lalonaruto

hi, i am getting 270 miles on my car, cel light is on, had it daignosed and found the o2 censor was bad. changed that and still no improvement. cel light is still on. plz help.

JimBlake

See whether any different code is there now? Get the CEL code again & tell us the ACTUAL NUMBER.

Almost any error code can be caused by bad wiring or a few other things instead of the sensor itself.

lalonaruto

no other code, took it to auto zone and same thing. their troubleshooting code was P0141

p0141 explanation:

the computer has recognized a failure in this circuit.

causes:
1. oxygen sensor defective
2. poor connection at oxygen sensor
3. check circuit fuse

JimBlake

P0141 is for the heater of the secondary O2 sensor. Did you change the one in front? The one you need to check is in the cat, under the car.

Unplug the sensor, check the wire from the sensor. 2 of the wires are the same color (black?). Measure resistance between them, it should be 10 to 40 ohms. If that measurement is OK, then post back & we start checking other stuff.

lalonaruto

no it was the one under the car. i also tried to find the circuit fuse but i could not find it. and plz if you dont mind tell me how to check the resistance btw the two wires. and i dont have a ohm meter but i am thinking i will buy one. plz help.

JimBlake

Not sure about 96 but the 98 Accord I used to have, that circuit used the same fuse that powered the ECU itself. So the simple fact that the engine runs AT ALL means the fuse is good.

Start at the plug for that sensor. Follow the wiring back & look for places where its rubbed thru, pinched, broken, or anything like that.

More when you have a meter. Not to be mean, but a multi-meter is an absolutely important tool for electrical troubleshooting. Would you adjust your valves with a pliers & hammer?

When you buy a multi-meter itll have instructions for measuring voltage, current, & resistance. AutoZone/Sears/RadioShack have meters for $20 up to whatever you want to spend. I'm very spoiled by my Fluke 179 but you don't have to spend tons of money to get something that works.

lalonaruto

hey just an other stupid question, when i changed the o2 sensor was i suppose to reset the ecu? if i need to plz how do i go about it.

sherwood

if you're questioning wether your car is getting adequate gas mileage please state it in terms of MPG. To do this fill your car up until the tap stops itself. reset the trip odometer and then drive until you need feel you need gas again. Fill up the car, and then DIVIDE the miles on the trip OVER the gallons it takes to fill the car- telling us you're getting a range of 270 is useless, especially recognizing the large fuel reservoir of the accord.

Did you reset the CEL yet? (use a code reader/disconnect negative on the battery for a while) and make sure it is off when starting the car the first time afterwards--see if it comes back on after driving a little.

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR RADIO CODE IN HAND IF YOU PULL THE BATTERY-- it might be a pita to get if you don't have it already.

lalonaruto

kool guys the cel is gone, i tool it to auto zone and they retested it, zero codes, i drove it for a while and still no cel. i hope it stays like this. wish me good luck if it comes back on i will post again. thx for all you guys help. really apprct it.

JimBlake

LOL, yeah you could have reset it by pulling the battery cables for a minute. Or pulling a fuse but I don't know which on a '96. If not reset it takes several driving cycles before clearing itself.

And Sherwood's right. You need to calculate MPG properly. 270 miles but HOW MANY GALLONS? Don't trust what you think is the size of the tank, when you can just read the actual gallons off the pump at the gas station.