NSX completely shut down while driving and would not start

[Joseph]

here's my suggestion

its not the main relay or the ignition switch. If the main relay is bad, it will still have power to all accessories(pwr windows, lights, etc.) except the fuel.

1st. Check the battery connections, positive wire and negative wire. (there might be a break in between the cables/wires) Test it using a multimeter.

2nd. If it all ok, then check the alternator it might be going bad.

 

[Zishan]

I'm 100% sure it is not the MAIN RELAY. The Main Relay only controls the fuel pump system. When mine went out, I was still able to work everything in the car, except for being able to actually start the car.

Good Luck Ojas!

Regards,
- Z

 

[hlweyl]

Ojas, have you had any progress yet?

 

[NCC-1701D]

I'm pretty sure you can have a loose or disconnected postive battery connection and the car will continue to run. I had a poor connection and my car ran fine. When I turn off my car. I had no power. Car wouldn't start..Waited a few seconds power came back and car started fine. Happened a few times...

After looking at the battery connections...The connections seemed tight but after removing the connections, I found there was corrosion on the battery terminals and on the connections....I thoroughly cleaned battery terminals and connectors and have never had a problem since..

That was the case for me ...

Just to add something to what might be a problem...
Maybe its the battery itself. Like maybe the battery plates inside are shorted or there is an open...If you go over bumps it might cause an open within the plates.

 

[Ojas]

Update

Yes, I have a quick update:

Tuesday, I did inspect the ignition switch and the connections from the battery. The switch looked fine, I suppose. The battery connections did not look too bad, but I cleaned the heck out of all of them to be safe. While I had everything apart I thought I would try to duplicate the failure... The battery connections are fewer and easier to mess with than the ones in the ignition switch, so I started there.

With engine running, I disconnected each cable. The engine still ran (as I originally expected it would). The positive clamp has two cables. The smaller one goes to the box under the hood, the main one to the rear. When I loosened the bolt and disconnect the smaller cable from the clamp (I assume this cuts alternator-supplied power to the circuits in the front box), the engine shut off. Furthermore, it appeared that everything was in the same state it was when I was stranded, all the way down to the green LED on the climate control being on.

The cable, itself looked fine. So did the connection to the fuse box. I cleaned the connection to the clamp thoroughly before I put it all back together. Since it seemed like this connection was the problem, I did not bother with any further testing on the ignition switch.

I can’t really say with certainty that I’ve fixed the issue since it was intermittent and might return at some inconvenient time in the future. However, considering that I was able to duplicate the exact condition by disconnecting that cable, I think there’s a good chance that was the cause of the problem. Then again, I remember wiggling the cables around when I was stranded; It seems like something should have happened then. Maybe I did not wiggle hard enough. One thing is for sure: If the connection between the cable and clamp was the problem, it sure makes me feel like it dope.

Since Tuesday, I’ve driven around perhaps an hour total with no problems. Unfortunately, I stayed within my new, tiny comfort zone, that does not extend beyond walking distance to home. Obviously, I’m reluctant drive futher away, like I normally do. So, this brings me to some (final, I hope) questions...

Do you think I have taken reasonable steps to identify and correct the problem? Should I spend money on the switch, even though it does not appear to be defective? Any other suggestions on how to handle this type of intermittent problem?

Thank you.

 

[Zishan]

Ok, what is the effect of a bad ignition switch? It kills the car? I'm under the assumption that the ignition switch has nothing to do with the headlights/taillights/flashers turning off as they did in Ojas's situation. There has to be something else here. It does sound like a simple problem, but where to look?

Good Luck,
- Z

 

[kclements]

I had a similar problem with my 92 sebring silver automatic nsx with 121k miles on it. I first noticed that my EPS (electronic power steering) light was comming on every now and then. This was a pain in the ass and had me worried that I needed a new rack and when I found out they cost upwards of $2500 I was a little scared.At about the same time the car was randomly shutting off while I was driving it. Obviously not a good thing to have happen. I thought they were 2 different problems not related, so I started trouble shooting both of them. I spent a period of 2 days on the power steering light problem and everything checked out ok. Then one day my girlfriend was driving my car (lucky her) and it decided not to start in front of a hospital drop off zone. So I had it towed to my house and realized that the electronic portion of the ignition switch had completely took a shit. I ordered one from Lynnwood Acura and they had it here the next day. and it only cost me $73! easy to install. I havent had any EPS or related problems since then! I would say go buy the switch.. it probebly needs one anyway !


Just my 2 cents

 

[hlweyl]

Ok, what is the effect of a bad ignition switch? It kills the car? I'm under the assumption that the ignition switch has nothing to do with the headlights/taillights/flashers turning off as they did in Ojas's situation. There has to be something else here. It does sound like a simple problem, but where to look?

Good Luck,
- Z

I agree, even with no key in the ignition, hazard lights still work.

 

[EIFFEL]

Ojas, Is your car fixed? thanks for any updates.

 

[Ojas]

Ojas, Is your car fixed?

