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Engine Warning Light

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conyoman

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Location
Saltash
Car
Accord SE 6th Gen
Nightmare.

Driving today, light comes on. Check the manual and it's an emissions control problem.

Need the car on Sunday to go on holiday.....garage is full until middle of next week.

So they're going to run a diagnostic tomorrow at the garage.

However reading the forum I've noticed that if i had the equipment I could do it mysefl.....but I am clueless as to what I need and where to get it. Can someone give me pointers please?

  • Car is a 2002 vtec SE Executive petrol
  • 74,000 miles
  • Just had a level 1 service and gearbox engine oil change
  • If it wasn't for the light i would not have known there was an issue - no power loss, no noise, change to emission colour

So what do I need to buy in order to check this myself......and what the hell is the paper clip method that I read about?

I've also read about removing the fuse to reset the light....I will give that a go tonight and see what happens.


EDIT - I need an OBD2 reader or usb that I can stick in my laptop, run software etc....
Any advice on what cable and software to get????

Also, found this: http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=1901557

Is the OBD2 port in the same place as where shown on these diagrams for an accord.....
 
I wouldn't normally give advice where I don't have prior experience (I have a 7th gen diesel), but as it's urgent I thought I'd chip in!

I found this thread - http://typeaccord.co.uk/forum/topic/10399-obd-2/ - which should help you find the socket. AFAIK, if you do have an OBD2 socket then you cannot simply use a paperclip to read off the codes on tthis vehicle.

In my general experience, if the car seems to be running well and not going into 'limp home' mode then the system is not seeing a significant problem (e.g. might simply be a post-cat o2 sensor???). If you disconnect the battery for, say, 20 minutes then you should reset the warning lamp if it was just a transient glitch/problem. If the light comes back on then you know you have a real issue and must get the code read off and then fix the problem.

Personally I prefer to have a stand-alone reader, so as not to have to tie up another device (but I know others think differently).

Hopefully another more experienced member can advise you further, or - even better - a member nearby can bring round a reader and have a look for you.

Good luck
 
It could be an blocked EGR valve if it's not affecting performance, although you might notice that when the engine light comes on, VTEC is disabled
 
my money would be on o2 sensor. £180 from honda and hard to find elsewhere
 
Even if you have the obd2 port (it should have, your car is later than mine & mine has one), you will still have two blue plugs directly under the glove box, one 2 pin & one 3 pin.

So if you can't get hold of an obd2 reader in time, you should still be able to flash the codes - I'm pretty sure there is a how to on this sure somewhere
 
Thanks for the replies folks.

By flashing it do you mean getting the symbol to flash using the paper clip method (basically shorting it by the looks of things). I've found a guide for that -> stick a paper clip in pin 4 & 9, watch the symbols, interpret the code......fairly confident I can do that.

I've got an hour or so tonight so will check it out. If that fails, it'll be in the garage tomorrow.....
 
Im with Saj on this an 02 sensor
 
didn't get a chance to look at it tonight. will let the garage look tomorrow.



What OBD would the forum recommend???
 
I got one of the generic ones from Amazon and use it with Torque for Android.

For less than £20 you can get everything you need to scan and reset codes - if you have am Android phone!
 
conyoman said:
didn't get a chance to look at it tonight. will let the garage look tomorrow.



What OBD would the forum recommend???
Click to expand...
I'm very happy with the D900 (standalone) one I bought a while ago, it's never failed to read from an OBD2 connector and will read/reset/show live data - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-D900-Live-PCM-Data-CANSCAN-OBD2-Code-Reader-Scanner-/180863180551?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item2a1c491f07
 
You need to check that the car has the OBD plug somewhere, if so you can use the paperclip test and the light on the dash will flash to give you you';re code.

My money, as with the others, is a faulty O2 sensor.
 
Bung a paper clip in the blue two pin connector, turn ignition on, look for flashing symbols on the dash and then take note of the long and short flash sequence.
 
yeah it was too wet all last night to get out. tried it in the car with doors closed but it all got a bit awkward squeezing myself in there looking for this port.

If it is the o2 sensor, is that a thing that I need to replace now or can I drive a couple of hundred miles on it and get it fixed when i get back..?
 
TonyB said:
PM me and I can pop round with my code reader to see what it is.
I only live 5 minutes away.
Tony
Click to expand...


Ah got your message! I too live in Saltash!!!! However I dropped the car at the garage before work this morning.
 
Top marks - it's the O2 sensor.......

The garage say they can't repair it themselves and agree that the best part is the honda part.
 
Don't buy from Honda, they are well expensive.

See if Andy at Vtec Direct has any Denso or NGK in stock, will be half the price.

Also, if you have a primary & secondary O2 sensor, it is generally recommended they are replaced in pairs.
 
