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View Full Version : hondas starter relay for the 88/89 accords



newaccorddriver
10-15-2005, 06:28 PM
im not completely sure if this thread relates to my other thread about the neutral safety switch, so if it is, feel free to merge them.


i was looking for relays on ebay and their all pretty much the same, a low current will complete the circuit for an even larger current. to my knowledge of the other thread i made about the neutral safety switch, when the clutch pedal is pushed down, the circuit is broken, and that would complete the circuit. what im wondering is, are those starter relays that honda use different compared to the other relays ive seen? and where would this relay be located on an accord? im so close to finishing my swap, just need to add the pedals, and hook up the switch and then im done. somebody must know the answer to this...

POS carb
10-17-2005, 08:22 AM
usually for starting it's referred to as a "solenoid" which is basically the same thing. If you look at your starter you'll see a black tube with a thin and a thick wire going to it. The bolts ground to the engine, the little wire gets 12V from the key and when that wire gets 12v it connects the starter to the fat wire connected straight to the battery, just like a relay but on a larger scale

logic
10-20-2005, 12:47 PM
im not completely sure if this thread relates to my other thread about the neutral safety switch, so if it is, feel free to merge them.
i was looking for relays on ebay and their all pretty much the same, a low current will complete the circuit for an even larger current. to my knowledge of the other thread i made about the neutral safety switch, when the clutch pedal is pushed down, the circuit is broken, and that would complete the circuit. what im wondering is, are those starter relays that honda use different compared to the other relays ive seen? and where would this relay be located on an accord? im so close to finishing my swap, just need to add the pedals, and hook up the switch and then im done. somebody must know the answer to this...

All relays do the same thing, as you said, they use small current to control big current (but a circuit being 'broken' means circuit is opened not completed, and things stop working). Honda uses about 5 different types.

Some are spst (single pole, single throw), meaning the little current goes thru a coil and the big current goes thru a switch that has two leads or contacts. They can be NO (normally open) or NC (normally closed) meaning when no current flows thru the coil, the switch is open (meaning no connection is made so no current can flow) for NO and closed (meaning connection is made and current can flow) for NC

There are also spdt(single pole double throw) which means the small current still flows thru the coil and the big current goes into the switch on the lead called 'common' and goes out on NC when no current thru coil and out thru NO when current goes thru coil (in other words, the big current gets switched from one to the other leads when coil activated instead of just turned off or on to one lead)

So, to answer your question, (except for the starter solenoid) any relay in a Honda (that is just a relay, not a circuit bord of relays like a controller) can be replaced with a generic spdt relay, you just have to make sure it's wired right (and can handle the current).

Starter solenoid is another animal. As in GM vehicles (As opposed to fords), the starter solenoid is a relay and a solenoid at the same time. When power comes in the small wire, it goes thru the coil which moves an arm which pushes the starter gear out into the ring gear so they connect(mesh), when it's all the way out (when the arm completes it's travel) then the plate (contact) touches the other contact and now the really big current can go thru the contacts and to the starter motor and turn the starter gear, which turns the ring gear, which turns the flywheel, which turns the crank, which turns the..... you get the idea....