Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I have worn the search function to death. I've read every single limp mode post there is.

1995 Civic EX
200,300 Miles
New plugs/wires/rotor about 300 miles ago.
This is my daily driver.
Car is 100% till:

Thursday 8pm: I chip my ECU using the kit from Moates.net. Everything is good.

9pm: Put back in car. Turn key and get a solid Cel. I'm in limp mode. Car wont rev past 4k and its running very rich.

9:05 pm - I am pissed.


So I go to work in the morning, driving in limpmode sucks. I get to the shop, etc. Call around getting prices on p28's. I figure I smoked my ECU with the soldering gun.

For shits and giggles , I call honda to get a price on a new one.
762$

Napa has remanufactured ones for 252.
I call some junkyards and find one in south phoenix for 200.

Then I start to ask the Techs at our shop. They make the jokes, etc. Its not throwing a code, I jump the cable and the cel stays lit, but the SRS light blinks. Keep in mind, the car was running fine before I did this. A little flucuation in idle, but running great.

I started to talk to one of the guys at the honda service center. He tells me to let it sit for several hours with the battery and fuse unplugged.

That was 12 noon on friday.
I do what he says and before I go home at 6Pm. I plug it all back in.
She works 100%.
No Cel, No limp Mode, etc.

I am happy. I drive the 22 miles to home, Running great.

So Saturday afternoon rolls around and I jump in to go to the store. Omfgbbqshitfuck.
Cel has returned, Limp mode activated.

I don't know what to do guys. I can't figure out Wtf the problem is.

Its a 95 EX civic like my name implies. Completely stock except for a fuel cut switch I put in. And a vtec indicator led I put in on a rainy day. And a magnaflow muffler.

Nothing else. No Upgraded Headunit, no nothing. I was chipping to prepare for the turbo that will be going in.

My dad just told me to get another computer. But If it ran fine once with the chip in. Why is it just tossing the Cel again? Keep in mind, that the J1 is cut, so its just an empty chip.

I put in the Uber1 Kit from Moates.net
I read exstensivly about chipping my ecu. Keeblers write up and about 10 others. I've soldered before. I made a point to do it quickly and nicely.
I jumped the 2 pin cable and the cel would just stay lit. The srs light however, flashes when its jumped. The chips are in correct. I am 100% Sure of it. Checked, and double checked, Plus the J1 is cut. Also, Why would it start up fine on Friday afternoon AFTER throwing the cel?
I will not let this deter me from turboing. Its just a problem that I need to fix. And annoying pain in the ass problem though. =\

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Did you pull the chip or just leave it in there? Try leaving the socket empty.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Okay, but the jumper is cut. Would that even make a difference?

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Weak/Cracked/broken solder joint somwhere? ..and no, with J1 cut, it doens't matter if there is a chip in the socket or not.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I will look, but I would think that it doesnt matter. With the J1 cut, right?

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

If you're still getting it with J1 cut, then, your ECU is broken.

You drip solder anywhere?

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Thanks for the quick replies. After alot of testing and sweating outside, I've found out this.

Okay, Got one coming to me in the mail. BUT. I've found out somemore about my ECU.

I went and checked all my soldering. A-ok there. I plugged it back into the car and Viola. No CEL. She purrs fine. Now, I start to give it a little gas, bring the revs up. I go past 5k and the natural vibration of the car causes the ecu to move on the carpeting. The cel comes on. Aha!. So I turn off the car and push the ecu towards the plugs and wires again. I start the car and no CEL.

No for the interesting part. As its running 100% fine, I reach over and just give the ecu a tiny little nudge towards me. Away from the plugs. The CEL flickers slightly then goes solid and the car coughs as its thrown into limp.

So my friends, I believe that one of the wires in the harness, close to the ecu is not connecting 100%. My questions.

How do I go about seeing which one it is?

Do they sell the harness to the ecu? Where exactly do all those wires go? Are there 3 plugs on the other end?

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I am pretty sure that one wire disconnecting from your ecu will not give you a solid cel and limp mode, you would get a regular cel code relating to whatever sensor that wire is connected to.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Alright. I'm needing some help with this one. I took apart the black sleeve that houses all the wires. Inside I found like a bridge someone made.

Does honda just have the entire harness intact or is anything spliced? I found this a wire from plug 2 going to a wire on plug 3 and a wire on plug one running to another wire on plug 1. Here are some pics. Please help me out with this guys. The adhesive on the electrical tape was all sticky and nasty. Maybe that was causing the problem. I still have to pull apart the plugs and look at the pins. One second while I get these pics up.

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/7065/dsc000128cd.jpg

http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/1287/dsc000110sz.jpg

http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/1610/dsc000137is.jpg

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

thast shitty. take that "jumper wire" off and see what happens. I dont think you can just buy part of the harness from honda.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Ghettoooooo. I have no idea what this person was trying to accomplish with those jumper wires. Post up the exact pin locations of the wires and maybe I can see why. Before you do that actually, remove those ghetto wires and see how she runs.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Honda does this stock with distributor wires... be careful to make sure that they not supposed to be that way.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Okay, I've found that the wire on plug D for the TPS signal is spliced to the wire on plug A:

A19- White, Intake control solenoid, Battery Voltage with KOEO..

My question is...What the ---- for?

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I cut the stupid jumper wires and it runs fine now. I don't know who the hell did that , but I cut them. No Cel. I picked up the computer, nudged the wires, moved them about and she runs great.

I hope thats what the problem was. Thanks for all your help guys. Turbo and B16.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Ya, that's weird... I don't see any reason to run the TPS to that.. Oh well... Glad you figured it out. Good call. :D

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I agree. good call.

Even if Honda were to jump some wires like that, it would be MUCH cleaner and more professional by far. You can tell the difference in ghetto rig and factory spec. No idea why someone would jump those wires together...

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I've seen those wires done that way from the factory on a lot of cars. You can know it by the super sticky electrical tape they wrap around those suckers. I am guessing it was something that may have been designed after the wiring harness were all made and produced but prior to putting them in production vehicles.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

hahaha! too true! they do use that ultra sticky-nasty tape >:(

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Yep, that adhesive ---- was all over the place. And you can tell also by the size of the roll of tape. Its like 2 inches across. =\

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

This was a jumper to the TPS wire.. I've never seen a TPS wire jumped from the factory. There is no need. Ignition wires, distributor, stuff like that, ya.. TPS, never. Weird situation...

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

I still think the shitty soldering job gives it away as not being a factory jump. :-X

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Lol. There was no solder. It was crimped with those metal crimpers. :-\

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

haha! there looks to be some silver stuff in teh pics, so I assumed it was shitty soldering.

Re: Limp mode. Gimme some help here.
 

Ya, Honda solders, they don't crimp. :P

Good deal though, glad you figured it out.