[30467659]

On my 99 Odyssey I've had three occurrences while driving of a sudden loss of power, all dash warning lights coming on momentarily and then the engine comes back up to power and I see the RPMs come back up.

I initially, incorrectly, attributed this to what I thought was a problem with the AC.

I talked to a service advisor at the Honda dealer and he immediately said it sounds like the ignition switch is going bad.

Do you more experienced folks think he's correct and if so, what part should I be replacing? My understanding is that there is an electrical component to the ignition switch and maybe I just need to replace that?

Your ideas and suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

 

[oldskewel]

I think he's 100% correct and you need your ignition switch (electrical part) replaced. It is a recall item and _should_ be done under warranty regardless of age or mileage.

 

[30467659]

Thanks for your advice. I'll give them a call tomorrow to see if they'll replace it under the recall you mentioned. I've bought the van new but can't recall if the switch was ever replaced.

Thanks again.

 

[oldskewel]

Good luck with that. A little more info: Mine was replace under the recall when it was working just fine. A few years later, it failed again. I asked the dealer if it was still covered, and they said no and sold me a part that I installed myself. I then bought myself a spare (still have it). A few years later, I was having some symptoms again, noticed online here that some said it should still be covered. Phoned a different dealer and confirmed that. So if you don't get the answer you want, you might try again, or with a different dealer.

If you search the site for part # 35130-s0x-305 (those are zeros, not oh's), you'll find more good info, including how to quickly examine your part to be sure it is bad before asking for a warranty replacement.

 

[30467659]

Thanks for the great info. I will look for the article on how to check the part.

Have a great week!

 

[30467659]

Ignition Switch

The dealer said I had it replaced in 2003 and a further replacement would not be covered.

I really don't have another dealer in the area unless I'm willing to drive about 65 miles.

It looks like I'll just be replacing it myself.

 

[jester1020]

i've never been lucky enough to get one for free and have had several honda's with that issue I usually just break down and buy a new one very ez to install. pull the column covers off and then its 3 phillips head screws (if memory serves) not a big deal. Last time I bought one I think it cost me $60 bucks at Parks auto parts.

 

[oldskewel]

Here are the notes I made when I did the inspection last time. Turned out the switch was OK and the problem was something else.

If just inspecting, do not need to do all the steps in the TSB for removal. Just these:

1. Remove 3 phillips head screws holding underside cover to steering column. Pry apart from the top half of the cover, pulling it free of the key hole. Remove lower cover.
2. Remove 2 phillips head screws holding the electrical part of the ignition switch onto the steering column. The upper one may need to be loosened using an L-shaped screwdriver.
3. Pull ignition switch away from steering column (still attached by wires). Gently use flat head screw driver to pry open the 5 plastic snaps around the perimeter, holding the two halves together.
4. Pull the two halves of the plastic ignition switch apart. Nothing should spring out of there, but be ready just in case. Inspect for excessive wear of the contact points, melting, evidence of arcing, burning, etc.
5. If it looks bad, take to dealer for warranty replacement. If it looks OK, keep searching.
6. Reassembly is reverse of removal.

In your case, if you do this and confirm that the switch is bad, I'd put it back together and press a little harder for recall warranty. Maybe call Honda of America.

If you decide to buy a new part and want to buy the spare one I bought, please PM me. I'm expecting I'll be able to get dealer warranty if mine goes out again, so I probably won't be needing this spare part.

 

[30467659]

Thanks for the great info.

I'll try Honda of America before I buy the part.

 

[30467659]

Interesting.

I just talked to Honda America at (800) 999-1009 and they said a second replacement of the switch IS covered.

I'm supposed to call HA from the dealer if they give me a problem when I take the vehicle in for service.

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[30467659]

I guess I will be doing it myself.

The dealer wanted to argue about replacing the switch under the recall and finally said ok. However, then they said they don't carry it in stock and won't order it until they verify the problem in my van.

So the dealer 45 miles away wants me to arrange rides for two trips to their shop. One ride to analyze the problem and another ride to leave the van to replace the switch.

It's not worth the hassle, time, driving distance and time off work.

I'll just order the part and do it myself.

I love Honda vehicles but the dealers and their attitudes can take a walk.

 

[OdyinNH]

Doing it yourself is the best bet at this point. I did it on my van and it was pretty simple. Order online from Bernardi Honda or Majestic Honda, they both have great prices and I've never had any issues with either of them.

