Honda No Start? POSSIBLE Main Relay - EricTheCarGuy

[@crosses101]

Every time I have a problem and search it on KZbin its always Eric the car to the rescue. I tell you Eric is the most valuable KZbinr in my opinion. THANK YOU Eric the car guy for making all these wonderful helpful videos still providing assistance to people many years after you upload them.

[@foolsblu]

Just wanted to send out a HUGE THANK YOU ERIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My Legend died a couple of years ago, so she has been parked in the garage under the car cover (she is my Sunday driver). Had a ot of medical issues, so she had just not been on the priority list. Decided it was time to figure out what was going on with her. Watched your video and voila! She started and we went and stretched her legs a little last night and going for a longer stretch today! Now to get her tags renewed and we are GOLDEN!!! You saved me a fortune and got my baby back to me!!! Thanks so much!!!!

[@MariaGonzalez-ei1pv]

Glad she back on her feet 🤣

[@ralphrodriguez2622]

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I just walked to Auto zone to buy a fuel pump and trying to see how to install on KZbin found this video. Not only did I save $100 bucks I fixed my ride. Hell ya..

[@RailwayWorld]

My '88 CRX w/ 225,000 miles refused to start at work, I came home and watched your video, had a friend drive me back, p/u the relay, did the repairs as on your vid, took the relay back, and boom, car started first time. A Big Thank you for posting this vid, it saved me a towing fee ! Thanks again !

[@kellymyers8671]

So four years of trying to figure out why my 95 Honda Accord would always start cold but fail to restart after a short stop (like at the gas station) any time the temperature got >75 degrees. Popped out the relay and one solder joint was definitely bad while 3 more were questionable. Cleaned up and resoldered all 4 joints and now IT IS FIXED!!! Thank you so much!

[@deannamicheledesramaux7386]

***** which relay did you pop out? I have the same problem....did your s light (d4) flash when you tried to 'hot' start? mine does...

[@Redridininyohood]

Kelly Myers when the starter goes it does the same thing. I mean if you still have your Honda, they're hard to kill :D

[@stix562]

D4 Ignition Switch can cause that .. mine did freaked me out .. when it lit up D4 going down the highway. The Car quit when I was in rush hour at a traffic light and you know horns blasting and people screaming and me trying to get the thing off the road - tranny stuck in gear and I forgot all about the key press to get it out of gear to push the thing..

[@zaybangerz1544]

I just want to say thank you very much. After a few hundred dollars attempting to fix a random shut offs and no starts, I came across this video and bam fixed. Pulled the relay out and the same pin was cracked all the way around it. Re soldered and no more issues. I'm sure the part companies hate you but you sir are a modern hero

[@ericthecarguy]

@Dillonj177 Unless it has an aftermarket fuel pump already in it it's probably not the fuel pump if it's not starting because of a lack of fuel pressure. Honda fuel pumps hardly ever go bad.

[@williamcarter6946]

One month ago I repaired the relay on my 2000 Accord. It went out again yesterday. I removed the relay and found a half dozen cracked (cold) solder joints. I removed and reflowed the solder on all the solder joints. It works like a champ. Thanks again Eric!

[@t.j.hughes140]

You need to hold the soldering iron tip to the lead and the pad on the circuit board, heat it for a few seconds, apply FLUX CORED solder, should look like a hershey's kiss when done.

[@dseries16]

Hey thanks for the video I have been workin on my friends car for the past few days and this video really helped. He had told me that he had replaced the main relay so I had just skipped over it a few time since he "just replaced" it. come to find out he had been swappin out the starter relay and i found that out after askin him to show me what he had done so far. Oh the joys of working with people

[@HostileHST]

Hope this is read as constructive criticism and not hating cause I really like Eric's vids and want to help him and all of you when soldering. When you solder, make sure the soldering iron is at full temp first, clean the tip of the iron thoroughly, then pre-tin it a bit so it shines. Hold tip of iron against the clad board and against the wire at the same time, hit with some solder till it surrounds the whole area, remove tip of iron, and walla, you will have a very solid, clean and professional solder joint that should not have any issues for many years. Balling it up might work for a while, but it won't last long. Thanks for the video Eric, you've helped me in the past and I hope this will help you in return.

