in hot weather, but when it cooled down it would start.
    Now it just turns over strongly but never ignites.

    3. I opened up the panel box to try to take out my main relay, but it started to rain. I did notice a big female connecter that could probally fit into a 50 cent peice without the corners sticking out, just hanging loose beside that box I have to take out to get to my Relay. Wonder what that is? Its underneath the left hand side of the dash. Edit: My freind told me that was part of my alarm system that I haven't used since I bought the car 9 years ago.

    4. Kinda geared toward my first question. But does once the main relay kicks in, then is it out of the picture into you turn off the car and start it again? I am going to solder that thing anyway to finally fix the hot weather problem, but for some reason I think its more than that with my current situation.


    Sorry for such a long and rambling post, but I am desperate and please excuse any misspellings.

    Thanks in advance!!!
    Last edited by jadden; 06-22-2004, 10:35 PM.

    #2
    The main relay can die at any time and when it dies you are stuck. The symptoms of the relay going bad are that it is intermitant in hot weather at first but after awhile it'll just die.

    The relay is mounted up under the dashboard under the cruise control computer, It's not in any fuse panel that you can just pull out.

    What I would do if I where you is replace your main relay with a new one since you already know that's one problem. Don't resolder it cause that's a waste of time. Spend the $40 bucks and get a brand new one that'll last another ten years.

    Then if that doesn't fix your problem focus on your coil and lastly the ignitor.

    If you distributor has been replaced with a non-OEM one like some replacement autoparts crap I really wouldn't doubt that it broke again, esspecially since I beleive the 91 LX is an internal coil distributor car.

    Good Luck.

    P.S. cheak about the distributor, some of those have "lifetime" warranties. Maybe you can get it exchanged.
    My unupdate website Speedworx-online.com, lol. <click here>.

    Comment


      #3
      Thanks much Busted for the information. That is what I will do.

      One question I am still unclear of that I will rephrase: When the relay suddenly dies, will it cause your car to suddenly die while you are driving?

      Thanks again!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by jadden
        Thanks much Busted for the information. That is what I will do.

        One question I am still unclear of that I will rephrase: When the relay suddenly dies, will it cause your car to suddenly die while you are driving?

        Thanks again!
        yes it will.
        My unupdate website Speedworx-online.com, lol. <click here>.

        Comment


          #5
          Thanks again Busted Lx. I finally pulled that main relay out after a very lengthy and cussing out ordeal as I couldn't see anything even after I took my cruise box off. Come to find out I had an alarm system in, which I didn't even know I had, with wires all over the place. I bought this car second hand. Finally got it out though.

          http://autorepair.about.com/gi/dynam...main-relay.htm

          I know you said to just go out and buy one, but until the end of the month I won't be able to afford too, and I need my car before then. At the very bottom of that thread is a picture of what mine looks like and at the very same spot, except I have another one that looks just like that. So I have two.

          So will it be a total waste of time to solder those cracked joints?
          I know you mentioned earlier it would be, but my roommate works at a auto restore shop and he says he can do it with the tools they have there. Again I am hoping the relay is the problem.

          Thanks in advance!
          Last edited by jadden; 06-24-2004, 11:00 PM.

          Comment


            #6
            Well allot of times they are dry solder joints that begin to crack and some other times the components in the relay have actually goine bad, like the coil in the relay actually goes bad. In which case you wasted your time. I'm not saying the repair may not work. I just don't bother with it since a new relay is only 40 bucks.
            My unupdate website Speedworx-online.com, lol. <click here>.

            Comment


              #7
              Where did you guys get your relays. Online at suto-zone shows they don't have one, I know I don't want to get one from a junkyard. What about the dealer, are they still around $40 from the dealer, I know at one time I heard $75!! Thanks for any help.

              Comment


                #8
                yes from the dealer depending the dealer they can cost anywhere from $38 up to $54. Usual price is around $44. Try Majestic Honda online they're prices are pretty fair, esspecially if your local dealer is tring to stick it to you.
                My unupdate website Speedworx-online.com, lol. <click here>.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Bleh!! My dealer wants $57.18....its still better than driving all over creation to find one. I'm going to call one other dealer to see what they say.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    i just bought mine from mejestic honda, $42 i think...
                    planning to put it in today after work.

                    they have a 2 day shipment special also. got mine quick.

                    S A N D I E G O

                    Comment


                      #11
                      I wish I could do that. I need mine today...going out of town tomorrow and don't need the car to shit out on the way up there.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        i resoldered 2 dry joints in mine, and its started every turn of the key for over a year now
                        MEMBER'S RIDE

                        i was driving along today and the check engine light came on.
                        i pulled over and looked under the hood.
                        the engine was still there...
                        ...silly light!

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I'd do that...but my soldering skills are.....yyyeaaahh...basically I suck at it. I'm not even sure what a dry joint looks like, but I have a hard time soldering 2 speaker car speaker wires together.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            lol... best stick with the new one then :P
                            MEMBER'S RIDE

                            i was driving along today and the check engine light came on.
                            i pulled over and looked under the hood.
                            the engine was still there...
                            ...silly light!

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Just out of curiousity, blamethepunx, did your car die on you too, while you were driving or did you just decide to solder the joints because of constant no starts?

                              I have two joints that are finally being resoldered today. I sure hope that fixes my problem. I will know this evening.

                              Thanks again everyone.

                              Comment

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