So the starter and radio will get power on two clicks of the ignition but the dash board lights never come on and my windows are stuck down. The starter sounds strong but thats it. I replaced the starter and the ignition wire within the last year, and the battery is relatively new.

My first guess is the main relay since it seems like nothing is getting power except the starter. I have never had one of these go bad though. Does that make sense with these symptoms?

SOLVED

it was a loose connection on the back end of the ignition wire. not even 6 months old and the connection is failing.

 

Don't mind Reaperman. I had this problem years ago with my Acura Vigor. I called it the Vampire car since it would only work at night (when cool). The problem ended up being the main relay. What I did was I removed the main relay, bought a soldering iron, solder, and took the relay apart. I saw the heat marks on the board itself and I just put more solder on top of the existing solder and it worked like a charm. You could always just buy an OEM one but I was a noob when it came to cars.


Cliff: Replace main relay.

 

Thanks for the input. I wonder if that's why Rob Zombie called his car Dragula? Probably not but I just tried to start it and after some hesitation it started up and drove fine. I am familiar with relays malfunctioning in the heat but I never had the problem of no dash lights working but the starter and radio still working. Those symptoms along with notorious ignition problems are whats making me think that it might be another faulty ignition. Despite the fact that I replaced the ignition twice in this car.

 

oh really????? lmao i guess you don't know how to use google. i typed in *honda no start hot day* and bam every single thread. the funny thing is that its the first one that comes up and guess what.... it's from honda tech. and you are saying this has been discussed zero times? mmmm guess you havent been here on honda tech for that long you must be new. check this out the whole page is riddled with no start on hot days lol

let me google that for you

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=honda+no+start+hot+day

 

ReaperMan... This is a forum where people come to get help and give help. The OP was asking for help, if you don't want to help then don't, it's that simple. There is no need to come into someones thread and talk down to them. Next time either help or move on.

 

I am more than familiar with the problem of corroded solder inside of relays and the effect that a hot day has on them. Also, a proper diagnosis of a problem is not found simply by looking at the temperature outside.

I guess the title of this thread may be a bit misleading. I should have said that there are two factors that lead me to believe that the main relay is bad. One is the fact that the car didn't start on the first day of 80+ weather. Second, I just replaced the ignition maybe six months ago so I am assuming that it is not the problem.

The problem that is really confusing me is that the car had no dash lights whatsoever when turning the key but yet the radio and starter still received power. I couldn't roll the windows down or see any gauge lights either. My original question was whether or not anyone has had these symptoms before. These seem like ignition problems and like I said its been replaced.

 

let me google that for you

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=honda+no+start+diagnosis

even tho every car has the same procedure

 

OP- Just me but I'm more with the switch - mainly IG1. If I'm reading the diagrams correctly the items listed that work come from ACC, the items that are not are powered thru IG1.

Easy thing to do when it will no start...turn the key to "On" and test for 12v on the BLK/YEL wire at the Dist. Do you have voltage?

 

What diagram are you looking at? The problem is now gone and I know that it won't come back until the worst possible time. I don't want to wait for another 90 degree day to become stranded and if its the ignition who knows when that would fail.

 

Well, the problem came back today and its about 60 degrees out. I guess that rules out the main relay. I will do some testing on the ignition but I am pretty bummed out since I put a brand new ignition in within the last 6 months. Plus, Honda refuses to talk to me about the recall.

 

I'm looking at the FSM for the 6th gen Accord. Looking at the circuit for the windows, radio, ign system and dash gauges. Looking at those is where I find the items working are powered from ACC, the one not working are powered thru IG1.

Again just me but the fact the power windows do not work when this happens, well the main relay has NOTHING to do with the power windows.....So I must assume the issue is further up the circuit.

I've been wrong before and will be again....I'm only human.

 

It turns out that this was the problem. Some how these connections were bad between the plug and the box that it plugs into. It makes sense since bench testing the ignition shows it to be working fine but then once installed it doesn't work properly.

I took it out of the car and the continuity test went fine but after putting it back in the car I realized that it had a lot of play in the connection and jiggling it made it work or not work. All I had to do to fix it is slightly bend the tabs done a bit.

I'm not sure if this has been discussed before but it was a problem that I never had in a Honda. Maybe even Reaperman learned something in this thread despite already having all the answers. Thanks for the help everyone.

 

Me, I'm glad you got it......again based upon what you had posted I was "pretty" sure it was the switch. Thank you for coming back with the answer, I hate not knowing the "end of the story".

I can't say anymore about the "other"....I got a PM from a MOD on this site and I guess I did something wrong....not sure what but anyway.

In the future if you need help, send me a PM and I will give you an Accord site you can go to where it is SO much easier for people to get along and get cars back on the road.

Again, glad you are back on the road