I've swapped a 95 GSR engine in my 89 Civic, along with all the OBD1 stuff (like P72a1 ecu). Although I've got the factory manual, I can't find the answer to my question in it (I guess it would be in the owners manual and I don't have one for a GSR)

The engine does not want to start and that leads to the question.

On a working car, what is the normal working of the light?

I'm assuming that the light comes on when the ignition is first turned on (in order to verify that the bulb hasn't burnt out). It then goes out and stays out unless the ECU has an error code within it.

When you connect the "timing jumper", does the light just stay on all the time? (this is what my car is doing) Should it be flashing if there is an error code, showing the code number?

Wes Vann

 

i left it jumped one time and it kept on flashing because i did have an error withe the fuel and started the car and still kept on flashing. when you connect the jumper it suppose to flash the code and to take it out you reset the ecu that way the code doesnt come up until it gets the error agian
what you are assuming is correct.
but on a working car the light turns on for a couple of secs then goes out like you assumed hope this answers your question

 

So, if there are no codes present, does the light just stay on (while the jumper is installed)?

Wes V

 

dont know let me go check

 

just checked it and yup the light just stays on if there is no error and the jumper is connected the light just stays lit

 

A solid light means a bad ecu in most cases.Right when you turn the key on the CEL will come on for a sec then go off.After I converted my R to obd 1 I was running a hyper duck tuning chipped p28 and the ecu itself went bad.It threw a solid light and ran like ***,I changed the ecu out with another chipped p28 and no problems since.So if your car throws a solid CEL with the jumper in and your car dosen't start it's most likely you have a bad ecu.

 

also i should have mentioned that my ecu is a stock itr ecu
dont know about obdI sorry if i confused you

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Wes V &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So, if there are no codes present, does the light just stay on (while the jumper is installed)?

Wes V</TD></TR></TABLE>YES. My '95 does exactly that when I jumper it for ignition timing.

Since yours doesn't start, how about other things?? Got fuel pressure? Got spark?

 

JimBlake; Well, that's good news in regards to the CEL light! I do have spark (pulled one of the plugs, hooked it up and cranked the engine over. I can smell gas at the tail pipe, so the assumption is that it's not firing at the correct time. I've checked the wiring of the spark plug wires and they are correct. Plugs are new and the gap is correct. I've verified the cam timing and the distributor (a new one from Distributor King) has the rotor pointing in the correct direction.

Capcon83; Your comments on an OBD11 car was based on my mistake of posting the question in the wrong section. I didn't think about it until after it was posted. In other words, my mistake!

Thanks to all and wish me well getting it to fire up.

Wes

 

Check the vacuum hose from the fuel pressure regulator. If the FPR diaphragm breaks, it'll put gasoline in that vacuum hose (should ONLY be air) & flood the engine.

I once had flooded plugs, I dried them out, they looked clean, but still the car wouldn't start. Since the plugs looked clean I was too stubborn to put new ones in. But finally that's what I did & it started right up... (YMMV)

 

Jim;

I'll check the hose latter today!

Wes

 

I found the problem that was keeping the engine from starting and just wanted to let everybody know.

I had two of the three wires that go to the MAP sensor backwards. In other words, I wired it wrong (I'd love to blame the factory wiring diagram due to being "misleading", but really can't).

I found the problem by using the factory manuals "trouble shooting flowchart" and checking voltages at the connector.

Once again, thanks to all that made recommendations!

Wes Vann