NickalJV

1998 Honda Civic EX
OBD-II ECM wiring harness
power diagnostic check using voltmeter

Turned out that the backup fuse (7.5A) under the hood was blown, that's why my ECM was always dropping its data whenver the engine was shut off. Simple fix: replace the fuze. (Note: car was previously stolen and mechanics never bothered to check the electrical. Nice.)

But then, I totally goofed it up and accidentally touched the power (A11) to the ground (A10), saw a small spark, and heard a small "click". Should a fuze have blown? The backup fuze under the hood was fine. And now the car won't start. (Note: the ECM was not plugged in at the time, I was just checking to see that A11 and A10 still worked, but fumbled the voltmeter. Crap.) Did I fry the harness? Can it happen that fast (split second)?

Thanks for any help. Criticisms welcome. (I'm so pissed.)