ok got a 96 lx and swapped in a 96 vtec engine with p0h L57 computer. got everything buttoned up and vtec sol wire pinned in to the wire harness. getting spark, getting fuel(I think).

the concern is when I turn the key to start one of the main relays on the drivers side kick panel is clickin like a buzz saw and she wont come to life....

am I missing something in the wiring? was I supposed to switch some pins at the ecu? I need some help this is my wifes car and she is crawling my *** on the daily!

thanks
-chris

 

charge the battery

 

I would have tried to charge it if it wasn't turning the engine over. im getting turn over. ill try charging the battery. and I might feel sheepish if it starts... I do have a degree in auto performance... though I have seen some master mechanics make some pretty dumb moves....

any thoughts on that though? I mean it turns over for cryin out loud lol

 

Check the ECU ground connection (G101) on the intake manifold plenum.

 

You didn't make it clear it was turning over in your post. It helps do know if it's cranking or not.

If it's cranking then you need to hook up a fuel pressure tester and see if the fuel pump is working or not. Then go from there.

Harbor freight has a $20 kit that fits our cars.

If it's not working, then you supply battery voltage to the fuel pump via the main relay connector and see if the fuel pump runs. If yes, then it's probably the main relay. If not, then the pump is bad.

 

ok so I checked all the ground points, changed the main relay, got pressure at the fuel rail. it almost cranked today.. it fired a couple of cyl and died immediately. the main relay is still clicking like an Isuzu trooper.

 

The main relay clicking rapidly is usually due to low current. Either the ground (which you indicated you've checked) or a bad battery or battery connections.

 

hmm... I will go over all the grounds again with some PB blaster and a wire brush.

 

turns out it was an ecm problem. upon further inspection the ecm appeared to have been submerged. I got a diagnostic tool hooked up to the obd2 port and that's allowing it to run.

after clearing the code the engine will start and get to operating temp and then shut down. keeping the tool plugged in keeps this from happening, so until I can get another ecm....

thanks everybody for the help!

-chris

 

It very well could be the ECU, however I have seen times where having the scanner plugged in provides "ground" to the ecu allowing the car to run with it plugged in but not run without the scanner pluged in.

Again, just something to keep in mind.

 

indeed. although I don't think it will be a problem... with the ground anyway, the first time we cleared the code it fired rite up without the scanner plugged in. only after it got warm enough to idle down did it stop running.. idk thanks anyway... the more info I have the better equipped I will be for other problems...

-chris

 

ok so I went to the pick your part and got another p0h but this one was an L51 where as the one that came with the engine was an L52. not sure what the diff is here, anyway, its still throwing a p0135 and p0141 dct. I don't know what these codes mean or how to cross ref them.

im using a Mac tools reader my father in law is letting borrow. she still don't wanna run without it hooked up.

ugh

 

P0135 41 Front HO2S Heater Circuit Fault (Sensor 1)
P0141 65 Secondary HO2S Heater Circuit Fault (Sensor 2)

This could be a ground issue for both.

 

awesome. so i guess ima look for wire diagrams now to hunt down the ground for those circuits. thanks mike! what are some other possible causes? just bad sensors? or is there more to it than that?

-chris

 

Unlikely that BOTH sensors would **** the bed at the the same time. Unless you were welding on the exhaust without properly grounding the welder/work.

 

one was actually known to be bad... i think the primary. good point though... **** the bed lmao that's a good one! so excluding a bad ground situation it could only be that they have both drank the grape coolaid?

 

factory service manual are available online for free in pdf format
those sensors could be checked with a multimeter for ohms/resistance

 

thanks^ I will check that out.

update: installed new primary o2 sensor, the one I had before I spliced a male connector to it so It would work with the ex wire harness. I thought for sure that I had crossed the two black wires. I probably did but im still in the same spot.

the codes its kickin out suggest either I fried another ecm or im still missing a ground somewhere.

p1297, 0453, 1253 are the codes that showed up recently in addition to the original 0135 and 0141. anyway the newer codes are hi fuel tank pressure, vtec malfunction, and something else... oh ELD low voltage.

charged up the a/c and its cold like witch **** so I got a small victory... yay

 

ok in another post I authored titled "vtec question f22b2>f22b1" holmsnmanny suggested that I swap pins a6 and a10. these are the power and ground respectively for the primary o2 sensor circuit. I have searched but I cannot find the info to determine weather or not switching the polarity of this circuit is warranted to complete the swap and make it run without the scanner plugged in.

any ideas?

 

That is only necessary when dealing with the 94-95 obd1 ecus.

 

ok so I over looked something and this may be the cause... when I installed the "new" engine the wire harness was un cut and intact all except for the power wire that ties into the under hood fuse panel. the wire had been cut so I used a non solder splice to mend the wire.

maybe this is the cause of the low current condition. still it doesn't really make sense... I will solder it tomorrow... im pessimistic of this being the solution.

 

did you swap out the pins? he just said its for 94-95 ecu's, you swapped a obd2 engine with another obd2 engine which should have a 96+ ecu meaning you SHOULDN'T have swapped the pins if im reading this correctly. why did you swap the harness?

 

The main power wire that feeds the engine bay fuse box comes straight from the battery. Which wire are you referring to exactly ? Can you take a pic ? You always replace a wire with either a wire of the same size or bigger. If it's smaller it may not be able to handle the amount of amps that should be passing through it.

 

I got the whole engine with accessories, ecm and engine wire harness. I didn't swap any pins. I did however run my own wire for the vtec solenoid.

 

there is a power wire in the engine harness that connects to a power distribution block at the front of the fuse box, held on by an 8mm nut. I believe its the wire going to the alt.

it was cut too short so I spliced the one from the old harness to this one so it would reach.

cant upload pics on my work comp and I don't have internet at home. maybe I can upload from my phone to facebook, my phone is not smart either sooo.