Stranded: 2000 nsx

Three months ago, my NSX completely lost power on my way home. I towed it home, and 3 days later, it started right up.

Last week, about 800 miles later, after cruising all day in the mountains, it happened again. No Check Engine light came on. However letting it rest for 2 hours, it started right up, and the next day, I drove it 200 miles home without failure.

After the first failure, I initially thought the problem was water in the gas and had been treating the tank with Heet fuel additive, but that did not prevent the second failure.
I plan to drain the fuel tank and evaluate dirt or condensation in it.

Any suggestions about what is happening and how to repair it? I plan to put an OBD II tester to look for trouble codes.

Mark

main relay...

wrong section that's all

haha..I use new posts to log in......I'm sure this thread will raise a few pulses with our new owners

docjohn said:

main relay...

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Sounds right to me. I would get a new one anyway while you can. Since it is a 2000 model year it is located on the outer side of the passenger seat under the curved section of the rear interior bulkhead liner.

This brings me back to NSXPO in Canada, when TonyD got stuck on the bridge, we got the car back and Joe had a spare main relay in the trunk. Problem solved

...........Tony and Miled were both doing their best deliverance recreation if memory serves

Hey don't blame Us for Tony's blown main relay.......I do remember the story and it was quite funny...ie being stuck right at the Border!

Bram

cavity searches aren't all they're cracked up to be

The main relay is a viable suspect. Also give consideration to a worn ignition switch. The 'tell' would be the dash lights. If the dash lights went out when the engine quit, that is more likely the ignition switch than the main relay. If the main relay quits, it cuts power to the EFI / fuel pump; but, the dash warning lights remain operational (the oil pressure light should come on when the engine quits). However, with power cut to the EFI, I expect that the 'check engine' light will not light up.

If the ignition switch is wearing out and operating intermittently, you can sometimes test for wear by carefully wiggling the key in the switch with the key in the run position and the engine running. If the engine quits, you know you have a switch problem.

The ignition switch and the relay are likely candidates; however, they are not the only candidates. It gets more complex if it isn't one of those two.

Bram said:

Hey don't blame Us for Tony's blown main relay.......I do remember the story and it was quite funny...ie being stuck right at the Border!

Bram

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Hi Bram,

No blame intented, just remember Tony stuck on the bridge....

Regards,
LarryB

Both times the dash lights continued to work, and no check engine light came on.
I put an OBD II tester on the car and it didn't show any stored trouble codes.
I got a price for $71 plus shipping for a main relay from Augusta Acura in Georgia, and I'll try that route.
Thanks for your help,
Mark

Larry Bastanza said:

Hi Bram,

No blame intented, just remember Tony stuck on the bridge....

Regards,
LarryB

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Larry, you know I'm Just Kidding......is was a fun Time for sure

Bram said:

Larry, you know I'm Just Kidding......is was a fun Time for sure

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Yes I did know, and it was a great time!!

Mark - If you are going to NSXPO 2016, bring the "broken" main relay. I'll take a peak at it and let you know if a simple re-solder job will let it serve as a good spare.

I replaced the main relay and kept the old one as a spare. It ran fine for 3 months (500 miles in town driving). I went on a 10 minute drive to the store. When I came back out in 10 minutes it wouldn't start. The dash lights stayed on as they normally should. It just wouldn't quite start. I let it sit in the parking lot for two hours and tried it again. No luck. I had it towed home and the next morning it started right up.
How it's different the prior two times it wouldn't start: 1. The car was driven less than 10 minutes before being turned off.2. The ambient temperature was 30 degrees cooler. 3. The tank had been kept full and Heet Fuel Additive had been added to the fuel. 4. As I began this trip and started the car there was a slight hesitation the start. I remember thinking, "did that car just hesitate to start?"
The frustrating part is the car won't stay broken to diagnose the problem. All three times it has failed to start, after waiting between two hours and 12 hours, the car started right back up.
Any ideas?
Mark

Sounds like a bad starter to me. If you hear the relay click behind your head than I would look into the starter.

