Maintenance Require Light Flash & Meters on Dashboard all drop to zero?

Question

I have a Honda Accord EX V6 - 2001. Started a couple of weeks ago, the maintenance required light would flash while I am driving. When the light flashes for couple seconds, all the meters on the Dashboard (i.e. Gas, Speedometer, etc) would drop to zero. This is happening frequently.

I took my car to the dealer and dealer does not know what would cause the problem and want to charge $200 to run tests.

Has anyone experienced this problem?

Thanks!

Answer 1

When all the gauges go dead while the maintenance light flashes it means that there is a poor ground for the gauge micro controller. when a ground connection is loose or corroded, electricity will seek the path of least resistance to another ground. In this case, that path of least resistance is through the ground for the maintenance required lamp. When the lamp flashes, power flows through the maintenance required light circuit and the gauges are no longer able to get to ground through that circuit. That's why they drop to 0.

you have two choices--isolate the bad ground for the gauge micro controler and repair it or simply reset the maintenance required light so it doesn't come on again in the near future.

you can reset the maintenance required light by doing the following: with the ignition key in the ignition but the ignition turned OFF, push in the trip odometer reset button and hold it in. While holding the trip reset button in, use your other hand to turn the ignition key to the ON position. continue to hold the trip reset button in until the maintance required light stops flashing and goes out. this will take about 10-15 seconds. When it goes out, shut the ignition key off and release the button. The light will now be reset for another 3500 miles.

If you don't reset the light or fix the ground then the maintenance required light will come on and stay on in a few hundered miles. when this happens you gauges will stop working until the light is shut off or the ground is fixed.

hope that helps

Answer 2

Have you tried just getting the light reset to see if that will help.