I have a 1995 automatic Civic. After doing some maintenance work on the Civic (replacing distribution cap and rotor; checking transaxle/transmission fluid; checking brake fluid level, adding coolant; cleaning battery terminals and battery clamps) the car now gives a "Check Engine" light when the car is running.


We didn't think we did any damage to the engine, so we thought maybe we just have to disconnect the battery temporarily, and turn ignition to II ("2") to remove any remaining electrical power and then reconnecting the battery. That didn't help.

I then tried to get the Engine Code by putting either end of a metal paper clip into a thingy on the right side of the front passenger seat, below the glove box.




I then turned the car key in the ignition to II ("2"), but I did not get any flashes at all.

Please help. I really want to know why I'm getting the "Check Engine" Light.

Thanks.

 

Try driving with the jumper out until the CEL comes on, then pull over and put the jumper in-- without turning the key off.

 

mk378,
I figured out what I was doing wrong. I was not inserting my paperclip the right way. When I moved the paper clip tips to the other side of that metal barrier in the middle, then I got some blinking.

And here's how it blinked: 9 short, 0 long, then pause (no CEL light) for about 2 or 3 seconds. Then this would repeat. According to The Codes Thread: How To Pull CEL, D4, SRS, and ABS Codes (with Code Lists) - Honda-Tech , "9-0" means "Evaporative Emission Control System Leak". How do I fix this?

 

AFAIK the OBD1s did not self-test anything about the EVAP system.

Code 9 would be the CYP sensor, which is one of the timing sensors inside the distributor. Check that the wiring to the distributor is secure. Check that the plastic internal separator plate below the rotor is in place. It prevents sparks from jumping out of the high voltage section and messing up the sensors.

 

mk378, ok. thanks. You could be right. My friend replaced the distributor cap and rotor right before I got the Check Engine Light problem.

By the way, is there a webpage you went to to determine that Code 9 = CYP sensor? Coz the page I linked to says 9 short, 0 long flashes = Evaporative Emission Control System Leak.

 

I just talked to my friend who replaced my Civic's distributor cap and rotor and he admitted using much force. He thinks he did break some plastic part that was acting as a shield. :-(

He'll be coming by in 10 minutes.

:-(

 

Top of this forum has a sticky with ECU codes. It may not be the best one out there but it does cover this situation.