Limp Home Mode, no codes?

Thanks for this post I had this problem and the guide help me fix it I love this site.

For several days my Honda has experienced something I've never heard of before. The first time this incident began was when I was in rush hour going home. At some point during the slow traffic my engine light turn on and I noticed my car took a harder push to the gas pedal to accelerate. When I was able to get free my car could only go a top speed of 30 mph. No matter if I pressed on the gas harder it wouldn't go. So I had to leave my vehicle at a friend's house. The next day I went to go check my car out and when I turned it on the engine light had turned off and it was like nothing ever happened. I drove it home with a very confused thought. Over the days I noticed either during traffic or prolonged periods of driving this will occur. Light will turn on and my gears will switch back from 5 to like 3. I did some searching and found my problem could be my Top Dead Center (TDC) sensor. Most people with similar problems report of the same thing. Supposedly the cause of my problem would be that my computer is receiving an incorrect signal from my tdc and it forces my car into "limp mode" to where the vehicle could only go a certain speed to not harm the engine but able to get off the road. Is this my real problem or something else?

Replaced radiator, reconnected radiator hoses and transmission cooler lines. Snapped on all connectors. Topped off transmission with OEM Honda fluid. Next day limp mode with no cruise control. Bench tested a b solenoid both clicked proper ohms range. Screen perfectly clean. Fluid replaced two months prior four three quart drain and refill refills twelve total no back flush. I know it is electrical but does this point to a particular sensor. Sprayed and cleaned all connectors with electric contact cleaner. Do not know what I missed.

Checked everything and no codes. Are there soft codes my scanner would not see?Could I have damaged a sensor with electricity meaning not physical damage? Would reversed transmission coolant hoses cause a problem? How can I check each sensor and find resistance values with and ohmmeter? How do I find out the voltage present on the wiring harness connectors and what the exact voltage at the connectors should be?

Pulled codes. Cleaned all connectors. Deleted codes. Haven't come back for 2 weeks. Silly me. Did not write down codes. Thought they would come back. D light was flashing did not come back. Saw in Honda forum limp mode and no cruise is electrical. Bad connection or sensor. Trying to pinpoint that sensor with these symptoms. Have and ISS OSS VSS TCC to many to list. I did disconnect the Input shaft speed sensor in the front of the transaxle. Wonder if I could have shorted the sensor. Others were disconnected to make clearance for cooling fan removal and radiator removal.

Hi,
I have a 2002 ep3 civic, a while back the gearbox went so we got a used one off the dealer I originally got the car from. A friend installed if for me and ever since then the car ran in limp mode, after 5 months the limp mode stopped and recently came back on, however this time limp mode only comes back on after I hit a bump, the D symbol will flash and the engine light comes on at which point limp mode will be engaged.

Could you advise me on this as no mechanic near me can figure out the issue. I should also point out since the new gearbox the P-R-N-D-D2-D1 sequence doesnt line up on the gear stick and the dials. There is also a slight burning smell under the hood, this may just be common with this car and not an issue.

Im desprate to get to the bottom of this as I need the car for work and im waiting for the day it goes too far and dies altogether.

Thanks,

Cormac

Thanks for the reply, It happended the other day after a long drive and has been happening everytime I hit a bad bump since then, Its lowered on real stiff sport springs so when it hits a bump it hits hard. Is there any easy way I could check any of your suggestions myself as I am not a mechanic?
Thanks

This is the car

Hi everyone,

This is my 1st post, may I say hi to you all!

Hope you had a Merry Xmas & looking forward to a Happy New year!

(& thanks in advance for any info that you help me out with.)

What I have: 2001 5 door, 1.4 automatic Honda civic

*which had light front damage (panels etc now repaired)

Basically I bought this car, as a salvage vehicle partly repaired! With 33k on the clock, Looking like a Bargain I bought it home, as it only looked like it needed an Airbag kit. (Which I have bought Already consiting = 2x front airbags, 2x seat belts pretensioners & the Airbag control module! BUT NOT FITTED YET)

The car is stuck in Limp mode / safety home mode, the check engine light is on along with the airbag light!

When I turn the car on for the 1st 30secs the ecu clicks with the MIL/check engine light flashing, after it performs its self check, the car then goes into limp mode, it is an automatic so it starts holding higher gears, & stops reving over 3000rpm

*within the 30 secs, it runs sweet as a nut! Goes through all the gears, & revs all the way*

I have had it plugged in to 3 different obd2 scanners (& knowing it needs airbags & its control module resetting or changing), But its not reading Any error codes out atall! Which is worrying, Does this always happen to honda's? Or is it just mine? Unfortuntantly the cars not communicating with any OBC II code reader I use?

Now I am thinking if the ecu is working properly or not?

As the code readers work on other cars, expect for mine!

& Does the main car ecu & the airbag control ecu/module need to be programmed TO each other?

Has anyone replaced such parts in a 2001 honda civic (mine is a uk spec)?

Or had the same type of problem?

What do I need to do to get it out of Limp mode? IS limp mode even connected to the airbag srs system in anyway?

I am wanting to confirm before I go ahead & fitt the airbags & even have any work done on any of the 2x airbag ecu's I have
dont want them to go off when I turn the car on LOL!

I have only tried to get the codes from the obdII plug, not the paperclip way?
& is there any way to test the airbag ecu in th car 1st without using airbags? (Using the 2ohm resister bridged theory on the airbag plugs & tensioners?)

Thanks alot. Bandoliero

Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2009 2:22 am
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Thanks im goin to have a look at that in the morning, if you google ep2 type r white it will come up.
Il be sure to let you know how I fair out.
Thanks

I today installed the airbags & seatbelts with pre-tensioners, & hooked up the NEWER airbag ecu I bought, With the airbag kit!

The SRS lights still on, & YES your right, the cars still in Limp mode!

YES in the 30 seconds the Check Engine Light flickers with the sound of some relays, Once the fault is not resurected the Check engine light comes on intermittantly, & its then the car goes into limpmode!

Do you think the AIRBAG ECU & CAR ECU have to be programmed to each other?

(I have my old airbag ecu with crash data stored, I suppose I could have that cleared of its errors & re-use that to see it clears the srs light? As it should already be programmed to my car?)