CRX Engine Problems

[chaosmaker]

Hey all,


I made a post a few weeks ago about the 'engine warning light' coming on in my 1988 CRX (D16A8). I think this time i've got a bit more info which could narrow it down at least a bit anyway. I am going to take it to a mechanic in the next few days, its probabaly due for a service anyway.

But anyway, with the light, it comes on after I've been driving for about an hour, so its not a problem right from startup. If I stop the car, and wait about 20 seconds, then restart it, the light is gone. So although I dont know much, I guess its a problem that seems to happen after a bit of driving, but stops as soon as the car is restarted. But will come back on again later if I drive the car for long enough.

I know this stuff is very general, and I wouldnt expect you guys to be able to pinpoint problems, but if the info I have there could give you some clue at all, it would be great if you could at least think of a few 'common' problems that come in the same kind sequence as I described.

Thanks alot.

[panda[cRx]]

check your ecu for error codes, that should help you.

any noticable difference in the car performance wise?

a similar thing happened when my mate put too much oil in his civic, once it warmed up the engine light game on (i guess coz the oil expanded with the heat?)

it would be impossible for someone to tell you from that info what ur prob could be, so yeah i'd say check ur ecu before you take it to a mechanic

[chaosmaker]

Yep, any tips on helping me find the ECU? cause I read the post about using the paper clip to get the codes. But I looked under and behind the glove box and couldnt find it.

I did put some oil in it a few weeks ago, which was like 2 weeks after I bought it, please dont abuse me if I'm stupid:

1. Its gotta be filled between the two little holes in the dipstick right?

2. There was a bit of oil already in it, which gave me a reading under the lowest hole on the dipstick, I dont know what brand was already in there, but I just filled it up to the top dot with some castrol stuff because I was going to give it a full change soon anyway.

[chaosmaker]

Oh, and also, I have not noticed a difference in performance since the day I got it, even after this light comes on.

[panda[cRx]]

yeah oil between the 2 holes is fine.

to find ur ecu pull up your carpet on the passenger side under the glove box. you will see a lil box with a window for the light to flash

[chaosmaker]

Ok, that was so damn simple, even at 11:16, for a fella who knows jack about that stuff.

It was just a constant period flash. There was no combination of shorts and longs, so it was either constant long flashes or consant short flashes. Which gives me a 1 or a 10. Which according to sources is:

1 Oxygen Sensor "A" (Primary) defective circuit or unplugged / defective sensor

or

10 IAT Sensor (Intake Air Temperature) defective circuit or unplugged / defective sensor

[chaosmaker]

thanks for the help by the way, and is there anyway I can see easily if any of those sensors are 'unplugged'?

[chaosmaker]

If they are whats causing the light, why is it the light only comes on after a while of driving and then goes off once i restart? (I'm talking the engine check light here, not the ECU light)

[mr crex]

does the light go off at all ? or is it just on ?

if its just ON then your ecu might be stuffed ?

[chaosmaker]

Hey sorry, I havent written my messages well enough. The ECU light flashed to give me code 1 or 10, i cant tell if they were long or short flashes since I have nothing else to compare them too, but I'm fairly sure its code 1, which is:

1 Oxygen Sensor "A" (Primary) defective circuit or unplugged / defective sensor

The other light I was talkign about was the engine check light. If you re-read the last post, I've edited it to make clear what light I was talking about. The engine check light comes on after a while of driving 45mins-1hour, but if I restart the car, the engine check light is gone.

So my questions now are:

1. If it is the Oxygen Sensor, is there anyway to just see if its come unplugged or something, without having to play around electrical stuff?

2. If the problem causing the engine check light was the Oxygen sensor, why does it only come on after a while of driving, and why does the engine check light go once i restart?

Thanks.

[mr crex]

a 1 single flash would only last <1second ...a 10 flash should last about approx 2seconds

if its O2sensor you might just have to replace the sensor ... I've heard of the problem of it just stuffing up.

if your o2sensor is stuffed, you can either replace with a new one (from Honda Aus) or if you like I just pulled the o2sensor off my old d16a8 headers and can send it to you if you wish to pay postage ?

[panda[cRx]]

hmmm i dont really have any experience with sensors so cant help u much there bud.

as far as i know the oxygen sensor is on the header (can someone else help here?)