98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

My brother gave me his 98 Civic with the check engine light on- here
is the story:

He told me the check engine light reading was "high catalyst", and he
was using a cheap little handheld diagnostic from AutoZone.

So, he took it to a shop with a bigger diagnostic machine and the code
read "misfire." The mechanics said that a new distributor, cap and
rotor needed to be put in, and they did it. It was over $300 because
they said that for this part the generics are shoddy and unreliable.
The light was off when the car came out of the shop.

Then I received the car after this and the light came back on. Next I
replaced the plugs&wires myself (since they didn't do that at the
shop) and one of the plugs looked a little more burnt and browned than
the other three. The light remains on.

What should I do? Is it catalytic converter or oxygen sensor?
>>>THANKS!

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

BiGGie <kobsef@gmail.com> wrote in news:767e281b-9f42-42d4-88f8-
dafc0161f1e8@q30g2000prq.googlegroups.com:

> My brother gave me his 98 Civic with the check engine light on- here
> is the story:
>
> He told me the check engine light reading was "high catalyst", and he
> was using a cheap little handheld diagnostic from AutoZone.
>
> So, he took it to a shop with a bigger diagnostic machine and the code
> read "misfire." The mechanics said that a new distributor, cap and
> rotor needed to be put in, and they did it. It was over $300 because
> they said that for this part the generics are shoddy and unreliable.
> The light was off when the car came out of the shop.
>
> Then I received the car after this and the light came back on. Next I
> replaced the plugs&wires myself (since they didn't do that at the
> shop) and one of the plugs looked a little more burnt and browned than
> the other three. The light remains on.
>
> What should I do? Is it catalytic converter or oxygen sensor?
>>>>THANKS!
>





The text descriptions you received are utterly and totally meaningless.
Worse than that, even, since they may be leading you in completely the
wrong direction.

You need to give the CODE NUMBER, which will look like "Pxxx", where the
x'es are numbers. There are about a hundred possible codes, so it's
critical that you be accurate in your reportage.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

"BiGGie" <kobsef@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:767e281b-9f42-42d4-88f8-dafc0161f1e8@q30g2000prq.googlegroups.com...
> My brother gave me his 98 Civic with the check engine light on- here
> is the story:
>
> He told me the check engine light reading was "high catalyst", and he
> was using a cheap little handheld diagnostic from AutoZone.
>
> So, he took it to a shop with a bigger diagnostic machine and the code
> read "misfire." The mechanics said that a new distributor, cap and
> rotor needed to be put in, and they did it. It was over $300 because
> they said that for this part the generics are shoddy and unreliable.
> The light was off when the car came out of the shop.
>
> Then I received the car after this and the light came back on. Next I
> replaced the plugs&wires myself (since they didn't do that at the
> shop) and one of the plugs looked a little more burnt and browned than
> the other three. The light remains on.
>
> What should I do? Is it catalytic converter or oxygen sensor?
>>>>THANKS!
>

We don't know, but you can find out. The code (from a cheap reader or an
expensive one, it makes no difference) will tell the reason the light is on.
There may be a story behind the code, but without that code we are stuck.
With it you can learn what it really means at
http://www.actron.com/code_lookup.php We can also give you some background
about what often causes the code once we know what it is.

Mike

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

On Jan 27, 3:15 pm, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:
> BiGGie <kob...@gmail.com> wrote in news:767e281b-9f42-42d4-88f8-
> dafc0161f...@q30g2000prq.googlegroups.com:
>
>
>
> > My brother gave me his 98 Civic with the check engine light on- here
> > is the story:
>
> > He told me the check engine light reading was "high catalyst", and he
> > was using a cheap little handheld diagnostic from AutoZone.
>
> > So, he took it to a shop with a bigger diagnostic machine and the code
> > read "misfire." The mechanics said that a new distributor, cap and
> > rotor needed to be put in, and they did it. It was over $300 because
> > they said that for this part the generics are shoddy and unreliable.
> > The light was off when the car came out of the shop.
>
> > Then I received the car after this and the light came back on. Next I
> > replaced the plugs&wires myself (since they didn't do that at the
> > shop) and one of the plugs looked a little more burnt and browned than
> > the other three. The light remains on.
>
> > What should I do? Is it catalytic converter or oxygen sensor?
> >>>>THANKS!
>
> The text descriptions you received are utterly and totally meaningless.
> Worse than that, even, since they may be leading you in completely the
> wrong direction.
>
> You need to give the CODE NUMBER, which will look like "Pxxx", where the
> x'es are numbers. There are about a hundred possible codes, so it's
> critical that you be accurate in your reportage.
>
> --
> Tegger
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQwww.tegger.com/hondafaq/

