Honda Accord Bad Fuel Pump Relay Symptoms & Troubleshooting
The fuel pump relay in your honda accord is a bridge between the car’s central computer and injectors. Want to avoid situations like being stranded in the middle of the highway at night? Then you better ensure the bridge isn’t compromised. Watch out for the honda accord fuel pump relay symptoms.
Usually, the first symptom that a bad fuel pump relay on a honda accord may show is the check engine light on. Gradually, you will notice idling, stalling, and failure to start. Plus, the fuel pump will go quieter or silent than usual. On examination, you may find the fuel pump relay is burnt.
Are you concerned about the fuel pump relay on your honda accord? Well, educating yourself on the issue is one of the best ways to tackle it. Read on to enrich your knowledge.
What Are the Common Symptoms of a Bad Fuel Pump Relay on a Honda Accord?
Every time you put the key to the ignition of your sedan, the ECM has to send a signal to the fuel pump. However, the pump cannot receive this signal directly from the computer.
Your fuel pump relay acts as an intermediary and transfers the signal to the pump. Which is why you hear the fuel pump click each time the car starts.
Each of these clicks wears down the relay and overtime produces the following symptoms –
- Engine idles rough and stalls
- The car doesn’t start
- The Honda Accord engine performs poorly
- The fuel pump relay is quieter or silent
- Premature fuel pump failure
- A burnt relay in the fuse box
- Problem with Honda Accord’s fuel management
- Illuminated Check Engine Light
5 Solutions For Honda Accord Faulty Fuel Pump Relay:
Replacing a fuel pump doesn’t cost much. However, you must read the honda accord fuel pump relay symptoms properly to diagnose early. If you continue with a faulty relay, it can damage other equipment in your vehicle.
Also, you will be at risk of a road traffic accident or getting stuck in the middle of the highway due to an abrupt engine shutdown.
1. Check Your Battery And Vehicle’s Age
If you encounter any fuel pump relay symptoms, you should consider your vehicle’s age before anything else. If your car has run more than 200,000 miles, the fuel pump relay naturally would have decayed. You can locate the fuse box under the dashboard of your honda accord and check the relay.
Another thing to consider is the battery. The fuel pump relay requires adequate voltage to send signals. If the battery is weak, the relay wouldn’t have electrical power to work with. In this case, even a good fuel pump relay will produce symptoms.
Normally a battery replacement for a honda accord costs around 199$. If you are unsure of your car’s condition, get it checked by an automobile specialist. This will take out around 200$ out of your pocket.
2. Inspect The Fuse Box For Burnt Relay
If you suspect fuel pump relay damage, the best measure is to examine it. Even if there aren’t any symptoms, it’s a good practice to check the fuse box for signs of damage after every thousand miles of driving your honda accord. For that, you first have to locate the fuse box.
Usually, in a honda accord, the fuse box containing the fuel pump relay is located under the dashboard on the driver’s side. When you find the box, remove the cover.
You will then see a collection of wires, relays, and fuses. Check the diagram printed on the underside of the box or a honda accord manual to identify the fuel pump relay.
Once you identify it, check for signs of burning. A fully damaged relay would be readily evident. An excess flow of power could be a cause of it. However, sometimes the damage or burning isn’t detectable to the eye. In this case, you have to test the fuel pump relay.
3. Test The Fuel Pump Relay
The best way to ensure fuel pump relay health is to check it with a multimeter. A multimeter gives you information about the resistance of the relay.
All relays possess a certain amount of resistance. When it receives enough power to overcome that resistance, the relay clicks.
Depending on your honda accord’s year of manufacture, the fuel pump relay’s resistance can vary. However, it is usually within the range of 50-100 ohms.
If your multimeter detects fewer ohms, your relay will always be on. In comparison, the relay would never activate if your resistance exceeds a hundred ohms.
You can try swapping relays if a multimeter seems like too much trouble. Usually, all the relays in the fuse box are built more or less similarly. So, take off the fuel pump relay and place another one in its place.
