Check Engine Light and TCS light are on. Need help with code.

Joined
26 July 2007
Messages
28
Location
Lake Placid, FL
I was driving home Friday night on a winding road when all the sudden both light the CEL and TCS lights came on at the same time. The car continued to run fine and today is the first time I have had the time to look into it. The lights are still on when I started it today. I read the code and the CEL flashed 4 long times then 2 times rather fast. This confused me a little...the CEL light flashed but not the TCS light as the manual says it would. So I am reading that as either a Code 42 for the engine or a 4-2 for the TCS...is that correct? If so can someone give me the corrisponding problem for that code. I have a manual for a 91 (mine is a 95 by the way) but I can't find the codes. I believe the 4-2 for the TCS is a left front sensor. I don't know what a 42 engine code is.

As I said...I'm a little confused since both lights came on but only the CEL light flashes.

Any help is appreciated. I hope it isn't anything serious. The car only has 38,000 miles on it. I hardly ever drive it anymore.
 
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You have lost the heater in the rear primary heated O2 sensor. Its covered under the 14 yr extended warranty, but that window may have elapsed. Check with your dealer ASAP to see if its still covered.

I lost both primary sensors - the rear (code 42) in 2007 and the front (code 41) this year. Yes, the CEL and TCS lights both come on. Sometimes, after re-starting the car the TCS light will stay off for a while. Just ignore the TCS light.

The car will drive fine with no damage to the engine, especially in the summer. What has failed is the heater circuit in the O2 sensor, which brings the sensor more quickly into linear operation from a cold start.

At worst, if the window has expired on the extended warranty, you'll need to buy the sensor yourself. If you have to pay, check the threads on Prime for sensors from NGK and Denso, who made them for Acura. They will sell for 1/3 of what Acura charges.
 
June 30th!!! I am out of warranty by 22 days. $291.00 for the Rear Oxygen sensor. I think I'll do the search you requested.

Thanks for the help. I guess I will try to find one and install it myself. I am pretty mechanically inclined so I wouldn't think it would be too difficult of a task. Just have to make sure I get the correct one.
 
"How about NGK/NTK Oxygen Sensors? NTK 24587, would that be a good replacement and is that the correct part number?"

So is that the correct part number? Where did you end up purchasing it from? And what did it cost if you don't mind me asking?
 
I get my O2 sensors from www.sparkplugs.com and they work great... just be sure you're buying the correct one!

I only use NGK...
 
I bought mine from Summit Racing since it ended up being cheaper than sparkplugs.com for me.

I went with NGK/NTK 24587.

They are not 100% exact OEM replacements, but they work just fine.

What do I mean by it not being 100% exact OEM replacements?
-grommets and wire insulation move. OEMs are fixed so you don't have to mess around with moving these things so they hook up properly.
-wire itself was a little bit longer than the factory units. It had some extra play.

So all in all, you'll need to do some "wire managing" to make sure the extra play in wires don't rest where it's touching a hot engine part.

NOT A BIG DEAL, but just FYI. It's worth the money saved.

HTH,
--Conrad
 
Thanks for the help everyone.

POWERED by HONDA - I will try Summit and see what I come up with. I just wanted to make sure I was getting the correct one. Since yours threw the same code and everything as figured if you had the part number that would save me searching for it (I actually did a search on code 42 and it didn't turn up your thread...strange). Thanks also for the description of what wasn't the same as factory. I appreciate the thoroughness.
 
Summit is out of stock on them until 8/7/09 but their price is $113.00 for ONE it seems. Spark plugs.com is $132 for ONE. While Science of Speed is $133.00 for a PAIR.

I called SOS to verify that I had the correct one identified (Primary-upstream, part #enpp-911 ) and that it was in fact a PAIR and it is. So I have ordered them from SOS.

Just wanted to update everyone in case someone was looking or find this thread by searching in the future.
 
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Well I received my oxygen sensors from S.O.S. They are part #24172 not part #24587 so I would have been better off buying them from Summit at a price of $51.00 each rather than $133.00 for the pair. Just thought I'd share so that someone else doesnt spend the extra $30.00 for the same item.

Anyway...I am not having good luck getting the sensor out. As a matter of fact I had to quit and walk away from it twice. I guess it is pretty rusted in there. I even bought the special O2 sensor socket but it wound up twisting on the sensor. All the exhaust bolts on my car are rusted pretty badly. I have sprayed the sensor with blaster and let it sit overnight but it still didn't want to budge. I guess my next plan of attack with be to remove the exhaust and the heat sheild so that I can get to the sensor unobstructed. I will then soak it in blaster again and try heating it.

Has anyone else had to go through all of this or is it just my luck? A to think...21 day earlier and the dealer could have been having all this fun.

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to go about this I am all ears.
 
Anyway...I am not having good luck getting the sensor out. As a matter of fact I had to quit and walk away from it twice. I guess it is pretty rusted in there. I even bought the special O2 sensor socket but it wound up twisting on the sensor. All the exhaust bolts on my car are rusted pretty badly. I have sprayed the sensor with blaster and let it sit overnight but it still didn't want to budge. I guess my next plan of attack with be to remove the exhaust and the heat sheild so that I can get to the sensor unobstructed. I will then soak it in blaster again and try heating it.

Has anyone else had to go through all of this or is it just my luck? A to think...21 day earlier and the dealer could have been having all this fun.

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to go about this I am all ears.

In the past, especially with the earlier cars, I have had to remove to manifold and get the sensor out with an airgun. But before that, if the wrench is spreading/twisting, you need a better wrench.