OK here is what the invoice says from the mechanic >>>>>> CHK ENGINE
LIGHT - P1362- MISFIRE CODE - REPLACE DISTRIBUTOR, CAP AND ROTOR -
CLEARED CODES

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

BiGGie <kobsef@gmail.com> wrote in news:300bb86d-f773-4241-b888-
8fa2fa812391@i20g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> On Jan 27, 3:15 pm, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:



<snip>


>>
>> The text descriptions you received are utterly and totally meaningless.
>> Worse than that, even, since they may be leading you in completely the
>> wrong direction.
>>
>> You need to give the CODE NUMBER, which will look like "Pxxx", where the
>> x'es are numbers. There are about a hundred possible codes, so it's
>> critical that you be accurate in your reportage.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> OK here is what the invoice says from the mechanic >>>>>> CHK ENGINE
> LIGHT - P1362- MISFIRE CODE - REPLACE DISTRIBUTOR, CAP AND ROTOR -
> CLEARED CODES
>




P1362 is Camshaft Position Sensor "A", which is the TDC sensor. That's
inside the distributor.

Since the light has come back on again, you need the codes that are stored
THIS TIME. We already know the P1362 was erased from last time.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

"Michael Pardee" <null@null.org> wrote in
news:3-WdndU3QYyfC-LUnZ2dnUVZ_vqdnZ2d@sedona.net:

> "BiGGie" <kobsef@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:767e281b-9f42-42d4-88f8-dafc0161f1e8@q30g2000prq.googlegroups.com.
> ..
>> My brother gave me his 98 Civic with the check engine light on- here
>> is the story:
>>
>> He told me the check engine light reading was "high catalyst", and he
>> was using a cheap little handheld diagnostic from AutoZone.
>>
>> So, he took it to a shop with a bigger diagnostic machine and the
>> code read "misfire." The mechanics said that a new distributor, cap
>> and rotor needed to be put in, and they did it. It was over $300
>> because they said that for this part the generics are shoddy and
>> unreliable. The light was off when the car came out of the shop.
>>
>> Then I received the car after this and the light came back on. Next I
>> replaced the plugs&wires myself (since they didn't do that at the
>> shop) and one of the plugs looked a little more burnt and browned
>> than the other three. The light remains on.
>>
>> What should I do? Is it catalytic converter or oxygen sensor?
>>>>>THANKS!
>>
>
> We don't know, but you can find out. The code (from a cheap reader or
> an expensive one, it makes no difference) will tell the reason the
> light is on. There may be a story behind the code, but without that
> code we are stuck. With it you can learn what it really means at
> http://www.actron.com/code_lookup.php We can also give you some
> background about what often causes the code once we know what it is.
>



You do need to be extremely suspicious of any text descriptions supplied by
aftermarket sources. I've found them to be incorrect as often as correct.

Actron has no definition for Honda's P1362. Many of Actron's text
descriptions do not quite match Honda's descriptions.
An example:
P0712 Honda: Short in ATF Temperature Sensor Circuit
P0712 Actron: Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Low Input

The ONLY thing that counts is the alphanumeric code.


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

"Tegger" <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote in message
news:Xns9BA0C8D14490Ctegger@208.90.168.18...
>
> You do need to be extremely suspicious of any text descriptions supplied
> by
> aftermarket sources. I've found them to be incorrect as often as correct.
>
> Actron has no definition for Honda's P1362. Many of Actron's text
> descriptions do not quite match Honda's descriptions.
> An example:
> P0712 Honda: Short in ATF Temperature Sensor Circuit
> P0712 Actron: Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Low Input
>
> The ONLY thing that counts is the alphanumeric code.
>
>
> --
> Tegger
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
>

True - the code will almost certainly be correct but the meaning can be
"off."

