Hey guys, first time poster, looking to absorb knowledge so I guess I'll start off strong.

05 Accord with the manual, great car however, it stopped starting. If I push the guy down the hill it'll run all day no problems, just can't shut it off. I don't have the green key symbol on the dash so I don't think it's my chip. I replaced the starter thinking that was it, because I took it in and it tested bad. Thought that would be the end of it. Guess not. It's dead silent when trying to start, all the beeps and lights turn on no problem, battery checks good. I did notice, though I dunno if it matters, my clutch pedal has a hole in it and I'm wondering if there is suppose to be a bushing in it's place like there is on the brake pedal. I don't think it would matter because you have to press the clutch in to start, so it wouldn't matter if the safety switch has the bushing to press it in, since it's extended when you press the clutch to the floor to start.

Where should I start looking? To my knowledge other than the display I put in it over a year ago, the car is stock. Should I check my lock cylinder? Maybe the safety switch for the clutch is bad? I'm not really sure. The last vehicle I worked on extensively was a 79 ford so... yeah, learning a "newer" car has a little more to it. I'm an electronics man so I know how to read and check/ohm wires if I need too, just need a starting point. If you need any additional details just ask, I'll provide pictures or descriptions. The only lead I can give at this time, is that the car sat for about 2 weeks while I was away, the problem started when I got back. Also yes the bat terminal did have corrosion on it. I cleaned it extensively but that isn't to say there isn't more corrosion inside the cable that I can't see. But I did pull it off the post, clean the post and inside/out the connector itself. Battery reads good voltage too.

2005 Honda Accord EX 3.0 Manual 2-door.

 

So you have a no-crank/no-start and you can pop the clutch by rolling the car. You are right on the clutch pedal switch, where the switch is reading the pedal is pressed all the time, so it won't cause a no-start. It would not allow you to use cruise control. O'Reilly's sells a set for the brake and clutch and I'd probably replace both. I just did this on my TSX as my brake stopper broke and my clutch stopper was gone for who knows how long. Just had to shave the brake stopper cone post a bit so it would snap into that hole. It was a bit too wide.

The starting system is a fairly simple circuit to test, so don't throw any more parts at it until you do some electrical testing. Start simple for the no-start, check that your brake lights are working properly when you push the pedal. Next, the starter should have a small blk/wht wire going to it. Disconnect that wire and use a volt meter or 12V test light to see if the starter is getting 12V on that wire when the key is turned to the start position. You may need an assitant.

If 12V is missing, you'll have to work backwards to the starter relay and do some testing on the relay socket with a volt meter. We can give you more details once you get to that point in testing.

 

Okay, I believe you are talking about the connector that basically looks like one of those "blade" butt connectors (ont he alternator), right above the 12v line. I did test that with a friend, and it was reading milivolts. The main 12v line reads good. So the starter relay you mentioned, the one inside the fuse box (engine compartment, left side of the box, takes either 1` or 2 screws to take out) physically looked good, but that doesn't mean it isn't burned out internally. I don't know if that relay is NC or NO (probably normally open until you engage the key then it closes the circuit) so I won't be able to test through it for continuity. You think I should just replace that relay? If it's not the relay, I'm assuming it either goes to the ECM/ECU or straight to the lock cylinder, but I don't have a wiring diagram for the ignition system so that's an educated guess.

 

I think the small wire is blade connector that I wanted you to test. The picture you showed I believe is a fuse and not a relay. The relay is in the under dash fuse box. I attached a picture of the location. The relay is normally open. Power is sent from the ignition swtich to the starter side and the control side of the relay when you turn the key to the start position.

I'd probably test the relay socket to see if you are missing power or ground. Two pins on the relay should be larger and can be better metal like copper. Those pins are the power source and the wire you tested at the starter. The smaller pins are power from the ignition swtich again and eventually ground through the clutch switch. With the volt meter connected to a good ground and relay removed, turn the key to start. Use the volt meter to see if two pins for the relay fuse box have 12V. The other two pins should have ground.

I wouldn't jump to replacing the relay. If that fuse box has an identical relay for the wipers or rear defrost, you can try swapping relays. Just make sure the relay you swap is working, so lets say the wiper relay is identical. Check the wipers work before swapping.

You can also purchase a shop manual for your accord for ~$22 at automanualsource.com as a pdf you can download. Saves a bunch of time for finding stuff and has wiring diagrams.

 

yes, The blade connector on the alternator is the one I tested that came out with a milli-volt reading. So I guess it's time to work backwards. The fuse I showed you I thought was the one that goes to the starter, I have no idea why I called it a relay, I know better lol. I'll check to see if there is a similar relay I can swap with and I'll test the socket to see if power is going through. Thank you for the website, is that manual better than a haynes? I sure hope so, I would like to get actual wiring diagrams and not the crappy ones that are usually found in those manuals.

Also your picture didnt show up. Is this the fuse box near the driver's side hood release?

 

Hopefully you meant the blade connector on the starter and not alternator.

The shop manual is much better than a Haynes manual. It is not perfect, but an improvement IMO.

Let me try the attachment again. The starter cut relay is in the fusebox inside the car on the driver's side.

 

Lol omg yes I meant on the start I am so sorry man. I'm glad you know what I was trying to say vs what I actually said. It's a monday, you understand.

 

Okay to give you an update. I switched my starter relay and wiper relay, still no start on the car. after looking at the diagrams, I see that once the battery 12v goes from the 100amp and 50amp fuses in the engine bay, it goes to the ignition module, from the ignition module it goes to the starter relay then out to that bladed connector on the starter to engage it. Since changing the relay didn't work, and I don't seem to be getting 12v at the starter (on the bladed wire), I'm going to take a guess and say there is something wrong in either the ignition module or the wiring for the plug that hands over the 12 volts when you turn the key. I really hope it's not that damn ignition module, those things are like 580 bucks....

 

You should use the volt meter to figure out why the relay is not sending power. Your relay should have 4 pins, where two of the pins are larger/thicker and of better metal like copper. One of the large pins in the relay socket will get 12V from the ignition switch the other pin feeds that blk/wht wire. For the two smaller pins, one pin also get 12V from the ignition switch and the other gets ground at G501 through the clutch pedal switch.

Overall: Two pins get 12V from ignition swich, one small pin gets ground, and one pin goes to the starter and also finds ground. Use your volt meter to figure out if you are missing the 12V or the ground. All you need to do is connect the meter black lead to a bare metal (not painted) bolt on the frame. Touch the red meter lead to one of the large pins, turn key to the start position. Repeat on the other pins. Let us know if you get 12V on one of the large and one of the small pins. Doing a continuity or resistance test for the small ground pin is the same meter setup, just switch the meter to resistance or continuity.

You don't want to just replace the electrical portion of the ignition swtich without testing as it is a quick test. You could be dealing with a bad clutch pedal switch or bad/corroded ground. You should keep working upstream until you are sure you found the bad component.

FYI you don't have to replace the entire assembly, just the electrical portion of the switch where the part costs around $100 from Honda.

Let us know what you find on the tests at the relay socket in the fuse box.

 

That's good to know I wouldn't have to replace the whole switch. Thank you for that tip. Once I get a second person here, or if i can set it up myself using safety wire to stay in the relay sockets I'll go test it.