This is a common cause of failure of the A/C on our civics.
In fact just a week ago Honda issued a Bulletin about it. The original fit Omron relay is suseptable to moisture ingress. This can form nitric acid in the presence of the normal arcing as the contacts operate. This will lead to corrosion and eventual failure. The Bulletin warns that the relay can fail either open or short circuit. If the latter this forces the compressor on to 100% duty cycle and can burn it out.
The remedy is a replacement relay from a different manufacturer - Mitsuba - that is a better quality item. The bulletin warns that the EPC is not yet updated, so you have to order this countermeasure part number directly to recieve the new part, otherwise you will just get the "old" part. I'm surprised they are not doing a campain over this considering if can fail in a way that might lead to screwing up other parts of your aircon
This the bulletin number:-
SM-10-002-00
It affects ALL civics (and CR-V and jazz) upto and including 2011 model year
Here is the countermeasure part number:-
39794-SDA-A05
RELAY ASSY., POWER (MICRO ISO) (MITSUBA)
The datasheet for the original Omron part is here:
The specific part is G8HL-H71 which appears to be a Honda specific version not listed on Omron's website - the standard relay is 180ohm and the Honda version is 120ohm coil resistance.
The Mitsuba part seems to already be used on other Hondas. I found this link for example
Left mine on Max ac for a while this morning and stood watching the compressor and it never spun. Am I right in thinking you can't gas it if its not spinning as it won't suck the gas in.? The net seems to suggest you manually short it to make it spin? Will the likes of ast euromaster do this?
I'm quite worried as I just want to know if there is any other fault before the summer.
Can't remember if its on this thread or another one, but someone last summer had both a relay fault and a shortage of gas, they took it to a garage (a national one, can't remember which) that was running a promotion where if recharging the system didn't work then you didn't have to pay for the work. They got it recharged but no joy, the technician was obviously too thick to try obvious electrical culprits like fuses or relays. The owner of the car came onto this forum, got recommended to check the relay, and £23 lighter he had a new relay and AC recharge.
So moral of the story is, if you think the relay you changed out was duff, stick it back in before taking it for a recharge
That's what I'm saying, fit the old relay, that way if it was that then they might charge it fully then not charge you as it's still not working. I mean its immoral and just plain wrong, but who am I to stop you? Kwik fit are dodgy dangerous and distrustful, might as well get something back on them!
Engine bay fuse box, its on the right hand side of the bay up by the hinge, got a black plastic cover over it. One of the square plug in components is the relay for the compressor (can't remember which one, it's probably in the manual), but pull that out and give it a shake. If its rattly then that's prob your culprit, Honda will sell you an uprated component through their service dept for about £23.
This morning I swapped over the relay to my old rattly one. Took the car in to kwik fit for a recharge. Retired an hour later and they said 'all done'. I was dubious but now have ice cold air and the triangle on the compressor fires into life. Now ready for the best the British summer can throw at me
Thanks fella. I'm decorating and knocking walls through in the house so the whole place is upside down and don't know exactly where my manual is without hunting for it lol
That's great tar mate. Will dig it out tomorrow. I thought my air con ran out of gas but I'll give this a shot first.
So if I shake it and it rattles it's duff pretty much, and if it's still an omron relay get it swapped for the mitsu one
Something's got be a miss with mine as air con doesn't work. I've just checked and I have the omron one and it rattles like a good in so it needs changing anyways. Cheers for the offer though pal. If that doesn't get the air con working it'll be a regas I reckon
If you still have the Omron relay and it works I would suggest you still change it! If it fails but does so in the on position it could burn out your compressor.
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