honda accord 2000 check engine light P1259 code

[djn]

My check engine light came on in my 2000 Accord last fall, then went off by itself after a couple weeks, then came back on in January '04, then turned off by itself again in a couple of weeks. It's back on now (August '04) and I checked with my Actron OBD scanner again and get the same code:

P1259 - Manufacturer Control - Fuel Air Metering

I don't have a service manual and I can't find any info on this particular code on the web. Can anyone help me out on this one?

[HONDA_99]

P1259 - VTEC system malfunction

[djn]

Thanks - now how can I narrow that down to the exact problem? Is this something I can fix myself, assuming I am fairly mechanically inclined? I was once told that this is usually an oxygen sensor. Does that fall under VTEC system malfunction?

[HONDA_99]

Its common misconception if check engine light is on that you got bad O2 sensor. There are about 1,000 reasons for check engine light to be on. Even if you have trouble code for O2 sensor that doesn't mean O2 sensor is bad, it could be related to O2 sensor, but not sensor it self.

VTEC system has nothing to do with O2 sensor.
I’ll try to get you some info on how to fix it.

[djn]

cool - thanks! looking forward to your reply...

[HONDA_99]

cut and paste

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid134/pf7f7739046f82324bdafe0e439ab8b02/f76ad69f.jpg.orig.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid134/peee2c29e48f03c33d433ae41ab83e947/f76ad683.jpg.orig.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid134/p7d9189a7d9f0d323d3677759961e980a/f76ad66f.jpg.orig.jpg

[djn]

Thanks for the jpgs. This is very helpful. Coincidentally, the check engine light has now turned off again. This problem seems to be very intermittent, so I'm wondering if it is some loose/bad wiring. Do you have any pictures that would help locate the VTEC Pressure Switch or the VTEC Solenoid Valve in the engine compartment?

[HONDA_99]

cut and paste
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid136/p1e99dd25a95ac473af63a09f76c00684/f75ed93c.jpg.orig.jpg

it sure sounds like wiring problem.

[balaji6769]

Hi

I got the same problem of P1259, i used the same process to reset the code, again after 10-15 mile drive, the code popups , i reset 2 to 3 times,

my mechanic says, probably i need to go to a dealer to reset this. What implications it could cause, what could be the cause of the problem

thanks in advance
balaji

[i4edge]

You can reset the code by just disconnecting your battery for 15 secs or so. The code will be triggered again at around 4000 rpm if the problem isn't fixed.

[raja_babu144]

I too had a same problem with my Honda accord 2000 model. I got engine check ligt and went off after couple of weeks and then came back and went of multiple times. When I checked the code it's p1259. Also, the engine oil level was very very low. I just drove 2700 miles after engine oil change. Is it possible that engine oil is buring through engine? I didn't find any leaks. Is it a common problem with 2000 Accord models? What would be the solution?

[Igovert500]

"The way the VTEC oil pressure switch works is that it is a normally closed switch. The ECM sends a voltage to the switch and expects the voltage to go through the switch to ground. If the ECM reads a voltage on that circuit when the VTEC system should not be operating, it will turn on the "check engine" light and set a code. This code will be a P1259 on a vehicle with OBD-II. So if it isn't reading the voltage going to the ground, then it may think the vtec is activating when it shouldn't be."


So yes, low oil could technically cause that check engine light. Whether your engine is burning/leaking oil is pretty easy to tell.

First off, do you check your oil levels regularly, if you don't, now is the time to start. How much are you losing, and how fast are you losing it.

Two, are you getting oil leaks on the ground when/where you park?

Three, are you getting any blue smoke out of hte exhaust, either constantly, or only at start up, or only under heavy accelaration/load?

Please answer these questions so we can further help find the cause of low oil.

If it is simply that you haven't checked/changed it in thousands of miles/months, I suggest getting on a more steady maintaince routine if you value your car.

Also, this thread is from back in '04. Please start new threads in the future, rather than reviving old ones. You will get more responses to your own problem that way.

Thanks, and welcome to AF.