[@dumass00072]

I'd go for the "drench it in flux" technique.

[@HostileHST]

dumass00072 A little extra flux can help sometimes, but it's more about technique assuming you are using good solder to start with.

[@HostileHST]

Hope I am not coming off sound like a jerk cause I really don't mean to.

[@dumass00072]

HostileHST Not at all. I totally agree with you. .

[@BrandonGraham]

HostileHST I like your careful approach. I too wanted to share this info, but probably would have made some people upset.

[@johnm.teague8125]

My odyssey main relay decided to fail while driving to Alaska from New Jersey; We opened it, and sure enough, found the bad solder joint. Thank you Eric for getting us all the way to the Arctic Ocean and back!

[@rvdlinde41]

I had this frustrating problem for several years. An Australian mechanic suggested the same fix - solder the contacts on the circuit board. Took less than ten minutes and solved the problem ... 6 years and counting! Thanks for sharing.

[@XqeDiosxqe]

14 years ago and still helping out today on 2024...

[@LaggyVtec-gj5qk]

Yo same ima try this and see if my b20v come back to life

[@jpetersen92020]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! This saved me $50 bucks since I didn't have to buy the new Relay!! 2000 Honda Odyssey was intermittently not starting, so I looked online and this was the first thing that came up. I re soldered the relay and boom!! BACK IN ACTION!! Thanks Eric!!

[@anthonyalvarado7230]

I wish I was this fortunte ):

[@dylanshabtai4554]

So your Odyssey did start at times? I would think with a bad solder joint it would never start? I've got an odyssey that isn't always starting when I need it to.

[@drewanastasio6222]

jpetersen92020 up

[@denniswright6134]

Eric, wonderful video! So grateful you showed the second kind of main relay at the end of the video as that was the kind I had on my 1991 Honda Accord. With a magnifying glass I was able to find the circumscribed crack on the solder joint you pointed out. More than 10 years after you posted the video it is still being a blessing to backyard mechanics. WIshing God's blessings back at ya! Thanks again!

[@rickwest1836]

The lead free solder used in electronics today doesn't work as well as the older tin/lead solder. The tin/lead solder can still be found where you can buy stained glass supplies, but I'm not sure if it has flux built in. You may need to buy that separately. Anyway, don't attempt to solder until the iron has reached maximum temperature or you get a joint like we saw in the video. You not only want the part hot, you also want the circuit board pad hot so the solder will bond tightly to it. It will actually wick to it. You'll know it when it happens. Waiting for the iron to get hot also minimizes the heat that goes into the surrounding circuit board or into the part because the job gets done quickly. It also helps to prevent the foil on the board from lifting. After soldering, you should also clean off the excess flux. Flux is acidic and over time, if it remains on the board, it can eat away at the circuit board foil. This is especially true for very thin foil traces. It can actually eat them in two. The key to a good solder joint is practice. Soldering is a skill that gets better with practice. Thanks for all the great videos. Keep up the good work.

[@Zadonaicam]

I had just bought a 93 del sol from my friend about two weeks ago and after about 20 min running i shut off the car and wouldnt start again. long story short, i watched this video, resoldered the joints and voila!!! started right up... no problems since. Thanks again!!!!

[@Phil-og8fx]

I really wish I saw this video. Ended up going to the mechanic and paying $200+ to fix this exact issue for my 1998 honda civic. Great videos!!

[@vazdef]

What the hell did they fix then that cost $200 ?!?!

[@elvism684]

vazdef He probably wont reply but mechanics usually charge $100 an hour, 1 hour min. plus parts.

[@skweekah]

Same issue. Whenever I stopped to fill up with gas, always had difficulty starting the ol ZC. I took my good ol misuba, gave it the solder treatment, that was 10 years ago, and it's still going strong. Cost -- $15 for soldering iron. Love your work Eric. Stay dirty man.

[@ripstopmtb8443]

PERFECT! had a intimitant starting issues for years, yesterday the car flat out refused to start. found this video and some help on the del sol forum and less than 10 minites my car is working again. awesome!

