I have a code 20, and the car wont start.. It was fine last tuesday, then my alternator belt broke, and I havnt driven it since. I put a new alternater belt on, new plugs and wires, now I have a code 20. Checked all grounds. Ground to the chassis is good, 4 motor grounds, battery ground, etc. What else can cause this? I checked all fuses, under the hood and inside the car. Checked starter connections. Thermstat housing grounds are good. What else can it be?

 

ttt

 

ttt

 

check the connection for the ELD in the fuse box under the hood...i threw this code when i did my swap...search for this code if you didnt already i believe there are a few post on it

Ryan

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=272933
try this


[Modified by wuhungsixxx, 8:08 AM 2/24/2003]

 

taken from another post,

also, you may want to check out your main relay, this could also be the problem


[Modified by Hcivic88, 8:09 AM 2/24/2003]

 

I was reading the post ont he archive, and it says you can run with a ELD code, but my car wont even start, or turn over. hte few times I have seen this code is because of grouding problems, but my motor is well grounded. Any other problems?

 

I've also heard of the distributor being the problem a lot of times, are you getting spark to all four cylinders??

 

yes you can drive with code 20...it has no affect on anything.


Does your car even crank(turn over)...or no?

 

The car doesnt even turn over. I got power inside the car, then once I bump hte key as to start it, everything is dead. Like the starter is getting no power, and once i turn it to start everything dies, almost as if there is a bad ground.

I mean it was running fine, then the alternater belt broke, a week later I fix that along with new plugs and wires, and then this happens, no idea what to do. Its just sitting now. Any ideas?

 

20 is an electricload detector

some 90-91 cars don't have a eld so if you are using a 89 si ecu that looks for a eld and your car is a 90-91 that doesn't have a eld it will throw that code...so first check if you have an electric load detector in your fuse box under the hood.I don't have a pic so maybe someone else can help with that.

 

Well how do I fix it, I mean is there some tests I can do or something? I mean what would cause it to go bad? Can the clutch engagement switch cause it to go bad? Cause the night hte alternater belt broke, I had to push the clutch like ALL the way down to get it to start. Im just trying to get ideas.

 

if you want to start it you'll have to jump the starter off directly, but don't get scared when you drive around and your temp gauge jumps up and down like a tachometer.

 

Thats the thing I want to fix it "right". Its not my daily car. I havnt been able to mess with it that much because of the icy weather we are having.

 

ttt

 

Check all the grounds!! the harness grounds, battery grounds. I had a code 20 and it ended up being my harness ground not fully tight.

-Jake

 

Considering you had a broken alternator belt, could the battery be discharged enough to cause the no start condition? Try jumping it and see what happens. You may also want to see if the alternator will spin freely (have to remove the belt again for this check). Maybe it's seized up. Unless you jarred some connector loose on the alternator, I can't think of what would cause the code 20 by just replacing a belt, plugs, and wires.