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need ECM replaced (or repaired) in Atlanta

5K views 22 replies 4 participants last post by  npe1jar 
#1 ·
Hope this is the correct thread in which to post this. 1990 si w 250k miles (3rd engine, long story) currently running (when it was running) on only 3 cylinders. another long story.
think it is a bad ecm just because the guy at the shop says so. he replaced the distributor and still won't start, he did some tests but I'm not sure what. he mentioned something about it having gotten wet.
1. anybody know of any good places in or around atlanta to repair or replace?
2. anything I can do to verify that the ecm is actually the issue?
3. would running on 3 cylinders cause this? (cylinder 1 was bad, arm maybe broken or something like that, according to a guy. I disconnected the fuel injector so as not to dump fuel there, which helped)

4. any suggestions on good shops for general work, in or around atlanta?
 
#2 ·
I drove my car for 2 days running off 2 cylinders. Yes, it ran like complete sh*t but it did drive. Found out later I had two bad fuel injectors.

If you think it is your ECU which I doubt it is, a used PM6 goes for 40-60 bucks. It's plug and play so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to swap ecu's. That will verify it.

You need to further explain what it is doing/not doing so we can help you.
 
#3 ·
Thanks a million for your response. I actually recently checked out some of your pages, which led to links to other pages, which led to an entire evening of missed study! Good stuff, man. This group is great.
Here are the notes I just took (5 minutes ago) while talking to the mechanic who currently has my car:

computer not sending fire to distributor. signal going to the computer. and computer is sending to injector
manually turning distributor results in fuel coming from injector, but no fire
no fire coming from plug
working as far as the injector.
have not had ecm checked, since we do not know of anyone who can.
comp# 37820-pm9-a01

distributor was bad also and has been replaced. coil is in distributor, built in. new distributor therefore means coil is new
computer only other thing that it could be. controls the fire. sends fire to distributor seems to make injector actuate ("skeet" fuel). doing that but not sending signal to make plug fire
tried to check it but light does not do what it is supposed to do. no lights at all. flipped the switch, nothing happened at all.
got another ecm with which to test. will put it in the car and check to see if anything lights up. he already checked to see if it would start and it did not, but lights/no lights may tell us something.
Notes: I have replaced the fuel pump relay maybe 6months ago. I just spent $1300 replacing transmission, motor mounts, axle, clutch cable, alternator, and some other things. Too much, I know. Was supposed to be 900 icl parts (for trans alone, didn't know about other damage). This was 4 weeks ago.
The ay I got the car out the shop, it cut off while I was driving and I figured something was going on w the fuel. verified fuses (though it was dark), then had it towed to my house. next day, towed to different mechanic.
mechanic (let's call him johnny) tried another ecm but found it to be bad also. had not discussed the thought that something in my system might actually be CAUSING these ecm's to fail.
That's the story. Thanks in advance for your assistance!
researching for used pm6's suggest I might try my ecm in another 90crx.
 
#4 ·
update: my ecm flashes.
the other ecm light comes on and then goes out.
distributor is whatever one suggested for 90 si.
does flashing ecm mean it's toast? other boards here say that solid light means toasted ecm
 
#5 ·
What motor do you have? Should be d15 or d16 something.

Is it DPFI or MPFI?

If the ECU is flashing that means it is giving you a code. You need to count the blinks in order to find out what code it's giving you. Which means your Check Engine Light should be on.

We really need to know what motor you have first of all.
 
#7 ·
The PM9 ECU is for DPFI so would only be expected to run an Si on two cylinders if at all. A DPFI ECU would be confused by the signals from a MPFI distributor so it may be possible to fire the injectors but not the spark.

Confirm that you have an Si with factory sunroof. Sometimes people are not sure what they actually have.

What engine do you currently have?

Mike
 
#8 ·
just got off the phone with the mechanic
here is the info on the engine (though I am new to this and do not know exactly what it means):

d16a6
4613012

can anyone tell me what type of engine this is? si or dx? I've been buying parts for si, but never considered the fact that, when I got my last engine, it might have been different. now need to look for the paperwork.

I told him to look for the distributor numbers yesterday, but think they might not be listed. I'll tell him to count the blinks on the swap ecm, but I think he said mine blinks once and that's it. checking online to see what that might mean. with respect to the fuel injection, I'm not sure. my car has 4 objects near the cylinders, one for each. I had disconnected one about 4 months ago. I guess those are "injectors."

thanks in advance for the advice, feedback
 
#9 ·
D16A6 is the engine code and is correct for an Si. The other number is a serial number for the block. With an injector at each cylinder that confirms MPFI which is also correct for an Si.

PM6 is the ECU that you should be running for a basically stock Si. The PM9 will not run the engine well if at all.

The distributor code should be on the outside edge of the mounting flange. TD-02U or TD-18U are what you want to see.

