This 2001 Honda Civic came in with a multitude of problems one of which was a code P1298 stored for an ELD fault (electric load detector circuit input high). I had never had to actually test one of these before although I knew that they existed. The ELD sends a signal to the engine control computer so that the computer can adjust the alternator output in relation to power consumption. The ELD is located in the underhood fuse box. I am pointing to it with my screw driver.
To test the ELD I had to lift the underhood fuse box and remove the bottom cover. Once removed I could access the wiring for the ELD. The wire on the far right of the connector is power supply (battery voltage).
The wire in the middle of the connector is battery ground.
The wire on the far left of the connector is a five volt signal sent from the computer. The ELD will pull the voltage lower with increased system load and should vary with a change in load. For example if the blower or headlights are turned on it should drop. This particular unit was stuck at 3.81 volts and would not change with no loads or full loads applied. If the voltage had been near zero I would have had to unplug the connector and see if the five volt reference signal was being sent by the computer and wiring.
After testing and finding a faulty ELD, it was very easy to change. I removed the four adjoining phillips headed screws that held the two PAL fuses in place.
I released the latch on the harness connector and unplugged the connector.
With the wiring removed I simply lifted the unit. Slid the bar out and installed the new unit.
Below are a couple of pictures of the actual ELD part from Honda.
A faulty converter should not cause either of the codes that you are getting.
On the vehicle that I posted about, the P1298 was a result of an alternator that was overcharging. The alternator was overcharging because of a super heated catalytic converter. The converter was over heated by excess fuel entering the engine, caused by a faulty cam sensor.
My girlfriend has and 02 civic ex and it was occasional sputtering. She took it to a mechanic and he replaced an 02 sensor. Unfortunately the problem continued so she brought it back and he said he could not find anything wron so he reset or reprogrammed the computer. Now there is no longer a sputter but i do notice a serious lag evey now and again when accelerating. Yesterday the check engine light game on and we are now getting codes p1298 and p1457. I Was questioning as to whether or not the cat was going bad after the original o2 sensor problem and i also assumed the alternator may be over charging to get the other code. After reading your stream I am wondering if both are the case and if so I would like to start by testing the converter. What is the best way to see if the converter is failing before I go ahead and replace it?
You or a mechanic need to look at fuel trims on a good scan tool and actual fuel pressure with a manual gauge. Compare reading between normal running and while problem is present.
I have an 01 civic ex (vtec) at 4dr and it is throwing cel codes P0171 and P1298. The car usually works pretty well besides has a little bit of trouble starting. When it acts up it will lose power and pulsate. I notice the problem gets more severe(even to the point of dying while driving but then will start back up and it will happen again) when the fuel is lower (less than 4 gallons of a 13 gal tank). In my looking around online, I have found people saying it could be O2 sensors, vacuum leaks, fuel pump, eld, or the computer… I don’t want to take it to a mechanic for him to play the guessing game and running up a bill. I can replace any of them myself, just trying to figure which is the most likely and which can be tested besides just buying and installing parts to see if the problem goes away. Any Ideas?
I would strongly recommend replacing the heat shield. Removing it can toast the alternator and other nearby parts. The p1298 code should not cause most of you complaints so I would concentrate on the P0132 code.