Honda "brotherhood"
11-17-2006, 06:48 AM
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Honda "brotherhood"
So I'm finally getting my first EG back on the road after years (literally, the car has 70k miles on it and it's a 93) of being off the road due to finances, screwups, etc.
A while back ago I had to store my car in one of those shared car storage places due to my neighbor calling the cops on me for working on my car in the driveway (go go California ********). Since the car wasn't registered, the city started playing hardball saying it would be towed, etc. Well one-car garage, already taken up by another incapacitated car meant I had to store it somewhere (I should have just got a temp reg. but I didn't know that then) as it had a spun bearing.
The place I stored it at seemed alright, although kind of had that semi-shady feeling to it. I checked on my car weekly, and nothing was ever amiss until I got a notice saying the place was moving and people had to choose if they wanted to move their cars to the new place, or come get them. Well I came and got mine. After getting it home, I realized people had stolen a couple of miscellaneous stupid things like a negative battery cable and my throttle cable. Most likely the CRX dude who had his parked in the same place. So after all that I get the car home, into the garage and begin the rebuild again.
I got my dual-core Integra radiator mount job all done and nicely setup, ready to go...
Everything put back together and freakin' DONE (you know that feeling after rebuilding an engine from a bare block)...
So I'm at this point, reading to get the transmission on, and drop it back in, decide to check everything is in order, ECU-wise (I had a small feeling to wonder if the damn ECU was even still there as I never checked that after I got it back). I go to the passenger footwell, pull back carpet, etc. to find not only the sight of a missing ECU but:
Sweet eh? Most likely that CRX expletive taking not only the ECU but the precious plugs for his mini-me, or whatever other shitty idea he was working on at the time (which explains why he took my throttle cable too - his probably didn't work with his ghetto swap). If that guy only realized how much pain I would like to cause him after staying up until past 7 am burning my fingers for hours on end de-pinning and resoldering an odb1->obd2a harness (which I had for my PowerFC but now I'll be forced to use to splice into my factory wiring and run the PFC regardless) he wouldn't be alive.
It's not even remotely ******* cool. Taking a perfectly good chassis and just CUT the core connection to get the ECU and plugs. Not only that, but they cut it first about 8 inches higher up, taking out about 10 wires, and then decided they didin't need so much spare loom (how nice of them) and cut the rest off further down. So now I gotta extend those other 10, and basically sit in the passenger floorpan of my Civic for hours fixing this today (tomorrow).
Good news is that the respliced obd1->obd2a harnesses all check out continuity wise, so unless locash spaced out while making it (which I completely doubt as locash kicks ***) and my splices go alright in the car, things should be working as designed. It's going to be fun tracing all of those duplicate/shared color wires that Honda so conveniently used within the same harness loom.
Want to know how I feel still? Been up all night listening to industrial music and wanting to throw a soldering iron through the window after soldering 49 ******* leads.. still pissed off about it.
A while back ago I had to store my car in one of those shared car storage places due to my neighbor calling the cops on me for working on my car in the driveway (go go California ********). Since the car wasn't registered, the city started playing hardball saying it would be towed, etc. Well one-car garage, already taken up by another incapacitated car meant I had to store it somewhere (I should have just got a temp reg. but I didn't know that then) as it had a spun bearing.
The place I stored it at seemed alright, although kind of had that semi-shady feeling to it. I checked on my car weekly, and nothing was ever amiss until I got a notice saying the place was moving and people had to choose if they wanted to move their cars to the new place, or come get them. Well I came and got mine. After getting it home, I realized people had stolen a couple of miscellaneous stupid things like a negative battery cable and my throttle cable. Most likely the CRX dude who had his parked in the same place. So after all that I get the car home, into the garage and begin the rebuild again.
I got my dual-core Integra radiator mount job all done and nicely setup, ready to go...
Everything put back together and freakin' DONE (you know that feeling after rebuilding an engine from a bare block)...