[@prayfawind]

Bro, many thanks to you for taking the time and making this video, my mechanic took my gas tank down and replaced the fuel pump and the car still didn't start(97 Acura TL), i came on youtude desprate and came across this video, i took the relay off and followed your directions and now the car is candy, If you ever come to Nassau Bahamas, i work at the Atlantis Resort i will treat you to a free dinner to any of our 5 star restaurants, just email on youtube.

[@ericthecarguy]

@SuperDeluxe80 I realize I should have done a better job of soldering however I haven't had one come back yet. Thanks for your input.

[@SoiledErmine]

Thanks Eric! My uncle's car died at my house ('98 Accord), and I don't no nothing bout fixin no cars ...but I can solder. I had that main relay out, soldered and fixed in 10 minutes flat after watching this and looked like The Man! True, YOU are the man, but I gladly took the credit. :)

[@Jiingwon]

Great video, thanks!! Found 3 cracked solder joints on mine, which was causing hard/no start when hot. A little re-soldering and she was fixed!

[@KBurd1]

Dude man your a life saver, My car hasn't started for a month and after I saw this video and checked my main relay and wiggled it a bit it started right up. I had cracks in the Main Relay that prevented spark to my car. Keep up the good work man and thanks again for this video.

[@ericthecarguy]

@MrGLENWOOD2 It sounds like you may have more than one issue. Start with any check engine lights you might have, if you don't have any look to the general things like tune up items and vacuum leaks. Good luck.

[@enhancedphysique6452]

Hi Eric I have a 2013 Honda Civic SI and out of the blue it quit an I towed it home an it turns over perfect but don't start. Changed the fuel pump cause I didn't hear it come on an the new one which is good don't come on. I used starting fluid an it starts. Check all the fuses an some of the relays. Does a 2013 Civic have a main relay? Also I changed the 2 big battery fuses, which were fine. If you can help that would be so awesome I have been walking to work an just got K pro an want to drive her. Thank you in advance.

[@enhancedphysique6452]

@Ericthecarguy also when I goto hook up flash pro to find out the check engine light it says it can't communicate. Tried a couple times, an yes my cig lighter/acc fuse is good. If you can solve this with those specs your a boss! An my fuel pump relay is good too. Checked them with a multimeter. Don't know an can't find if it has a main relay. If you can't help can you at least answer that? Thank you Eric I'll light them up for ya an tell her who fixed her! Haha

[@jimmimai]

Just want to say thank you Eric. Took your advice, removed the main relay and I had 3 areas that needed resoldered, and that's what I did. Hopefully takes care of it.

[@jonlberg]

Dude worked like a charm... took me 10 minutes to fix, 5 of it watching this video... mucho gracias

[@archetype001]

I had my accord with a local mechanic for no start for 3 days and they changed "Ignitor" and "Reprogrammed" the key but they could not make it start. Bill was pilling over 300 already and still no start. So, I checked this video and went to the mechanic and told him to check main fuel relay...which I force them to do, then you know what...exactly!!!! - bad main fuel relay it is. Now I have doubt that they charge me for things that I really didn't need. Thanks Eric, you are such a help.

[@blugrassdave]

my 2001 odessy was acting crazy , stopping in traffic , would turn over but not start for about 10 minutes then it woulod start and run like new , sometimes for an hour or a week or several months then do it again , This fixed the problem. I re soldered all of the joints on the board. I tried to use a small pen iron like in the vid but it just didnt get things hot enough so I used an old 100 watt gun and it did the trick

[@ericthecarguy]

@rollingbunny I did do a video on how to check the fuel pressure quickly, I recommend you watch that first and verify that a lack of fuel pressure is what is causing the no start. I just used regular solder, in fact you could probably just remelt the stuff that is already there.

[@Socalshortybulls]

Do you have the link to the lack of fuel pressure video?

[@Mak933]

Just fixed my 99 Accord with this same issue. Thanks Eric! However, I strongly recommend re flowing all solder joints and adding solder as needed. A solder joint can be bad/weak even though it may visually appear good/strong. Since it takes mere seconds to re flow a single joint, you might as well do them all. Be careful not too let the joint heat up for too long or you can damage the resistors on the back side.

