OK so somehow I locked my keys in my car and my car overheated while I was in the process of unlocking it. I finally got it turned off and let the car cool drained the cooling fluids and put new ones in tried to start the car but nothing happened. My check engine light flashes about 6 times really fast then pauses and flashes again. I was told it might be a fuel pump problem but I took off the main relay and jumped the wires and it seems to be working so I think it might be a main relay problem. I'm very new to all this car stuff and at this point i'm out of ideas. Is there anyway to fix the main relay, I tried to find a replacement but neither of the nearby auto stores had one although I don't really think they knew what they were looking for any other ideas on what else it could be?

By the way my car is a 1992 Honda Civic DX 1.5lt Manual transmission

ps excuse my bad grammar English is not my first language

 

Does your car run now or not?

 

no it still will not start

Update: I went out and got a new main relay I installed it but when I go to start the car all I get is a very fast clicking noise coming from the relay and no start

 

they way to test a faulty relay is to get the car started. once running turn the key to off then back to acc. don't crank but turn it back to the on position.

do it very fast. if the car catches itself from dieing your relay is fine. if it doesn't catch itself relay is dieing.

if your cel is flashing six times it could be a code 6. search your model year and see what code 6 is. first play to start.

it shouldn't give you a code reading without jumping the connector. so i'm not sure what to tell you.

either way. i dunno how you got to the main relay being the culprit.

 

Referencing the emboldened section: Do you mean you bypassed the main relay and you heard the fuel pump prime?
If this is what you meant than I'd try to start the car using that method.
If it does start when you bypass the main relay but not with the relay in place than it's the relay that's bad, of course.

I've called advance auto myself seeing if they could get ahold of a main relay for me and no luck. I expected that though, maybe it's different in some areas.

You can fix main relays by looking for any cracks in the solder joints (after removing cover) and then re-soldering them.

Otherwise, you should be able to get a new one from a dealership for around $50-60, or so I've heard.
Just FYI, I'm no expert and I'm not saying your problem is necessarily related to the main relay.
Good luck

 

Doesn't sound like the typical main relay symptoms to me.

I don't see how your car overheated from just idleing while your keys were locked in.

There are guides on here on how to check a CEL code and figure out what it means. Check the online resources sticky.

Do you hear your fuel pump prime when you key is turned to the "on" position? It is a noise that will sound from under the rear seat, and it should be easy to hear.

Does your car crank at all?

 

i had the problem with intermitent no start with my 95 civic ex after i did the head gasket on it. it was starting fine every time before the gasket was replaced. after that sometimes when it would crank and wouldn't start i could hear the relay clicking very fast and the engine light flashing at the same rate.
well i tried a new main relay and it didn't. in my case it was a ground near the coolant hose going into the water neck where the thermostate is ,it was loos. i tightend that ground bolt and its been starting fine since then. check all the grounds and good luck.

 

Well turns out the main relay itself was fine the problem was the grounding wire on the connector was bad (the clicking noise I heard was the relay opening and closing rapidly do to the bad ground wire) I just cut it and replaced it and ground the new wire to the chassis and the car started now Its just a matter of replacing the wire thank you all for your help

 

Glad you figured it out

So the grounding wire on the relay's connector just went bad?
That sucks, especially as it might happen to my car :chuckles: