Hondata

Does anyone know what happens to the funcionality of the engine if your EGR Valve goes bad?
I'm still trying to chase this surging problem down and have replaced just about everything except the EGR, TPS and MAP sensors.

Way back a few years ago, I did a complete head package install from Gude Performance, and had to of course remove everything. During this process, sensors were uninstalled and parts were cleaned. I have this sneaking suspision that either one of the sensors went out during that process, or the TPS sensor was installed wrong, OR there were crappy numbers put into the ECU mapping by Carb Conn when they did my Hondata.

I've taken the car back to them and asked if they would check the maps, and they of course say, that there is nothing wrong with their work and for me to check everything first. It's strange because occasionally I will get a CEL while driving in 4th gear at a low rpm. Now, when they put these Hondata systems in the car, they turn off all sensors except for 4 of them.

Does anyone know which sensors are still active?

What is the error code you are getting?

I don't know. It came on the other day driving into work, so I take it straight to Carb Conn to have them hook up a scanner, and they inform me that they can't just hook it up really quick like a normal scanner. They would have to take the chip out of the ECU and plug it into a eprom reader.

Now here is the problem with that:

The light doesn't come on each time I drive it. Just every so often. I'd say maybe once every two months. So, after it's illuminated, if you turn off the car, it clears it and then there is no light when restarted.

So my question to that is, if it throws a code and it has to have power to sustain the code, then how are you supposed to take the chip out and read what code is in it if it clears when taken out?! haha If that makes any sense.

I had an OBDII scantool for a long time and used it alot before I converted to a OBDI. Is there a scantool that I could get to read this ECU easily from home, besides getting a laptop and software, etc...?

You do not need to take any chip out to read an error code.

http://www.hondata.com/techecucodes.html

Alternatively your dealer can use their dealer system to datalog if you yourself do not have the datalogging option.

keep a paperclip with you and the next time a cel comes on jump the svc connector w/o turning it off or stall it out w/o turning the key to off so you can jump the connector and read the codes.

it could be something as simple as a loose connecting chip (just encountered that one) where the dip socket gets slightly loose because of the emulator pins being pushed into it. if the chip pulls out easily just get another dip socket and push it into the one soldered to the board and then press your eeprom into the new one.

it could also be a bad solder job w/ a loose/cold joint or a bad ecu that has components going bad.

i have also seen bad obd2-1 conversion harnesses that had loose connections that would produce intermittent codes.

good luck.

Ok, thanks! I'll get the paperclip in the car asap. So, if it is one of those other problems you mentioned and was installed that way, then would the dealers be responsible for fixing that?

if it's a loose chip or soldering job then i would think the shop should take care of it and it'll be quick, easy, and cheap.

if something is going bad in your ecu or an electrical problem with your car than probably not their responsibility.

Man, I would hope nothing is going wrong with the ECU itself, seeing as how it is a Hondata ECU. I did have one that I bought just for this purpose, and it turned out that that one didn't work, so they had one shipped from Hondata that has their special black paintjob and red logo on it. I don't know if these are brand new units or refurbished and painted old ones.

if it's an actual hondata prepped ecu then it's more than likely ok.

i would check the eeprom to see if it can be pulled out easily and if it comes out w/o a lot of effort then stack another dip socket into the dip that's already there and then install a zif socket and your chip or just press the chip into the new dip.

i've come to the conclusion that the pins from some emulators loosen the contact in the dip socket since they are fatter than the legs of an eeprom. it doesn't look like it would, but it can (i ran into this last week and have experienced it w/ another ecu).