[littlehonda]

Your English is fantastic, by the way.

Since English is not my mother language, I don't know if that is a complement or sarcasm. :-)

But I apologize for any grammatical errors you might see.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

There is no section on fuel injectors, because there are no frequently asked questions about them. Injector problems are not common.

[littlehonda]

An injector is located 3.5" behind each spark plug. They have an internal solenoid that sometimes fails. Easy access. You will see a 2P connector going to each injector.

Hmmmmm.

Since my car has Dual Point injection, I suppose there are only two injectors there.

Unfortunately, now it's getting dark outside and there are no lights outside the factory.

I'll have to check it tomorrow morning.

Thank you very much for all your invaluable help!

[TxGreaseMonkey]

I'm unfamiliar with dual port injection; however, it shouldn't be very much different.

[littlehonda]

I just came home from work and had the chance to see how the car behaves with the re-soldered main relay.

The car starter just fine. No hard start, no "lifeless' sound.

I don't know why but the performance of the car was much better than before. Faster acceleration and more power on the wheels. I was quite surprised by that.

When I arrived to my town, I stopped to a gas station to put some gas. When I tried to start the car, the engine started immediately!

So, bottom end, everything seems just fine. But it is too early to come to any conclusions.

What I don't understand is the improved performance. Could a re-soldered main relay do that much difference?

Nevertheless, tomorrow I'll check the injectors.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Yes, main relays are very problematic. The circuit board soldering is really not very good. The components, circuit board, and solder have different coefficients of expansion. Solder, being the weakest, tends to crack and develop "cold" joints. To do the job properly, you really need to desolder and then resolder the boards. My experience is that most people are better served by replacing the main relay. More goes on with this relay then most people ever imagine. The real test of your main relay will come when it gets really hot in Cyprus. If I were you, I would drill several ventilation holes in the main relay's cover.

Yes, many times the situation with main relays is crazy. Intermittent starting problems, particularly when hot outside, won't start situations, and engines dying at highway speeds. They can drive some people (and mechanics) crazy.

The majority of electrical problems with Hondas are, in this order, main relays, igniters, coils, and ECMs.

[littlehonda]

I agree with replacing the main relay.

I'll just wait a few days to be certain that this is the problem and if it is, I'll install a new one.

Relays have mechanical and electrical life.

Even if the contacts on the PCB are re-soldered, the contacts inside the electromechanical switch gather "dirt" created by the sparks whenever the contacts close or open and after many uses, the internal contacts become inefficient.

[TxGreaseMonkey]

Yes, and there a 3 diodes in the relay that sometimes fail. Bench testing also does not replicate the heat, which is such a crucial factor with these relays.

If you plan on keeping your Civic for a long time, use 5W-30 synthetic engine oil. Also, make sure and use a synthetic synchromesh transmission fluid, not 10W-30 engine oil. When these cars first came out, regular engine oils had the additive ZDDP. ZDDP has been removed and some people are having problems with 10W-30 and 10W-40 engine oils destroying the bronze synchros. Therefore, use the proper synchromesh fluid instead (change every 30,000 miles).