For reading ECU codes. The Check Engine Light (CEL) on the dash will turn on for about two seconds when the key is turned turn run. This is to test the CEL, I believe the LED on the ECU will flash onec at this time also. When the ECU detects a fault it will turn on the CEL but the codes are flashed out on an LED on the ECU. This is different from later cars where the codes can be flashed out on the CEL.

Mike
 
#12 ·
a guy on craigslist has a pm6 for sale, but he states that the parts are for "90-93 integras." he might be close enough for me to borrow a car and drive. would this be the same part?

integra/civic parts,p28 ecu - $1 (griffin)
Date: 2012-02-29, 7:57PM EST
Hello I have a few items for sale for a 90-93 integras
2:a set of tail lights read and clear oem $35
3: oem side marker lights one set for 90-91 another set for 92-93 $10 each set
4: oem head lights two sets $50 a set
5; virgin p28 obd1 ecu $120
6:ef cluster 88-91 civic $30
7:eek:bd1 civic alt 88-95 $50
8:pm6 and pm5 ecu $50 each

(thanks again)
 
#13 ·
Ask him for the full number on the pm6 ecu.

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Maybe he just doesn't know it's for a crx? I could be wrong..

Ask him if he will let you borrow it and he can ride with you or something. Then pay him afterward if it works or not.
 
#14 ·
update from conv w mech/guys who have it:
1. "there is fire going to the distributor, but none coming out of the spark plugs" they have verified that there is fire with a test light at the distributor. the distributor is new.
2. now, apparently, the ecm is flashing codes. he "thought" he saw 7 and then either 13 or 14. he stated that there were no discernible long or short beeps; they all looked the same to him. according to the code listing @http://crxcommunity.com/viewtopic.php?t=9903, there is no combination of short/long that incorporates 13 or 14 beeps. I wonder if there could be two errors, a 7 error and a 13/14 error.
This might actually make sense, since the 7 = TP Sensor (Throttle Position) and I know my car does not have one of these; I've been meaning to get one but have driven w/o it for months
13= BARO Sensor (Atmospheric Pressure)
14= IAC Valve (Idle Air Control)
I'm not sure that these two are, but I told him to check them
fyi- there is no "70" code for the 90crx.

Furthermore, the fact that my ecm is producing codes makes me think that I dont need an ECM! wonder if I'm jumping the gun w that prognosis...
 
#17 ·
update:
the first guy read the code to my ecm incorrectly. it is, in fact ,a pm6 (not a pm9, apparently which does not exist)
37820-pm6-ao9

now here's where it gets crazier:
they had another ecm at one point, and a similar CRX owned by a friend. the ecm will start the friend's car, but not my car. sidenote: that tells me that my problem is NOT my ecm, but...
sidenote: the guy did NOT want to risk trying my ecm in his crx.

using the tester, they've determined that fire IS getting to distributor but not to plug.
the guy from craigslist who's been trying to help (and who has the pm6 for sale for $50) says:
"the ecu blinking could mean the ecu is faulty but with them codes also sound like could be another problem. getting fire to the distributor just means its getting voltage it dnt mean is getting a signal to fire out the spark" - which makes sense to me but which indicates that the problem IS in the ecm

wrt codes, right now, my ecm is blinking only ONCE. not sure if this is indication of an o2 sensor problem, as shown here:
http://crxcommunity.com/viewtopic.php?t=9903
but that, along with the other possible errors (13-IAC, 14-atmos pressure), doesn't seem like it will keep the car from starting.

Wonder what else it could be...
 
#19 ·
don't think we know how to go about checking the distributor plugs or the ecu plugs. will research on the internet to gain some insight.
this was suggested by the guy from "the net" who had the other ecm for sale (and who was going to try to ride down 45min to try to fix it himself): Rotor button,distributor cap,main relay and the harness ground on the thermostat housing.
all those had been checked, cap, rotor, distributor fairly new.
one other person looked at it and suggested a check of the "rectifier" also called the "module" silver box sitting on the firewall under the hood. according to them, this is the device that is supposed to deliver power to the distributor.
 
#21 ·
https://plus.google.com/photos/10577251 ... 2664634593
hopefully someone can help with this. these photos show the part that ANOTHER mechanic, Dave, suggested we change out. actually, Dave is the guy who initially did all the work- transmission, clutch, clutch cable, motor mounts, oil pan, alternator, axle, etc.
The part in question is the grey-ish square box that normally sits on the firewall. In these photos, we've uplugged and unscrewed it, so it is slightly lopsided. In the first photo, it's in the top right corner.
my question is: WHAT is this part called? Dave called it the "rectifier" or "module" but clearly that's not accurate. He says it controls the fire to the distributor. Autozone has no clue what this is; we looked in their database for possibilities (ignition control module, ignitor, etc.) with no luck. I know none of this is making sense right now, but I'm about to start replacing parts.
 
#22 ·
another guy (the guy that was willing to drive 45 minutes and help me fix the car as soon as he gets time, had the ecm's for sale for $50) says this:
"fuel injector resistor box.has nothing to do with the spark"

back to square one if this is the case.
 
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