So I bought an 04 with a 1.7l auto.

The engine is kind of hard to start. Usually I have to hold the throttle open all the way.

Problem is that the tach, and temp gauge don't work, and there seems to be a miss while the engine is running until it warms up a bit.

I checked the grounds and all are fine, checked the fuses, everything fine. I checked the alt output running, and it was fine [14.2v], However, when I hooked up my code scanner I got some strange voltage readings when the engine was running.

The volts would fluctuate between 11.5 [battery I had to install was a little low] up to 13.8v then back to 12v etc.

I couldn't get the scanner to connect with the ecu so no codes. Also, the green security key is off while the engine is running, however the check engine light IS flashing.

The engine sounded like it had a little miss so I pulled a coil at a time, and tried to start the engine. The engine wouldn't start with any coil I pulled.

After that I put the reconnected the last coil I tried, and started the engine.

Wow, the tach was working as well as the temp gauge.


THEN I heard a belt start slipping, and the gauges immediately died, but the engine stayed running.

I pulled a coil plug, and tried to start the engine again, then plugged the wire back to the coil, and again the gauges started to work. Then the belt started to slip, and everything died again.

This is why I'm guessing the alt is bad.

Any other things to check, oh, and I just found out its in limp mode.


[I also did the on/off/on/off parking light test, and didn't get anything. Here is the test

Push and hold the SEL/Reset
Turn headlights ON
Turn ignition switch to II
Within 5 seconds, turn headlights OFF, then ON, then OFF again
Within 5 seconds, release SEL/Reset then push three times

Exit by turning ignition switch to Off]

 

Update: From what I've read here its the ecu gone out.

Limp mode. Fixed! [Archive] - 7th Gen Honda Forum - The #1 Community for 2001-2005 Honda Civic Enthusiasts

 

Hold on. You need to do some testing before jumping to a bad ECU.

Voltage is jumping around plus your belt is slipping. A 1.7 engine means this is not a US accord. Is this a gas or diesel engine? I'd start by inspecting the belt tensioner. On US accords there is a pointer on the tensioner that shows if the belt is stretched too much. The owner's manual should have this information.

You may also want to check that the crank pulley is not separated, where the outer part does not spin with the inner part. You can check this by drawing a radius line from the center to the edge. Drive the car (or start the engine). Turn off the vehicle and check that you still have one line and not 2 lines.

 

Its a Honda Civic. I'm not a member of any Civic forums yet which is why I posted here, sorry.

However, from all of the reading I have done it seems that this IS a problem with Civics of that year.

The symptoms are as mine, dead tach, dead temp gauge, rough idle, limp mode, and no communication with the scanner. [my scanner is a new Innovate which is "CAN" compatible.]