Howdy all. Boy do I need your help with something!

Just took delivery of a 99 Civic EX with 120K miles. Everything worked on pre-delivery inspection. Came with remotes. I didn't plan on ever using the remotes but regardless it has them.

Was at a store and for grins and giggles decided to try the remotes. When I did this, the entire car shut down tighter than a gnat's, well, posterior. Wouldn't start or turn over. Completely dead. No power, no nothing.

Managed to get it going by push starting and popping the clutch. Radio showed 'code' and I thought the problem may have been in the theft deterrant system. Immediately took it to Sears for a new DieHard as I thought perhaps a battery cell had shorted. Shut it down at Sears, once again deader than a doornail. They put a meter to the thing and the battery checked out good. Decided to get the DieHard anyway as that was my intent anyway.

They disconnected the battery cable and put the new DieHard in, and now it will start fine. Remotes work ok also. Entered the security code in the radio and it works fine also. But......

The cruise control, which previously worked fine, is now dead! I checked the fuse panel and found that the remotes are on the same circuit as the cruise control so taking the easy way out I replaced the fuses (#14 and #24 [I think]) but no fix. Today I went back to the dealer and they took a probe to every electrical component of the cruise control system and got good current from everything - switches on the steering wheel and in the panel, at the computer, everything. Still no work.

I strongly suggested looking at the theft deterrant system through the radio but they poo-poo'd my suggestions.

I still think the car shut itself down thinking someone was trying to steal it. My question is...how the hell do I reset the theft deterrant system?? Or should I be looking at something else?

HELPPPPP!!

Thanks

Mike

 

Anyone??

 

the dealer should look at the cruise control again. it seems a bit strange that they wouldnt check into it.

 

Hey all. Here's an update in case anyone else ever runs into this.

I've been having rough idle issues along with the cruise control problem. I bumped the idle speed adjustment screw slightly and sure enough, the check engine light came on after about twenty miles and the car ran like crap. (I think that's the limp-home mode of the computer.) Drove it straight to a Honda dealer (not an aftermarket repair place) and they did what they could to the idle air control valve. Turns out I will need a new one, but different story. Anyway, they had to re-program the computer and illiminate the existing codes, so they hooked up their diagnostic computer thing to the car and re-programed everything.

Lo and behold, the cruise control now works!

I'm not sure exactly which program reset the technician did (attempting to determine and will advise) but that absolutely did the trick at clearing the cruise control fault mode.

I hope this helps someone down the road.

Mike

 

cool, thanks for the update.

 

No, wait! There's more!

Spoke today with the Honda Dealer mechanic who did the work. He told me that simply clearing the trouble codes (which is what the independant mechanic did) would not solve the problem with the cruise control/theft deterrant lockout. He performed something called an "ECM Reset" which not only clears any trouble codes but completely resets the BCM.

If anyone out there has this kind of weirdo problem and clearing the codes doesn't do the trick, ask your tech to perform the ECM Reset procedure and hopefully that will help you.

Now I have to install the new Idle Air Control Valve. Hope this will help the rough idle problem.

Mike