Hi all, I'm a newbie and I have a problem. Starting around june my 94 accord would sometimes take forever to start. It would turn over a few times and then start, sometimes it wouldn't start at all in the afternoon and I would have to wait until evening for it to finally turn over and start. I thought it had something to do with the heat of the day or the engine because sometimes after I was driving and turned it off it would sometimes take up to an hour to start again. The other day I tried to start it and it sounded like it was dying, like it didn't have enough power to start it. I changed the battery with an extra one I had and now, nothing. The lights turn on but I don't even hear clicking. I think it may be the starter but I'm not sure and just want to know what some of you think before I have it towed to a garage. any help would be greatly appreciated since I don't know how much all this is going to cost me if I take it in. Thanks.


Modified by gruegrimman at 4:16 AM 9/30/2007

 

main relay


and do a search

 

that's nice to know, I'll check that. But can I have real response from someone who is *not* an online jerk? I have done searches and it may be the starter as well, at least that's what the other searches I have made into this subject, but I wanted to know other options.... Jeesh, you were as helpful as me writing "donkey" to your "I have a deep lodged carrot in my butt problem" post.....please, I really need help. I don't have much money and I need my car. Not many people live near me to carpool to work and it takes me 2 hours on the bus/metro to get there....please help...


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by kidcool1977 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">main relay


and do a search</TD></TR></TABLE>


Modified by gruegrimman at 4:08 AM 9/30/2007

 

Heat of the day, not at the engine but inside the cabin, the main relay hates heat, open the doors for several minutes and it should start, the relay could really be quite toast though. It also sounds like your second battery was not good too, you need a jump start from a running car and let us know what happens, could have fried the starter from cranking and cranking too, pull the starter and get it tested at Autozone for free.

Do you even still need help here.

 

have you done a tune up? check your spark plugs and make sure they aren't worn down or bad.


i think the relay problem was for 4th gen accord (up to 93) and you have a 5th gen accord

 

SOMEONE CHECK THE "MAIN RELAY" DUDE'S HEAD. OK, LET'S THINK THAT RESPONSE THROUGH.

IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT THE RELAY IS THE PROBLEM. WHEN THEY FAIL, SINCE THEY ARE AN EXTREMELY SIMPLE COMPONENT, THEY FALTER AND STAY BAD. VERY SELDON DO THEY JUST RESPOND THIS WAY ON HONDAS WITHOUT OTHER ISSUES RESULTING FROM IT. HONDAS HAVE MORE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH DISTRIBUTORS, FUEL PUMPS, ECU'S, INJECTORS ON OLDER ONES, AND BATTERY TERMINAL END CONNECTIONS.

SOUNDS TO ME LIKE YOU MAY HAVE SOME CORROSION INTERNALLY IN THE BATTERY CABLES AND THAT YOUR SECOND BATTERY EITHER DID NOT GET A GOOD CONNECTION OR IT WAS WEAK. DOES YOUR POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE FEEL VERY STIFF OR CRUNCHY WHEN YOU TRY TO BEND IT TOWARD THE MID SECTION OF THE WIRE (APPROX 4" FROM THE BATTER END)??

IF NOT, THEN PUT THE 1ST BATTERY BACK IN AFTER IT IS CHARGED AND MAKE SURE THE TERMINALS ARE TIGHT. THIS IS A MUST.

THE TERMINALS ON THESE VEHICLES STRETCH VERY EASILY OVER TIME AND CAUSE A POOR BATTERY CONNECTION. IF YOU HAVE LOW VOLTAGE, A LOT OF THINGS WILL NOT OPERATE CORRECTLY SUCH AS: ECM/COMPUTER, INJECTOR DRIVER, STARTER, COOLANT TEMP SENSOR, NEUTRAL SAFETY SWITCH, DISTRIBUTOR, IGNITION COIL, IGNITION SWITCH, ETC., ETC., ETC.

LET ME KNOW THE RESULTS FROM THESE COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS AND I CAN DIRECT YOU FROM THERE.

KEVIN

 

THEY FALTER AND STAY BAD.

Kevin, its ok for you to criticize but this is a false statement, how many thousand folks have experienced a bad main relay in the heat of the day during the summer months but the car is fine the rest of the year, with a known bad relay. I carry spares in my glove box to sell on the street whenever I see a Honda not starting in the summer months.

This car could have a bad ignition switch or any number of problems including bad battery cables. One response was simply "main relay", another was the main relay was related to a certain generation of Accord, its all Hondas inclusive, but sony is entitled to make his guesses too, same as you and same as me.

I concede that the main relay will not make the starter NOT CLICK, so after the battery was changed there was a second problem, IMO, so I mentioned a jump start.

Its been a week since help was requested and no extra info has been given by the owner, but we are all still here to help, so think through your own response and give some procedure on how to do a voltage drop test on the battery cable or explain how a main relay actually operates to disprove my theory, you already messed that one up in your second paragraph.