A while ago I read somewhere on the web that someone replaced a Civic 38600-SH3-A111-M1 ICU with an Integra 38600-SK7-A012-M1.
Can anyone verify that these ICUs are interchangeable?

Also, how do I identify a bad or a leaking capacitor?

Thanks in advance for the help,
Steve-T

 

I was able to find the post that referenced substituting an Integra ICU for a bad Civic ICU.
Even though the Integra ICU has 12 pins at the "A" connector while the Civic has 10, the author said he was able to install it.
The flasher and turn signals worked correctly, but he didn't test the seat belt warning circuitry.

I was able to find an Integra Service Manual at HondaHookup.com. 1990 - 1993 Integra ICUs perform all of the functions as the 1988 - 1991 Civic ICUs, plus several more. With a little ingenuity It can be used as a substitute Civic ICU. You will need the Integra ICU (obviously) and its 12-pin wire connector with a pigtail. (If you are able to remove the wires from the connector with the end lugs still attached you won't need the pigtail).

At the "B" connector (the connection between the ICU and the Fuse Box) all the pins and their associated functions matchup physically between the two ICUs. Nothing needs to be done at the "B" connector. The only difference is the way the pins are labelled on the wiring diagrams.

The "A" connector (the connection between the ICU and the wire harness) will need a little re-wiring in order to have all four of the civic functions working.
The wire going to Civic Pin #1 (Canada) should be connected to Integra Pin # 12.
The wire going to Civic Pin #2 should be connected to Integra Pin # 7.
The wire going to Civic Pin #3 should be connected to Integra Pin # 10.
The wire going to Civic Pin #4 (Canada) should be connected to Integra Pin # 8.
The wire going to Civic Pin #5 is not used..
The wire going to Civic Pin #6 should be connected to Integra Pin # 6.
The wire going to Civic Pin #7 should be connected to Integra Pin # 5.
The wire going to Civic Pin #8 should be connected to Integra Pin # 3.
The wire going to Civic Pin #9 should be connected to Integra Pin # 2.
The wire going to Civic Pin #10 should be connected to Integra Pin # 1.
Integra Pin #4 not used
Integra Pin #9 not used
Integra Pin #11 not used

Hope you find this is helpful if you're having trouble obtaining a replacement civic ICU.

 

Update to previous post -
This ICU substitution works. I managed to get hold of an Integra ICU and install it in my 91 Civic Hatchback. It worked without any problems. Furthermore, the substitution is a lot easier to make than implied in my previous post. First off, much to my surprise the 10-pin Civic wire connector fits into the 12-pin Integra ICU, so you won't need to obtain the 12-pin Integra wire connector for the substitution. You just need to get the ICU. Even better, when the Civic wire connector is attached to the Integra ICU, all the wires, except for one, physically align with the correct ICU pins without having to be rearranged also as previously described. The one wire in question is the Grn/Red2 Wire attached to wire pin#2. This wire is connected to the L.R. Door Switches on the Civic and is part of the Seat Belt/Key-on circuit. The ICU has a separate pin for each door switch - pin#7 for the Driver's Door Switch and pin#11 for the Front Passenger Door Switch. So to get the ICU to sound the beeper when the driver's door is opened the Grn/Red2 wire at wire pin#2 needs to be moved to connector pin#5 where it will physically align with ICU pin#7. (although I suspect that even this change isn't necessary because the Grn/Red2 wire is connected in parellel to the all the Civic door switches. It's too cold for me to switch the ICUs on my car to verify this right now. When I tested the substitution, I had the Grn/Red2 wire connected to wire pin#5 and everything worked).
Hope those looking for an ICU find this helpful.
Steve-T

 

Thanks for the update. You can google images of 'leaking electrolytic capacitor' to see how to identify them. Basically the electrolyte leaks out of the canister and you can see it on the board. Also, the capacitor can appear to be bulging, or the top of the capacitor can sometimes be split open as well.

 

Thanks for the info DaX.....Sometimes I miss the most obvious things.