Honda Car Forum

My wife went out to goto work this morning in her 90 Accord LX
and her car would start and then immeditaly die, I had read somewhere
in the group about holding the key between the on and start position
to see if it ran there, it does, but as soon as I go back to the on
position, it dies. In the on postition, the radio plays as well as
I can put the windows down (power), so it may be getting some current
through it. The local dealers do not have the part in stock, so this
will give me a couple of days to try different things. If not the
switch, what are the other possibilities?

TIA
Kevin

In article <1126631919.568201.306380@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
"Kevin in Iowa" <kevininiowa@aol.com> wrote:

> In the on postition, the radio plays as well as
> I can put the windows down (power), so it may be getting some current
> through it.

Then it's not a bad ignition switch.

Kevin in Iowa wrote:
> My wife went out to goto work this morning in her 90 Accord LX
> and her car would start and then immeditaly die, I had read somewhere
> in the group about holding the key between the on and start position
> to see if it ran there, it does, but as soon as I go back to the on
> position, it dies. In the on postition, the radio plays as well as
> I can put the windows down (power), so it may be getting some current
> through it. The local dealers do not have the part in stock, so this
> will give me a couple of days to try different things. If not the
> switch, what are the other possibilities?
>
> TIA
> Kevin

Sounds like the main relay (the portion of the relay that assures that
current continues to flow to the fuel pump after starting).
They can be repaired by resoldering.

Here's a very good explanation:
http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/start...html#mainrelay

I had the main relay changed out a couple of weeks ago for a hard
starting
issue with the car, like Teggers web site I felt the relay and did get
the 3
clicks from the relays inside it. All of the gauges go dark when in the
on
position but if held between the on and start position they light up, I
still
have the old relay and may give that a try.

Kevin

UPDATE: I took my old relay and repaired it as the web
site shows, and changed it out with the new relay, still
does the same thing, so it is looking more like the
ignition switch.

Kevin

Kevin in Iowa wrote:
> I had the main relay changed out a couple of weeks ago for a hard
> starting
> issue with the car, like Teggers web site I felt the relay and did get
> the 3
> clicks from the relays inside it. All of the gauges go dark when in the
> on
> position but if held between the on and start position they light up, I
> still
> have the old relay and may give that a try.
>
> Kevin

Ok, that's a very good clue. That points to the ignition switch to me -
forget what I said about the main relay.
Maybe see if you can hotwire the switch to make sure it is bad.

Remco

Kevin in Iowa wrote:
> UPDATE: I took my old relay and repaired it as the web
> site shows, and changed it out with the new relay, still
> does the same thing, so it is looking more like the
> ignition switch.
>
> Kevin

oops -- just noticed your follow up post.
Right -- check the ignition switch. It usually is a dual (or sometimes
even more than 2) pole switch so one pole must be bad. You can probably
hotwire it with some clip leads to make sure your switch is indeed bad.

Remco

On 9/13/05 5:43 PM, in article
1126651386.694114.247540@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups. com, "Remco"
<whybcuz@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Kevin in Iowa wrote:
>> UPDATE: I took my old relay and repaired it as the web
>> site shows, and changed it out with the new relay, still
>> does the same thing, so it is looking more like the
>> ignition switch.
>>
>> Kevin
>
> oops -- just noticed your follow up post.
> Right -- check the ignition switch. It usually is a dual (or sometimes
> even more than 2) pole switch so one pole must be bad. You can probably
> hotwire it with some clip leads to make sure your switch is indeed bad.
>
> Remco
>

If this ignition switch is anything like the ones they were using in
'95-'96, you can take if off, pop it open and clean up the burnt contacts.
You might be able to clean them up enough to make it run again for several
more days until the dealer gets the part.

In article <1126650442.710289.199970@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups .com>,
whybcuz@yahoo.com says...
> Kevin in Iowa wrote:
> > I had the main relay changed out a couple of weeks ago for a hard
> > starting
> > issue with the car, like Teggers web site I felt the relay and did get
> > the 3
> > clicks from the relays inside it. All of the gauges go dark when in the
> > on
> > position but if held between the on and start position they light up, I
> > still
> > have the old relay and may give that a try.
> >
> > Kevin
>
> Ok, that's a very good clue. That points to the ignition switch to me -
> forget what I said about the main relay.
> Maybe see if you can hotwire the switch to make sure it is bad.
>
> Remco
>
>
Just done mine. It (the ignition switch assby.) was held on to the key
mechanism with two bolts. I popped it open and found a load of burnt crud
where the contacts rest in drive. I cleaned up both contacts and away it
went. You can operate the switch with a cross-head screwdriver to test it
before reinstalling.
Actually the ignition switch sub-harness on a (UK spec.) 92 accord is
only about 3 feet long and plugs into the footwell fusebox, with only
one other two pin plug for the key illuminator lamp. I took the whole
section out and cleaned & tested the switch on the bench. I could
probably source the harness section from a breakers if becomes necessary
again.

Good luck
--
Chris Notton
Replace "nospam" with my surname to reply by email
Sostituisca il "nospam" con il mio cognome per rispondere
}<////(*>

Thanks for all of the replies, do I need to pull the steering wheel
to get to the switch or just the plastic housing around the column?
Thanks!

Kevin