[@rlenzen2]

Man, Loved this. been wrestling with my relay for a cpl months trying to cool it on hot days because I didnt want to spend the cash, but its been dead for two days now. 10 minutes after watching the video I had my relay repaired and back in and the car started right up! Thank you for saving me cash!

[@ericthecarguy]

@rlenzen2 That is one of my favorite things, saving you cash. Thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@barkaba The main relay is the fuel pump relay. I don't recall them having the same problem in 2004 as I think they changed the design somewhere around 2000. You want to check what is missing during the no start, spark or fuel, if it's spark the main relay is not likely to be involved in the failure.

[@gl_tonight]

i replaced my cap/rotor/coil/plugs/wires/fuel filter and 3 rotted out grounds before finding the brilliance to pull the relay and conduct this free repair well at least spark and fuel will continue to be delivered haha was stalling intermittently and sometimes no start after engine was warmed

[@stix562]

Wait till the ignition switch goes.. :-) just dont forget about that gear shift unlock to put into neutral - so you can push it out of traffic..

[@OriginalPatrickWilliams]

Hey Eric, I don't know if you still check the comments on such an old video, but I just wanted to say thank you for this video! A friend needed help diagnosing a no start issue and I was chasing relays and fuses for hours and was almost certain the fuel pump was dead. It didn't sit easy with me since they are usually reliable so I sat down and did some research on what else to check. Your video popped up and it was EXACTLY what was needed. Was able to reflow the solder on the relays and BAM car came right back to life and saved my friend a hefty mechanics bill. Thanks for all your videos! You've taught me so much and gotten me out of many tight spots!

[@321CatboxWA]

RIP Eric

[@LeMecanoDuDimanche]

I'll have to try this one this evening... my trusty Accord did not get me to my workplace this morning

[@Curi0u50ne]

Le Mecano Du Dimanche lol, I was cursing my 94 civ for exactly that but forgive me car you've been so very trusty up until now,

[@ericthecarguy]

@1daniray I'm very happy to have saved you from buying a fuel pump, Honda fuel pumps hardly ever go bad and the aftermarket replacements aren't nearly as good. Thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@TheWyatt007 Next time just pull the 'guts' out instead of trying to unbolt it.

[@ericthecarguy]

@96AccordNoStart I don't have enough space to get into electrical theory here but you want to make sure that the battery connections in particular are clean and tight. As for the signal wire to the starter solenoid you want to see a reading of battery voltage (12V) at the wire when someone turns the key to the crank position. If you see the voltage then you problem is with the starter or it's connections, if you don't see it then you problem is on the ignition switch side of the circuit.

[@AaronBelknap]

You have great video's but that solder joint is terrible. Being in electronics prior, you should remove the old solder then resolder. Other than that, great videos.

[@stix562]

He is using the wrong technique to solder - that is why it is terrible. Sure he could clean it - your average DIY'er here probably will not have the tools to do that - I usually heat and sling it when I don't have my sucker or any braid.

[@13NAKM]

I was really scared when my car rescuer informed me the relay unit is gone without extracting it from under the steering side dash. He had done the hard work of exposing the relay units that turned the car into a scrap heap in the interior. I found out about the petrol relay number from the main dealer, your video and boy presto. Thank you very much please keep up the good work. God Bless YOU.

[@takuya7523]

Eric your not very good at soldering. Note that your soldering should have volcanic shape when done. Ball shape mean it doest adhere to the surface.

[@Melchezidicque]

It is EricTheCarGuy and not the SolderGuy. His technique was correct, in that he applied the heat to the item needing soldering and the heat transfered to the solder causing it to flow, and not the to the solder of the joint directly, which creates as better bond and reduces the likely hood of a cold joint. He could have just heated the joint and let re-flow. The blob shape would not create problems here as it did not cross any other circuit path, it would just look neater and uniform if he had used less solder.

