I have a 92 and have the same problem as most people at one time or another. Just curious as to where I would find the main relay, I know it's under the dash drivers side but where exactly is it.

Thanks

 

left upper under dash, left of steering wheel, above cruise control box,,,,,,,,,you need to remove the 2 , 10mm bolts for the cruise control box, unplug it anf get it out of the way.
the main relay if loking from underneath, is brownish/ rusty in color and has 7 wires going to it

 

thanks I will take a look

 

did you ever get it taking care of ??

 

yes got it taken care of,bought a new relay and will try to solder the old one when I have time(for back up). Thanks alot for the info, what a pain to get to. Just another question what is the black box mounted to the same spot the main relay is am looking for the DRL box and was wondering if that is it.

 

Hi,

I'm a DIY because I got tired of feeling getting screwed whenever I go to the dealership to get things fixed. My repair skills are quite limited so please forgive me for asking stupid questions. I have 92 accord Wagon with MT myself. I'm pretty sure my main relay is the problem (no click when the check engine light goes away). I have the service manual and electrical troubleshoot manual. The manuals appear to have conflicting info on where this main relay is located. Both manuals seem to call it the PMFI main relay in the schematics. Is this different from the main relay (rusty colored 7 wire gizmo referred to in the thread)? The electrical troubleshoot manual has a picture of the PMFI main relay and it does not look anything at all as the rusty colored relay shown in http://techautorepairs.com/mainrelaydefine.html plus it shows it as being located behind the dash instead of underneath.

Second question: Do you have to remove the dash to get to the main relay you are referring to in this thread or do you just have tough it out, contort yourself, curse and sweat trying to get to it? I'm thinking that since my is MT, Honda placed the main relay behind the dash instead of underneath. I have been trying to remove the dash but I'm having difficulty removing the wire harnesses that I need to unplug (the brown, green, and gray wire harnesses in the attached pictures. With the wire harness being in an awkward location, I cant see the tabs. Thought I ask questions in this forum before I lose patience and do something stupid thats really going to get me screwed.

 

STOP ,,,,,,,,, right now..........you can remove main relay from under the dash,, NO NEED to remove dash at all.......it takes about 5 minutes to get the relay out,,,,,,,,,
just remove the 2 10mm bolts that hold the cruise control unit,( look at the first link.s picture , it shows you step by step on how to do it.. ) , get a little screwdriver and pry the inner part of the relay out while gently pulling on the plug leaving the outer casing where it is at,, no need to totally remove the relay out of the car ,, once inner part is put, unplug it, from the new relay, take the inner part out, install it in the outer part of old relay casing ,(it will snap in )plug the connector , reconnect cruise box and you are done ..

Assuming that the relay is the issue..........what is the issue exactly ?? i read (no click when engine lite goes away ??)

 

Thanks for responding so quickly. I stopped by the Honda salvage yard yesterday to get one of those wire harness so I can see how the darn thing locks-up. Fortunately, the salvage yard guy was working on a similar car as mine except it was an automatic (mine is MT). Got underneath the dash and saw the darn relay tucked behind the cruise control box just above the fuse box. Its there as you mentioned so I'll stop messing with the dash and do what you suggested.

To answer your question on what is the problem...(apologize for the lengthy explanation):
1. For the past 2-3 years, the car would sometimes (like 1/4 to 1/3 of the time) not start after I have driven it for a while. I live in Phoenix. Most of the time I pull into a gas station in the afternoon, gas up and then try to start it. It turns but wont start. Wait two minutes later, still wont start. At the 4th try (6 minutes waiting), it starts.
2. Car would start with one click every morning.
3. More recently, twice I parked the car in the open (no shade) at the park and ride all day. Returned to the park and ride around 5:30PM where its still 100+ degrees in Phoenix. No dice. Same symptom, it would turn but not start. Came back for the car at 9PM and it started the first try.
4. Saw on a website (I cant find it right now) a troubleshooting flowchart. First it said check the batterry. If battery is OK, it said remove the oil cap and check if the cam shafts were turning when you start. IF it is, then check for spark. If you have spark then listen for a click if the check engine light goes off (http://techauto.awardspace.com/). Well, as I tried to start the car at 5:30 PM at the park and ride, I did not hear a click after the check engine light went off. But when I returned at 9PM I could hear the click before it started. Since the car starts without a problem when cold, I know I the baterry is good, the camshafts turn and I have spark so it must be the main relay. Do you agree?

 

Sounds like it.

When it happens, sit around with all the doors & windows open so the interior cools off. If that makes a difference, it's related to temperature inside the passenger compartment - which also kinda points to the main relay.

 

You know you bring up an interesting point. The car has AC so the inside of the car is actually cooler than the outside. Opening the doors and windows in Phoenix would actually be worse as the outside air is warmer. This makes me wonder "why would the main relay give me re-start problems after I have driven it with the AC on?" The only thing I could think of is that its bolted to the body which is almost behind the engine compartment. I guess the heat travels from the engine through the bracket, etc. Also, since electrical energy is flowing through the relay, it heats it up as well just like any other electrical device. Other point of view is welcomed. At any rate, I'm at the point in the troubleshooting flowchart that point to the main relay as the culprit and really dont have any problem spending the $45 for a new one. Oh the joy of having an old car. Thanks again for you guys input.