 

[30467659]

Thank you Mike and everyone else for your suggestions and support.

Just drove the van to work and I realized that at 241,000 miles, it still drives better than most peoples newer cars.

Have a great week everyone.

 

[30467659]

I fixed the problem for less than $8. I went to a pull your own parts yard and pulled the contacts off some Honda Accords.

I attached two pictures. One shows the burned contacts that I took out of my Odyssey.

The second picture shows the shape of the hole on top of the contacts. If you pull your own parts be sure that this shape matches the hole from your van.

I found several different types and am glad I grabbed a few of them.

It's great to save a few bucks and not continue to feed the over-priced auto parts industry.

 

[BobF]

For those that have replaced the ignition switch themselves, can you offer any tips on accessing the large connector the hooks up behind the fuse box on the left side?



On my 2000 Odyssey, I removed the nut holding the fuse assembly in place and that allows me to pivot it out a bit. But that motion is not enough to access or even see where the large connector goes. The other harnesses hooked up to the fuse box don't allow much motion. Do I need to disconnect those other wired connectors on the fuse box in order to access the ignition switch connector?

 

[BobF]

Okay, I solved my problem with accessing the main connector behind the fuse box by disconnecting all if the wiring connectors on the front of the box. That allowed me to pivot the fuse box just enough to disconnect the connector. Hopefully that will help someone down the road.

But now I have a new problem. The wiring harness has a second wire that goes to a connector near the key entry on the right side of the steering column. See the wire with the green connector on the right in the following photo:



I was able to disconnect that without a problem but I can't seem to feed the wire and connector back through the tight path/channel to remove it. It dives right through a small opening right through the center of the steering column. The connector gets caught in the tight opening when I try to remove it. I don't see any easy way to disassemble the hardware around this to open up the path for the connector to get through.

For those that have replaced the ignition switch, any suggestions on how to remove the smaller connector? My Helms factory service manual appears to be lacking any details on this.

 

[OdyinNH]

I recall that part being a real pain. Basically the toughest and longest part of the install. I either pushed it through with a long skinny screwdriver or pulled it though with something similar to a coat hanger. It's been a while so I'm not sure which route I went but I recall it had to be turned a bit to fit. I almost went under the whole pile instead. Obviously make sure the battery is disconnected.

 

[BobF]

Thanks for the helpful reply. In the end I had my mechanic troubleshoot the starting problem and the ignition switch turned out to be fine. The problems were due to a bad starter. I left the original ignition switch in place.

 

[jruszler]

BobF - you have to disconnect all the cable connectors from the fuse box to remove it. Yes, its a real P in the A! but why bother? check out the good photos in the post just above yours. they show a small white plastic cup with the rotating switch mechanism inside. this is mounted on the bottom of the ignition switch mechanism with 2 small screws and attached to the other end of the wiring harness you're trying to get at behind the fuse box. If you've already bought the new switch assembly/harness, just pop this white plastic cup off and remove the rotating switch mechanism. This is the part that is worn and causing your stalling problems. swap the new one with the old one and you're good to go! There's nothing wrong with the old wire harness. shouldn't take more than 15-20 min to swap out these contacts. If you haven't already bought the $100 harness, save some money and find some used contacts in an older Accord at your local u-pull-it like the previous poster says. (pop several sets and keep the ones that are least worn)

 

[BobF]

BobF - you have to disconnect all the cable connectors from the fuse box to remove it. Yes, its a real P in the A! but why bother? check out the good photos in the post just above yours. they show a small white plastic cup with the rotating switch mechanism inside. this is mounted on the bottom of the ignition switch mechanism with 2 small screws and attached to the other end of the wiring harness you're trying to get at behind the fuse box. If you've already bought the new switch assembly/harness, just pop this white plastic cup off and remove the rotating switch mechanism. This is the part that is worn and causing your stalling problems. swap the new one with the old one and you're good to go! There's nothing wrong with the old wire harness. shouldn't take more than 15-20 min to swap out these contacts. If you haven't already bought the $100 harness, save some money and find some used contacts in an older Accord at your local u-pull-it like the previous poster says. (pop several sets and keep the ones that are least worn)

Thank you very much for the advice on replacing the white plastic cup with the contacts. After reading posts like the one you mentioned, I had actually done that already. But it made no difference. It turned out that the ignition switch was not the problem and the starter had gone bad. I had the starter replaced and the van has been trouble free.