Book Question: Research Resources for DIYers

Just started the e-book.

On page 3, Paul talks about resources to use to research your particular vehicle before you start diagnosis.

I searched on the names of the resources he listed like Shop Key, Mitchell, iATN.net etc and they all seem
to be very expensive resources for professional techs.  I'm a DIYer who's just trying to master my
2000 Honda Civic EX D16Y8. 

I have access to the original shop manual on www.manualslib.com which has all those engineer flowcharts
that Paul talks about but I haven't found any info that explains how the ECU really works, meaning what inputs from
each sensor is the ECU looking for and what triggers the ECU to set codes and what specific signals does the
ECU send the different components in response to these triggers.

Where do you find this kind of information so you can know how to interpret diagnostic results?

Thanks,
CaseyAtTheBat

Alldata and Mitchell both offer single vehicle DIY subscriptions. Most OEMs also have fairly inexpensive day passes for when you've got to have OEM SI. Though since you've already found a FSM you might not gain anything with a subscription.

Detailed descriptions of how things work might not exist. The OEMs have a tendency to treat techs like mushrooms. And if it does exist it might not be in the FSM. Ford and Mopar both had separate Powertrain Diagnostics manuals.

As Matt pointed out, quite often the information we look for just doesn't exist, or is buried in seemingly endless flow charts and poorly translated description of operation.
I wish service info for every car would just come right out and say "the pcm looks for XYZ before setting this code for that problem", but it's usually not that straightforward...

Matt T and Noah, thank you for the replies.

Wow, what a surprise. 

I've been trying to divine what is going on with my car from the
cryptic flowcharts in the FSM and not making much headway; that's why
I'm here.

In my Welcome to the Forum thread Andy MacFadyn referred me to a video
of Paul diagnosing a high idle problem where he talks about how all Hondas
respond to a high idle by switching on and off the injectors and shows the
wave forms.

It was great to learn what was going on in the background in that situation
and I thought wow, it's all going to revealed, there will be a master document 
where it will all be explained!  Guess not!

Matt T, thanks for the heads up about Mitchell DIY.  I went and scoured every page
on the main Mitchell website and found a link to Mitchell1DIY buried in a support e-mail page.
I went all through their demo and, at least for the Mustang that the demo is about, there
is a Theory of Operation section under Engine Performance, that was pretty enlightening.
Hopefully there is an equally good section in the 2000 Honda Civic Ex subscription which
I'm going to get.
First I'm subscribing to ScannerDanner Premium and starting the course to go along with
the e-book; I'm reading about fuel trim, very relevant to my idle control problem.

Matt T; what is OEM SI?  How would you get it from Honda?
 

Casey, did you find info about your Civic needed?
Cause I own a 2000 Honda and have some questions with ECU too.

___________________
2000 Honda Civic owner. Not a pro-DIYer, mostly helping experts and top writers in Automotive Engineering areas at edubirdie.com/top-writers to achieve their goals by reviewing their books, giving them corrective feedback and assisting through challenging journey.

John,
Nice to connect with someone who has a 2000 Civic! Mine is a 2000 Civic EX coupe with a stock D16Y8 VTEC engine. What have you got?

I haven't gotten into the Mitchell DIY yet.

I had solved my misfire and idle air control problems and had one day where I drove the car, felt like I was flying and the next day the transmission died!

It's running again with a remanufactured transmission but even though it doesn't throw any codes it starts up a little rough, has a throaty-er sound and I think still has a base idle that's too high but I have a lot to learn about how to figure that out before I will go crank down on the idle air control screw! I signed up for ScannerDanner Premium and am still in Basic Electrical Concepts so I have a long way to go and I don't have a scan tool that will show me any live data. I have an Innova 5410 which is capable of displaying live data but it won't work with my car. Innova's tech support says it is a limitation of my car not the tool.

Can you get any live data out of your 2000? What scan tool do you have?

The website for the Mitchell1DIY is www.eautorepair.net . I'll sign up when I've learned enough in Premium and have a tool to get live data.

Great to meet you,
CaseyAtTheBat