If your symptoms resolve, you will know for sure that the fuel pump relay is your main problem.
4. Repair or Replace The Fuel Pump Relay
Once you have located the relay and tested it to ensure it is the cause of the symptoms, it’s time to repair it. You must take the equipment apart, resell, clean everything, and put it together again.
However, a honda accord fuel pump relay is pretty cheap. So, getting a new fuel pump relay is your best option.
A fuel pump relay specific to the honda accord can cost around 41$. However, you can find them as cheap as 9-12$. However, the labor price of the replacement can be around 100$. So, you can save a lot of money if you do it yourself.
The fuel pump relay is shaped like a cube. The prongs that connect it to the fuse box almost make it look like an electric plug. Before you remove it, disconnect the adjacent plug-in and fuse. Now, use a flathead screwdriver to pry the relay off the board gently.
Remember the position and arrangement of the old relay and use it as a guide to putting in the new one. After installing the new fuel pump relay, reconnect the fuse, plug-in, and other parts.
When you removed the relay, the fuel system got depressurized. So, repressurize it after you install the replacement.
5. Replace the Fuel Pump
The fuel pump relay generates an electrical signal for the fuel pump. Upon receiving the signal, the fuel pump applies pressure to the fuel system.
Eventually, this ensures that the injectors have the correct amount of fuel. However, a bad relay might generate more voltage than necessary and damage the fuel pump.
If your sedan has run more than 100,000 miles, it’s only natural to expect a decaying fuel pump. However, a faulty relay can significantly shorten the lifespan of your pump and make it malfunction way before your car reaches 100k miles.
In this case, the fuel pump symptoms shall persist even after you replace the relay.
So, you have no choice but to replace the fuel pump. The total cost (parts plus labor price) of fuel pump replacement for your honda accord is in the 900-1100$ range. You can avoid this costly repair if you diagnose a failing relay early.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
Fuel pump relay issues can cause serious concern for the car owner. However, with timely proper repairs, you can easily avoid future damages. Here are a few more answers to guide you.
Does a failing Honda Accord fuel pump relay generate a code?
Specific diagnostic trouble codes appear on OBD scans for all major automobile problems. The same applies to the fuel pump relay too. So, run a scan whenever there’s an illuminated check engine light. Usually, the code p0230 indicates an issue with your fuel pump.
What should I do if a damaged honda accord fuel pump relay leaves me stranded on the highway?
In such emergency cases, you can use a jumper cable to bypass the fuel pump relay. This will make it possible to control the fuel pump manually. However, you should get a new relay as soon as you are out of the situation. Otherwise, you will significantly damage your engine’s fuel distribution system.
How many miles can I drive my Honda Accord with a malfunctioning fuel pump relay?
If your fuel pump relay’s damage is in the initial stage, you can maybe drive several hundred miles. During this time, your car will idle rough and lose power on acceleration. However, if you were already experiencing the engine symptoms, you might not even make ten or twenty miles before your car shuts down.
Is the honda accord fuel pump relay replacement difficult and costly?
The fuel pump replacement isn’t difficult if you have prior experience with automobile fuse boxes. Plus, the equipment itself costs less than fifty dollars and is readily available in online and offline stores. However, the expenses can reach a hundred dollars if you need to hire professionals for the job.
Conclusion
The Honda accord fuel pump relay symptoms can be frustrating and also dangerous. If you ignore the symptoms when they are mild, they can turn into more expensive and serious issues. So, deal with the symptoms at the earliest and inspect your fuse box regularly.
A check engine light or silent pump should be enough to get your attention. The best thing about this issue is the low replacement cost. If you want a reliable fuel pump relay, spend somewhere around 40-50.
However, there are more budget-friendly options at 10-12. Always use protective gear when operating the fuse box. And don’t hesitate to take your car to the professionals if you aren’t sure what you’re doing.
