Mainrelay Pitbuñ

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Relay Resolder
How to solder and fix the Main Relay.

Introduction: The Honda
or Acura turns over but

won't
start
in
hot
weather is a symptom of
a main relay going bad.
This is the result of the
poor solder application
from the factory. As a
consequence, raise areas
on the joint indicate a
"dry joint" which can lead
to an open circuit. The dry, open circuit is the main cause of no start. This is partly
caused by the buildup of heat on the terminals which expand, contract and subject
to vibrations. It is likely that a layer of hard oxide has built up inside the solder
joint. The layer of hard oxide has to be removed by desoldering. Other than this,
there are no known mechanical problem with the main relay.
Quick Guide
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Step A)
Look for the symptoms by using your sense of sight and sound. This can be confirmed by
following the main relay basic troubleshooting below, usually performed when the car won't
start.
Step B)
Once confirmed that the main relay is dead, or if your car is over 8 years old, remove the main
relay and desolder the weak joints and apply a fresh rosin core solder. The instruction on how
to do this can be found below. Or if you like other options see solutions.html
Finally, install the main relay and test drive the car. The car should restart and idle on even the
Step C )
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Step C )
hottest day.
For this repair project you will need a main relay and a set of proper tools:
Where can I find the MainRelay?
Honda/Acura
Acura
Honda/Acura
a 15-30 watt soldering iron (or

600F - 700F) *
a Rosin core solder (Rosin is

less corrosive) and
a solder wick (copper braid)

(wicks/braids are bit tedious and
usually wasteful on large jobs,
but the wick is a good choice for
this project.) or
a Desoldering pump (usually
requires many attempts) or
a Desoldering iron (simple to

use, How to use, see step 1.)
Start by carefully prying the main relay:
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Clip----->
Stick a flat small flat screw driver in the crack.
Separation Steps:
What to look for:
Picture of separation procedure
Fig. 12
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stick a small flat head screw driver in between the wall flap (a clip) and the relay base.
Do not go in too deep. Pry it open just slightly.
While holding it still, use the same screw driver, pry the other side.
While holding this side still (and cleared of the locking edge) pull the relay straight out, or forward.
Installation is reverse of the procedure (Note: The main relay will only go in one way into the housing.)
Note: Do not stick the screw driver too deep inside. You may damage the relay's mechanical or electrical parts.
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Fig. 4
The image above shows one good and several bad examples. More soldering examples (external link.)
Examples:
CAUTION:
Try not to heat

the joint too long
with a 40 Watt or
above
soldering
gun, because the
copper traces on
the circuit board
may lift.
The amount of solder (before) is too little.
The joint (before) is a cold solder joint.
Desolder the inadequate terminal (1) and the faulty terminal (2). (same as fig. 12 above.)
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Desolder the inadequate terminal (1) and the faulty terminal (2). (same as fig. 12 above.)
Desolder using a pump
Desolder using a wick
Health warning:
Do
not
over
expose your lungs
or eyes to the
fumes.
Wash
hands with soap
and water after
handling
the
PCB's and leads.
Desoldering using a desoldering iron.
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1.) Press and hold the air vacuum bulb. Apply the desoldering iron tip so that the terminal penetrates within
its orifice.
2.) When the solder liquefies, start gently to rotate the desoldering tip so that the components terminal can
be eased away from the sides.
3.) Release the air vacuum bulb just long enough to suck the solder.
Note: If any solder remains are left on any terminal after attempting to desolder it, resolder it with fresh solder
and repeat the desoldering process.