Shiny said:
Don't buy from Honda, they are well expensive.

See if Andy at Vtec Direct has any Denso or NGK in stock, will be half the price.

Also, if you have a primary & secondary O2 sensor, it is generally recommended they are replaced in pairs.
Click to expand...


Thanks Shiny

I'll contact them. I do have 2 sensors. One in the engine, one near the catalytic thing....

EDIT > spoke to them.....only geniune Honda sensors seem to work on the 2.0 petrol accord. They've tried them all and all throw the error straight back. ......guess I need to visit Honda then :(
 
Error code from the garage is: P1166 and 1167, so from the "Fault Code" thread:

41.............P0135,P1166,P1167.................. ....Primary heated O2 sensor

Is that front or rear?
 
Denso and NTK are what Honda use.

I bought NTK for mine, was circa £80 each. It was built with NTK sensors when new.
 
Shiny said:
Denso and NTK are what Honda use.

I bought NTK for mine, was circa £80 each. It was built with NTK sensors when new.
Click to expand...


That's really interesting! I spoke to vtec direct and they said that NTK & Denso will not work. They have nothing but issues with them so said all they could provide me is one from Honda.....

Ah well. This weekend is packed, I have no time to investigate.....need it fixed for Sunday evening. Gonna have to bite the bullet and take it to Honda.
 
Ah, fair enough. It must be different for the ATR then, as mine was NTK.

Didn't realise that was what Andy had said to you.

Shame though, hoping to have saved you some money.
 
conyoman said:
That's really interesting! I spoke to vtec direct and they said that NTK & Denso will not work. They have nothing but issues with them so said all they could provide me is one from Honda.....

Ah well. This weekend is packed, I have no time to investigate.....need it fixed for Sunday evening. Gonna have to bite the bullet and take it to Honda.
Click to expand...

I had exactly the same problem and tried NTK which worked for 10 minutes only and eventually got a genuine one off Andy. After a week the light came on again and when I went back the other had failed.
seems you need to do both of them as one new one will not cooperate with an old one.
Having said that if the car has not gone into limp mode then it is "probably" only the sensor that has died and not that there is a serious problem.
Although I was in panic mode I must have driven 150 miles trying to find someone to sort it out and no harm was done.
Only danger is that if something else goes wrong, something serious, you have no warning.
 
AFAIK, your o2 sensors have an internal heater. If (and it is a big if) the problem is merely that this heater has burnt out and the ECU has put up a MIL as it has detected no current being drawn by the heater circuit. It is possible on some cars to cut into the sensor wiring and substitute a resistor into the heater circuit to 'fool' the ECU into thinking the heater is working OK.

My wife's MR2 roadster has three (Denso) o2 sensors and they often burn out their heaters - it is common for MR2 owners to fit a 15ohm, 15watt resistor as described above to effect a temporary repair. I am pleased that one of these 'temporary repairs' I did 3 years ago is still working well.

You might want to consider this cheap fix, but please get specific advice from a fellow 6th gen owner first!!!

Even if you don't do the above quick fix (or bodge, if you prefer) then I reckon you should be ok to leave replacing your duff sensor for a while. But, as already mentioned, further fault warnings will be masked by the MIL already being on.
 
The codes that were given show it to be the heater circuit in the front sensor.
According to the manual it should be 12 - 14 ohms at 20 deg c through the heater circuit in the sensor so a temporary fix as mentioned by Jon_G above should work but it is a pity that us 6th gen F20B6 owners are stuck with having to get genuine Honda ones.

Hope you enjoy the holiday Adam and look forward to seeing you sometime soon.

Tony
 
The F20B6 engine uses a wideband sensor. As far as I know, you must use the specific type of sensor in order for the system to work properly.

Personally, I would get the part from honda and DIY fit it. The light should go out immediately after fitting. I wouldn't drive the car until its replaced, otherwise you may risk damage to other sensors/CAT. Mine went a few years ago, replaced and its been fine ever since - (sold car last year). You probably will find your MPG quite low at the moment too.
 
TonyB said:
The codes that were given show it to be the heater circuit in the front sensor.
According to the manual it should be 12 - 14 ohms at 20 deg c through the heater circuit in the sensor so a temporary fix as mentioned by Jon_G above should work but it is a pity that us 6th gen F20B6 owners are stuck with having to get genuine Honda ones.

Hope you enjoy the holiday Adam and look forward to seeing you sometime soon.

Tony
Click to expand...
In that case, if it is just the burnt out heater part, then the sensor part should still be working OK - will just heat up a little slower.
 
Back off the holiday......

.....car fixed. What a difference! Before the sensor went, if I got 300 miles to a tank I was lucky.

New sensor - roof bars on, surfboard on, fully loaded -> over 400 miles!!!!

Thanks all for the help.
 
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