So I'm at this point, reading to get the transmission on, and drop it back in, decide to check everything is in order, ECU-wise (I had a small feeling to wonder if the damn ECU was even still there as I never checked that after I got it back). I go to the passenger footwell, pull back carpet, etc. to find not only the sight of a missing ECU but:
Sweet eh? Most likely that CRX expletive taking not only the ECU but the precious plugs for his mini-me, or whatever other shitty idea he was working on at the time (which explains why he took my throttle cable too - his probably didn't work with his ghetto swap). If that guy only realized how much pain I would like to cause him after staying up until past 7 am burning my fingers for hours on end de-pinning and resoldering an odb1->obd2a harness (which I had for my PowerFC but now I'll be forced to use to splice into my factory wiring and run the PFC regardless) he wouldn't be alive.
It's not even remotely ******* cool. Taking a perfectly good chassis and just CUT the core connection to get the ECU and plugs. Not only that, but they cut it first about 8 inches higher up, taking out about 10 wires, and then decided they didin't need so much spare loom (how nice of them) and cut the rest off further down. So now I gotta extend those other 10, and basically sit in the passenger floorpan of my Civic for hours fixing this today (tomorrow).
Good news is that the respliced obd1->obd2a harnesses all check out continuity wise, so unless locash spaced out while making it (which I completely doubt as locash kicks ***) and my splices go alright in the car, things should be working as designed. It's going to be fun tracing all of those duplicate/shared color wires that Honda so conveniently used within the same harness loom.
Want to know how I feel still? Been up all night listening to industrial music and wanting to throw a soldering iron through the window after soldering 49 ******* leads.. still pissed off about it.
11-17-2006, 06:58 AM
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Re: Honda "brotherhood" (clayne)
Thats really sucks, but hey at least you have the knowledge to fix what that CRX *** did to your car. Keep up the good work, it looks like your doing fine. 
11-17-2006, 06:59 AM
#5
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Re: (EFbomb)
holy ouch.
but as stated, at least you are working on fixing it.
but its not something you should have to deal with. expletive that other guy
but as stated, at least you are working on fixing it.
but its not something you should have to deal with. expletive that other guy
11-17-2006, 07:10 AM
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Re: (92ehatch)
Yeah, the whole thing sucks.
I figured rather than hunting around for a main harness and dealing with equivalent pain of swapping that out, I might as well just fix the wiring. The car has been sitting for too damn long - and the engine is done.
I mean hey, it's only wiring here. So I got 49 wires to solder (+1 for those pesky knock sensor @ D3 pin).
Thank god it wasn't cut HIGHER.
I figured rather than hunting around for a main harness and dealing with equivalent pain of swapping that out, I might as well just fix the wiring. The car has been sitting for too damn long - and the engine is done.
I mean hey, it's only wiring here. So I got 49 wires to solder (+1 for those pesky knock sensor @ D3 pin).
Thank god it wasn't cut HIGHER.
11-17-2006, 07:49 AM
#7
Damn dude, that sucks. Ida been lookin for his *** with my shotgun, cause wiring > me. Do you know where the storage place moved to? if so, find out where the CRX is, and take back your ****....and the wiring harness...haha
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11-17-2006, 09:11 AM
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good build.. I know the feeling after a lof of downtime. Ive been in a similiar situation a couple of times withmy own ride.
Id like to donate to your project if you want it.. Ive got a set of snipped ecu plugs with about 10" of wiring I took from a local junkyard awhile back. If your cool with using that jumper harness, no prob. Just thought id offer. If you want them, IM me your address and ill send them over no charge. Always down to try to help out people in the scene.
Id like to donate to your project if you want it.. Ive got a set of snipped ecu plugs with about 10" of wiring I took from a local junkyard awhile back. If your cool with using that jumper harness, no prob. Just thought id offer. If you want them, IM me your address and ill send them over no charge. Always down to try to help out people in the scene.
