XCMCx

*New to the forum*

My 2001 Honda Civic LX coupe is having an issue where the low beams will go out at random times due to the red/white wire overheating. The 16 pin connector is actually beginning to melt due to this issue. Whenever I turn the low beams on it usually takes a few minutes and ill barely smell the burning and then the low beams shut off. I am aware of this being a recall. I bought the vehicle used about 2 years ago from a used dealership. The red/white wiring was wrapped in electrical tape and the actual wire that is physically connected to the 16 pin connector is green. The headlamp switch is in good condition but the pin connector that is connected to the low beams is starting to show some wear due to this issue. I have not checked the engine bay vin number to see if the 12th digit is marked, to confirm if it has been taken to the dealer for this recall or not. If anyone can help me it would be greatly appreciated as I work 2nd shift and driving home on a dark country road and having your headlamps fail is no fun!

Also what is the part number for the pin housing/(male)connector that connects to the headlamp switch? It needs to be replaced before I can even finish fixing the car to avoid another low beam outage due to the melting dilemma.

I can provide pictures upon request.

ezone

If you are aware that this is under a recall for the exact problem you have, why have you not taken it to your nearest Honda dealer to get the problem resolved?

Recalls are completed at no cost to yourself. Just get the car to them.

The dealers' VIN report must show the car is eligible for the recall. (You can also check this on Hondas website for yourself.)
If they claim the recall has already been completed and won't do anything more about the problem, then call the customer assistance hotline. The number is in your owners manuals and on the Honda website.

XCMCx

I checked the VIN number in the engine bay as well as Hondas owner website and the car has indeed been serviced for the low beam recall. I contacted the dealer and was confirmed that the VIN number had been serviced before and that it would be at my own expense to pay for a new wire harness($$$). I have the instructions on how to fix this issue but I am in need of another 16 pin combinator headlamp switch connecter(male). Any leads to a part out or site which sells the connector or harness(cheaper) would be greatly appreciated.

ezone

I swear I would be on the phone with customer assistance. That was a safety recall and it still is not working right, no matter if it was completed already or not!

From the Honda USA website:

Contact Us
For further assistance, feel free to contact Honda Automobile Customer Service. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Pacific Time.

Honda Customer Service can now be reached via Twitter at: @HondaCustSvc
By Phone
At our toll-free number: 1-800-999-1009
By Fax
(310) 783-3023 (24 Hours)

Be courteous and professional, see if they will help you.
I know our shop has redone a few various recalls in the past.



If their answer is still no, then you need to buy the recall parts kit. Don't bother looking elsewhere, get it from a dealer.

Here is a PDF of the repair info (clicky): http://rotordesign.com/insight/Safet...ightSwitch.pdf

The parts kit (PN# 35012-S5A-307 for the Civic) has all the parts you need except the terminal release tool (I use a hat pin)..... Kit is $34 MSRP, but may not be in stock (special order for us since it's an old campaign).

(You melted the plastic connector, that means the switch itself has been overheated too. Replace it.)

Um.....If you have them, you also need to get rid of the high power 110W headlight bulbs (blue?) and put standard stock back in. Or change over to using relays so the headlight switch and the tiny wire don't have to carry so much load.

XCMCx

Ordered for backup purposes even if Honda says yes!

I do not use high power bulbs.

Thank you! I will update with news and results once finished. I just feel sorry for the nightly road go-ers as they will have to face the wrath of my brights for a few more days (hopefully a few...)

XCMCx

UPDATE:

Through closer inspection and unraveling of the electrical tape (the mystery awaits!) I came to the conclusion that either the Honda "Certified" mechanic completely BS'd his/her job or the last time it was "fixed" a moron couldn't get the job done at all.

The original red/white wire is still present but was disconnected from both ends of the harness and left useless. 1 green wire was split into 2 pieces, one for A connector and one for B connector. Then the person tied the wires together like a knot with another red/white "look-a-like" wire and soldered them or heat gunned the ever living crap out of it. There is no splice connector present. They hid the original wire by electrical taping everything.

I can fix this but does anybody have any tricks to remove the terminals from the connector?

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Not easy... but can be done. ezone will likely be of help.

Did you get the kit ?? Is the plastic connector housing melted at low beam pin ??

A connector B connector ??

XCMCx

Yes I have the kit. I just ordered the terminal kit as well. It's difficult trying to unlock the pin without damaging the terminal. Tried using a paper clip and a small flat head but gave up to prevent damage.

Recall kit contained:
-Splitter/Merger
-Connector
-Wire
-Combination Switch

The plastic is completely melted on the top of the "green" terminal. Luckily it did not melt or burn the surrounding terminals.

A Connector = 16 Pin Combination switch connector
B Connector = Main harness wall.

Definitely cracking open a cold moon once this is all over! Had to decommission the civ until this is fixed to avoid any cops or road ragers that can't handle brights!

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

I have tried in previous years to release those pins with very little success.

