Hey guys, I recently bought a 89 CRX SI with a D16Y7 swapped into it. It ran great when I bought it but it quickly became a head ache as more and more things went wrong with it. I really want to fix this car and was looking for some advice on where to start.

Some things I know

• Engine is a D16Y7 from a 97 Civic (don't know trim)
• Currently rocking a CEL and running in limp mode (3k limiter) but dies at idle
• ECU and harness are from the 89's D16A6
• ECU was throwing code 4 and 7 (crank pos sensor and throttle pos sensor)
• Previous owner put in new distributor, wiring and spark plugs
• At one point my battery was hooked up backwards /facepalm (I replaced the battery fuse but was told this can also mess up a distributor)

Me and a mechanically inclined buddy wanted to address the codes and get the car out of limp mode. The TPS appeared in good condition and there was no wiring to suggest that a crank sensor was even present. This is where we began to question the ability to swap to the '97 engine without swapping to the '97 ECU and harness as well.

I've read that there are components that need to be swapped off the stock A6 to work with the stock ECU and I have no idea how to tell if this was done properly. It seems weird that it would have run fine up to this point.. Will it take rewiring the engine to a '97 harness and ECU? Will I be able to wire up my '89 dash instruments and lights properly with a '97 harness? Are there any other options?

 

My suggestion would be to buy a conversion harness from obd0 to obd2a/b and get the proper ECU for the engine you have installed. I don't have much experience with 88-91 civics but I definitely think that would be a good place to start.

Another suggestion would be to find a few guides on swapping a d16y7/8 (both came from the same years 96-00 Civic) into your chassis and go over the entire swap to make sure everything is/was done correctly.