Yeah, I called a dealership for a quote on replacement and fitting of an ECU just to see how scandalous the prices are... £1200.00 (of which only £65.00 was labour charge). Laughable really as the car's only worth a couple of thousand at the most!

The immobiliser and ECU are linked so a straight swap without reprogramming isn't an option. A free-running ECU isn't available for the Honda anti-theft system either.

I've sent the ECU off for testing today (£35.00) which will cost £195 if it needs repairing... a slightly cheaper option!

You chose the right solution. Yes, it's unbelievable what dealers charge for replacing ECMs. You will have saved yourself a bundle and learned a lot in the process. At current exchange rates, it looks like you will save yourself around $1,910--not bad. Now, you will be in a position to minister to others with these type of problems. These are major problems in the lives of working people that affect them in a big way.

Happy New Year everyone!

OK... So I've just got the ECU back and have re-fitted it into my car... AND IT STARTS AGAIN! The only issue is that the CELight is now on continuously.

Apparently the microprocessor which had failed inside the ECU is not commercially available to buy/replace so it has been repaired - the downside is that the ECU will always throw a code even though the car runs perfectly fine... annoying, but a better option than paying £1200.00 for a new ECU.

I'm pretty happy that the car's working again so I'm just going to ignore the CEL, or take the dash out and remove the bulb.

Anyway... I just wanted to say thanks for you help greasemonkey.

Cheers
Dunc

Glad to hear your Civic starts again--I know what a thrill it is! Did the remanufacturer say that the ECM would always throw a code? If not, the CEL staying on may indicate that there is a poor or intermittent electrical connection. Check all electrical connections--clean or repair if necessary. Pay particular attention to the main ECM ground on the thermostat housing, as well as the connections going to the MAP sensor and the Throttle Position (TP) sensor. Let me know if this helps.

Duncan, do me a favor and update the K-Test Poll:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...oll-51138.html

Yeah, I was pre-warned prior to the repair that it would always throw a code. I do know that the Oxygen Sensor needs replacing which I'll do asap.

Thanks again for your help. I'll update the K-Test Poll now.

Cheers
Duncan

Hi again!

OK... so I've still got problems with the old Civic since I got the ECU/ECM/PCM repaired. The car starts fine, but the speedometer doesn't work. It jumps around erratically from 0 to 140. The other issue is that all the lights on the vehicle continually pulse brighter and dimmer - the frequency of this increases as the revs increase.

I've located the F15 dash fuse which had blown and replaced it - but it just blows again straight away. The fuse is a 7.5A mini-blade fuse and from what I can tell from the wiring diagrams, it protects the VSS (Speed Sensor) and Alternator.

Any ideas on what I can do to resolve this issue would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers
Duncan

1. Attach a scanner and see if the ECM is throwing a code; e.g. a Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS) code.
2. Remove 3-P connector going to the VSS and check it out. You may have a "short to ground." Access whether replacing the VSS will solve the problem.
3. Remove and thoroughly clean the main ECM ground on the thermostat housing. The VSS gound is via ECM (G101).
4. Does the odometer and trip meter work?
5. Have the alternator checked out--the short may also originate here.

It's hard for me to tell, from afar, exactly where the problem is. I am concerned it may have something to do with the ECM. Something is shorting out. Check the VSS and alternator first, then focus on the ECM.

I've finally found the main cause of the speedo issue, and have fixed it this morning. I just wanted to update this thread in case anyone else has the same problem:

If you look under the intake manifold at the rear of the engine there is a pack of wires. This pack rubs on the bottom of the intake and creates a short circuit which screws up the speedo, sets off the check engine light and gives a trouble code for the O2 sensor. And causes the headlights to surge.

Just crawl under the car when it is up on stands and gently turn over the pack of wires under the intake to expose the bare wire or wires. Tape them up with insulation tape and away you go. It's also wise to use a couple of 'zip ties' to gently pull the wires clear of the intake to prevent the problem developing again.

Hope this helps someone else in the future...

Nice job of bird dogging.