CivicSi04Chick

Please give me some insight on my mechanical crisis. First and foremost I keep up with regular scheduled maintenance on my car. Here is my issue. My emission incidator lamp came on as it has once before and I remedied that by checking the gas cap and a couple days later the light disappeared. This time around it stayed on a day or two longer than it did previously and I figured it would go off in another day or so and let it go. Nonetheless the next day I turn the key over and the engine is shaking something fierce and the check engine light is now blinking! Against my better judgement I drove my car a few miles home but took it to a local mechanic the very next day. I had already scheduled to get my rear brakes and rotors done so I had them look into my dilemma. Now I know very little about cars and that's why I don't work on it myself. I also generally go to a dealer to get maintenance done but needed to be cost efficient this round which has been a complete disaster. But here is where we are at, I have been without a car for a week! The mechanic did an initial diagnotics test and replaced a couple of small parts and linked the engine misfire to a fuel injector which he replaced. He couldn't figure out why that didn't fix the problem, so he runs another diagnostics test. To no avail he claims that he emailed back and forth with some 'Honda Doctor' in California and ultimately came to the conclusion that the computer in my car went bad and needed to be replaced. So what do I know, I was like well do what you need to do, now this new computer has been installed the key won't work of course and I'm told that it has to be towed to the local dealership to be reprogrammed with my keys or whatever. Does any of this sound realistic, or am I completely being manipulated and screwed here? I'd rather spend the extra money and have taken my car to the dealership to get it fixed adequately and efficiently or to at least have a mechanic admit that he just can't fix it. What if the computer was not really the problem? What do I do? Please help.

DarkSouljur

Im pretty sure it isn't the computer. A month ago my ECU died and i had to be replaced, what happened was my car wouldn't start at all one morning. Towed it to my uncles garage, they replaced the ecu which was supposed to be $800 new, but they found one used for $250, which is basically like new, and my car was working fine as they installed it i was driving same day (I don't think they had to reprogramming anything either)... don't quote me on this but i think they either work or fail. So mine just worked one day and failed the next. And I also don't think the ECU would cause your car so shake fiercely like you said it did, it controls the cooling components i guess, but i don't think your car would overheat the first time it's started.

You said the light came on then you tightened the gas cap? What kind of fuel did you put in your car? Some guy was talking to me once and he said he put ethanol in his 02 civic si (canadian) and the whole engine like died or something (he told me this a while ago so i can't remember what he said exactly).

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

shaking means the engine is misfiring (well, the spark plugs are not firing or you are not getting fuel injected in one or more cylinder). since you were able to drive the car, im guessing only one cylinder went out. replace all the spark plugs with some good ngk brand and see what happens. if it still shakes, it could be a bad coil pack (check the resistance and see which one doesnt match the rest). then you can start looking at things like injectors and fuel pressure which i doubt. if the ecu went bad (very unlikely) then the mechanic would not have been able to connect to it and run diagnostics. and i doubt the car would even start as mentioned above. those computers are cheap on ebay too maybe $200 max. but start with the smaller stuff first. see what the engine code is and go from there. have somewhere like autozone read it for you because it sounds like the mechanic is keeping you in the dark about whats wrong or just doesnt know.

CivicSi04Chick

gearbox,
thank you so much for the information, this gives me a good start, so now I'll back track with the issues and may need to just have my car towed to the honda dealer
thanks again.

CivicSi04Chick

DarkSoulJur,
Your post was also helpful, I thought the computer issue seemed invalid, and what's worse this mechanic is starting to change his story up which I should have read as a red flag. Guess it's my fault, but when you work two jobs 6-7 days a week life bites you where it counts when it counts I suppose.
Thanks again!

DarkSouljur

No problem, keep us updated with what happens, i hope you don't get screwed over!

CivicSi04Chick

I'm no gear head which I made clear before, and here is where I stand, after the post on here and speaking with two other mechanics and my dad who is an electrical engineer it would seem as though this mechanic working on my car may have shorted out the computer and that's why it had to be replaced. I got my car back already and am going in to pay tomorrow. It seems to be running just fine. I have the old computer which was in my back seat, however...now my radio is reading CODE on the LCD screen and I was told that my car had to be taken to the dealer to have the keys recoded. Recoding may be necessary for newer cars with advanced anti-theft systems but maybe this isn't the case for my car? So I plan on calling the Honda dealer tomorrow to ask if the recoding is requried for my year/model if a comp. is replaced. Ultimately in the kindest way, the original quote with rear brakes and rotors was $825, and now it's $1130, it appears as though someone is about to eat the cost of parts on account that he was the reason for my computer being damaged... right? I'll know for next time to just go to the dealer, unless I can find someone I trust. Unfortunately where I'm at right now my mechanic friends don't live anywhere close You live and learn.

jono237

I do believe you would have to have the old keys recoded to the new computer as the computer dosnt know what your keys are. Im guessing it was used so it has some other keys coded to it no biggy i know my local dealer does this for free as long as i buy a key from them so maybe itll be cheaper to buy a key then they will program all your keys for cheaper than the cost of just programing it. As for the radio code the dealer can give you the code over the phone if its still there just ask them to write it down for you so you will have it if you ever have a issue again where the battery gets disconected. If i remember right its just a five digit number and again they should give it to you for free. Good luck

lowlife9

yup new computer will require the keys to be reprogrammed . make sure you bring proof that you own the car most dealers require it to program keys. prices will vary i have been quoted anywhere from 50 to 75 dollars just to program one key so call a couple dealers. and if you can provide proof the guy ruined the computer you could potentially sue.

intrance9

dealing with shiesty mechanics really sucks, expecially when everytime you call them to check up on your car they add more money to you tab.

i'm lucky that i found a good mechanic who is honest an helpful, im sure theres more out there like mine, you'll find him/her.



but best of luck with this. i'd definitely try and prove that he shorted the cpu, then get the cost of fixing it written off or something.