[@LaRouchesupport]

***** The correct way to solder properly is; to first heat the solder gun tip well, then touching the soldering joint with it in order to heat that properly, (it helps if putting just a little bit of new solder on that tip before hand, but not to solder with it but to be able to transfer heat to the solder joint faster..) and once the solder joint is finally hot enough, only then you touch the solder-joint with the soldering wire. NOT the soldering IRON, but Always the soldering-joint directly. This is due to the soldering paste which is in the soldering wire already, and it comes out once it's melted....

[@schlusselmensch]

***** Also the joint to be resoldered was not cleaned properly with contact cleaner, Scotchbrite or fibreglass brush and a blast of high pressure air.

[@mattc420]

Soldering is hard, I think anyways, I suck at it, but i'm a comp. engineer :)

[@milesforrest5851]

Electronics Technician here. I did board-level, through hole electronics repairs for many years in the 90's. The secret to good soldering is to heat the base of the circuit board with a hot iron, apply a little bit of solder, then move the soldering iron up the wire. A good solder connection will appear shiny. A dull or solder connection that appears to form a ball is called a cold solder connection and will eventually fail. Use some soldering wick to remove the solder and try again. Make sure you do not overheat the circuit board too much or you will lift the copper trace off the circuit board.

[@ericthecarguy]

@GanjaGuy36 In 15 years of working on Hondas I've replaced 2 fuel pumps and both of those were aftermarket. If you don't check for power and ground at the fuel pump connector before you replace the pump your probably doing the wrong thing. You may not see signs of a main relay problem but if you have a fuel pressure issue on a Honda the main relay is always the first place to start as I've replaced more of those than I can count.

[@ericthecarguy]

@icemangixxer The main relay is located under the dash on the drivers side normally, just make sure you don't have fuel pressure when your trying to start it, if you have fuel pressure the main relay is not the problem.

[@ericthecarguy]

@96AccordNoStart I agree, if it's a not crank then it has nothing to do with the main relay. Given the parts that you have already replaced I would be looking to the connections at the battery, starter, and ground for a possible cause. It would also be worth looking into the signal wire going to the starter to make sure it is sending the 12V to the solenoid when the no start occurs, if you don't have the 12V there then you might look into the ignition switch for a possible cause.

[@dickvandike0]

Greetings from the UK Eric, thanks very much for taking the time and effort to show this problem on the Honda Civic I striped down the relay and found exactly what you have shown. If people only knew how much time and effort it takes to put a video on KZbin to help others there would never be any criticism, so thanks very much for sharing this information as you have saved me and many others hundreds of pounds, if I see you in my local pub I'll buy you a beer !!!! Thanks.

[@brianwinpigler]

i have a 91 civic si and my car was not starting. when i turned the key to power on i wouldent wear the fuel pump and when i tried to start the car it would just crank but not turn over. i had no clue what was going on. so i seen this video and i did everything eric said, now my car starts fine. im so happy with the results. i soldered every joint on the main realy and it realy worked, thanks much eric!

[@ericthecarguy]

@jcb1972 Part of it is, it also powers up the computer circuit if I'm not mistaken. It's called a main relay because it controls more than just the fuel pump.

[@markberube1]

Thanks for the tip, we just went ahead and bought one for my son's 95 Accord. It was only about 50.00 and fixed the problem right away. It took about 10 min to replace. Thanks again!

[@ericthecarguy]

@booder0787 Send the fuel pump back and get the electrical portion of the ignition switch if you want to throw a part at it, much cheeper and easier to replace. Honda OE pumps hardly ever go bad.

[@ericthecarguy]

@opsvideo2008 Other cars may use a different set up. Relays are used to control high amp circuits with low current switches, the fuel pump is a high amp circuit so it uses a relay to protect the low voltage side. It's function is to turn on the fuel pump but in addition it also powers other circuits during ignition run, hence the reason it's called a "Main Relay" and not "Fuel Pump Relay".

[@ericthecarguy]

@dylanbertoni Thank you for that very enthusiastic endorsement. I'm glad the video helped as it is my mission in life to help people with these videos.

[@soarl]

Just wanted to let you know that this solved my problem on my 01 accord f22. Really stumped me for a while because I had just changed the oil pump seal and timing belt so naturally I was looking at timing. Came across your video's and looked at my main relay. I have the second mitsushiba model you showed and found 2 solder points that were cracked. Thanks a ton for doing what you do man!

