i have a 99 prelude base model with 120000 miles on it and a while back it was kinda hot out. i got in my car after it had been sitting in the parking lot for a couple of hours and tried to start and it turned on and then shut off immediately. i tried this a couple more times and it finally started. a couple days later, i had been doing errands for a few hours and it shut off while i was driving. it was pretty cool outside so i didnt understand why. a lot of people said to check out the main relay and the ignition switch. there was a recall on the ignition switches for 5th gen preludes so i called the dealer and they said mine had already been changed. i took out the main relay, resoldered MOST of the joints (only the ones that looked bad) and put it back in. it seemed to work fine, but then yesterday after doing 3 hours of errands it shut off while i was driving on the way home. it was pretty cool outside, so i rolled down all the windows and the sun roof and drove home and it was fine (im assuming this is because the relay cooled down and the connections on the circuit board contracted again, which reconnected the circuit). now im stuck. should i resolder the main relay again, buy a new one, or is it something different entirely?

and if it helps when i turn my key to the on position sometimes the lights dont come on on the dash so i have to turn it to start and then back for them to come on (without actually starting the car). the check engine light goes on and then off, and then i hear the fuel pump running for 2 seconds. because of the fuel pump i thought the main relay would be okay. now im lost though.
please help!

 

can anyone help?

 

What exactly do you mean, "and if it helps when i turn my key to the on position sometimes the lights dont come on on the dash"?

If you mean any of the lights, CEL, oil, seat belts, alt., like all the lights that normally come on until the engine is started, then it is an ign. switch problem.

You will need to pull the steering wheel trim and lower dash trim and test the black/yellow lead from the ign. switch.

Now this can be a bit of a pain as testing is no good unless the problem is there, so the best way is to wire up a tell-tale, temporarily wire up a test light or any 12V bulb, so you can easily see the light and next time the engine quites or you turn on the ign. switch and "the lights on the dash" do not come on, check the tell-tale, if it is not on, replace the ign. switch.94

 

what i mean is that when you turn the key to the on position the lights on the dash are supposed to light up right? but sometimes (when the cars hot mostly) the lights dont come on. so i have to turn it to start and then back to on without actually starting the car. if i do that, then the lights in the dashboard come on.

i originally thought it was an ignition switch problem, but the switch has been replaced because of the recall. could it be possible that the switch has gone bad again, because i thought they were supposed to last longer than that and the cars only 10 years old.

thanks for the tip fcm. i dont know a thing about wiring though so how exactly would i hook up a lightbulb under the dash?

 

I have a tell tale box that I made with a number of lights so I can connect more then on thing, all you need to do is connect one lead from a bulb or test light to ground and the other to the black/yellow lead, just stuff the wire into the plug where the black/yellow terminal is, the light will turn on when you turn on the ign. switch to run or start, if not replace the ign. switch. 94

 

i got a tester from autozone for like 12 bux and i tried that and it showed that the ignition switch is okay. i opened up the distributor cap and saw that it and the rotor seem to be in pretty bad shape so im gonna try and change those and then see if it helps.

 

The problem is the "problem" is intermittent, the "tester" needs to be connected when the "problem" occures, [engine stalls, no dash light when ign. turned on].

Although a bad rotor and cap can/will be a problem in how engine performs, it will have nothing at all to do with the cluster lights not coming on. 94

 

what i can do is probably move it out of my garage and let it sit in the sun for a couple of hours. then ill try and test it and see what happens.

 

i did the test after letting the car sit and again the lights on the dash didnt come on when the key was in the on position (the light on the tester didnt either). however, when i started the car the light on the tester was on. after 10 or 15 seconds the car shut off and the light on the tester went off as well even though the key was still in the on position. im gessing this means the ignition switch is bad.
if im buying a new one, most stores only sell the electrical portion though right? and thats the only part of the switch that will go bad?
thanks

 

also i was gonna buy one of these

http://www.autoanything.com/relays-s.../201A2300.aspx

but im not sure which one i need because i called the dealer and they said the ignition switch in my car has been replaced after the recall they had on some switches.

 

That is definitely a bad ignition switch contact assembly. 100% certain, no doubts. You will need Honda part number 35130-S0A-003.

Your previous problem with the hard starting after the car had been left sitting in the sun was caused by the main relay.