check engine light, codes 8 and 16

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
Soooooooo,

I bought this 1991 Honda Civic, automatic. Sometimes when I would drive it then stop and grab coffee or whatever and then go to drive off it wouldn't start. I would wait 5 min and then it would start. Id gave error code 16 only. All the online research I had done pointed at the Main Relay. It wasnt yet a big problem so I did nothing.
Then one day the car just quit. I was driving and all of a sudden got no gas, no revving, nothing. I pulled over and shut it off. When I tried to restart it it wouldn't start.
The BCAA guy looked at a few things and suggested the Main Relay or the Distributer. So I bought a used Main Relay and switched it. Nothing. So I bought a used distributer and had the guy I bought it from change it for me. He showed me the ignition coil and it was burnt. With the new distributer in the car would start, Yay!!!
Then the check engine light came on and won't shut off. When the light comes on after about 5 seconds running I can hear the hum of the engine drop slightly. We looked at the error codes and got 8 and 16.
The guy (who is selling me the parts and helping me work on the car) said it was possible that:

a) the fuel injectors were bad
b) the ECU computer is bad
c) the timing belt is off (it was changed just before I bought it-maybe by a pro, maybe not)

I'm a little confused though because the code 8 is top center sensor or the distributer, which leads me to believe the distributer he sold me and installed is faulty.
And whats the error code 16 all about?

Any advice would be appreciated. I'm running out of cash and don't want to keep paying this guy for parts if I don't know for sure it will fix the problem. If I take it to a mechanic will he tell me the exact problem but let me take it home and do it myself?

Thanks!
 

RonJ

Banned
Start by resetting the ECU to clear the CEL codes. This is done by removing the Hazard fuse in the main fuse box for a few minutes. Then drive the car to see whether one, both, or none of the codes returns. You only want to troubleshoot repeated codes.
 


lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
We did reset the ECU by removing the fuse. The codes 8 and 16 came up after and they do repeat.
 

RonJ

Banned
There's no reason to believe that either code would be caused by a timing belt issue.

Code 8 indeed suggests that the TDC sensor inside the used distributor may be bad. The first diagram below shows how to test this idea.

Code 16 indicates a problem with the fuel injector circuit. The remaining diagrams show how to troubleshoot this malfunction.



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lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
ok, I checked the resistance on the distributer 6P connector and got 359.

I'm not sure what is meant by "check for continuity for body ground on B and C".
How do I test this?

Thanks
 

RonJ

Banned
I'm not sure what is meant by "check for continuity for body ground on B and C".
How do I test this?
This test is looking for short in the TDC sensor or its wires in the distributor.

Set meter to measure resistance or continuity. Touch one meter probe to terminal B and the other meter probe to a clean metal area on the thermostat housing. Repeat test for terminal C. If either test shows continuity to ground (little or no resistance), then there is a short in the circuit.
 

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
Well, I tried the above test and got no resistance on any of the probes. Not convinced I did it right thouh.

In any case, I swapped ECU's no change. Co its not the computer.

The code 16 has mysteriously disappeared so Im not worried about the fuel injection system anymore so Im not gonna swap the throttle body.

The last code, code 8, being the TDC seems to point to the problem being with the new (used) distributer so I asked buddy to bring over a different one and we'll try that.

Just thought Id keep you posted, thanks for your help.
 

lil_wilde

New Member
5+ Year Member
Update:

Turns out the whole problem was the igntion coil. The i.c. in the old distributer was burnt out so thats why we put in the new distributer. But with the new distributer I was getting the TDC sensor code. So I took the ignition coil out of the new distributer and put it in the old distributer and now there are no codes and no check engine light.
Success!!

Thanks again for your help.
 

jh3254

New Member
I also am trying to track down a code 8 ecu code. I have followed the flow chart on code 8 and need to continue down the yes flow chart. Does anyone have the rest of the flow chart? The manual I have doesn't have any of this info.
 


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