I know there is a small length of RED/WHT wire with terminal attached.... Yes?

Did you get an empty 16 pin connector ??

What is splitter/merger ??

XCMCx

I ordered a 7-piece terminal pin remover kit off amazon instead of the terminal maintenance set. (Same pieces really but more tools for future projects!)

Yes it comes with about 150-200mm(5.9-6.2ish inches) of red/white wire. 1 side has the terminal while other has about half an inch of exposed copper wiring for the "merger/splitter" (actually the correct name is splice connector.)

The 16 pin connector that I received is actually in mint condition. Empty with no defects or burns. Looks factory fresh.

Now to wait for the kit to arrive tomorrow and get a stress ball!

CraigW

iTrader: (1)

Best of luck, let us know. Take pictures or make a drawing before you start. Do one at a time when swapping connector housing.

ezone

The "how to use the tool" description is in the bulletin PDF I linked earlier.
Once you figure out how the locks work, then you can get the terminal to release however you see fit.
EDIT: You must remove the "comb" that goes across the top of the headlight switch connector before any terminals can release.

Hat pin.
Sharpen the paper clip to a fine point.

If you have the new, bare connector housing to look at, you should be able to see where the lock tabs are and how to release each one, without that pesky wire and terminal in the way.

If I get to do another recall today I'll try to get a pic for you.

jedema

I was informed that I had this recall still open on my civic when I called for the radio code. Guess I shouldn't forget about it.

ezone

Not the recall but this is an example if you can see thru the blurry stuff, shows the lock tab that must be pulled away from the terminal (and the actual pick tool I use for this)


I'll try to do better later on.

XCMCx

Thank you for the pics. I can remove the terminals perfectly now with my new kit. I am having a bit of a dilemma in trying to remove the green pin connectors on the fuse wall. Any ideas on how to remove those bad boys without removing the steering wheel? It's the top three on the left in the picture.

ezone

Help me out here, what picture are you talking about?

XCMCx

Sorry about that. I uploaded the wrong photo and I tried to edit. Here it is.

ezone

Holy Cow! What are you trying to do there?
I can see part of the dash frame but I can't tell what your goal is.

If those are what I'm thinking of, example 6 sets of 14 wire connectors in a single larger housing, then you have to pull the large housing apart first, then split (pry) out the individual smaller connectors, then you can reach individual wires.

But why?

XCMCx

The original wire is not connected. The wires that were used are poorly connected. I have the original wire ready to connect yet I have to remove the faulty wire terminal first. Ill post a pic of the faulty wire and the 16 pin connector.

XCMCx

Here is the 16 pin. You can tell where the green faulty wire has melted.

ezone

Wow, that looks HACKED.



This looks like it was not the repair that the instructions said to do.
I would think that someone at the corporate level should be interested in a dealer allowing their tech to commit dangerous/improper/unauthorized repairs such as this, seeing as how it is a recall and all that.




I can't figure out yet why you are chasing the red/wht wire all the way under the dash...Is it melted that far?
The splice should have been about 6 inches away from the switch if it was done right...

XCMCx

What you see in the picture of the wires is close to the 16 pin connector. Imagine that but about 130mm away from the terminal in the main connector wall.

This is what it's supposed to look like:

Recall fix:

A----------------=----B

Hack Fix:

A---&---------------------------------------------&----B

I guess some people just don't think of quality and safety?

ezone

That made an amazing amount of sense LOL

Amazing.
I keep forgetting that "Everyone with a shoebox full of tools has the exact same abilities and talents as the next clown with a shoebox full of tools."

XCMCx

It was the best I could come up with besides taking a picture lol I just don't understand how they had the time to take the whole connection housing off and the individual connectors, remove the wire, splice more wires, solder the wires, electrical tape the living hell out of everything and call it a day instead of following the recall notice that takes less time?

"You can't fix stupid. You can only clean up their mess."

ezone

You just can't predict what a stupid human is capable of.

Some people can go to an awful lot of trouble to do a simple job completely wrong.

When it comes to diagnosing car problems, Human error is some of the hardest crap to figure out.

XCMCx

On that note, do you think you could direct me to a pdf or diagram showing how to pry open the connector(s) main housing? I'm hoping to get this done before monday.

ezone

The ones in that blurry first pic?

XCMCx

Yes, above the fuse box.

ezone

Coming up dry.

Multiple connector blocks (green?) contained within a larger plastic shell (gray).

Get the large gray half separated and hold it in your hand, then you can use a pocket screwdriver on the sides of the smaller green connectors to release their locktabs and pry them out. They should come out the back (wire side, as if you were pulling on the wires).

XCMCx

UPDATE:

The job has been completed and cleanly at that. Everything turned out right. All electrical parts are working great. Low beams are running better than ever though I will give it about a month to see if everything goes well. Thank you to everyone in this thread for helping me out!

I will post a pic (blurry) of the finished product.

PS- I still have more maintenance that needs to be done but ill save that for another thread!