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

"Michael Pardee" <null@null.org> wrote in
news:-bidnfkkg-J3zB3UnZ2dnUVZ_gidnZ2d@sedona.net:

> "Tegger" <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote in message
> news:Xns9BA0C8D14490Ctegger@208.90.168.18...
>>
>> You do need to be extremely suspicious of any text descriptions
>> supplied by
>> aftermarket sources. I've found them to be incorrect as often as
>> correct.
>>
>> Actron has no definition for Honda's P1362. Many of Actron's text
>> descriptions do not quite match Honda's descriptions.
>> An example:
>> P0712 Honda: Short in ATF Temperature Sensor Circuit
>> P0712 Actron: Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Low Input
>>
>> The ONLY thing that counts is the alphanumeric code.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Tegger
>>
>> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
>> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
>>
>
> True - the code will almost certainly be correct but the meaning can
> be "off."
>
>
>

FYI;a "short" -is- a "low input".(can't go any lower...)

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

Jim Yanik <jyanik@abuse.gov> wrote in news:Xns9BA1559BCB72Fjyanikkuanet@
74.209.136.83:

> "Michael Pardee" <null@null.org> wrote in
> news:-bidnfkkg-J3zB3UnZ2dnUVZ_gidnZ2d@sedona.net:
>
>> "Tegger" <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote in message
>> news:Xns9BA0C8D14490Ctegger@208.90.168.18...
>>>
>>> You do need to be extremely suspicious of any text descriptions
>>> supplied by
>>> aftermarket sources. I've found them to be incorrect as often as
>>> correct.
>>>
>>> Actron has no definition for Honda's P1362. Many of Actron's text
>>> descriptions do not quite match Honda's descriptions.
>>> An example:
>>> P0712 Honda: Short in ATF Temperature Sensor Circuit
>>> P0712 Actron: Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Low Input
>>>
>>> The ONLY thing that counts is the alphanumeric code.
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Tegger
>>>
>>> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
>>> www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
>>>
>>
>> True - the code will almost certainly be correct but the meaning can
>> be "off."
>>
>>
>>
>
> FYI;a "short" -is- a "low input".(can't go any lower...)
>



But Honda's official code text descriptions make a distinction between
"short" and "low input".


--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/

Re: 98 Civic Check Engine Light
 

On Jan 28, 10:43 am, Tegger <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote:
> Jim Yanik <jya...@abuse.gov> wrote in news:Xns9BA1559BCB72Fjyanikkuanet@
> 74.209.136.83:
>
>
>
> > "Michael Pardee" <n...@null.org> wrote in
> >news:-bidnfkkg-J3zB3UnZ2dnUVZ_gidnZ2d@sedona.net:
>
> >> "Tegger" <inva...@invalid.inv> wrote in message
> >>news:Xns9BA0C8D14490Ctegger@208.90.168.18...
>
> >>> You do need to be extremely suspicious of any text descriptions
> >>> supplied by
> >>> aftermarket sources. I've found them to be incorrect as often as
> >>> correct.
>
> >>> Actron has no definition for Honda's P1362. Many of Actron's text
> >>> descriptions do not quite match Honda's descriptions.
> >>> An example:
> >>> P0712 Honda: Short in ATF Temperature Sensor Circuit
> >>> P0712 Actron: Transmission Fluid Temperature Sensor Circuit Low Input
>
> >>> The ONLY thing that counts is the alphanumeric code.
>
> >>> --
> >>> Tegger
>
> >>> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
> >>>www.tegger.com/hondafaq/
>
> >> True - the code will almost certainly be correct but the meaning can
> >> be "off."
>
> > FYI;a "short" -is- a "low input".(can't go any lower...)
>
> But Honda's official code text descriptions make a distinction between
> "short" and "low input".
>
> --
> Tegger
>
> The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQwww.tegger.com/hondafaq/


I will be re-reading the codes this weekend, I'll post them as soon as
possible! Thank you guys.