Hello all...

Wondering if someone might be able to help me out here...

A few days ago I was driving merrily along in my 91 DX 4 door, and the engine just stalled without warning. I pulled off the road and tried to restart the engine, and it would fire here and there but mostly intermittently.

I checked the ECU for an error code, and it gives me a series of 17 short flashes. I've yet to find anything anywhere explaining this. If the code were 17, I'd expect it to be one long and 7 short flashes. And that's a VSS code anyway, that shouldnt prevent the engine from running. I've checked the code over and over to be sure, counted again and again. Unmistakable 17 short flashes.

The CEL comes on and goes off after 2 seconds like its supposed to.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

Please read comments made by member mk378 in the following thread:

https://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_509898/tm.htm

Based on his comments, it seems possible that your code is indeed 17.

In addition, the picture shows that the speed sensor in 92-95 Civics sends one of many signals to the car's computer (ECU) to control ignition timing and fuel injection, so a faulty speed sensor/circuit feasibly could cause your car to stall.

[IMG]local://upfiles/25538/2103E897F01B4C87A14B07ECB2BBEB15.jpg[/IMG]

 

Thanks, Ron. I'll check into that. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information out there on the VSS, much less parts stores carrying the part.

Another thing, I'm not sure if it's related or not...

For the past maybe 6 months, my CEL would come on after 10 minutes or so of driving, and it would always come on during deceleration. It would remain on until the engine was shut off, and then would come back on with the same scenario; under deceleration and after a few minutes of driving...

 

Read this thread from member Danomatic93:

https://www.hondacivicforum.com/m_506077/tm.htm

He too found that his CEL turned off after restarting the car. This makes me speculate that, for earlier model Civics, the CEL is turned off after a restart if the problem is intermittent.

Regarding the VSS, start by checking whether the connector is tightly seated and whether there is a break in the wires serving the sensor. If everything checks out fine, then you can probably obtain a new sensor from Honda or from several different online vendors.

 

Thanks again for the info...

After some searching in my repair manual, it does actually state that the LED will flash seventeen times. And it also has a flow chart for diagnosis.

However, I believe the VSS is not the culprit because under normal conditions, there would be no signal anyway from the VSS when the engine is being started or idling. Because the car is not moving, hence the speedo cable is not turning, so the VSS does nothing. Therefore, the VSS should not prevent the engine from starting.

I've made the assumption that this error code is due to the fact that I disconnected the speedo cable a while back because it was ridiculously noisy. I didnt make this connection before because I spent a lot of time LOOKING for the VSS before scouring the internet and finding that it is located on the speedo.

Guess it's back to the basics. Check for fuel and spark.

Spark looked good, consistent on all cylinders. Now for fuel. Oh boy...

 

I didn't know that your Civic has a speedometer cable. I thought that the VSS replaces a physical cable by measuring wheel speed electronically. It's probably just my lack of knowledge about different year models of the Civic.

Also, I could imagine that a faulty VSS sensor might cause not only stalling but also starting problems. For example, if a faulty VSS sends erroneous electronic signals indicating that the car is moving when it is not, then the ECU in turn might supply inappropriate instructions to your ignition, fuel, and air intake systems. Other more knowledgeable members might have different thoughts about this possibility.

 

Right, I was unaware as well that it worked in conjunction with the speedo cable. Actually, when the ECU section in the manual calls it a VSS, if you go into the gauge cluster section; there they call it a vehicle speed pulser. Go figure. Anyway, there is a recommended test procedure which tests continuity at 4 points along the rotation of the speedo cable. I hooked up a meter, turned the speedo with a pencil and everything checked out fine. I think I'm headed after the main relay next, since I've had problems with that before. Pretty sure that it's fuel related, since my spark looks good on all cylinders.

I think what I need to do, is hook the speedo back up and reset the ECU. That should clear the code 17.

 

If your speedo is noisy rather than the cable itself, you might be able to get a replacement at a local salvage yard.