Seriously annoying problem with Beat!

[Clive Henderson]

Engine starts fine, drive for a while, engine cuts out. Won’t restart straight away, turns over but won’t fire, leave it a few minutes try again and it starts. Drive for a while and it cuts out again. Any ideas? Anyone?

[Gavin]

Main ecu relay the solder usually goes with age, starts fine when it's cold or cool but when warm or hot it just turns over? located next to ecu behind the storage compartment behind the passenger seat

[Clive Henderson]

Main ecu relay the solder usually goes with age, starts fine when it's cold or cool but when warm or hot it just turns over? located next to ecu behind the storage compartment behind the passenger seat

Thanks, will check it out this weekend.

[gymm]

Agree with Gavin. Also consider the fuel pump relay. It too suffers from a solder situation causing a non start after running a while, typically after stopping to refuel. ( Steve M here informed me) It expands once hot causing a break in the circuit. After cooling it contracts and makes the circuit. It will then restart as yours seems to........ A new relay is available from Honda, Japan. Mine took a few days to get here but it has the correct fitting and my mechanic mate changed it very, very quickly. He said Honda use 2 types of relays which he had but any other would need adapting to secure them. He advised never to repair them as they might still fail. He'd removed the old one and fitted the new one by the time I'd made him a coffee. With regard to the ECU, make sure it's heat insulated from the engine if you find out it needs replacing as this causes problems longer term. Steve told me to listen for a 'click' when you turn the key before you start it coming from behind the passenger seat. It's the relay operating or not..... No click then it won't start.

[Clive Henderson]

Agree with Gavin. Also consider the fuel pump relay. It too suffers from a solder situation causing a non start after running a while, typically after stopping to refuel. ( Steve M here informed me) It expands once hot causing a break in the circuit. After cooling it contracts and makes the circuit. It will then restart as yours seems to........ A new relay is available from Honda, Japan. Mine took a few days to get here but it has the correct fitting and my mechanic mate changed it very, very quickly. He said Honda use 2 types of relays which he had but any other would need adapting to secure them. He advised never to repair them as they might still fail. He'd removed the old one and fitted the new one by the time I'd made him a coffee. With regard to the ECU, make sure it's heat insulated from the engine if you find out it needs replacing as this causes problems longer term. Steve told me to listen for a 'click' when you turn the key before you start it coming from behind the passenger seat. It's the relay operating or not..... No click then it won't start.

Thanks for the feedback so far, however the problem still persists, so I'm asking for further suggestions. I stripped and re-soldered the relay (actually looked okay – no obvious dry joints). Took a look at the ECU, replaced the capacitors with high temp one from RS. One had leaked a little but no damage to tracking. Replaced the battery and terminals – it wouldn't hold charge, but I don’t think that's related to this problem. Having suffered from the fault a little longer I have noticed a few more symptoms. Whilst driving the rev counter dips (fast) down to zero and then back – almost a flicker – now the engine is dead but still rolling along. If I now turn off the ignition and back on the engine starts – I have to switch off and back on otherwise the car will just come to a stand-still. It can go days without this happening – I've been driving it every day to work so about 30 mile round trip. But once it starts happening it will keep happening – got trailered off the M5 this morning, got back home and yes you've guessed it problems hiding again, the car started and kept going for several trips around the block.