A clean removal should look like this:
NOTICE:
Parts could fall into the main relay if more than two terminal are desoldered at once. Always desolder one
terminal then go to step two below.
The large terminals may require a 40 watt or higher soldering iron. The large terminals rarely fail and could
be skipped.
Heat the terminal and the copper trace with the iron tip while applying the rosin core solder to the
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Heat the terminal and the copper trace with the iron tip while applying the rosin core solder to the
terminal.
If you do have a joint which looks in need of rework don't be tempted to just reapply the iron. This is unlikely
to succeed as the solder in place will have no flux in it, so the flow across the joint will be worse than when it
was first made. Better to remove the solder, using a desoldering pump or copper braid, and make the joint
again. The flux's job is to strip away all of the grease from the surfaces to be soldered, thus ensuring that
the solder will flow properly. A concave should be formed with an angle of 40 and 70 from the horizontal.
Click here if you still have trouble creating a perfect joint.
A good solder job should look like this:
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(Optional) Clean with steel wool, inspect for imperfections then use a conformal coating material.
Conformal coating enhances performance, improves electrical stability as well as accidental shorts and thermal
shock. Their ingredients include varnish, epoxy, parylene, polyurethane, silicone, acrylics, or lacquer. Coatings
are applied in a liquid form; when dry, they exhibit characteristics that improve reliability. These
characteristics are:
Heat conductivity to carry heat away from components
Hardness and strength to support and protect components
Electrical insulation to preventing accidental shorts
Low moisture absorption
Prevents oxidation * tip: If your Honda digital clock currently works, now is a good time to protect it
with conformal coating.
To remove the conformal coatings simply use acetone.
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Install onto the vehicle in a lower, practical location* , easily accessible in the future. Your work is
done.
See all locations >>
Further explanations:
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What causes the main relay to fail?
The term 'cold solder joint' best decribes it. This develop over time with thermal cycling on parts
that are not properly fastened and are essentially being held in by the solder alone. They may flex the
connection due to vibration or thermal expansion and contraction. More info at FAQs page.
Short answer:
What is the solution to this problem?
The dry solder joints could have been easily eliminated if the solder quality is consistent and a concave should be
formed with an angle of 40 and 70 from the horizontal. Four terminals and maybe more on the main relay are
known to show signs of a cold solder joint.
Should I remove the old solder?
Yes. The old solder is of poor quality and damaged. Black areas on the joint indicate a "dry" joint. This is caused
by dirt in the joint area and will result in an unacceptably high resistance. A soldered joint which is improperly
made will be electrically noisy, unreliable and is likely to get worse in time. It could work initially and then cause
the main relay to fail at a later date.
If it seems to take an unusually long time for the solder to spread, this is another sign of possible dirt and that
the joint may potentially lead to a failure, usually in the form of stalling in traffic and won't start. It is hard to
judge the quality of a solder based on the appearance of the joint because you cannot see how the joint had
formed inside. So it is really a small price to pay to do it right the first time.
What happens if I just reheat or add additional solder to the joints?
The joint area will result in an unacceptably high resistance. Your symptom may return much earlier than a brand
new main relay. The car may stall in traffic and won't start. See our observations.
My Honda does not like to start sometimes when it is hot out if I don't let the fuel pump prime and then try to start
it? Can this be a main relay problem?
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Yes. But this can also be a sign of loss in fuel pressure overnight. Usually, the bad solder joint will make the main relay
"lazy" and won't start until after a second or so. There are two ways to distinguish these signs. The "check engine
light" that goes off the moment the car starts and the when the key is turn to ON, the fuel pump doesn't whirl right
away is a sign of a bad relay. If the car starts only when the ignition switch is first cycled on and off several times then
the fuel pressure may have been lost. This is most often due to a bad fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, the fuel
injector o-rings or the fuel injectors.
My check engine light is on (code 16) and it won't start. Is this caused by the main relay?
Yes. If the ECU doesn't receive the power from the main relay, a diagnostic code
(fuel injectors) will show up

on the diagnostic indicator after retrieving the code. This is followed by the typical "no power to the fuel pump."
A no start with a steady on "check engine" light could also mean a bad ECU power supply.
When I turn on the car the main relay starts clicking. I changed it out and still the same thing. What is causing it?
The main is getting low current. The result is a fast clicking relay. The current comes from the battery. The ECU
then outputs the current on pin A7 on the ECU. The fix is to make sure the car battery is strong, connections
tight and fully charged. Then make sure that the check engine light is not on and the ECU is properly grounded.
My 90-94 Accord doesn't shifts properly and the "S" (D4) light is blinking, can this caused by the main relay?
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Yes. This can happen when the ignition is ON and the ECU/TCU power supply from the main relay drops out
momentarily. The dropout in power can be preceded by a sounds like relay(s) clattering in the dash for a few
seconds. The clattering sound may also be the sound of transmission interlock system misbehaving, which may
indicate a bad TCU. Or the clattering is the main relay itself, which can cause the TCU to go into a limp mode to
protect itself. This could cause the transmission to stay in the wrong gears or won't shift at all. Read more about
this under transmission.html#mainrelay.
What can make the main relay hot.
When a fuel pump demands more current, heat would be generated as a result of increase resistance in the fuel
relay contact points. In this case the relays will act as heat sink. This is a sign that the contact is worn. The
picture above explains why. When a relay contact becomes corrupt, caused by arcing or other means electrons
will converge in poorly conductible space, creating a high resistance and heating up the relay. The relay
wounded coil can also generate heat. Replace the relay if you suspect that the main relay is running too hot.
Since heat poses a risk of another solder joint failure.
Sometimes a fuel pump may run endlessly because the relay contacts have welded together. Another term for
this is resistance welding.
Tip: A brand new main relay will most likely use the same poor quality solder/application. It's recommended that
you observe the solder application quality before installing the main relay. A brand new main relay will have a
practical lifespan of 8-10 years, unless they have been updated.
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Overview
Solution
FAQs
Find it
Technical Details
Troubleshoot
Relay Resolder
TROUBLESHOOTING THE MAIN RELAY

You may read the FAQ for more basic troubleshooting, otherwise just follow this troubleshooting flow chart before
performing the main relay bench test.
Th e m a i n re l a y typ i ca l l y fa i l s i n th re e w a ys .
1. One is w hen ther e is only 1 c lic k af ter tur ning the key and the f uel pump w on't r un.
2. The s ec ond is w hen the c hec k engine light is s teady on ( no c lic ks ) and the f uel pump w on't r un.
3. The thir d, mos t unc ommon, is w hen the c hec k engine light goes on and of f nor mally ( c lic k on and c lic k of f nor mally ) and the
f uel pump w on't r un. This s y mptom needs to be tes ted in or der to r ule out the pos s ibility of a dead f uel pump or a bad pow er
s upply that is too low to r un the f uel pump.
Ba s i ca l l y, i f th e fu e l p u m p i s ru n n i n g th e m a i n re l a y i s fi n e .
If ther e ar e no c lic ks but the har nes s c onnec tor pow er s upply is good, ( how to tes t below ) then the main r elay is mos t of ten
bad.
The tr oubles hooting f low c har t ( w hic h us es y our s ens es ) below is an ac c ur ate diagnos e if y our s y mptoms f ollow the f low of
the c har t.
Car Won't Star t
Main r elay tr oubles hooting f or

mos t Honda/A c ur a PGM- FI r elay
and har nes s
Tur n the ignition s w itc h to
O N.
Does the c hec k engine

light go on then of f ?
The ignition s w itc h, ECU,

f us es 1 2 - G- or main r elay
f aulty . See pr oblem
s olution below .
Is ther e a r elay c lic k

w hen the c hec k engine
light goes of f ?
Main r elay is
dead.
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Does the f uel pump w hir l

f or 2 s ec onds w hen the
c hec k engine light is on?
Fuel pump may be dead.