[@ericthecarguy]

@djblisir No, if you have fuel pressure the main relay is not the problem. Since you have spark and fuel the next thing to check is to see if the engine is in time or if there is some other mechanical issue.

[@ericthecarguy]

@PLSOCCER I think the best course of action is to check to see what is missing when the car isn't starting, spark or fuel. If you don't have fuel pressure when you try to start it the main relay is a great place to start. Don't rule out an ignition problem however as it also has the potential for a no start. Gather evidence and it will save you some money.

[@ericthecarguy]

@mweezy I would not make that assumption as Toyota uses a different set up. You would first want to find out if you are missing spark or fuel or even an engine mechanical issue that might cause the no start before condemning a main relay.

[@ericthecarguy]

@lensmanic Well in order for a car to start and run it needs 3 things, spark, fuel, and mechanical integrity. If you have spark and fuel make sure it has compression and that the engine is in time. The quickest way to check for a broken timing belt is to remove the distributor cap and crank the engine, if the rotor doesn't move then it is likely they timing belt is broken. Let me know what you find.

[@KristiyanLukanov]

My Accord now starts like a charm!! After following the tutorial by @EricTheCarGuy everything just works perfect. Thanks a lot man!!! This issue has been troubling me since I got the car 8 years ago. I changed almost everything on the ignition system and every time I was amazed that the problem wasn't fixed. Now it starts with absolutely no problem!

[@ericthecarguy]

@larafabilo I'm glad the video helped. You might consider removing the relay and trying to repair or replace it yourself if your sure that the no start is caused by a no fuel condition. I did a video on checking for fuel pressure if that helps.

[@ericthecarguy]

@acousticthomp The main relay is not at issue if it's a no crank no start, you need to move further up the chain and check the starting system. I also thought of something else, it could be the electrical portion of the ignition switch, pull the lower steering column cover down and look for melted solder, if you see some replace the electrical portion of the ignition switch, they go bad all the time.

[@gabrieldignard3602]

Hey Eric I just wanted to take the time to tell you that you're the man! Thanks for everything.

[@larafabilo]

Thanks Eric the car dude! This is exceedingly helpful. I noticed that my 92 Civic doesn't start on hot days. This has left me stranded a few times and in need of lifts home. Then I would return to my car when the weather cools down in order to take the car back home. I had no idea this could have been solved so quickly and cheaply. Your video will help me sound knowledgeable when I take it to the mechanic, so he'll deal straight instead of trying to rip me off.

[@ericthecarguy]

@michhugh That doesn't sound like alternator at all, more like a loose connection. You might want to check the electrical portion of the ignition switch.

[@ericthecarguy]

@oscarswallow It may not be this relay however as it could also be the electrical portion of the ignition switch that could also cause that symptom. This only works if the car does not have fuel pressure. Thanks for the comment and good luck.

[@ericthecarguy]

@HJCartman You need to find out what is missing during the no start to make that determination, if you don't have fuel during the no start then I would recommend starting with the main relay but if you don't have spark you need to explore that instead, watch the No Spark diagnosis for more info on that.

[@KidInWhiteKlouds]

I was having a rouugh two weeks without a car. me being broke, and your help made my car work. so thank you. much appreciated

[@marktnorth]

This was exactly the problem with my '04 Ody. Just fixed it myself for no money with only a soldering iron. Thank you!

[@ericthecarguy]

@samcuao Unless you don't have fuel pressure the main relay has nothing to do with it. Given that the problem occurs during high humidity I would look to the ignition system. Be sure you diagnose what you are missing when the car is not starting before you commit to buying any parts.

[@danielthompson9503]

Thanks a bunch Eric! Because of this, I could help fix my neighbors 2003 Odyssey. It was stalling after 45min of driving. Van would start back up after a 5 min rest. the main relay was just like you showed, one solder point was bady corroded, and another was cracked.

