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Major problem after only 3 days of ownership. Please advise!!

Blackoutz

Blackoutz

Experienced Member
Joined
22 June 2007
Messages
381
Location
San Antonio
I took delivery of the my new 2001 NSX with 30k on it about 3 days ago. Keep in mind the car is in excellent condition with all maintence up to date. Last night I was leaving a restaurant and accelerated on to the highway when the car all of a sudden lost power and the engine flat died. The car idiot lights came on and I coasted to a stop. No sign of anything major and seems to be pointed to something electronic. The car will crank with no problem just will not start. It seems to me I lost a important sensor that is causing it not to start.

Need less to say I got it towed to my house and will be taking it to my NSX tech tomm. I just wanted to run it by you primers to see if it's something easy I can fix. I have decent wrenching ability. Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.

Blaine
 
You might want to check the main relay that is located between the passenger and driver seat on the firewall. While cranking give that area a hit with your fist and see if it will start. I had a similar problem and the relay was the issue for me
 
Rope said:
You might want to check the main relay that is located between the passenger and driver seat on the firewall. While cranking give that area a hit with your fist and see if it will start. I had a similar problem and the relay was the issue for me
Click to expand...
Definitely check if its the main relay. It is about a $85 part. I also had simliar issues and it was fixed when I replaced the main relay.
 
Ok!! I will definitely try that. How do I go about removing the relay?? Is it in the cabin or in the engine dept?

Thanks a lot

Blaine
 
Last edited:
Remove the interior rear trim piece. It's right over the drivers right shoulder. Plenty of threads about it here.. Hope you get it..
 
Blackoutz said:
Ok!! I will definitely try that. How do I go about removing the relay?? Is it in the cabin or in the engine dept?
Click to expand...
This is an easy DIY fix. It's in the cabin. Just gently pry off the top bolster (the padded part just below the window between the cabin and the engine compartment), lifting the bottom edge first, and you'll be looking right at it. (No need to remove the entire rear wall covering, just the top bolster that's about 4" high.) Disconnect the connector, use a socket to unbolt it, and replace it. There isn't a lot of slack in there but you don't need much mechanical ability to do this yourself.

This description is based on my '91, and I don't know whether they moved it between '91 and '01 - possibly to the other side but I'm pretty sure it's still behind that bolster. A diagram of its location on a '91 is on page 23-13 of the 1991 service manual, which you can view as page 999 of the .pdf version located here.
 
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Ok thanks a lot!! I will let you know what happens

Blaine
 
P.S. IIRC it says "main relay" right on the part, where you can read it when you remove that bolster.

Make sure you replace it with the proper one for your year of NSX. The parts catalog says it's part number 39400-SL0-A01 for a 2001, which is not the same as the one for a '91.
 
Last edited:
Ok great information!! Is there any way to bypass the relay to confirm that's the problem or test the relay for proper operation once out of car?

Blaine
 
I had the same problem last year on my 91, exact same thing. Car suddenly died coasted to a stop lights came on etc. It was my ignition switch. food for thought.
 
The main relay is a common problem, it's relatively inexpensive, and it's easy to replace yourself. So for all those reasons, it's the first thing you want to try. (Even if it means waiting a day or two for your dealer to get the part.) Even if it turns out to be some other problem (like the ignition switch, which is not as common and more involved to replace), so that it turns out you have an extra main relay on hand, that's still a good thing.
 
Ok cool I will look in to the relay first and replace it regardless then move to the ignition switch. Thanks again

Blaine

- - - Updated - - -

Question: if I'm going to be going to be driving cross country in this car what relays, fuses and different hard to come by parts that would leave the car stranded should be replaced for preventative maintenance? Sounds like so far I have heard the main relay, fuel pump relay, and ignition switch. Anything else???

Blaine
 
main relay is far more likely then the fuel pump relay, ignition switch is a possibility if you have a lot of keys on your key ring
 
Rope said:
main relay is far more likely then the fuel pump relay, ignition switch is a possibility if you have a lot of keys on your key ring
Click to expand...

As far as I know the only thing on the key is the keyless remote. I really hope it's the main relay. I will overnite tomm and let y'all know.
 
When mine went out the tech tested it by tapping on it with a screw driver and trying to crank it. While tapping it would start. Without tapping no start. Takes maybe 15 mins to fix it.
 
NetViper said:
When mine went out the tech tested it by tapping on it with a screw driver and trying to crank it. While tapping it would start. Without tapping no start. Takes maybe 15 mins to fix it.
Click to expand...

That's very interesting. I will try that as well. I had no idea this was such a wide spread problem. Weird
 
Blackoutz said:
Question: if I'm going to be going to be driving cross country in this car what relays, fuses and different hard to come by parts that would leave the car stranded should be replaced for preventative maintenance? Sounds like so far I have heard the main relay, fuel pump relay, and ignition switch. Anything else???
Click to expand...
The others aren't common failures. On a long trip, the only part I took with me was a spare main relay.

NetViper said:
When mine went out the tech tested it by tapping on it with a screw driver and trying to crank it. While tapping it would start. Without tapping no start. Takes maybe 15 mins to fix it.
Click to expand...
The tapping technique may or may not help, and is not a permanent fix. You need to actually replace it. You can also refurbish it by resoddering the insides, if you like (Briank can do this as well), but considering the cost of a new one, it might not be worth doing so.
 
nsxtasy said:
The others aren't common failures. On a long trip, the only part I took with me was a spare main relay.


The tapping technique may or may not help, and is not a permanent fix. You need to actually replace it. You can also refurbish it by resoddering the insides, if you like (Briank can do this as well), but considering the cost of a new one, it might not be worth doing so.
Click to expand...

Come on ken, I never said that was a permanent way to fix it.. Just a way to test of that is the problem and it might help someone if you are stranded. It did me.
 
Thanks a lot for the great response. I just realized I took the wrong part out of the car. I think I took the fan assembly out :) #5 on the diagram. My relay comes in tomm anyway so I'll let y'all know if it works.

I love this forum :)

Blaine


Larry Bastanza said:
For the 2001 the main relay is on the right side of the passenger seat, by the passengers right shoulder. you need to remove the side curved panel to get to it, as opposed to the 1991, which is behind the passenger headrest.

Item #10 below:

http://www.acuraautomotiveparts.org...IT+(3)&ListAll=All&vinsrch=no&systemcomp=List All&vinnoT=&trim=&trans=&view=normal

HTH,
LarryB
Click to expand...
 
Well stuck in the new Main relay and fired right up. Unbelivable. I have to say I was skeptic about that being the problem but you learn something new everday. Thanks alot for the responses and saved my a trip over the barrell at Acura. :)

Blaine
 
Blackoutz said:
Well stuck in the new Main relay and fired right up. Unbelivable. I have to say I was skeptic about that being the problem but you learn something new everday. Thanks alot for the responses and saved my a trip over the barrell at Acura. :)

Blaine
Click to expand...

Hey Great News!! Funny thing is this is the second one in the last week, that was discussed over the phone/internet, and both were fixed. At NSXPO 09 I had an NSX die in traffic. Got it off the road, and luckily someone had a spare, I did not even comment just swapped it in 10 minutes and all was well:).

Keep the old one, you can open it up, resolder it, test it, if OK, keep as an emergency spare;).

Regards,
LarryB
 

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