HONDAOWNER1999

I have a 1999 honda accord ex MANUAL 4 cycle- 187150 mile. I just replaced it using this post and it was easy with the step by step instructions. took me about 2 hrs, and drove around for 10 miles and it hasn't die or stall yet.

My issue was driving about 5 miles and all of a sudden, all the lights on the dashboard would flickered once or twice and car was dead.

Note: i took the screw in the back out of the stirring wheel also, need a 90 degree screwdrive fyi. Also i used a plastic putty knife to jimmy the panel under the radio out to prevent scratching anything.
Thanks a lot saved me about $150.00.

99accordvtech

I want you to know this is going to be printed and used for my switch install tomorrow. this is a nice thread i wish more people had the effort to make suck useful tools. thank you so much you saved me!!

Mad Medicine

Here's a PDF if you want to print it out: http://www.ifixit.com/pdf/ifixit/guide_3285_en.pdf

(every iFixit guide has an auto-generated PDF)

Happy fixing!

metalman1980

I had different results with the ignition switch testing. The one I removed and the new one had the same results. As follows:

continuity between terminals:

LOCK ALL OPEN
ACC 1 + 5
ON 1+3+4+5
START 1+2+3

erl the pearl

Di you happen to notice if your green key light was on? It sounds like I have the same problem but I believe that its my immobilizer and not the ignition switch.

maddog1249

Thank you so much for posting this, Mad Medicine! My gf's car was turning off randomly as she was driving. I came across your post when researching the problem. I followed your step by step instructions and was completely done in 27 minutes! It would have taken me hours and hours if I had to figure it out myself. I cannot thank you and the other relpiers enough!

As a side note, the symptoms were the car turning off on its own while driving, sometimes restarting on its own, and other times needing to be dropped into neutral and restarted before being hit by traffic. Someone wrote that to test this, while the car was running, to wiggle the key (in the on position) and when I did it, it died, so I figured the switch was exactly the problem. The previous owner had already done the recall fix at Honda. So I bought the duralast part for 52 bucks and she purrs like new. By the way, someone else mentioned that you can see and smell the bad ignition switch. That is true...the burnt plastic smell was there after I popped out the switch and smelled it (it was faint but definitely there) Also, there was browned and slightly melted plastic at the base of the white ignition switch cap.

Anyways, thank you OP! You are both me and my girlfriends hero! Especially hers, since now her car doesn't die anymore in traffic going 60

maddog1249

LOL...my gf just read this and told me this morning (before I replaced her ignition switch) that it died on her in a parking lot and everyone was staring at her and one guy was waiting to back out and she felt like an idiot.

murman

Hey, this is for those of you who have had the ignition switch replaced by the dealership under the recall. When you type your vin into the link below, what does it say about the ignition safety recall? Mine says the status is "open". Does this mean the switch was never replaced under the recall? Thanks

https://www.ahm-ownerlink.com/SEO/Ho...20RECALL%20IDS

jdmkid1989

saved alot of money by using this as my reference

satsuki_fcsans

great thread

metalman1980

I changed the ignition switch but it didnt fix my problem with the car randomly turning off. I ended up changing the main relay and that fixed it. The solder points for the coil in the relay crack and its very common ive heard. Its good to go now! Easy fix, its bolted up under the dash.

cthack76

Can anyone help out with exactly where the main relay is located on 98 accord v6 sedan? Engine dies at random. It will spin but not start for 5 minutes or so. Just replaced the ignition switch. Seems maybe to die when its warmer weather. Best I have read is main relay for next guess. whatever the part is also seems to control the brake switch because it also won't come out of park during the dead spell. Anyone agree or disagree? Also please share exactly which relay and where its located on 98 accord v6 sedan. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

hondacare

Here is my story with all of this mess. I first noticed it when a brief stop, once I returned to start it up...nothing. I was like what?!?! this has never happened to me in this car. At first I thought it was out of gas. So I tried again and it cranked right up. So now ..ok bad gas. So I went for a few months more and I was in motion around 35-40mph, so I steer to safety(no control). I was getting scared. It started right up. So I changed my distributor and rotor. Just recently I was sitting at a light and it just went out.

As for as the part are you guys going with a dealer part or one from Autozone or something? Price.

This whole thing is so scary. I mean stalling is one thing, but with a car in motion and control is temporary lost that is a different thing. Honda can get a huge lawsuit from this , if they haven't already. This is unacceptable. Now they have on record that I had this recall done and if it is proven that it is faulty as the one replaced. Now if something was to happen I am getting a lawyer regardless of the age of vehicle.

hondacare

Changed mine my ignition switch took me about 2 hours. I found a ebay dealer and got it for around $35. The hardest part was getting the steering wheel cover back on. That third srew was not a issue, I just reoriented the cover out of the way. I have a car alarm installed so I had to splice a wire and attach my alarm back. Didn't use electrical tape. I had some cable ties in my tool box to gather the dangling wires.

