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General Troubleshooting Information
Intermittent Failures
The term "intermittent failure" means a system may
have had a failure, but it checks OK now. If the
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) on the dash does not
come on, check for poor connections or loose wires at
all connectors related to the circuit that you are
troubleshooting.
Opens and Shorts
"Open" and "Short" are common electrical terms. An
open is a break in a wire or at a connection. A short is
an accidental connection of a wire to ground or to
another wire. In simple electronics, this usually means
something won't work at all. With complex electronics
such as ECMs/PCMs, this can sometimes mean
something works, but not the way it's supposed to.
How to Use the PGM Tester or a Scan Tool
If the MIL (Malfunction Indicator Lamp) has come on
1. Start the engine and check the MIL.
2. If the MIL stays on, connect the Honda PGM Tester
(A) or an OBDII scan tool to the Data Link Connector
(DLC) (B) located under the driver's side of the
dashboard.
A
3. Turn the ignition switch ON (II).
4. Check the Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) and note
it. Then also check the freeze data. Refer to the DTC
Troubleshooting Index and begin the appropriate
troubleshooting procedure.
NOTE:
• Freeze data indicates the engine conditions when
the first malfunction, misfire, or fuel trim
malfunction w a s detected.
• The scan tool and the Honda PGM tester can read
the DTC, freeze data, current data, and other
Engine Control Module (ECM)/Powertrain Control
Module (PCM) data.
• For specific operations, refer to the user's
manual that came with the scan tool or PGM
Tester.
If the MIL did not come on
If the MIL did not come on but there is a driveablility
problem, refer to the Symptom Troubleshooting index
in this section.
If you can't duplicate the DTC
Some of the troubleshooting in this section requires
you to reset the ECM/PCM and try to duplicate the DTC.
If the problem is intermittent and you can't duplicate
the code, do not continue through the procedure. To do
so will only result in confusion and, possibly, a
needlessly replaced ECM/PCM.
(cont'd)
11-3
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Table of Contents
Troubleshooting