Mark Deffendall said:

I replaced the main relay and kept the old one as a spare. It ran fine for 3 months (500 miles in town driving). I went on a 10 minute drive to the store. When I came back out in 10 minutes it wouldn't start. The dash lights stayed on as they normally should. It just wouldn't quite start. I let it sit in the parking lot for two hours and tried it again. No luck. I had it towed home and the next morning it started right up.
How it's different the prior two times it wouldn't start: 1. The car was driven less than 10 minutes before being turned off.2. The ambient temperature was 30 degrees cooler. 3. The tank had been kept full and Heet Fuel Additive had been added to the fuel. 4. As I began this trip and started the car there was a slight hesitation the start. I remember thinking, "did that car just hesitate to start?"
The frustrating part is the car won't stay broken to diagnose the problem. All three times it has failed to start, after waiting between two hours and 12 hours, the car started right back up.
Any ideas?
Mark

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I believe part of what you describe is similar to what [MENTION=30265]BamaFan[/MENTION] experienced with his car. His just wouldn't start, but the dash lights looked fine. He replaced the main relay, which didn't correct the issue. He then replaced the ignition switch and it started right up. For the relative low cost of the ignition switch and a relatively painless install, it might be worth replacing to take out of the equation. My 2 cents.

I second ignition...

Most likely your ignition switch is bad, for sure I would take it apart and clean it. If your anal like me just replace it around $45 new. Good luck

Some interpretation required!

"When I came back out in 10 minutes it wouldn't start. The dash lights stayed on as they normally should. It just wouldn't quite start"

Does "it wouldn't start" mean that the starter motor is turning over; but, the engine is not achieving ignition and sustained operation, or does it mean that the starter motor is not operating?

If it means that the starter motor is not turning over, then the possible causes are:

faulty ignition switch
missing clutch interlock button (not likely given your description since once it drops out, the car will definitely never restart) or flakey clutch interlock switch
flakey starter cut relay
a problem with the security system which is not grounding the starter cut relay
starter motor / solenoid
a broken wire or bad connection some place

The more common problems are the ignition switch and the starter motor. Starter motor failures can start out being intermittent. Sometimes you can temporarily fix the problem by tapping the starter and solenoid with a hammer.

If the starter motor is engaging, its likely none of the above (except in some circumstances it can be the ignition switch if the engine starts and then turns off when you release the key from the start position). The go-to candidate would be the main relay which I think you have already addressed. Short of incredibly bad luck with getting a second dud relay, my next candidate would be the fuel pump. Turn the ignition key to the run position (not start) and listen. You should hear the fuel pump run for 2-3 seconds as it primes the fuel system. If you don't hear the pump, then its likely that the pump is dying / dead. Since dropping the tank to replace the pump is a major PITA, I would check the fuel pump output of the main relay to make sure that it is powering up the pump (go through the service manual diagnostic procedure for the fuel pump). There are other things that can cause non operation of the fuel pump; but, they are pretty rare. My experience with electric fuel pumps is that as they approach the end of their life, they can go through a period of intermittent operation; however, I have never had one take three months to shuffle off this mortal coil. It was usually less than a week from first symptom to total death.

I agree with the above. If the car stalls when driving, you may have a poor or corroded engine ground. I suffered through this until the ground was cleaned. If you are having trouble engaging the starter, remove and clean the ignition switch. If that does not fix the problem, remove the starter and open it up and remove the corrosion on the ring inside the starter. Also file down or sand the two points (small L brackets) that make the connection on the ring. You can also buy the Denso kit for about $15 to replace the parts I have mentioned in the starter. Good luck. Jerry

Somebody did a thread with pictures a couple of years ago covering refurbishing the starter solenoid. Other than the hassle of removing the starter, it didn't look particularly difficult. Now, just to figure out the correct search terms so you can find that thread......

Not many pictures, but a good description here.

New ones are pretty cheap.

Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions. I'll remove and clean the ignition. I think was was unclear in my technical description when I said "it won't start." Sorry. I think the starter is fine. The stater engages correctly but "the engine is not achieving ignition and sustained operation".
i took it for a test drive 3 days ago. It started correctly. I drove for ten minutes let the car sit for 1 1/2 hours. It restarted correctly and drove it home. The next morning the starter turned over as it should but "the engine would not achieve ignition and sustained operation", hereafter referred to as "tewnaiaso". So it looks like the car has gone from unreliable to undriveable. This morning the starter turned the engine over but "tewnaiaso".
last week I called Augusta Acura who I purchased the Main Module from. They said they weren't aware of any returns of defective Main Modules sold as new. The Main Module they sold me was the second they had sold since 2014.
As soon as I read "old guys" suggestions, I knew I had to be more explicit in my descriptions. The engine turns over correctly when I turn the ignition to the Start position. But it never achieves ignition. It's not that it starts then dies when I release the key into the run position.
Per anesthesia suggestion I'll take my ignition out and clean it.
Per old man's suggestion I turned the ignition to the run position to listen for the fuel pump priming the fuel system. I couldn't hear that for what sounded as a soft humming coming from the radio/ac/ heater controls area. It's just loud enough to mask the other sound I'm trying to hear.
Mark