i have a 99 honda accord that i desperately need to pass emissions (smog) test. It has failed and all emmissions passed. Only thing that failed was the MIL - Check Engine light. About a year ago I noticed a lil jerking so I had a diagnostic ran on it which spit out the following codes - P0401, P1149, P1164. I never followed up on it UNTIL it was failed smog.
I took it to a honda specialist, not the dealer, and they cleaned out the intake manifold, egr ports, & replaced some intake gaskets/valve. They cleared the MIL light but less than a mile later it went back on. So I took it back in and they said it was the knock sensor so I replaced. This time 20 miles later the light came back on. Needless to say I am very frustrated and have spent a good $500 on it. Ive researched those other codes and they tell me something about the oxygen sensors. At this point, im desperate to pass emissions since I already got a ticket for the registration. Would I be able to somehow clear this light to pass emissions and somehow trick the system? Or are repairs imminent to pass this smog test? if repairs are ncessary how can I make this as cheap as possible?

please help! your goodwill will be appreacited

 

ok just go to the parts house and get u a o2 sensortake the old one off and put the new one on and that should take care of it

 

i wish it was that easy..im a girl...if its easy and manageable I'll do it myself but keep in mind i dont do this kinda stuff. Im willing though but I need step by step instructions.

 

sry i didnt know that go to advance or a parts store and get a haynes manual it will show you how to pull the codes and how to fix whatever it is

 

no problem. thanks for your input.

last question, is it absolutely necessary that I get a GENUINE HONDA oxygen sensor replacement part? Cant I use an after market such as a Bosch part?

 

yea you can buy what ever brand u want as long as it fits honda parts are alot more expensive

 

so i installed a bosch oxygen sensor, the one before the cat converter and the check engine light came on faster than before. They attempted to clear the light TWICE and same thing. I dont understand. Would the fact that its an after market product matter?

 

no it wouldn't matter the brand.. your cat could be bad as well. im not sure how it works with hondas but you can try this. In the morning when the car is cold, tap on it and see if you hear any rattling inside the cat. if so, its mostlikely bad. other than that, there is another o2 sensor, post cat that you could try to replace as well. remember, the o2 sensors are wear and tear items that need replacement as well.

 

In my experience yes, brand matters. Honda doesn't use Bosch because they are not engineered for Honda's I have replaced hudreds of Bosch O2 sensors after the customer replaces the Denso with one. Sometimes you can get lucky and get a good O2 from Bosch but it is rare.
Ok I am done with my rant ..
What codes do you have
p0135?
heater circut problem?
You replaced the Primary (up stream) correct?
P0401 code present?
P0141code present?
Need more info, have Your parts house check your codes for you with a scan tool.
well worth the cost if you replace the right parts the first time...
Hope this helps keep us posted

 

at first it did have a p0141 code coming on and then my mechanic replaced some intake gasket and cleaned EGR ports. I had some smog station manually retest for me and only code coming up NOW is P1149. From the researcj Ive done, that code is for the pre-cat sensor or the "primary" sensor which was what I replaced with the bosch but the CEL came on faster. Needless to say I ended up returning the Bosch o2 Sensor and my mechanic ordered a honda pre-cat o2 sensor...will go install later and see what happens. Im worried that it wont clear again though. if it doesnt, what could it be..i hear the term ECM, what is that? And of course there's the possibility of the after-cat o2 sensor.

Either way, I would of had to replace these sooner or later right? That makes me feel better

BY THE WAY THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP! IM SURE IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU TWOFOLD!


Modified by martyrodarty at 1:32 PM 4/8/2008


Modified by martyrodarty at 1:32 PM 4/8/2008

 

If it recodes have your mech. check alll the fuses, and connections....also if there is oil in the plug (male-female connection) of the O2 sensor #1 this can cause similar problems...Good luck

 

I had a feeling that a Honda o2 sensor wouldnt fix my problem.

So still having trouble figuring out what the heck is worng and why CEL wont go away. At least its not blinking which, seems to be a good sign right?

Ok in summary -

Bought a Bosch o2 sensor pre-cat, installed, CEL comes on 2 seconds after clearing it

Bought a HONDA 02 sensor pre-cat, installed, CEL comes on 2 seconds after clearing it

I installed the old o2 sensor, CEL doesnt turn on immediately but it will after complete drive cyle

so now what?

someone mentioned something about a wiring problem with the air flow sensor....didnt catch the exact description

why would it give off a o2 sensor code if it was that other sensor? domino effect?

 

This 1149 code may be due to a ecm problem Sevice bulletin 01-031
make reference to this code.. Aparently under certain driving conditions the ECM/PCM will set a 1149 code for A/F sensor performace out of range.....doesn't ggive a reason as to why but it does say to replace the ECM/PCM......Before you go replacing parts you might want to go to your local dealer and put the liability on them if you know what I mean....I am treuly sorry I missed that part of your earlier post(I was speed reading) If the dealer says replace the ECM and it doesn't resolve you rproblem then they are responsible for fixing your car. They can't charge you twice to fix the same problem.....