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1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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ptno1
Novice
Jan 4, 2008, 7:39 AM
Post #1 of 8
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1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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Hi, my 1998 Civic DX 2-door (Automatic - 108,000 miles) had the check-engine light come on after driving for a minute or two this morning. I was hoping for some advice on what to do first.
I checked the gas-cap as the owners manual suggests, and it was on tight already. I unscrewed, and put it back again just for the hell of it, engine light is still on.
I'm wondering what else it could be. I just got an oil change a few days ago, but i doubt that has anything to do with it. Yesterday, When i first started the car in the morning, put it in drive and hit the gas, the car just kind of rolled forward a bit an inch or two, for about 5 seconds. It's as if the the transmission isnt engaged (like its in neutral), or is just frozen in place. It hasn't done that since last winter - it did that many times last winter, first thing in the morning when starting to drive - especially on the icy cold mornings, which it was yesterday. I'm not sure if this is something to worry about, i figured it was just defrosting or whatever. It's fine the rest of the day when starting up.
I searched online for a bit, and understand that i can plug a computer part into my car to get an error code. Do places let me borrow one of these? Or should i buy one? Or just dont even mess around with it - and take it to my mechanic? I am good with computers, but i'm not a car junky.
Thanks for reading!
Mike
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 4, 2008, 8:53 AM
Post #2 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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AutoZone and some others will give you a free code check. I'd do that just to see what their scan reads before perhaps needing a more complete scan. The cold if like here touched about -4F. last night 1-4-2008. If your car sits in any wind it really chills the car and they can be fussy for a while. Not sure that would set a code as I believe there is a grace period for the thing when cold. The trans fluid should still be fine with cold but perhaps if you haven't changed it you should get it done. I suggest the approved type of synthetic ATF and that seems to help. Most of the time if car warms up to normal temp first it will behave. That's not generally recommended anymore but what the heck do you do in the extremes like that?
T
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ptno1
Novice
Jan 4, 2008, 10:11 AM
Post #3 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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Thanks for the info! I'll have to find the nearest autozone ...
I thought i'd mention, i havent done the timing belt replacement on this car yet. Honda recommends i think at 90,000. But i also have read that you can wait until 120,000. I've been putting it off because i think i remember getting a price quote once and it was around $500. You dont think this would be the problem would it? Is it critical that i change out the timing belt?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 4, 2008, 10:27 AM
Post #4 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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IMO 90K and 10 years is way overdue for a timing belt. Many engines are what's called "interferrence" engines and the top of piston and valves are playing cat and mouse at alarming precision to not collide - that can cause total loss of a perfectly good engine if belt jumps or breaks, sometimes without any warning - you decide how important it is!! Some shops may run specials on these.
Get the code reading with as much detail as possible. If this isn't running well it's really worth taking care of it right away as several problems could trash the cat/convters and o2 sensors,
T
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ptno1
Novice
Jan 15, 2008, 4:35 PM
Post #5 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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I was able to get the car checked out today finally, by one of the mechanics at my university. He told me that the test results came back as faulty O2 sensors. I didnt ask for the code specifically, but yeah it is the O2 as you has mentioned it might be. He said it could be around $150 and maybe as much as $250 counting labor (about 1 hour he estimated). He said i could still drive the car, but it would run at a higher RPM and the gas mileage would take a hit. Do you think this repair price sounds about right? BTW, i live in NY, About 25 minutes north of nyc.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 16, 2008, 7:53 AM
Post #6 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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The pricing sounds fine especially for where you live. Same thing where I am. You know - the cost of a parking spot is an issue never mind a place to work!
I guess 108K is enough miles to have rendered these O2 sensors the sole problem and I'm in a quandry right now with these things in various vehicles as to really know whether they are the cause of a problem or the result of a problem. Still working on that for a good answer. The appearance of the existing ones can be telltale and the tech should be wise to that.
Side note on this: For years but more so recently I've noticed the admission of additives in fuel that probably are not in our best interest. Alcohol in fuel may seem like a great way to save on fossile fuel consumption but I swear it's causing some problems too. They may have stopped it but a product called MBTE is/was used in Massachusetts for Winter months and there was a noticable difference in that fuel vs stuff without it.
Please let us and the world know how it works out for you. I'm really interested that this solves the problem and that it doesn't just come back six months or something like that from now,
T
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ptno1
Novice
Jan 16, 2008, 11:42 AM
Post #7 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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Thanks for the info. Interesting stuff. Shouldnt gas prices be going down instead of up, if they are adding other junk in there lol?
Though i read that this is a job that a do-it-yourself-er could handle, i think i'm just going to have it done at my mechanic. Quicker and more convenient for me. I will be sure to keep the thread updated after the service and down the line..
Thanks again for all your help and advice!
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jan 16, 2008, 2:05 PM
Post #8 of 8
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Re: 1998 Civic - Check Engine Light ?
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Just doing some math I get confused by the price of gasoline at the pumps. By all estimates I come up with it's way too cheap now?!?!?!
Most people don't know how many gallons are in a barrel of crude oil ---- Ask folks - they don't know yet you hear about it all the time. 1 barrell = 42 gallons. At $100 (which it recently hit) a barrell that = $2.38 per gallon for crude which is junk until it's refined and you can't get all gasoline out of it. I think the cost of refining is about .80 cents per gallon, then add markup, delivery, state and fed taxes and profit for the gas stations themselves.......?
So what is it were are buying?? Even the alcohol cost $$ so how can this be? You just know this isn't out the goodness in their hearts and all are making bucks so what is this junk we put in our cars??
T
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