main relay or ignition switch?

i have been told that it could be either. every now and then i go to start my car and the damn thing won't start? i have a new battery and this did it with the old battery too. everything in the dash clicks and makes it noises, but nothing happens? sometimes i will sit there for 15 mins trying to start it and sometimes i will sit for 30 secs? it is really random when this happens. i just hold the key down and bam it starts right up, when it wants too. no noises are coming from the starter either. this is really starting to irritate me now. any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, dude I have the exact same problem on my car. It does it more when its hot and the humidity in the air is high.

From what I learned by asking numerous mechanics the problem is the main relay. I'm changing mine tomorow, i'll post the results here in a few days to tell you if it definately fixed it or not.

Oliver

Next time it happens, lightly tap the starter with a hammer and see if it turns over then......

Next time it happens, lightly tap the starter with a hammer and see if it turns over then......


It cant be the starter, fact is, lucky for me, whenever that happens, and **** it happened alot in the last week, then I try with my remote starter the car always starts instantaneously

That leaves us with 2 options:

Main Relay
Ignition

i agree. i have already tried the starter. i have asked everywhere and have only gotten the ignition switch or the main relay. and let me know how it goes. and im in FL where it is hot and humid right now.

Yo

My main relay was changed today as planned, everything works fine at the moment but as this problem was happening totaly random, I think it would be safe to wait a few more days before closing the matter.

Ya I have been reseaching Main relays on other threads. I guess mine is out to (I Live In Texas so it is hot as hell). I am surprised mine lasted this long.
Is it hard to get to?
Where can I buy one at? People at Advance Auto Parts can't find any. Is it a Dealership thing?
I have a Civic, same thing though.
Bad thing is: not many HondaAcura owners think this is a big deal, I think everyone must test the relay first if their car dont start.

Hm, well, the main relay is a little sealed plastic box with some circuits in it, also, the problem is happening randomly so testing the relay will cost more than changing the relay.

I got mine brand new from local Acura dealer for 65$ canadian
so thats about 40$ us. They sale alot of these, for Integras and Civics.

Well, not long since I changed my relay but tonight is damn hot, rainy, humid, well, every condition you need to bring out the problem and it worked fine so i'm getting confident that it was really the problem.

Ya I have been reseaching Main relays on other threads. I guess mine is out to (I Live In Texas so it is hot as hell). I am surprised mine lasted this long.
Is it hard to get to?
Where can I buy one at? People at Advance Auto Parts can't find any. Is it a Dealership thing?
I have a Civic, same thing though.
Bad thing is: not many HondaAcura owners think this is a big deal, I think everyone must test the relay first if their car dont start.

i went to one of those auto parts shops that delivers parts to the mechanics around town. they can get min for $65. and the ignition switch is about the same price. and i keep telling myself its not a big deal b/c it is so random when it happens. by the time it pisses me off, it stops. then i forget about it. then it happens again. and keep us posted CapoCrimini.

Haha well sometimes when the problem happened to me it lasted for more than 24h. The only thing that prevented me from getting pissed about it sooner was that lucky for me, my remote starter was there in backup and since this old model was almost directly connected to the starter it always worked!

Well, 48h with new relay and working A1

Well CapoCrimini. I am glad everything is working out fine. When my car wont start I get a little nervous. But since mine is so highly modified, I must expect these problems, My car started fine tonite, but I will Test the car tommorow at like 3:30 PM. I might just buy a new main relay to be safe. The "Yellow Top" Opimas work great, for cold starts, buy the way.
Also, You can test the Relay for free with a "9V" battery. Yall just have to know how to a Continuity Check.

Here's a thread I posted in the past with pictures of the main relay assembly dismantled.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=2031092

Good luck!