Chec k the f u e l p u m p .
Main r elay is OK. See

ig n it io n .h t m l f or help.
Problem: Won't start, the relay won't click and no fuel pump sound.
Solution: Follow the steps below to check the power supply.
1. Disconnect the main relay from the connector. Connect your black probe of your multimeter to terminal 2. Connect
your red probe to terminal 1. There should be battery voltage. If not then check the ECU fuse.
2. Turn the ignition switch to ON. Connect your black probe of your multimeter to terminal 2. Connect your red probe
to terminal 5. There should be battery voltage. If not then check the fuse or the ignition switch.
3. Connect your black probe of your multimeter to terminal 2. Connect your red probe to terminal 1. There should be
battery voltage. If not then check the ignition switch or the fuse(s.) Turn the ignition switch off.
If all checks fail then go back to step 1. But instead of using terminal 2, use body ground. If all checks pass then
the ground is faulty.
If all checks pass then the main relay, ECU or fuel pump may be faulty. Continue with main relay bench test.
Note: With the relay connected and the key turn on, the check engine light must go on then off after two seconds in order for
the fuel pump to run for the initial 2 seconds after the key is turned on. Another words; no ECU, no fuel pump priming.
If everything works and you still don't hear the second click from the new main relay then the ECU or the connections may be
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broken.
Main Relay bench test:
Basically, the most common main relay circuit comes in two flavors. Notice the differences
between the two identical looking relay side by side below. Now notice that only terminal 4 and 6 are swapped.
This means that the troubleshooting procedure below should work for both types of main relay.
Introduction:
The main relay usually fails intermittently. That means that by the time you have it ready on the bench, the
problem have probably disappeared. You have three choices when the car won't start:
You can run the bench test quickly or
Ignore the bench test completely and rely on the first set of troubleshooting flow chart above and have your
main relay taken apart and compare it to this image [mainrelaydryjoint.html] to find the culprit bad joint.
Main relay bypass: Bypassing the main relay to get the car running. A few have asked how to bypass the
main relay. Simply remove the main relay from the harness connector and short the three terminals on the
wire harness connector together and turn the ignition switch to start. Here are the terminals.
First generation relay: Battery(1) fuel pump(7) and ECU/injectors (3).
Second generation relay: Battery(7) fuel pump(4) and ECU/injectors (6).
Acura Legend and TL: Battery(1) fuel pump(7) and ECU/injectors (3).
WARNING: Do not short the battery power (+) to terminal 8 (or terminal 1 for the 95-97 Civic) on the
wire harness connector or there may be an internal ECU damage.
The following test is for most Accords, mainly for the Accord 88-94 and for the Acura or for most generic main
relays.
Step 1: Attach the battery positive terminal to the No.4 terminal (for the Accord) or No.6 ( for the Acura) and
the battery negative to the No.8 terminal of the main relay. Then check for continuity between the No.5
terminal and No.7 terminal of the main relay.
If there is continuity, go to step 2.
If there is no continuity, solder the relay terminal and retest.
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Step 2: Attach the battery positive terminal to the No.5 terminal and the battery negative to the No.2 terminal
of the main relay. Then check for continuity between the No.1 terminal and No.3 terminal of the main relay.
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If there is continuity, the relay is OK. If the fuel pump still does not work, check the harness and/or fuel pump.
If there is no continuity, resolder the relay terminal and retest.
For the Civic 95-97 .

Step 1: Attach the battery positive terminal to the No.2 and the battery negative to the No.1 terminal of the
main relay. Then check for continuity between the No.5 terminal and No.4 terminal of the main relay.
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Note: This relay is the same version as the Acura, but differs only by the printing. This would mean that these
species of relay are manufactured in two formats.
Main Relay in Circuit Test
Main Relay Terminals: For most Accords: While still connected to the vehicle check that:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Yel/blue should have +12 volts battery, always.

Blk should be grounded always. Connect your negative voltmeter or DMM lead here.
Blk/yel should have +12 volts with ignition ON.
Not used.
Yel/blk should be +12 volts with ignition ON.
Blu/Red (auto only) Blk/grn (manual only) should be +12 volts at START.
Yellow should have +12 volts temporary with ignition ON, if idling or start Yellow should have +12 volts.
Grn/blk should ground temporary with ignition ON or idling, if idling or start Grn/blk should ground.
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If all readings are okay except on either terminal 3) ECU-Injector or terminal 7) Pump then the relay is dead and
should be should be soldered.
Main Relay Acura Legend, TL, and RL Bench Test.
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If there is no continuity, re-solder the relay terminal and retest.
Factory unabridged Legend first generation main relay and fuel pump test and how to install fuel pump.
Factory unabridged 95-97 Civic main relay test
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How to solder and fix the Main Relay.

or Acura turns over but

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a 15-30 watt soldering iron (or

a Rosin core solder (Rosin is

a solder wick (copper braid)

a Desoldering iron (simple to

Start by carefully prying the main relay:

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Stick a flat small flat screw driver in the crack.

What to look for:

Picture of separation procedure

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Try not to heat

The amount of solder (before) is too little.

The joint (before) is a cold solder joint.

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Desolder using a pump

Desolder using a wick

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and repeat the desoldering process.

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A good solder job should look like this:

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See all locations >>

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What causes the main relay to fail?

What is the solution to this problem?

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(fuel injectors) will show up

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What can make the main relay hot.

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TROUBLESHOOTING THE MAIN RELAY

Car Won't Star t

Main r elay tr oubles hooting f or

Tur n the ignition s w itc h to

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Does the c hec k engine

The ignition s w itc h, ECU,

Is ther e a r elay c lic k

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Does the f uel pump w hir l

Fuel pump may be dead.

Main r elay is OK. See

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Main Relay bench test:

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