symptoms for bad main relay - 93 accord

Will the engine crank if I had a bad solder joint in a main relay, or
will there be no cranking..

Why I am asking is the other day the car had been sitting outside for
about 5 days without use and it was very hot and humid and I tried to
start the car and it would crank, but start.

So I left the windows down and at dusk it started fine. This is the
first time it has happened.

I thought I'd take the main relay apart and re-solder, but when I took
it out of the casing everything looked in very good condition. I also
had a circuit board guy look at it and he said the solder joints looked
in good shape. (but we did resolder and put it back).

I am now wondering if it was something else..
thanks

On 19 Jul 2006 07:14:54 -0700, wrote:

>Will the engine crank if I had a bad solder joint in a main relay, or
>will there be no cranking..
>
>Why I am asking is the other day the car had been sitting outside for
>about 5 days without use and it was very hot and humid and I tried to
>start the car and it would crank, but start.
>
>So I left the windows down and at dusk it started fine. This is the
>first time it has happened.
>
>I thought I'd take the main relay apart and re-solder, but when I took
>it out of the casing everything looked in very good condition. I also
>had a circuit board guy look at it and he said the solder joints looked
>in good shape. (but we did resolder and put it back).
>
>I am now wondering if it was something else..
>thanks


Yes that is the sympton of the main relay failure.

Mine "looked" good too, but it wasn't.

Frank

wrote:
>
> Will the engine crank if I had a bad solder joint in a main relay, or
> will there be no cranking..
>
> Why I am asking is the other day the car had been sitting outside for
> about 5 days without use and it was very hot and humid and I tried to
> start the car and it would crank, but start.
>
> So I left the windows down and at dusk it started fine. This is the
> first time it has happened.
>
> I thought I'd take the main relay apart and re-solder, but when I took
> it out of the casing everything looked in very good condition. I also
> had a circuit board guy look at it and he said the solder joints looked
> in good shape. (but we did resolder and put it back).
>
> I am now wondering if it was something else..
> thanks


--------------------------------------

Maybe you resoldered the __________ relay, and not the main relay? There
are several up there. You didn't unbolt it, did you? Have you googled
and found the web sites that show super close-ups of bad solder joints
on the main relay ??

Next time don't wait until dusk . . . Turn the key to position II, turn
the radio and fan off, smack the dash on the left of the steering wheel
(assuming you're in North America), you'll hear the fuel pump run for a
couple seconds. Give the starter a spin and it will start.

Much quicker.

'Curly'

Yes, I googled and got lots of info including Teggers writeup in the
FAQ.

I should have checked to see if I could hear the fuel pump when it
wouldn't start, but I didn't do it.

I definitely got the right relay, it was a pain. I didn't have a deep
socket 10 mm, it was hard.

Anyway, if I get a no start again I'll investigate further.

Thanks for the replies..

wrote:
>
> Yes, I googled and got lots of info including Teggers writeup in the
> FAQ.
>
> I should have checked to see if I could hear the fuel pump when it
> wouldn't start, but I didn't do it.
>
> I definitely got the right relay, it was a pain. I didn't have a deep
> socket 10 mm, it was hard.
>
> Anyway, if I get a no start again I'll investigate further.
>
> Thanks for the replies..

------------------------------------------

One point I was trying to make . . You don't remove the whole relay,
just pull the guts out the bottom of the (solidly anchored) case. Same
trick for Gen 1 Odyssey DRL relay. Less shedding of blood, less
profanity :-)

'Curly'