[@Dantelchico]

Thanks for this video, just did it about 2 hours ago, i tested the pump jumping terminals 5-7 and it was working, got the relay checked and fixed like the video and that's it! Its been like 2 years with this hot day's starting problem, hope this lasts forever. Anyway, thanks ETCG more videos on ACCORD 90-93 would be great!

[@VAMOMof5]

Thank you for posting this helpful video! It fixed my intermittent starting problem that had been going on for years. Always started eventually but had been getting increasingly worse. Solder joints looked ok but several were slightly discolored so I redid those. Boom! Can’t thank you enough.

[@joshkelly6393]

if you was right here where i live i'd buy you a drink you literally just fixed my car i couldn't get it to start for nothing took the relay off opened it didn't see any visible cracks but seeing how i work on electronics i reflowed all the solder joints and added fresh solder put it back in my car and she started right back up thanks you just got a subscriber

[@oscarswallow]

Thanks for video it explains my current situation. Unfortunately my '92 Civic is in the shop as I write this. Had a problem for 7-8 weeks intermittently (start/stall, stall when driving but restart okay). Spent too much money at one garage where they couldn't pinpoint a problem and it continued. Finally went to dealership and they are fixing it but costly. As a female without mechanical background I appreciate your thorough explanation with examples.

[@M1ke3ee3y]

Hi Eric. Many many thanks for posting this video ! My 1998 UK Honda Civic 1.5 v-tec 5 door had the same issue with the fuel pump not kicking in. Took the relay out and it was exactly as you described it to be. The exact same pin/ solder joint had gone on the relay board too ! Soldered it and popped it back in and now the car runs great again ! It's guys like you who take time out of there day to post cool vids like this that save guys like me time and a lot of money ! Keep up the good work ! Sm1

[@ericthecarguy]

@longlove4u You should because what you did was in effect put a very large amp load on the ignition circuit and with a Honda that's not a good idea, or any car for that matter. Good luck and thanks for the comment.

[@ericthecarguy]

@tonzilla2010 The best test for the starter in that situation is to tap on it with a hammer or blunt object, if it starts then it's probably the starter. When you took it in to be tested the connection was probably fine but when you put it back on the car the connection was week, the 'tapping' helps restore the connection in the starter solenoid thus confirming that is the problem.

[@notafanboy250]

I used to have a 1988 Prelude that had this exact issue as described. Very hot interior and the car wouldn't start. Cool interior, and it would start. It was super bizarre and through reading I found out this was the culprit. I resoldered the joints in the main relay and that fixed it. Good tip, ETCG. Your knowledge is pretty freakin extensive to know these little intricacies.

[@ericthecarguy]

@TrickyNekro Your most welcome, sorry I just get a bit worn out sometimes but your right it could have been a better job especially if I replaced the tip on my soldering gun, it's been overdue for some time. Thanks again for your comments I really appreciate it.

[@ericthecarguy]

@MrNik1001 They used this in several years, I didn't take it out of a car but rather out of a box of used ones that I keep in the shop. Check to see if you have fuel pressure first before condemning the relay.

[@ericthecarguy]

@AshleyRocco First check to be sure it's spark you are missing when it won't start, it could just as easily be a fuel problem. Next you might also want to look into the electrical portion of the ignition switch. See of the car stalls if you jiggle the key while it's running, if it does replace the electrical portion of the ignition switch.

[@HuckBuddies]

Very hard to see without u showing exactly what to look for. Thanks Eric I remember when you only had a few thousand subs😊 congrats sir

[@ericthecarguy]

@zloungeact Your question confuses me sorry but if you have a no start on a Honda and you know you don't have fuel pressure the first place to look would be the main relay.

