PDA

View Full Version : CEL Mystery



00Civic
04-30-2010, 03:37 PM
So......I don't even know where to start off....

Anywho, my 1999 Civic is throwing a CEL ( P1164 ) and has been for about a year and half.

The P1164 code is an oxygen sensor problem.

Shortly after it popped up for the first time, I took it to Autozone to get the code scanned and right away I ordered a new oxygen sensor and installed it.

After about 2-3 days, the same CEL popped up once again.

I installed a new exhaust pipe from the bottom of the header to the muffler cause the old one had cracked and it was dragging on the road.

The CEL is still showing after the new pipe had been installed.

When I was driving to Georgia from New York last month, the pipe had somehow cracked where the end of the resonator and the end of the header meets. I took off the whole exhaust at my Aunt's in North Carolina....

CEL is still on....I'm thinking I may need a new header, but I could be wrong...maybe the header isn't causing the CEL? :thinking:

Any advice or comments are appreciated. Thanks!

Black4DrEK
04-30-2010, 03:39 PM
Dont you have 2 O2's?

00Civic
04-30-2010, 03:41 PM
Yea, the P1164 is the primary oxygen sensor , which I replaced.

Black4DrEK
04-30-2010, 03:48 PM
hm..

00Civic
04-30-2010, 03:49 PM
hm..


I thought the same thing.

Black4DrEK
04-30-2010, 03:51 PM
Did you replace it with a "universal" one?

Barefoot
04-30-2010, 03:51 PM
if i post the flow chart on how to fix it. would u be able to read and understand it. dont want to waste the posting it if i dont have to.

00Civic
04-30-2010, 03:57 PM
I did major in Computer Science and progamming is nothing but a crapload of analytical flowcharts. But in short, yes I can read flowcharts.

And no, it wasn't an universal sensor. The reasoning for this is that universals are 4 wires ( to my best memory ). I have a HX and their primary sensors are 5 wired ( the extra wire being energy or fuel efficiency ) or whatever crap it is. But to answer your question, I bought a new 5 wire sensor that is directly made for the HX models

Black4DrEK
04-30-2010, 04:05 PM
cool

00Civic
04-30-2010, 04:09 PM
cool

lol and what part of my statement was constituted as cool? the fact that I bought a 5 wire sensor?

I mean I would understand if you said " cool " if I added the fact that I scored with a hot chick after buying the sensor.

Black4DrEK
04-30-2010, 04:14 PM
YES! Im saying COOL because you DIDNT buy the UNIVERSAL BS and try to hard wire it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


and I dnt know what you should do....

BAREFOOT was/is going to post up the flowchart, I think. soo.. GL

00Civic
04-30-2010, 04:18 PM
people can actually hardwire it? the universal sensors are different than the 5 wired sensors...the sockets are different, and I don't think anyone could hardwire it...but if they can, reps to them.

Black4DrEK
04-30-2010, 04:21 PM
you would CUT the plugs.. and splice the wires together.. NO Plug needed when doing that...

and im sure there is mayne more than ONE type of "uni" O2...

But anyways.. That is the Cheap way to do it...

GL man

Barefoot
04-30-2010, 05:24 PM
ooo sry no chart for that 1

00Civic
04-30-2010, 05:26 PM
ooo sry no chart for that 1

could it be possible that the 2nd o2 sensor is causing the primary o2 sensor to show up on the CEL?

OldSchool87
04-30-2010, 07:30 PM
A bad prinmary 02 Sensor will make the sencondary sensor send a false reading. basicly the computer knows what the reading should be. the first 02 sensor takes a reading, the computer acknowledges the reading then the second 02 sensor sends another reading of the "cleaner air" and then if it is within the parameters the light stays off, if its out the comes light comes on and if any 1 sensor is showing a way off the chart reading it brings the CEL on as bad sonser. correct me if i'm wrong anyone.

jdm-civic
04-30-2010, 07:41 PM
are the threads were the o2 mounts to very rusted? i had a similar problem and it turned out the o2 sensor wasnt getting a good enough ground through the rusty header.i took a wire wheel and some sandpaper to it and it solved my problem. just a sugg. tho!

OldSchool87
04-30-2010, 09:12 PM
are the threads were the o2 mounts to very rusted? i had a similar problem and it turned out the o2 sensor wasnt getting a good enough ground through the rusty header.i took a wire wheel and some sandpaper to it and it solved my problem. just a sugg. tho!

the sensor does not ground to the header or the exhaust for that matter. Its within the sensor. the reason it got better when you cleaned off the rusty threads is because with the rust the treads you had bad seal witch caused a leak witch brings in fresh air and alters the signal.

00Civic
05-02-2010, 01:22 PM
A bad prinmary 02 Sensor will make the sencondary sensor send a false reading. basicly the computer knows what the reading should be. the first 02 sensor takes a reading, the computer acknowledges the reading then the second 02 sensor sends another reading of the "cleaner air" and then if it is within the parameters the light stays off, if its out the comes light comes on and if any 1 sensor is showing a way off the chart reading it brings the CEL on as bad sonser. correct me if i'm wrong anyone.


so, I should just replace the 2nd o2 sensor?

OldSchool87
05-02-2010, 02:19 PM
Here’s what I'm saying. If the first sensor is giving an incorrect reading then the second sensor cannot give a correct reading. After you replaced the sensor you should have unhooked the battery for about 10 min give or take. Then there is a drive cycle for the OBD2 system if there is still a problem the CEL should come back on within 50 miles of driving. If it does and you’re getting the same code then something else is causing that sensor to read incorrectly. It may or may not be the second sensor. If you can get on barefoots good side maybe he can help you. If you don't take thing to heart and don't get pissey when they say something smart allic to you, these guys are more than willing to help. Trust me I learned the hard way.

00Civic
05-02-2010, 02:22 PM
I did take out the power fuse in the fuse box for a couple minutes so make the cel go away, but the code came back up , even after installing the o2

preferredduck
05-03-2010, 02:13 PM
i have had issues with o2 sensors before and shortly after my cat went bad. my primary threw a code for a year before the cat went bad. check the 2ndary o2 and on the hx the cat is on the header right? if that's the case you can convert it like a regular civic. i have no cat but my o2 is still plugged in with no CEL. it's a secret. i would def check the cat b/c on that model i think the cat is on the header and the 2nd o2 doesn't plug into the cat, i may have to get out my book for this one.

00Civic
05-03-2010, 04:43 PM
i have had issues with o2 sensors before and shortly after my cat went bad. my primary threw a code for a year before the cat went bad. check the 2ndary o2 and on the hx the cat is on the header right? if that's the case you can convert it like a regular civic. i have no cat but my o2 is still plugged in with no CEL. it's a secret. i would def check the cat b/c on that model i think the cat is on the header and the 2nd o2 doesn't plug into the cat, i may have to get out my book for this one.


Yes, you're correct about the cat being on the header. I have been planning on converting it to like a regular civic, cause frankly, the cat/header thing is just ugly. Hopefully that'll do the trick when I get the whole setup.

OldSchool87
05-04-2010, 10:47 AM
You took out the fuse for the check engine light? That will not work. You have to kill power to the ECU, that just kills power to the light. UN hooking the battery forces the ECU to reboot. The ECU stores codes on OBD2 cars. Once you reboot the ECU it searches for codes If it has a stored code it will pop the light on assuming the problem still exists.

00Civic
05-04-2010, 01:08 PM
Yes I took it out...but also a few months after I had tried taking the fuse out, my car's registration was suspended so I couldn't drive it for 3 months and the battery died and I replaced it. CEL is still showing up nonetheless.