2013 RDX has nearly 250k mi. on it, largely highway but also daily driver. All service done on time per maintenance minders, Mobil1 full synthetic oil, garage kept. Am planning to keep it for another 100k mi., or so.

Does it make sense from a reliability and/or performance standpoint at this stage to proactively replace relays, especially those in "critical" drivability circuits like ignition coil, ignition/starter, fuel pump, fuel injection, drive by wire, fans, A/C clutch? Already did fans and A/C clutch some time (100k mi.) ago, now thinking about others. Maybe replace the replacements, too.

Are any particular relays more likely to failure than others?

If replacing them is in order, most if not all online OEM parts sellers offer both OMRON and Mitsuba brand relays in their parts lists as alternatives. Any reason to go with one of those two brands over the other? I used Mitsuba for my previous replacements, and they've work fine afaik, but recently read somewhere online (so it must be true, vbg) that the U.S. cars are built using OMRON.

Replacing them at this mileage/age seems like a small price to pay ( 2-3 hundred bucks) for additional peace of mind while on a long road trip, unless it's a needless expense.

Thoughts, please?
TIA.

 

To be honest this sounds like one of those "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" situations. If you start actually having issues, then that's when I'd probably consider doing what you mentioned.

 

I was thinking along the same lines. Why mess with success? How or why are you narrowing in on relays specifically?

 

Ok, thanks for your valued opinion. I wonder what symptoms or warning they might give before they stop working.

 

Hello everyone,so here is my issue im stuck at atm. My compressor stopped working , so I ordered a new compressor and Ac fan , I replaced them both and tried recharging but it was holding pressure but not taking freon, so I changed the ac pressure sensor and still the same thing, I changed the high pressure and low pressure line still the same issue , the mechanic vacuumed the lines 3 times and still same issue (holding pressure but not taking freon) I took it to a A/C specialist, they said I need a new condensor and a A/c expansion valve , and while changing those 2 i need to flush the system, so I ended up changing those 2 and flushed the system, after putting back everything still the same issue, its holding pressure and not taking freon ... what can I do now, its a 2008 Acura Rl

 

Mostly curious. Friends and I have had incidents with different cars's relays going out -- not my '13 RDX, and not recently. The cars had lower miles and age at the time. Fortunately they were things that didn't cause a breakdown -- a/c compressor clutch and blowers iirc.

Relays, like almost everything, must have a useful service life. As I understand it, at least some of these relays are electro-mechanical with moving electrical contacts cycling inside, and some of them reside under the hood in the fuse box, with engine temperature fluctuations. After some number of cycles, it seems that they would reach a limit. My online search results were few, with one site saying they're good for "up to" 50,000 on/off cycles. Is "up to" 50,000 accurate? How many miles or years would that average out to be? I don't know. Wouldn't want my fuel pump, ignition, or fuel injection, etc. to suddenly fail from relay failure while I'm on a long road trip, away from an Acura or Honda dealer to get OEM replacements. Maybe those underlying components themselves fail before the relays that power them, but it struck me that new relays in critical areas wouldn't be that expensive, to eliminate a point of potential failure at this mileage. It's helpful to ask and discuss it, and this forum is a great resource.

Thanks for your reply and questions.

 

I guess I understand, but don't believe relays in general are a area of weakness or failure.

 

That's good to know. Thank you.

 

Check the AC Relay under the hood. If I remember right, this era of Acura's had issues with the AC Relay. Do a quick Google search.