I have a 1998 4 cylinder Accord EX with 166,000 miles. The dealership says that the check engine light came on due to code P1149 and that the vehicle's ECM/PCM (computer) must be replaced. I've read that this is because the computer's program is too fussy about the performance of the air/fuel sensor. The cost to replace is about $1,300. The computer is about $1,100 alone.

My question is this: does the check engine light come on due to a false reading, and this is really just an annoyance or does this problem really affect the performance of the engine? I can live with the light coming on occasionally, if all I have to do is disconnect and reconnect the battery a few times a year.