How do you know if you main relay is bad? see i'm having problems starting my car it cranks and wants to start but it just won't. when i turn the key the car cranks but i also heard a clicking noise coming from the main relay and when i touch it i feel a small vibration. but i just don't know what it could be I have band new spark plugs, battery, flywheel, grounds are all good, starters good, alternator should be good due to the fact that the power works. but the car doesn't want to start. please can anyone help. if it's not the main relay i just don't know what it could be.

 

Few things to check:

Are you getting spark at the spark plugs?
Is your timing right?
Are you getting fuel into the cylinders?
The main relay controls the fuel so if your not getting fuel into the cylinders and everything else checks out (fuel filter, pump, regulator etc) then its probably your main relay.

 

ok well in that case then must not be the main relay because i am getting fuel but what esle could it be?

 

so does any one have any idea?

 

help i just replace the cap and rotor but i don't know what is going on the car still doesn't want to start. what could it be?

 

i had trouble starting my car a month or two ago, thought it was main relay, ended up being my coil. May want to check that with an ohmeter, did you check if you were getting spark, i found i wasnt getting any spark thats how i knew it wasnt the main relay. With your coil if it tests out of spec with both tests, you test like + and - and then +to tower or something like that. Mine were just barely out, but i ran and got one out of a junked 92 acura and it started right up 15 bucks.
Mitch

 

i saw from an earlier post you had that you werent sure on the removal of the cap and rotor, so removing the coil may be even harder, just do what you did before remove the ca pand the rotor, then take off the plastic covering piece behind the rotor, once you ahve that off the copper colored thing that has 2 wires attached to it and has a tower of some sort probably a spring on it, that is the coil. There are 2 screws that hold it into the distributor take those out and pull it out, becareful not to break those wires or put too much tension on them. Then just unscrew those 2 wires from the coil and you have it out. Then you can go about testing it. If you arent sure about that im sure there are specs somewhere here on the boards, it shoudl be in any repair manual you have.
Mitch

 

no body knows how to tell if your fuel relay is bad?

 

oh to check that, when you turn the car on your check engine light will come on and then you will hear a click and the check engine light turns off then your main relay is good, also if you hear the fuel pump working or after trying to start it a few times you smell all kinds of gas in the cylinder, than the main relay is not your problem

 

i agree with the above poster. check your ignition coil. i had 2 integras that had the same problem.

 

Sounds nice, but where is this relay so that I may check it. Please help, as the original poster noted, the car (92 Acura Integra) won't start.

 

are you looking for the main relay or the iggy coil...??

main relay is under the dash to the far left of the car tucked just between the fuse box and the floorboard..

the iggy coil is in the distributor.. which is located on ur block that has ur spark plug wires running to it...

take ur cap off with the 3 screws that hold it in.. dont take ur wires off ull forget the order they are.... then that giant black thing on top of ur dizzy is ur iggy coil... it should have 2 wires running to ur icm.. which is a white/brown small box looking thing... that has 3 wires running out of it... take the wires off the coil and then theres 2 screws on top of the coil to take off... take those off and pull the coil out... no hard work at all...

if you need pics let me know.. i have my distributor sitting right here in my bedroom on my bed ..

i have this same problem.. but i blew my icm.. 234 for a new icm.. and 184 for a new dizzy..