slk08

Hi I have a 00 em1 and so i was wondering how do i check if all my cluster lights are working properly? I think something might be wrong, because the only lights I ever noticed going on are about 3 or 4 and they are srs, the oil, seat belt, brake, and some other one (so I guess its mostly the lights on the left side of the speedometer). The thing is, im not sure so dont quote me on this, but I thought when you turn your key to the on position the check engine light should come on briefly, but it doesnt come on for mine (This is pretty important to me, because i think there is some other problems to my car and I need to know whether my check engine light is working properly or not. Also I am pretty sure that my low gas indicator doesnt work, because I have driven to the point where my gas is so low that I almost couldnt start up my car =/ and the light still doesnt show up. Also does my car have the light to show when the car door is open or is not closed tight? If i do then that light doesnt come on -_-.

I was also wondering (does not have anything to do with light problem) if someone would know what would cause a car struggle to start when I have about little under half a tank of gas. It usually happens in the morning when i havent driven for awhile and im ususally parked facing uphill if that will help.

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

Yes, check engine should come on when you turn the key to IG1.
Try swapping it with a known good.

slk08

what am i swapping? im not really sure. But i guess what i like to know is why some lights work and some dont, cant be bulb? because how can some lights come on yet some dont. so what do i do now that i know my check engine light doesnt come on?

deschlong

iTrader: (8)

You're swapping a bulb on the back of the cluster!

darkenedsol

What DeSchlong is saying is take a known good bulb out of one of the working lights you mentioned, and put it in the spot you think isn't working, and vice versa. If it works, you need to buy a new bulb. No worries, they're cheap. Good luck!

DAP97SI

iTrader: (2)

the bulbs are easy to replace, they are in the back of the cluster so you need to remove the cluster from the dash.

slk08

o ok ill do that this weekend when i have time and see what happens thx

beanej169

I have the same problem, in my 93, the check engine light never comes on, and around the 85mph mark it is dimmer than any other area. I shall check thee bulbs!

NOFX

Your CEL should come on for a second when you first turn the car on.

If it doesn't light up then the bulb might be blown or removed or the INTERIOR LIGHT fuse under the dash might be blown or missing (this fuse covers the DLC). The fuse should be a 7.5A btw.

A lot of Civics have issues starting when they're low on gas.

slk08

ok so i checked the lights bulbs and they are not blown. In total I have 10 lights working and i think there are 12? the ones that didnt work were the trunk and check engine light IIRC, but that was because the trunk was missing a bulb i didnt bother with it because im more concern about the check engine light. I switched in working bulbs to the check engine lights and it still doesnt work. Can this be an ECU problem? Also how does the fuse affect only the check engine light?

Also i know that civics have issues starting up on low gas but then my problem is that it has problems when it is around half a tank. That isnt normal is it?

NOFX

You could have a fuel pump issue.

As far as the CEL I can tell you this. I had a customer come in the other day in a '99-'00 Civic Si. He had runability issues and should have had a CEL judging by the problems the car was having.

So I try to check for codes and get nothing. The CEL doesn't ever even light up, not even when you first turn the car on.

So I check the INTERIOR LIGHT fuse under the hood. It looks good. Plus the dome light still works in the car.

I replace the 7.5A fuse anyway.

All of a sudden the CEL lights when the car is turned on. No codes though, probably since the fuse wasn't totally working in the first place or because it was removed.

So try replacing the fuse anyway just in case.

slk08

fuel pump issue? would you have an idea of what it can be?

Anyway so today I was going to go and try replacing the fuse like you said.

The weird thing is, is that the check engine light all of a sudden started working today (im not sure why as all the bulbs worked before, except engine light, all i did was switch them around a little bit).

Well now unfortunately it stayed on lol meaning I do have a problem with the engine. I was able to pull out the codes 14 and 67? or 1467, but im not sure where to look to know what they are.

I did a quick google search for an online manuel for my car but the only pages that come up are ones that try to sell me one.

slk08

scratch that. i was able to find an online manuel after all

scratch that again. I thought i found it but it was an incomplete manuel

slk08

Ok so the CEL codes that I got I think I was able to find out to be 14-IAC, 67-Cat Converter.

Im not sure how to go about to fixing these, but for IAC I have cleaned it out before and pretty thoroughly and more than once -_-. Not sure what else I can do than just replacing it.

For cat converter ill probably just need to replace it? Or if anyone else knows of a better way to find out what is exactly wrong with these problems..

NOFX

You can get the codes read for free at Autozone. They'll be better codes than the ones you can grab from the two pin connector.

slk08

Well i finally had time to take my car to autozone. and the one i went to said they stopped reading codes 2 years ago -__-. Since i have an idea of what the codes are 14 and 67 is there a way to go about diagnosing it?

NOFX

You can rent the scan tool from them for $150 (IIRC). You get all your money back when you return it.

I work at Autozone in WA. We still scan codes. I have heard of Autozones in CA saying weird things about reading codes.

Reading a code takes about 5-10 minutes. You don't need to put aside time for this.

There's a 16 pin plug under the driver's dash next to your hood pull latch. Plug the machine in there. Follow the directions on the machine to read your diagnostic trouble codes.

The machine will give you codes beginning with P (probably P0 or P1). Those will tell you the problem. Autozone (or myself or others here) can tell you what the most common causes for those codes are.

Code 14 is IACV (Idle Air Control Valve) defective circuit or unplugged / defective sensor.

Code 67 is Catalyst system Efficiency Below Threshold malfunctioning or defective catalyst system.

slk08

Yea.. i see posts where people still say they do it for free, but the one i went to just stopped i guess.. Is there any other benefit from reading codes? Do they tell you exactly whats wrong? Since i have a general idea of whats wrong can i just go from there?

For IACV theres nothing much I can do but just replace it right? I have cleaned that part out plenty of times and im pretty sure its clean. If there was a vaccuum leak could that also cause the problem?

For Cat could it be the sensors? If it is the sensors how would I know which one? I believe there is 2 right?

If its not the sensors and it is the cat then theres nothing I can do but have to replace the cat?