maxcivic02

D17a1 2002 Honda Civic LX 1.7L Manual


hey guys,

my name is Max, live in NB, Canada, and am big automotive enthousiast.
also im also french, so that explains my weird sentence structures.. excuse me for that haha.
so ive got this question about my car because i really cant figure it out.

i have a D17a1 2002 honda civic lx 1.7L Manual with a weird problem no one has been able to figure out.
just wondering if you could be able to shed me some light about this..
so lets start a month ago. so car was running fine no problems whatsoever. then out of the sudden i was driving along and vehicle just died on me. i go to start it again and it just CRANKS all the time without even trying to start.

Plugged in a OBD2 scanner, could NOT communicate with the computer.

so then i bring it to a local honda dealership, and they told me to replace my inside compartement wiring harness. which i did.
i had another civic at the time, 2003 civic dx manual, so i decided to use that one. my 2002 (the one im trying to fix) had the deluxe package( power locks, windows, A/C.. ect.) and the other one the 2003 did not have those. the very basic package.
so i swap the harness, put in two brand new PGM-FI relays, replace the fuses, and give it a go.
still did the very same thing without any improvement.

then i plug the scanner back in, and it WORKS ! i could see all the data and whatnot on the scanner but i only had 1 code
it gave me DTC PO563 System High Voltage.
i check the battery and the voltage is at 12.33V. weird or what? so i replace the battery with a known good one, with a voltage of 12.57V. try to start it, same thing happens.

so then i might of thought of exhaust backpressure, which i know isnt logical but i had to try something. so i take my exhaust manifold out, and see i dont have a catalyctic converter anymore! not sure what happened but completly empty.
so fair enough i take my muffler out and i shake it out and its all in there. so after removing in i put it back on.
so now i guess i have a gutted cat .. lol
go to start it, same thing happens.

the key is still flashing all the time for the immobilizer light in the cluster. so i check the immobilizer wiring diagram, come to find out the main relays PGM-FI is operated by it. so i remove the battery, and i try to bypass the relays, to take them out of the equation. stick 4 paperclips each attached to a wire and then attached to another paperclip into the slots of the now removed relays. i follow the same circuit as it was before.

then i try to start it, and at ignition II (2) i can hear the fuel pump running. so i crank it, and starts right up !
it was having a lot of trouble keeping running and was misfiring quite a lot on all cylinders.
so shut it off, then check for codes. sure enough i get all of these:
P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0563.

after some researching come to find out the crank sensor was maybe bad.
so i try to swap it with another known good one.
so again i put the key in and start it, and fires right up like perfect! no misfires nothing. i leave it running for 10 mins in my garage and decide to go for a drive. it was running great ! other than the no catalyctic converter thing which i felt like i lost some power at the low rpms but high end rpms was good. so drove it like that for an easy 15 minutes around the block. then as soon as i turn back in my driveway( was going around 15 km/h at 2000rpm in second gear) , IT JUST DIED AGAIN.

then i go to start it and does this. ( by the way this is not my video, but does the exact same thing..)

then i notice i my fuel pump isnt running. i hear it all the time but now i cant hear it.
i check the spark with a spark tester at the coil, works fine, strong, regular sparks at regular intervals.
also, the key is always flashing in the dash every second.
i plug in my scanner and tells me it cant communicate with the computer.

i do a compression test, i get 0-5-5-0. NO COMPRESSION AT ALL.
i replaced my head gasket not too long ago, along with my timing belt. i did not change my tensioner, but i checked it earlier today
and theres plenty of tension on the timing belt. so timing belt is fine.

so then i decide to try a couple things, i take the 2 relays for the PGM-FI relays , and bypass them again.
after that i try to start my car and the fuel pump is running and now the key is on 2 seconds then goes off.
but still doing the same thing.
so surely after that i check my fuel pressure and i have plenty lots.
i plug my scanner back in and it doesnt communicate.
replace the battery, doesnt do a damn thing.

so now this is where i am stuck not too sure where to go from there.
i do not have a distributor if you did not catch that earlier..

so yeah ! quite the problem... any ideas ???


Thanks in advance,


MAX

lazlong

Try the diagnostic tree for P0563:

1. With the ignition OFF, disconnect ECM/PCM connector E.

2. Turn the ignition ON (II) and measure for voltage from E7 (red/yellow) to body ground.

Is there battery voltage?

YES- step 5

NO- step 3

3. Remove the main relay and measure for continuity (ohms) from E7 (red/yellow) to body ground.

Is there continuity?

YES- Repair short in the wire between E7 and the main relay

NO- bad relay

5. Turn the ignition OFF and reconnect ECM/PCM connector E.

6. Turn the ignition ON (II) and measure for voltage from E7 (red/yellow) to body ground. (You're back-probing the connector while it's connected to the ECM/PCM)

Is there battery voltage?

YES- step 7

NO- bad ECM/PCM

7. Turn the ignition OFF and disconnect ECM/PCM connector A.

8. Turn the ignition ON and measure voltage from A3 (yellow/black) and A2 (yellow/black) to body ground individually.

Is there battery voltage?

YES- step 9

NO- bad ECM/PCM

9. Remove the main relay and measure voltage from A3 (yellow/black) and A2 (yellow/black) and body ground.

Is there battery voltage?

YES- Repair the short to power in the wire between A3/A2 and the main relay.

NO- bad relay

NOTES:
- When looking at the ECM/PCM while it's in the dash, connector A in the bottom connector and connector E is the top connector.
- When I say measure voltage/continuity you're measuring from the harness side of the connector (except for the one instance of back-probing).

maxcivic02

alright ill try that out ill let you know asap !

Almighty-Si

If your car sounds like that video while trying to start it, either the starter is bad or the motor jumped time.

Have someone crank the engine while you watch. if the motor turns while cranking then your starter is fine.

If you determine the starter is fine, set the engine to top dead center on the crankshaft and remove the cam gear cover to see if the camshaft marks are lining up.

By you getting 5psi on 2 cylinders while doing your compression test leads me to believe the engine is cranking and the starter is good, but the valves are not closing at the correct time to build compression which is why when you crank it the motor spins so freely.

craiger28

Ditto to Almighty. Sounds like the timing is way off at psi 0 5 5 0.
Also, if it was running great like you talked about, your compression tester might not be working correctly - you should have someone crank while you watch the psi at the gauge.
One other thing - the ELD might be bad or going bad. It is located in the fuse block in the engine compartment. I believe the 03 and 04 are the same so you could just swap it over to test it out.