95 civic - check engine light

[puddles]

Last night while I was driving home my check engine light came on. I pulled over and couldn't see anything major happening. When I restarted it was not on. This morning it came on again.
Any ideas of what to look at/do before I bring it in to a shop and pay out the nose?

I appreciate the help. I am to leave in 3 days for Fort Hood for my son's wedding and to probably see him for the last time before he deploys to Iraq. I really don't want a major problem occuring on the way.

Thanks!

 

[lil_red_rex]

heres what u do bud......go to the passenger kick panel (where your feet stay when u sit in the passenger seat) then look under the dash toward the door....there should be a lil two wire plug...usually blue....put a paper clip to jump it in it( connect both sides of the plug with the paperclip) then look at your check engine light and it should blink......one long blinkmeans 10 and a short blink means 1.....so do that and report back with how many times it blinked so i know what is up

 

[puddles]

ok.. tried it with both engine running and not...

didn't blink at all either way

when engine was running it shot sparks and would cut off a/c momentarily

 

[lil_red_rex]

ur supposed to put the clip in then turn the key to the on position where your dash lights come on....then it should start blinking

 

[reikoshea]

usually that plug is in a bright green dust boot, sometimes it either wasnt put back in or it fell out of the boot.