[@ericthecarguy]

@michhugh Yea, don't be afraid to throw parts at it, sooner or later you will replace the correct ones. :)

[@martygoodman7120]

Hey Eric! I see you getting a lot of criticism for your soldering skills but not much help. As a thank you for all the you've provided keeping my many Hondas running over the years, I will share with you my decades of soldering experience as a certified micro-solder tech. Your tip is heavily oxidized, this prevents it from being able to maintain equal temperature throughout the tip, and from solder sticking to it well, it's time to throw that thing out, once you have a new one, after use clean any debris off with a wet sponge then take some solder and melt it to the tip in between uses, this will preserve the tip for much longer. Next, the reason for the ball and uneven joint is your using too much solder, on a repair like this you don't really even need any, as the appropriate amount is all ready there, instead you need Flux. I personally like no clean, but the things I work on are measured in nm and difficult to clean, water soluble Flux is cheap and "rinses" out any impurities during the process assuring you have a solid bond. You could use wire with a rosin core, but I prefer to Flux things myself. With a good tip, and a little bit of flux your iron should be able to heat the surfaces without solder, as it is now the tip is in such bad shape your are having to pour solder on it to spread the heat which isn't good, and never go "red hot" this could damage other components. Your joint is what we would call insufficient wetting of the pad, I can see the solder flow to one or two corners but not all, this is unreliable. Having too much solder doesn't hurt much, but it prevents you from being able to see that the contact pad and pin have both been sufficiently wetted. That is why you always see the nice 45 degree angle on pin thru, so that it can be easily inspected as a complete joint. I know this is 8 years old now, and maybe you've learned all this since then, hopefully you get to see it and hey, stay dirty my friend!

[@ericthecarguy]

@0wooow0 If you have fuel pressure the main relay is not the issue. Hard to say what the issue is by your description but I made another video called No Start Diagnostic Basics that I think might help.

[@danielmendez8634]

Good job dude. Nobody had a video on taking out the fuel pressure relay that's under the dashboard, but you did mention how to pry it open and just leaving the housing in with the bracket. I will only add this to the viewers is that in order to take out the connector plug you need to press on the plastic lock clip in order to release the wire connection.

[@ericthecarguy]

@brianwinpigler I'm glad I was able to help you with my video. Thanks for taking the time to comment and tell me about it, it's always nice to hear when I'm actually able to help someone. Thanks again.

[@robstar3814]

Thanks for this video, the Honda starts like a champ now and saved me $50 that's what I was for to repair and they said was going to take 2 days, took me 20 minutes and I used the spare cash to buy a nice air filter... Awesome video.

[@newbeginnings9457]

I repaired a brake control module on my 02 Tahoe with this method. Thanks Eric! Saved me $1000.00

[@spelunkerd]

@EricTheCarGuy You hit the nail on the head with this comment. It's why diagnosis is so much more important than just learning how to swap out parts. Strangely, youtube authors often get stuff backward, failing to emphasize diagnostics. And SO MANY people here swap out parts before thinking. Gotta admire the two diagnostic winners on the 'net, realfixesrealfast and EricTheCarGuy.

[@ericthecarguy]

@chevojr If it's an LXi yes. Just be sure to check for fuel pressure first to verify that is indeed the problem.

[@chrisstewart4478]

Thank you Eric, your quick tip saved my 1991 Prelude from a no return trip to the wreckers. The main relay was a bit hard to locate RH drive Australia model but resoldered the circuit board and fixed the no start problem.

[@thurm101]

Thanks dude!!! This was exactly my problem. I sort of missed up. I took your advice and solider the funky looking spot on the board. I didn't put the circuit board inners back into the holder. It cranked right up and I tried to put it back into the housing while it was running and it must of shorted the whole board out. So I went to buy another one, started right up. This type of simple problem would be paradise to a dishonest mechanic.

[@ericthecarguy]

@Skimmitar88 Make sure you don't have fuel pressure first, if you do the main relay is NOT the problem.

[@ericthecarguy]

@djblisir It sounds like it flooded, you may have lost spark momentarily so you might want to check out the ignition system.

[@ericthecarguy]

@spelunkerd No as the old 70's Honda's used mechanical fuel pumps without main relays and the only thing the computer did was activate the air control valves for the carburetor. it sounds like something was getting wet that shouldn't have though.

[@ericthecarguy]

@apocalipcy1 From the sound of it you have a "hard failure" meaning the problem is detected by the computer as soon as it is active. I think the first course of action is to find out the code that goes with that light and go from there.

[@ericthecarguy]

@jhdcruiser That is actually the electrical portion of the ignition switch a different video and also a common problem with Honda's. See comments below, I've mentioned it several times.