If I end up having to remove the manifold, I cut the wires off the sensor and use a deep impact socket to blast the old sensor off. This is on rare occasions, but it happens, especially with 1991 cars that never had the 02 sensors removed.

HTH,
LarryB
 
Well I received my oxygen sensors from S.O.S. They are part #24172 not part #24587 so I would have been better off buying them from Summit at a price of $51.00 each rather than $133.00 for the pair. Just thought I'd share so that someone else doesnt spend the extra $30.00 for the same item.

Anyway...I am not having good luck getting the sensor out. As a matter of fact I had to quit and walk away from it twice. I guess it is pretty rusted in there. I even bought the special O2 sensor socket but it wound up twisting on the sensor. All the exhaust bolts on my car are rusted pretty badly. I have sprayed the sensor with blaster and let it sit overnight but it still didn't want to budge. I guess my next plan of attack with be to remove the exhaust and the heat sheild so that I can get to the sensor unobstructed. I will then soak it in blaster again and try heating it.

Has anyone else had to go through all of this or is it just my luck? A to think...21 day earlier and the dealer could have been having all this fun.

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to go about this I am all ears.

Makes sense. You have a 1995 and I have a 1998. They have different part numbers. This is the tool I used to search for part numbers for my 98.
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/part_finder/car_truck_suv/default.asp?mode=nml

So there are different O2 Sensor part numbers for:
91-94
95-96
97-99
00-04
04-05

Try this: Turn on your car and get your exhaust nice and hot. Then try to take it off. I've had good luck using this method... even on a daily-driven car with 244K miles. Just be CAREFUL not to burn yourself!!! If needed, take a metal pipe and slide it over your wrench handle for additional leverage. Again, be CAREFUL not to burn yourself!!!

Don't forget to add anti-seize on your new sensor's threads. My NTK didn't come with it already applied like the original Honda OEMs do (there, that's another difference for you. ;) )

Hope that helps
--Conrad
 
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Just for reference for future searches, same thing happened to me.
TCS and Check Engine light came on at the same time. Turned out to be a bad O2 sensor caused the lights. Free fix under Acuras 14 year, 150,000 mile emissions warantee.
 
I have the same situation in a 2000. CEL and TCS lights are on. My code reader says "P0135 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit (bank one sensor one)"

Can someone tell me whether this is in the header or post-cat, left or right?

Is my 2000 included in the factory warranty that Jon refers to?

Thanks.
 
Per page 11-52 of the '95 service manual (something every NSX owner should have :biggrin:) P0135 is for the rear primary sensor. So, its for the one on the header, the rear bank. Left or Right doesn't apply to the NSX, of course.

That extended warranty was for '95 - '97, so its not applicable to your car.
 
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I don't think so. Price them at an Acura dealer and you'll be in the same stratosphere as SOS.

Also check on Denso (OEM for at least some years of NSX sensors). I often see them at very good prices. As a comparision, you might want to a search for "Denso" on Prime and you'll probably come across part numbers & prices for them.
 
Does anyone know the details of what's covered under the 14yr extended warranty?

My car's a 1998 and just under 150k. Check engine light just came on as well.

Thanks
 
Does anyone know the details of what's covered under the 14yr extended warranty?

My car's a 1998 and just under 150k. Check engine light just came on as well.

Thanks

Thats the first time I've heard about that....
 
I got a January 2006 letter from Acura that stated the warranty for 1995, 1996, and 1997 vehicles was extended to 14 years or 150,000 miles, whichever came first. Per the letter, this was a settlement that happened because the EPA claimed the OBD computer did not meet all EPA requirements. The only possible ID number included in the mailing was a code "K50".

They replaced both my primary O2 sensors under that campaign, the last one just a few months before the 14 year window expired.:biggrin:

I have seen the campaign listed somewhere on Prime under recalls, and it has been discussed here often. By now, a few 1997's may still qualify.
 
Well I received my oxygen sensors from S.O.S. They are part #24172 not part #24587 so I would have been better off buying them from Summit at a price of $51.00 each rather than $133.00 for the pair. Just thought I'd share so that someone else doesnt spend the extra $30.00 for the same item.

Anyway...I am not having good luck getting the sensor out. As a matter of fact I had to quit and walk away from it twice. I guess it is pretty rusted in there. I even bought the special O2 sensor socket but it wound up twisting on the sensor. All the exhaust bolts on my car are rusted pretty badly. I have sprayed the sensor with blaster and let it sit overnight but it still didn't want to budge. I guess my next plan of attack with be to remove the exhaust and the heat sheild so that I can get to the sensor unobstructed. I will then soak it in blaster again and try heating it.

Has anyone else had to go through all of this or is it just my luck? A to think...21 day earlier and the dealer could have been having all this fun.

By the way, if anyone has any suggestions on a better way to go about this I am all ears.

Heat is your friend, heat the manifold at the base of the o2 sensor. Get it good and hot - 20 min with a map gas torch and it will come right out.
 
I got a January 2006 letter from Acura that stated the warranty for 1995, 1996, and 1997 vehicles was extended to 14 years or 150,000 miles, whichever came first. Per the letter, this was a settlement that happened because the EPA claimed the OBD computer did not meet all EPA requirements. The only possible ID number included in the mailing was a code "K50".

They replaced both my primary O2 sensors under that campaign, the last one just a few months before the 14 year window expired.:biggrin:

I have seen the campaign listed somewhere on Prime under recalls, and it has been discussed here often. By now, a few 1997's may still qualify.

so 98 and newer do not qualify?
 
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