Starter got no power

Hi there, Thanks in advance. I drove my 95' to a friends house and after an hour, the car wouldn't start. The starter don't respond at all. I called BCAA. The mechanic tap the starter and the battery is fully charge. He even ask me to operate the lock and unlock alarm(Alpina alarm) and try the clutch pedal a few times with no respond. He said their is no power going to the starter. At the end he ask me to sit inside the car with the key on and press the clutch. HE somehow bypass something with the fuse box open. The car start as usual. What should I look for. Thanks.

main relay or ignition switch

Main relay has no effect on the starter. Ignition switch generally will crank and fire but not keep running when released.

You probably lost the little button on the top of the clutch pedal. It's hard to get at to replace. Instead you can bypass (short) the sensor (switch), which detects when the clutch is fully depressed. If the button is missing the pin of the sensor goes in the hole where the button mounts and thus does not get pressed. Some put a bolt and nut in the hole instead of the little plastic button.

Thanks B2Finity and jwmelvin, from what I remember everything is working with the key in position 2, only no power to the starter and the car drive normal after the BCAA mechanic start it up for me . I'll check into the plastic nub behind the clutch pedal and report back. Thanks.

NSX-ST said:

Thanks B2Finity and jwmelvin, from what I remember everything is working with the key in position 2, only no power to the starter and the car drive normal after the BCAA mechanic start it up for me . I'll check into the plastic nub behind the clutch pedal and report back. Thanks.

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Check the driver's side footwell / carpet. You may find the little plastic button laying there which is a definite sign of the problem.

If you do go looking under the dash to check the clutch pedal, be aware that there are two interlock switches. The lower switch which is easier to see and get to (and the button never seems to fall out of) is the cruise control interlock switch. The upper switch, which is miserable to access, is the offending clutch interlock switch.

Refitting a new button (or a bolt head) can be exceedingly difficult. An option is to just put a jumper in the plug that fits into the switch.

jwmelvin is correct that the ignition switch normally fails in the run position, not the start position. However, it is possible for it to fail in the start position. If the clutch interlock switch button is in place, then consider checking the operation of the starter switch as per the service manual.

Old Guy said:

The upper switch, which is miserable to access . . . .

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From my experience this is an apt description. After fighting with it for about 45 minutes, I jumped the switch and drove the car to my favorite NSX mechanic. It was worth the one hour labor charge. At least to me it was.

Thanks Guy and dq, I'll check the plastic button. Will the button be the same as the 91'. Also could it be the alarm built in disablement in the system or starter cut relay. I'll bring it to a mechanic for a timing belt change at the same time if the problem is not solve. Thanks.

NSX-ST said:

Thanks Guy and dq, I'll check the plastic button. Will the button be the same as the 91'. Also could it be the alarm built in disablement in the system or starter cut relay. I'll bring it to a mechanic for a timing belt change at the same time if the problem is not solve. Thanks.

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I don't know for sure; but, I expect the button is the same. Some people like to put a stove bolt (round head) in place of the button and then screw a nut on the back. That way it will never come out again. Stove bolts are an easy pick from Home Depot or Canadian Tire.

Yes, it could be the starter cut relay or the security system. The starter cut relay gets its ground connection through the clutch interlock switch and the security system (in series). So, if either the clutch interlock switch or the security system have problems, then the starter cut relay will not operate and the starter motor will not engage. However, wish for and rule out the most common problem first - the missing button. All the other options get more complicated and expensive (I don't want to think about the OEM security control unit cost).

If your after market alarm system is tied in to use the starter cut relay as an anti theft device, you are on your own as those wiring set ups all seem to be one-offs. You would need to go back to the original installer. Cross your fingers and hope its a missing interlock switch button.

The button is the same for all years ,the colour has now changed to white at the honda dealer ,but as others have said if its the clutch interlock ( upper hole) far less painfull to just bypass the switch.
i know as ive just had to do this with the help of the good people of prime.

I just checked the button behind the clutch pedal Too bad it's their. I'll call a alpine dealer tomorrow to confirm if their is a built in disablement in the system. At the mean time I'll check the starter cut relay. Anyone know where it locate. Thanks.

If the Alpine alarm has a starter interlock and they added an extra relay rather than use the Starter Cut relay, that would complicate things even more. Most aftermarket alarms are wired up so that when they are armed, they power up the interlock relay to open a contact to prevent the car from starting. That way if the alarm craps out or blows a fuse, the relay stays closed and you can start the car. As an experiment, try pulling the fuse to your aftermarket alarm and see if that allows you to start the car.

Down load the service manual from the Wiki to find the location of the starter cut relay. I would check my manual; but, I have a 2000 and from prior experience, Honda on occasion shifts the location of the relays in the relay boxes from year to year so its hard to make year to year comparisons.

Remember there are two " buttons" the lower ( easy to get to) button ( for cruise control) then the top ( near on impossible to get to - clutch interlock). The top one is hard to see as well.
the best bet for jumpering it is to remove the panel below the steering wheel then you have easy access to the connectors that go to the interlock switch itself.

I would open and clean the contacts inside the ignition switch. This is a classic case of a poor electrical contact. Push the seat back, go under the dash and remove the switch by removing the two small screws. Open the switch, clean the contacts with 400 grit paper, clean with contact cleaner and put it back together. There are a few threads on this procedure. Check the archives. Good luck. Jerry

Thank you all, I'll definitely check the ignition switch,clean it and report back. Thanks.

Jerry@mobile is correct about being able to clean the switch; however, check the operation of the switch using the test procedure in the service manual before removing it and taking it apart. No point in taking something apart if it is perfectly functional and you always run the risk that you might break something when you are prying it apart.

Color of clutch button

steve k said:

Remember there are two " buttons" the lower ( easy to get to) button ( for cruise control) then the top ( near on impossible to get to - clutch interlock). The top one is hard to see as well.
the best bet for jumpering it is to remove the panel below the steering wheel then you have easy access to the connectors that go to the interlock switch itself.

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Anyone remember the color of the "button"? I have a 1991 and see some small pieces of plastic in the floorboard but not enough pieces to determine if it's the button.