bluehondaguy

I own a 2008 Honda Civic EX 95k miles

Good condition in general.

Last night our civic made a strange grind noise or something. It sounded kinda like a starter scratching. It last 3 seconds or so, then stopped. Then the car idled funny.

We came home and parked the car. This morning our battery was dead. We jumped it with our neighbor and it started up fine and kept charge. We then had the battery tested and it was fine. We were told the battery was strong.

By irony, after eating lunch today, a woman asked me for a jump, so I glad did so, since my car was jumped and to just be nice.

So I hooked it all up, and he tried her SUV a couple times, and then it started. Right as her SUV started up from the jump my car made that same shrill noise again for 1 second. I took off the cables, and she went her way.

We smelled something funny though the vents and also I could tell that some kinda moisture was coming from the low pressure (thick) pipe.

When I got home I inspected it closer, and found that the low pressure (thicker metal pipe) was frosted over, at the top and at the bottom where it goes down by our fan. The high pressure (thin pipe) was very hot.

Why is it doing this? I think the battery was dead by us leaving a dome light on? I don't know. Just weird.

I'm very slow when it comes to cars and mechanics. I need some advice or help please.

Thank you

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Check to see if your A/C compressor is staying engaged (even with engine off)

If so pull the compressor relay (snowflake illustration on lid of box)

Get the new style relay.

bluehondaguy

Thanks for your reply. I don't understand...

the compressor is on when the car is off?

What should I look for? Its cold outside, like 30 here, and We don't run the air when its cold, and my line is froze.

I turned on the air and heat and it all sounded okay and worked okay.

I don't understand.

mikey1

not very likely, a dome light would take weeks to totally drain a battery that was in good working condition

bluehondaguy

can anyone else help me?

both fans kick on... I just need to know what to do...

is it safe to drive this way?

ezone

Yes. It's stuck on, it's trying to operate when it shouldn't, and it's a large load on the engine and it's killing your battery overnight.

If it burped out a cloud from under the car, that was freon. That can be addressed later.



Remove the clutch relay. #1 position in the engine compartment fuse box (diagram below). This will stop it from running, and stop it from killing the battery overnight.




(Ignore the name CRV. Fusebox layout is the same.)



Replace it with updated relay (new is MITSUBA brand)
Go to any Honda dealership and purchase Honda part # 39794-SDA-A05

bluehondaguy

Thanks very much for that post. very helpful.

It is late here, nothing is open...

My wife has to leave for work very early tomorrow.. we need the car to start.

So if I remove this #1 fuse, then it will prevent the battery from draining right?

Can we leave this out for a few days. We don't need the AC it is cold outside. Can the car function and run without this fuse?

I need to know what to do. I can take that fuse out tonight, but I won't be able to put the new one in until the next day probably.

ezone

It's not a fuse. It is a relay.

It probably says OMRON on top and will look like this in the bottom


Yes, IF this is the problem.

If you tap on the relay you may hear the compressor clutch CLICK when it disengages. (proof that it was stuck)
Or make a CLICK as you remove the relay and open the electric circuit.

Go ahead and remove that relay and leave it out for now.

If the battery is already drained or weak, it may need charged with a battery charger or drive it around for an hour.

It's not a fuse. It is a relay. Yes you can leave it out.

That's fine.
It will only disable the AC compressor.

bluehondaguy

thanks so much ezone.

I appreciate it.

This is what I did... I went out and took the specific relay out of my car that you said. I didn't hear any clicking or anything, then I test drove the car, it drove well of course. I tried the heat. I have heat.

I tried the AC briefly and I do not have that. Which isn't a problem, its cold here. We do not need AC.

the picture of the relay I took out is below.





So this is out of my box, I replaced the lid to the underhood box, and all is well I guess.

We just want our car to start and work...

We can drive without this? its okay? I'm 33 years old and I'm a idiot when it comes to cars. I'm sorry.

Any downside to not having this? Is this switch bad you think?

I am giving you massive props BTW

thanks

ezone

Either you removed the correct relay, or it's too dang cold for the AC to operate.
I'll guess you got the right one.


Looks like it says OMRON, that's the original problematic brand.


It's gonna be ok.

The AC will not work, and if the windshield gets foggy from damp humid air it will be slower to clear off. (Defroster position automatically runs the AC to dehumidify the air to clear the glass quicker, but now it won't be able to do that.)

Cars were made for over a century without AC, this will be no different.
The relay you removed is the main problem.
Go to a dealership and purchase the part number I posted earlier. Install that new part where you removed the old bad relay.

Did the AC system burp out a cloud earlier?
That might be another problem when it gets warm out. If, in the spring and summer, you discover that the AC doesn't get cold enough, remember what happened now.

That's ok. If this was a cooking forum I'd be a total n00b.

ezone

Thanks!

bluehondaguy

I do not recall a cloud. I do recall a couple horrible noises as I stated intially.

I do remember seeing some small liquid, but it wasn't much, but it smelled weird. I don't know.

thanks for your help we'll get a new relay switch soon and hope this works

thank you

ezone

The noise and smell may have been the system relieving excess pressure... A burp, if you will.

The oil in the AC system stinks, IMO it kinda reminds me of a stable or barn, farmyard full of poop and hay.



But if it smelled like burning tires (rubber), it was probably the drive belt slipping as the pulley tried to lock.