The engine light on my Civic LX 2002 stays on. I recently had a ELD Sensor installed?

Question

Fuel gauge was not registering and diagnostic could not find problem but mechanic installed the ELD sensor and this seemed to solve the problem with the fuel gauge although mechanic did not think there was anything wrong with fuel gauge. That problem was in February. This month I brought the car to dealer because of engine light. I was told to bring in car early in morning (6Am) because it will require more diagnostic work to determine why engine light stays on. They mentioned emission problem. I passed NY emissions Inspection a few weeks ago.

Answer 1

The malfuntion indicator lamp (MIL) is controlled by an on-board diagnostic system that checks the integrity of the emissions control system and its individual components to ensure that the vehicle is running in compliance with federal test standards. If the system detects a problem with any monitored system or component on two consecutive test cycles (in most cases) the check engine light will be turned ON. There are over 160 conditions that are tested that could cause the light to be turned on.

in most cases a dealer or auto parts store can simply check for the code and tell you if it is a minor problem such as a loose gas cap or if it is something that will require a more extensive diagnosis.

Without knowing the fault code, it is impossible to speculate on whether it is a new problem or related to a previous one. However, I'd recommend taking it to the dealer as there are still some items that are covered under the emissions warranty (most items are no longer covered but the expensive ones are).

hope that helps

Answer 2

The code P1381 is an indication that the ignition coil is breaking down and causing an intermittant loss of the signal. Honda had a service advisory on that code that said if you get the 1381 that the coil is probably faulty. A failing ignition coil would generate a lower voltage (weaker) spark that would cause your low idle. So the first thing to do is to have the ignition coil changed before it fails entirely and the car stops. In this case, the check engine light is doing its job of alerting you to a problem, so take care of it. the P1399 code is just a general failure code that is generated at the same time as the P1381 code and will go away when you fix the primary problem. Also, you don't provide any maintenance history on the vehicle but based on that mileage the car is due for a valve adjustment if it hasn't been done. The valve adjustment is the most critical adjustment on that car with regard to idle quality. The maintenance schedule on that car called for the replacement of the spark plugs, a valve adjustment and idle adjustment every 30,000 miles. If you can't remember the last time it was done its probably time to do that as well. beyond that, the normal maintenance items such as the distributor cap, wires, and rotor should be checked and replaced if they're worn out. start by changing the ignition coil and go from there. hope that helps

Answer 3

It's a bad connector. Just make sure it's connected properly. It's always something simple anyway, so don't go and replace everything when it's not necessary!