11-17-2006, 10:40 AM
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Re: (J.MONEY)
Nah, not keeping the cruise - just hadn't pulled it out yet.
egsalad, I might be up for that actually - I wanted to be able to use the adapter harness as just that, an adapter, not a bail me out set of wires. But I had to make do. If it isn't working, I'll pay for overnight fedex.
Paint looks pretty good because the car hasn't seen daylight for years.
I just took inventory of all the wiring that's there. Everything checks out, although I found the following oddities, maybe someone might know:
1. Extra grn/yel wire that I cannot see as documented going to anything in the ECU pinouts (I only see docs for 1 grn/yel).
2. The shielded wires: Gray thicker cable which has 7 wires (6 are for distributor/timing/ignition related sensors) and there is 1 black wire (which is most definitely a ground) besides the other 6 in it but it isn't documented as having a home in the ECU. Does this run outside the harness before hitting the ECU and connect to the interior of the body as a body ground? I seem to vaguely remember there being an extra black ground cable that you connect to one of the ECU mounting bolts.
3. For both the shielded cables, does the shield actually do anything, or just run the length of the cable to protect from interference/induction? I'm just concerned if I have to connect anything to the shields, or let them be. The only shielded cables are the 7-wire cable from above and a single brown shielded cable which houses the white wire (D14 in ECU) for the HO2S.
Other than that, all wires are accounted for. Oh, and it looks like even though the manual documents the wires for automatic trans sensors (which I don't have), they won't actually be there if your car is a manual (I'm using a 95 manual, and the car is a 93). Actually, if anyone has a 93 manual, can they check for irregularities in regards to that extra grn/yel, and the black wire in the grey shielded cable.
edit: I found a 92 manual online, figured out some small descrepancies, but I'm still hunting.
egsalad, I might be up for that actually - I wanted to be able to use the adapter harness as just that, an adapter, not a bail me out set of wires. But I had to make do. If it isn't working, I'll pay for overnight fedex.
Paint looks pretty good because the car hasn't seen daylight for years.
I just took inventory of all the wiring that's there. Everything checks out, although I found the following oddities, maybe someone might know:
1. Extra grn/yel wire that I cannot see as documented going to anything in the ECU pinouts (I only see docs for 1 grn/yel).
2. The shielded wires: Gray thicker cable which has 7 wires (6 are for distributor/timing/ignition related sensors) and there is 1 black wire (which is most definitely a ground) besides the other 6 in it but it isn't documented as having a home in the ECU. Does this run outside the harness before hitting the ECU and connect to the interior of the body as a body ground? I seem to vaguely remember there being an extra black ground cable that you connect to one of the ECU mounting bolts.
3. For both the shielded cables, does the shield actually do anything, or just run the length of the cable to protect from interference/induction? I'm just concerned if I have to connect anything to the shields, or let them be. The only shielded cables are the 7-wire cable from above and a single brown shielded cable which houses the white wire (D14 in ECU) for the HO2S.
Other than that, all wires are accounted for. Oh, and it looks like even though the manual documents the wires for automatic trans sensors (which I don't have), they won't actually be there if your car is a manual (I'm using a 95 manual, and the car is a 93). Actually, if anyone has a 93 manual, can they check for irregularities in regards to that extra grn/yel, and the black wire in the grey shielded cable.
edit: I found a 92 manual online, figured out some small descrepancies, but I'm still hunting.
11-17-2006, 11:03 AM
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Re: (clayne)
Figured out the extra grn/yel. It goes to pin a8 from the PGM-FI main relay and is just a duplicate of A7. For some reason they don't have it on 94+ cars.
11-18-2006, 02:54 AM
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Re: Honda "brotherhood" (clayne)
All I could manage tonight was tinning all of the leads and extending the 12 or so short-cut wires (easily the most hellacious soldering work I've ever done there - no room to do anything). Just didn't have the willpower to do anymore plus I've got to work tomorrow. Tomorrow night I'll begin soldering up the leads to the harness plugs - which actually shouldn't be so bad at all as they already have pins I'm soldering on to on all the harness end leads. Only hangups will be playing the dupli-color game.
