My wife's 98 accord 2.3 vtec a/t wouldn't start last night coming home from work. The starter solenoid was clicking several times and since its the original starter I was certain it was bad. Took it out and sure enough the bendix drive would not engage when I had it tested at the store. Had a the new starter tested at the store and it tested fine. Put it on and now I don't even get a click.

Checked voltage at the S spade terminal and I'm getting about 2 volts when trying to start, obviously not enough. Ignition switch is good, but it got dark before I could check the starter cut relay or neutral safety switch.

After some research I found the location of the starter cut relay under the dash but its a pain in the bleep to remove, and I can't find any parts store that even lists it. Is this a dealer item or is called something else?

Some posts I have read say that the starter cut relay should never go out, so am I wasting my time looking for one? Could it be the neutral safety switch?

 

Forgot to mention that the battery is fine, and I cleaned and checked all battery cables and grounds

 

the store being Autozone or O'Reillys? Been there, done that.

My life is valuable so I now buy parts at NAPA or Honda dealer...

Luck.

 

I wouldn't buy a screwdriver from autozone, but I have never had a problem with o'reilly or napa. The starter I bought and had tested was from oreilly

 

Test your volt meter on the battery to make sure it is working properly.

What are you using as your ground when testing?

If you verify that you have 2V at the blk/wht wire, then the starter cut relay is the next place to test. That relay is in the fuse box inside of the car. You may be able to swap it with an identical relay nearby as a quick test.

 

the voltmeter read the battery at 12 v so I am sure the voltmeter is working properly. I grounded the voltmeter to the negative battery terminal when I checked for voltage at the S terminal.



Is this the correct starter cut relay? Can I swap the A/T reverse relay in it's place to test it?

 

Earlier models did not have a starter-cut relay, except for manual transmission. If you don't have a shop manual, suggest trying to find one. Trying to solve electrical problems w/o an electrical diagram is very difficult.

Ignition switch assy might cause similar problem (low voltage to starter solenoid) if faulty.

good luck

 

I have this exact fuse/relay panel under the dash. I'm not sure what years constitute earlier models, so is the relay listed above something else for a 98?

 

Your car has a starter cut relay. The 98 may be the first accord with that relay.