Drove the car around and notice nothing wrong. I will come back with a update in a month or so. But this has got to be the best thread I have ever read. Saved me alot of money. I bet the dealership hates thread like this. Because to the unknowing they can make at least $150-$200 off this single issue.

MonkeyBones

PLEASE HELP

I have been reading through all of these posts and I am having somewhat of a Similar issue with my wife's 99 Honda Accord. I have never had the car stall out while driving but I have had issues with the car starting consistently. When I turn the key to start, there is not a clicking or dead battery type sound. The engine does not turn over and the car does not even try to start. We have been having this problem intermittently for the last 6 months and occasionally the car would start. Now, we have been unable to start the car for weeks.

I believe that it could be the ignition switch because of the intermittent failures in the past. I think that the switch is completely burned up now. I did have the car fixed with the initial recall without having any issues prior. I really appreciate any ideas or thoughts anyone may have.

MonkeyBones

I forgot to mention in my previous post that I have cleaned all battery connections, checked fuses, and charged my battery over night.

I have also had problems with the car starting in really hot days. I read in another forum that instead of replacing the main relay, my problem could be the fuel pump relay switch. Is this the same thing as the main relay? Sorry for asking another question before e first one is answered but I want to get the car fixed.

NorminN.B.

My son has a 99 Accord, the key falls out of the switch, so the tumblers must be bad and it also stalls. He has a parts car, can he change the switch and tumbler and use his key or the doner key, without going to the dealer to reprogram the key. I wonder if the tumnlers are all the same, and the only difference is the chip in each key. What reads the chip, the computer or is there something in the switch? Thanks

wazzu879

Thanks for this post. Just completed changing out my ignition switch with no problems. Not sure if I could have done it without this step by step tutorial!

jdm4eva

So I changed mine last night. Took me an hour to complete.

No way I would have figured this out with your detailed write up. Mad Props to the OP!

hondalion

I've been having same problems as everyone else. Occaisionally have problems starting, and it's stalled twice on me driving. Now it won't even try to turn over. Green key was blinking but now it doesn't. Battery is fine all lights work.

Checked main relay and it looked fine. Followed these instructions and got same multimeter result so I replaced the ignition switch. Didn't work. I get same result with either ignition switch.

Any thoughts?

HelpHonda98

Please HELP!!! I have read all the messages on the Ignition Switch Issue and need to get an approximate cost price to get the issue resolved, and any suggestions/alternatives to a Honda Dealer are more than welcome.
I have a 1998 Honda Accord Automatic LX - 83,000 miles. Same problem like most who have posted here. The car just randomly dies in the middle of driving, complete power failure on the dashboard, green key sign flashes, and you can't even shift the gears. The clock & hazard lights do work. It starts back up in a few minutes, and then it works like nothing ever happened till the next occurence which could be days or a week later. The symptoms all point most likelyto the Ignition Switch, although it could be the ICM or Distributor etc.

The ignition switch has already been replaced in Oct,2002 as a part of the Honda Recall.
I took the car to a Honda dealership, and they wanted $93 bucks to look at it to see what the issue was. After I asked them for the cost for ignition switch replacement, they quoted me a ridiculous amount of $557. In addition to the fact that I can't afford it, it makes no sense to invest that kind of money in the car given the whole diminishing returns etc.

Please HELP - I am desperate, and do not have the tech car savvy that most of the posters on this site have to replace it myself. So any suggestions to help resolve this issue are welcome. Thanks in advance

pfssm344

What a great job you did with the switch diagrams!
Would you be able to show the fuse box under the hood of a 2008 Honda civic? I have bought the replacement relay switch for the ac but cannot determine which of the five identical relays is bad. I guess I could take them all out one at a time, but am wondering if that is wise?
Thanks!

jeepthing

Hi am new this forum great walkthrough I am planning on changing the ignition switch in my moms 2000 honda accura tomorrow. I have already pulled the main relay board out but the solder joints look good but went ahead an re-soldered the joints. My main question is are people still updating this thread? I noticed the last reply was from 2009. Just wondering if anyone could help if I run into any problems tomorrow.

jeepthing

Update: I installed the ignition switch but it still won't start. I tried to test the relay but unable to figure out what should happen when the relay is energized. I can hear and feel it coming on any help please would be greatly appreciated

Mad Medicine

I don't know why it took me five years to figure out the "Subscribe to this thread" link, but I will finally get notifications if anyone posts a new message on this thread Prior to now, I just checked intermittently.

I'm sorry, but I don't know how much help I can be with your issue. I replaced the whole ignition switch enchilada with the new unit, mainly because my expertise doesn't extend to much more than that :/ But feel free to toss out any questions you have, and I'll try my best to answer them.