Questions and Answers

Acura Legend No Hot Restart Q. I have a 1991 Acura Legend Coupe. It is in mint condition. I love the car and I really baby it. Lately I have been having a problem starting. If I use the car for a few minutes and then stop for a few minutes sometimes it does not start. It cranks and cranks but just does not turn over. It is not the battery or the starter; I know this for a fact.

I just got off the phone with an Acura dealer tech, and he suggested that it is probably the main relay. Could this be possible? I am not very car literate, so it could be the Johnson rod for all I know.

It does not do it all the time. Sometimes I can stop and start 50 times and she'll start right up every time. Sometime I drive 3 blocks to the store and when I come out she starts doing it again. It is really getting frustrating. I hate to get rid of the car, but I hate the feeling of maybe she will maybe she won't, every time I take it for a ride.

Can you please help me!! I have left it with several different mechanics and they say they cannot find the problem unless it happens when they have the car, and it never happens for them. But as soon as I pick it up and take it home it happens. What should I do???

Thanks in advance for your time...

A. The Johnson Rods in the Acura's have been made almost fool proof. They very rarely go bad anymore. So we can safely eliminate it as a possibility.

It could be a Main Relay. It could also be an Ignition Module. Both are susceptible to heat failure. Generally a Main Relay will fail when the vehicle has been sitting in the sun on a warm day for a while. Honda Main Relays

An Ignition Module will tend to fail when the engine compartment gets hot. Then when it cools off, it will start working again.

One way to tell which is the problem is the main relay will turn off the ignition and fuel pump. The Ignition Module will only shut off the ignition. So if you can hear the fuel pump running while it won't start, chances are good it is a bad ignition Module.