I'm looking at buying an 03 type s and when I looked at one for sale and turned the ignition on without starting the motor, the CEL stayed on, though it went off as soon as I started the motor. Two of my friends have DC5s and the CEL turns off after just a few seconds on theirs without cranking the motor. I've searched for answers on clubrsx and only read contradicting statements about whether the CEL is supposed to stay on until the motors started or whether it goes on for a few seconds and then goes off. Can anyone shed some light on this?

 

Please

 

For the 2003 Acura RSX, if you turn the ignition switch to ON (II), without starting the engine, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL, aka CEL) will stay on for 20 seconds and then go off. This means the emission readiness codes are set.

If the MIL blinks 5 times, then the readiness codes are not set.

If the MIL remains on without going off or blinking 5 times, then there may be an issue with the car's system and DTCs (diagnostic trouble codes) may be stored.

 

Awesome, thanks for the help. Is it possible that it can take less than 20 seconds to set the readiness codes? Cause in my friends' cars it didn't take that long. Either way this helps a lot especially since you scanned the owner's manual

 

It can take less than 20 seconds. I didn't have to scan the owner's manual, that was a screen shot from a pdf file.

 

Either way it's from the owner's manual, thank you sir

 

Whom ever probably has a race header on the car. If not, go to Autozone and find out what code it's throwing for free.