If the absence of a problem means the problem’s fixed, well… It's fixed then. It’s been nearly a month (about 800 miles) since I cleaned the connections and I have not experienced any problems.

Thanks for checking in, Eiffel.

 

[apapada]

I had a loose battery connection at one time, and it does shut everything off. I was driving when one of the terminals popped off, even the engine cut off right were I stood.

same thing happened to me at a redlight one day. Another time just as I was starting the car. Loose battery connection (the + one) I jiggled it a couple of times and it started right up (I knew when I could hear the "left keys on the ignition" buzzer once the battery was hooked up again). I then tightened up the battery connection once at home.

 

[monarch_kiss]

It just happened to my car today. When I switch to "on", then there isn't any dash light on. Of cos I couldn't start the engine as well. The bettery is fine. Lights and A/C are working perfect. I would say it's not bettery connection problem.

As I post yesterday for other Thread, which was about the burning smell. I guess something has burned out and related to the problem.

What should I do ???

 

[ATERPAK]

First a small lesson on what a short and what an open is on an electrical circuit.

If you have a short, that means that the electrical flow is flowing directly to the ground on the car (shorting out). If this occurs a few things can happen. If the wiring is not fused, it will cause the wire to overheat very quickly and then burn the insulation and eventually melt the wire. That circuit will then become an open circuit. If it's fused, then the fuse should blow protecting the circuit wiring from burning out, melting the insulation and possibly damaging other wires in the wiring loom.

If you have an open, that means no current can flow from a positive to a negative because it's OPEN. You should have voltage potential across this open which may or may not be 12 volts depending on what may be between it and the power source. Open circuits, like a broken or cut wire, will not blow a fuse unless it shorts out against the chassis or ground somewhere and it has the positive 12 volts on the wire.

Too often people mistakenly say they have a short when they can't get power when the really mean they have an open in the circuit.

Most of the problems in the NSX ignition switch if it fails is not a short, but rather an open in the contacts within the switch. Since they don't gold plate them, they wear down due to vibration while driving and thus cause a gap to form which changes while driving. It happened to me way back in 95 but not since then.

Another problem is the switch contacts start to corrode and this causes a high resistance short. The corrosion itself acts like a resistor and allows current flow but at a reduced rate and a voltage drop across it. This is what may be happening to the door switches which intermittently set off the alarm system. Sometimes working the switch will clean those contacts, but that may only last a short time.

Good luck to everyone trying to troubleshoot these problems. They can be a bitch.

 

[Yellow Rose]

Just Do It

As some of you know I have the BBSC and have experienced a few "stubborn" starting episodes. Some have opined that the problem is with the SS box. I countered with poo-poo because for the previous eighteen months, the car started flawlessly every time. Besides, there are some naturally aspirated NSXs out there that have shown the same symptoms.

I eventually got around to replacing the main relay for $55-ish and the ignition switch for $75-ish. To me, it is not worth my time to spend days upon days of troubleshooting an intermittent electrical problem. My philosophy is to just buy the parts that inevitably are worn out a bit on a decade, or more, old car. At least you have the peace of mind that part A and part B have been replaced. If the problem appears, then you just move on to part C, part D, etc. In fact, on Monday I will order an ignitor module just because.

Now, who said changing the ignition switch was easy? How large or small are you? While the concept of removing two 6mm screws and unsnapping the wire harness connector is easy, getting to everything is a PITA. I spent most of this afternoon on my back grunting and groaning just to get to things. Oh gotta love the vague instructions in the service manual. And it also bothers me when instructions read something like. "Grab firmly and pull real hard." That knee bolster was a bitch to get off until I found out the trick. Thanks LB.

 

[MJK]

I have a few questions:

• For those who have had the ignition switch fail, was it an intermittent problem? I assume there was a bad connection, were you able to wiggle the key around in the switch to make a temporary good connection?
• White94: On your friend's CL, do you know if the defective switch caused all the components (headlight, interior lights, etc.) to not work?

• 
  
  Sorry for the late responses, I hope they are still helpful.
  
• Yes, his was intermittent. It was very rare at first, and became more frequent with time. I don't know if key wiggling helped or not.
  
• When his failed (97 3.0 FWIW), EVERYTHING went dead and the car just died. Interior lights, radio, etc
  
  Hope you get it figured out, but my money is still on the ignition switch.

 

[jgtcnsx]

if its cutting off while its driving it has to be something with the battery connection or the alternator. right?

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Hi Andy,

I forgot about the fact I can actually fit under there LOL.......................

OK for all of you "tall/large" folks (which is everyone I know ) it is not a "2" on the 1-10 scale of DIY difficulty, it is a "5".

Glad you got it done.

Later,
LarryB

 

[TheYellowBeast]

I once had the coolest keychain, room key from a hotel in Brazil, might have weighed a half pound though... and sure enough, on a bump one day, the car died... ignition switch was worn out by the unrelenting jiggling of the heavy keychain. Good thing it was only a Camaro :biggrin: (You might have ruled that out already, but due to those similar symptoms, thought I'd chime in... you sometimes see people with upwards of 10 keys on their chain. Add that to a firm suspension and....)