Howdy All!

Asking forgiveness in advance if this has been well-covered and worn out, but I need help with this problem. I searched for an hour and learned many things but didn't get my questions answered.

The vehicle is a 1993 Accord SE fuel injected, non-CA pollution plumbing, and auto tranny with 185k miles and other wise in very very good condition. We've had it about 3 months and it is a twin to one we have that we bought new. We got it from an acquaintance who bought it new and gave us a folder with every invoice she ever paid on the vehicle.

Here are my questions:
1) Does the 93 SE as described use standard OBD codes? If so what level (OBD1, OBD2, . . . )?
2) If there is a connection for taking off codes, where is it? I realize that the ECM has ports and that Honda made some proprietary gear for this back in the day. What I want to know is if there is a non-proprietary way to get to standard codes and where to locate connectors etc.
3) I have both OBD1 and OBDII readers. (I have a '90 F150 that uses OBDI and have owned vehicles that use OBDII). Will I be able to use either of these? If not, is there a good consumer device that I should look to get? (I'm not interested in taking out a bank loan to pay for it and will not use it to run a repair business - I just like to have as much information in hand as I can find before I take a vehicle to someone for repair.)

This vehicle sat little used for about 7-8 months after our friend bought a new vehicle. We found nothing to complain about when we bought it but plan to have a mechanic go over it for belts, hoses, radiator flush, timing belt and water pump and oil cooler O-ring replacement. It started with the Check Engine light just this week but it only came on after about 20 minutes of in-town driving. I'm suspecting pollution control devices (EGR, PCV, et al) but want the information that the ECM has in it.

I have Honda's repair manual on CD but it is less than clear and only addresses using proprietary diagnostic tools to retrieve codes.

TIA and, please be gentle with this noob.

 

A paper clip is the only 'special' tool you need to ge tthe codes.
Behind the passenger side kick panel you will find a BLUE 2 pin connector, originally it was taped to the wire harness with blue tape.
Jumper that connector with your paperclip, then turn on the key and watch the CEL for a flash code.
Long blinks = 10
short blinks = 1
Here is a link to codes; [stolen from Hondadude]
http://www.freewebs.com/hondadude/Hnda_codesobd1.htm

 

Thank you, Mr. Yamada!

I will give that a try tomorrow!

Other than the color of the connector, is there anything else I can use to be sure I've got the right one?

 

I'm trying to locate the OBD plug on my "93 Honda Accord, too, but I'm not finding a blue plug with two wires as pictured on every site and YouTube video I've looked at. I've searched under the dash on both sides with no luck.

I have, however, found a yellow plug fastened to the chassis under the passenger side kick panel. It has six brown wires and a hinged cover that conceals a socket for, I assume, attaching a scanner. I'd like to short the plug with a paper clip in order to read the code off the Engine Check light but have no clue as to how to proceed with this six-wired plug. Any suggestions? Am I looking in the wrong place?

BTW, my wife and I are the second owners of this Honda as we inherited it from her mother, the original owner.

I've included photos of the plug if this will help.

 

It's on the far passengers side, not really under the dash, it's on the right side kickboard.

 

As I wrote in the second paragraph above, I looked behind the kick plate on the passenger side and saw no blue connector with two wires. All I found is the yellow connector with six wires.

 

Thats definitely not it man.. I think on one of my hondas it was maybe brown, not blue.. And it may have been clipped/plugged in something else. Can't remember. But theres only two wires. Check behind the glove box etc, its definitely there. Unless you have an older ecu.. Ive heard some of the older ones have a flashing led inside the ecu to read the codes.
I have a 97 accord and the blue wire is there.. I can get a pic tomorrow if I remember.

 

Make a video of you looking on the passenger side and moving things out of the way to verify it's not there.

 

hls90 and holmesnmanny,
I appreciate you guys offering your suggestions but I have been all over this area with a fine tooth comb. I pulled the glove box, ran the passenger seat back as far as it goes, and crawled in on my back with a flashlight and inspection mirror on a telescoping handle. I found nothing other than the yellow, six-wire connector.

Two years ago, I pulled the air handler out in order to replace the fan motor. I didn't see any blue connector then, either.

Does anyone know about this yellow connector? It's just sitting there, bolted to the chassis behind the kick plate, with nothing plugged into it. It has a cover that can be opened, revealing a socket where a plug can be inserted. Take a look at the two photos in my first post above. Are the two metal plates visible edge on in the end view photo what I need to short? (If the photos aren't visible or are too big to show, please let me know and I'll reattach smaller versions. They are kind of big!)

Thanks!

 

No idea about the yellow connector. Heres a vid on my 97 where the wire is.

Our models are a little different but it was pretty much the same on every civic I ever owned as well.

 

I found these images on google, they seem to show your yellow connector.. Good luck!

 

That's definitely my yellow connector!

Well . . . maybe I didn't search hard enough! I'm going back in with a bigger flashlight and a prybar. I'll let you know what I find — if there's anything left to show once I get through digging.

Thanks!

 

That yellow connector is likely a relay. It needs to be connected.

 

That yellow thing is a ground "block". Make sure to bolt it back to the chassis or you will be chasing all kinds of other issues......