Oh, and that 'black' wire inside the grey shield isn't even a wire. It's some solid plastic core of nothing. So unless it has copper inside it further up, I don't know why it's there. Also, I couldn't get continuity across the shields to blk/red or brn/blk wires. I'm wondering where they have connections to shield inside the chassis - is it further down right before where the plugs would normally terminate?
Progress pics:
Space I have to work in:
Might as well:
Convenient soldering gun holder:
Tinned:
Extended:
The whole experience is like getting inside an oil drum and soldering 50 leads.
Oh, and that 'black' wire inside the grey shield isn't even a wire. It's some solid plastic core of nothing. So unless it has copper inside it further up, I don't know why it's there. Also, I couldn't get continuity across the shields to blk/red or brn/blk wires. I'm wondering where they have connections to shield inside the chassis - is it further down right before where the plugs would normally terminate?
Progress pics:
Space I have to work in:
Might as well:
Convenient soldering gun holder:
Tinned:
Extended:
The whole experience is like getting inside an oil drum and soldering 50 leads.
11-18-2006, 04:54 AM
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Re: Honda "brotherhood" (clayne)
I feel real bad for you bro, last time I stuck a vehicle in storage the lock was broken and he entire car was stolen..they never found it. 
Is your EG a hatch or coupe, reason being I wanna get some gathers panels for the back but if they don't fit in a coupe then I see no need.
Good luck with the ECU issue and I'm subscribed to see the build continue..keep the motivation alive and the checking balance positive!
doh!I noticed the interior pic of the seat and realized that's a hatch..anyway do the gathers speaker panels fit in a coupe?
Is your EG a hatch or coupe, reason being I wanna get some gathers panels for the back but if they don't fit in a coupe then I see no need.
Good luck with the ECU issue and I'm subscribed to see the build continue..keep the motivation alive and the checking balance positive!
doh!I noticed the interior pic of the seat and realized that's a hatch..anyway do the gathers speaker panels fit in a coupe?
11-18-2006, 08:14 AM
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Re: Honda "brotherhood" (CodyC142)
I would be putting a world of hurting on that CRX owner. ECU wiring is the worst! Good luck with finishing that, and thank god for diagrams. 
11-18-2006, 11:25 AM
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Re: Honda "brotherhood" (JDMLove07)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JDMLove07 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I feel real bad for you bro, last time I stuck a vehicle in storage the lock was broken and he entire car was stolen..they never found it.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah, that was my main fear of leaving it at the place. Thankfully that didn't happen, but it probably would have eventually.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
doh!I noticed the interior pic of the seat and realized that's a hatch..anyway do the gathers speaker panels fit in a coupe?</TD></TR></TABLE>
It's a hatch (93 Si). I never realized the speaker panels were "gathers" (the subsidary company/or outside brand honda contract/ed) - just OEM optional speaker grills is what I picked up from the dealer ages ago. I don't think they fit a coupe because of the way the back of the hatch takes an earlier curve - but since I haven't tried it I can't say for sure.
Aren't those grills still out there and available on the used market though? I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to still buy them new.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah, that was my main fear of leaving it at the place. Thankfully that didn't happen, but it probably would have eventually.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
doh!I noticed the interior pic of the seat and realized that's a hatch..anyway do the gathers speaker panels fit in a coupe?</TD></TR></TABLE>
It's a hatch (93 Si). I never realized the speaker panels were "gathers" (the subsidary company/or outside brand honda contract/ed) - just OEM optional speaker grills is what I picked up from the dealer ages ago. I don't think they fit a coupe because of the way the back of the hatch takes an earlier curve - but since I haven't tried it I can't say for sure.
Aren't those grills still out there and available on the used market though? I wouldn't be surprised if you were able to still buy them new.