1999 Civic Cx hatch, stock - 177k

So I'm driving along, with no change in engine condition, and my CEL pops up. Get back home, bust out a paper clip and jump the SCC to find out its code 65. Not having memorized the Helms, nor all ECU codes, I retrieve the manual and turn to the Secondary O2 Heater troubleshooting section.

1. Perform ECU reset & start engine.

2. "Does CEL come back on?" - why yes, it did

3. Turn ignition off and disconnet 2nd O2 4p connector. At the 2nd O2 connector, measure resistance between the 2 black wires.

4. "Is there 10-40 ohms?" - why no, there is not. Meter reads just shy of 100k ohm.

5. "Replace the 2nd O2"

So after ordering one from hondaautomotiveparts.com, I take out the old and install the new. Do ECU reset, start her back up...and voila', CEL has not come back on.

The point of all this is simply: Having had the right tools for the job saved headache, money and time.

Fluke costed me $70 (from Techni-Tool, you may find cheaper as this was over 2 years ago), Helms 61S0305 costed $70 and the paper clip was maybe 5c.

Had I gone to the dealer, I'm sure I would have incurred a 2 hour labor charge along with a slightly higher priced part. Labor being, I dunno, aroung $70, I've already paid for the troubleshooting tools, but now I've got them for future use, so now I'm saving even MORE money....you can't beat that deal with a stick.

So many people spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on swaps and such with nothing invested in troubleshooting tools. Hopefully this post will sway you into purchasing said tools.


Modified by EE_Chris at 11:14 AM 7/26/2003