Honda Speed sensor washer ! Beware, it can fry your ECU

[deltoid61]

It has happened to me and now another friend car. My Honda CRZ(k24 swapped) neededa clutch change and the workshop did the job but when they put back the speed snesor ( CSS, Countershaft speed sensor, its in front of transmission and comes with 8th gen onwards Honda, Honda city 2011 onward and 9th gen civic etc etc.) So long story short when the car was put in gear, the snesor touched the gear teaath and ecu got fried and because Hondata Flashpro was locked to it, and no scanner can connect to this ecu, that also got wasted.
So i began searching for the solution but online there was no such info of what size washer to put between sensor and transmission. I even looked at Honda manual diagrams and they even dont put any washer there.
So after a lot of triala nd testing i have found the solution once and for all. Its so delicate balance between too far or too near. IF even half a millimeter far the speedo and VTEC wont work. HAlf a mm close and you risk fry ecu or sensor.

and today morning just recieved a call from friend that They could not start the car aftter chaging the clutch, i immediately guessed what happened and i was right.

So if you have a manual Honda with a CSS sensor, which needs a clutch work than buy these cheap wahsers i mentioned in video. that are 10 washers in just RS 450 and can save a lot of money. i wasted 2 lakhs plus. So dont suffer like i did.

https://www.daraz.pk/products/original-jdm-bolts-l-key-styling-universal-bolt-10pis-pakit-i171018394-s1341336922.html?

[Hassan1991]

Common problem. That washer originally came on manuals only.
Variable Reluctance sensors are very solid and will keep on providing pulse even if covered with oil, on the other hand hall effect sensors are very sensitive. But provides a very square 5v wave.
K24 has all hall effect sensors.

[Xulfiqar]

So the mechanic removed the sensor and lost the spacer washer?

Why was the sensor removed in the first place?

And yes Honda use the 5v vcc rail for that sensor source and feedback for some ungodly stupid reason. Any wire short results in losing the 5v ref to everything.

All other manufacturers 12v for the energy source for hall effect sensors and the sensor grounds a a 5v bias to create a 5v sinewave pulse.

[Hassan1991]

Sir k series also has 12v crank and cam sensors. Feedback is 5v.

[deltoid61]

Here in Sargodha car lifts are not in workshops. So doing any engine work they pull out the engine hanging with chains out from bonet. Thats why to avoid damage to important sensors some time they take out the sensors which are in way of chains. As the engine bay is very crowded, so instead of doing the job inside engine bay they took it out

[deltoid61]

i have checked the manual and the washer is not there. Are you sure? can anyone cehck in the civic/city is the washer there or not?
down below you can see only three parts of CSS sensor.
19: sensor
31: O-ring (not washer)
34: Bolt

[Xulfiqar]

Yes, it uses 12v there but not on the css

[Xulfiqar]

When such sensors are removed they are kept with all spacers intact and together.

This is ordinary now to have selective spacers to set the airgap on certain tonewheels.

Nissan/jatco cvt are famous for this, they call those washers as shims and its mandatory to reuse the same shims to keep the airgap correct as jatco use the same casing for various models of transmission.

Chrysler/jeep/dodge have been doing this same thing but with a piece of paper on the sensor face.

Next time hire better mechanics who are equipped with correct and modern tooling. Just like you wont visit a doctor who uses leeches or a surgeon who uses a baseball bat inplace of anesthesia.

[deltoid61]

Yeah you are very right but you know when main work is done, these small bolt tighening is left for 'chota' staff.
But its very delicate matter. at 4.5mm the CSS does't give reading and at near 4 mm it touches the gear teeth. So margin of error is within half mm.

[deltoid61]

The damaged ECU and flashpro had to be sent to Hondata USA for un-locking but when i went to TCS/UPS they said the item cannot be shipped abroad untill its made in Pakistan and i have to show production certificate bla bla bla.
So i shipped it to UAE by some 'other' means and from there it was shipped to USA. Costed me Rs:22000.
Than Hondata chared me 100$ (near 25k) to unlock it and than it was shipped to me.
Here i got an email from Gerry internaional customs at UPS Lahore Allama Iqbal Airport that my shipment has arrived and to clear it i have to pay 39000. I told them and emailed them my shipping recipts that this item was sent from Pakistan and i didt buy it from USA. but they said if i didt pay this will be confiscated. So i paid the money. Than after few days another email came that the package was opened and the value was found to be very high. So i have to pay further 64000.
I again told them this was sent from here and not bought. but no use. i also argued why did't you opened it before. This was their trick becasue they knew if they tell a customer to pay 100000 custom duty in one go, many people will not pay.
I was so fedup, i told them to keep the items and tell the customs to f*ck themselves.
In this country people try to hinder those who are following the rules. I could have imported it illegally but again learnt the elsson hard way. These sort of things make people cheat in this country because system is so corrupt. and they punish the one's who try to follow right path.
Similarly Wapda did with me. But that i will tell in some other day.

[Hassan1991]

Yes. Here acura TSX transmission same as Ast5 but different final drive.
No.32.

[deltoid61]

Thanks for clearing that up
So why in some manuals its there and in some its not?

[Hassan1991]

That's the problem in Honda. Honda gives many variations. Only 6 speed manuals would came with this washer. The one you shared above is 5 speed?

[Xulfiqar]

This is why you need to find out the exact build of your unit and then find out its parts diagrams.

You may have to pay for such information at most times.

And top of all, please hire good qualified mechanics to work on your vehicles, even if it means to ship the car over truck to another city.

[Xulfiqar]

You should have contacted a proper freight co.

The issue you mention (not made in pk) was being misused against you as you (owner with help of freight co. Has to provide proof that this item was never made in Pk and is locked under brand holder design copyright)

Once everything is in order, the item is shipped and its brought back via same channel.

Carrying it to dubai, then shipping to usa for repair and shipping it back to Pk makes it a “new” item, not a returning item.

[deltoid61]

Yes you are very right, I tried that method but UPS/TCS said the item must be made in Pakistan. i told them this is item which is going for repair but your know they don't bother and refuse straight away and tend to the next customer.

[deltoid61]

i was in contact with the top workshops and each one was telling different size washer. No one knew exatcly. One was telling motorycle head washer which i bought and was too thin, near 2mm. and i already at that time had wasted one sensor with a 3mm washer. Thats why i took matters into my own hand and figured out an after market washer which is widely available around the globe and by help of Allah i did find it.

[Xulfiqar]

UPS and TCS customer desk are useless for this, You need to talk to a dedicated freight co. They know what documentation to attach. This is how a lot of industrial equipment control modules are sent for refurbishment - none of them are made in Pakistan.

[deltoid61]

Yeah that makes so much sense. I will try that next time. Thanks for quidance