Honda motorcycle blink codes explained
The FI (check-engine) light flashes fault codes in two lengths. A long flash counts ten, a short flash counts one, and long flashes come first. Count them and you have the code.
Long versus short flashes
Honda PGM-FI motorcycles report a fault by blinking the FI light in a set pattern. There are two flash lengths:
- Long flash (about 1.3 seconds on): counts as ten.
- Short flash (about half a second on): counts as one.
The long flashes always come first, then the short flashes. Add them up to get the number. Two long plus three short is 23. One long plus two short is 12. Seven short flashes on their own is 07.
Pauses, repeats, and multiple codes
- Short gaps separate the individual flashes inside one code.
- The light usually repeats the same code so you can confirm your count. A repeat is not a second fault.
- A longer pause before a different pattern means a second stored code.
- Bikes can store several codes; read each pattern between the long pauses.
Example patterns (CBR600RR)
Each documented major code below, with the flash pattern to look for. The blink gives the system; open a code for the documented sub-faults, causes, and fixes.
| Code | Flash pattern | System | Sub-codes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 0 long, 1 short | MAP (manifold pressure) sensor | 2 |
| 02 | 0 long, 2 short | MAP sensor | 1 |
| 06 | 0 long, 6 short | Major 06 | 2 |
| 07 | 0 long, 7 short | ECT (coolant temperature) sensor | 2 |
| 08 | 0 long, 8 short | TP (throttle position) sensor | 2 |
| 09 | 0 long, 9 short | IAT (intake air temperature) sensor | 2 |
| 10 | 1 long, 0 short | Major 10 | 1 |
| 11 | 1 long, 1 short | Vehicle speed sensor | 1 |
| 12 | 1 long, 2 short | No.1 primary injector circuit | 1 |
| 13 | 1 long, 3 short | No.2 primary injector circuit | 1 |
| 15 | 1 long, 5 short | No.4 primary injector circuit | 1 |
| 16 | 1 long, 6 short | No.1 secondary injector circuit | 1 |
| 17 | 1 long, 7 short | No.2 secondary injector circuit | 1 |
| 18 | 1 long, 8 short | CMP (camshaft position) sensor | 1 |
| 19 | 1 long, 9 short | CKP (crankshaft position) sensor | 3 |
| 21 | 2 long, 1 short | O2 (oxygen) sensor | 1 |
| 22 | 2 long, 2 short | Major 22 | 2 |
| 23 | 2 long, 3 short | O2 sensor heater | 1 |
| 29 | 2 long, 9 short | IACV | 1 |
| 30 | 3 long, 0 short | Major 30 | 1 |
| 31 | 3 long, 1 short | Major 31 | 1 |
| 33 | 3 long, 3 short | ECM internal memory | 1 |
| 38 | 3 long, 8 short | A/F (air-fuel ratio) sensor heater | 1 |
Codes with a letter (like 0A or 2B) are not blink-readable: they only appear when the codes are read with a diagnostic tool. See the full DTC index for those.
Common mistakes
- Mistaking a repeat for a second code. If the pattern is identical, it is one code.
- Missing the first long flash after the light comes on. Watch a full cycle before counting.
- Confusing the steady FI warning (a fault is present) with the blink read-out sequence.
- Counting the key-on bulb check as a code. A brief flash at power-up is normal.
When blink reading is unreliable
Blink codes are a genuine fallback, but they only give the major code, they are easy to miscount, and they cannot show live sensor values or the exact sub-fault. When you need the minor code, freeze-frame data, or live readings, a diagnostic tool or a live-telemetry device is the better path. Our blink decoder can also read the pattern for you with your camera when counting by eye is hard.
Blink-code FAQ
- What does a long blink mean on a Honda FI light?
- A long flash (about 1.3 seconds) counts as ten. A short flash (about half a second) counts as one. Long flashes come first, then short flashes.
- How do I read two long and three short blinks?
- Two long flashes is 20, three short flashes is 3, so the code is 23. That major code points to the oxygen-sensor-heater system on the CBR600RR.
- Why does the FI light keep repeating the same pattern?
- A repeated identical pattern is one code repeating so you can confirm it. A longer pause followed by a different pattern means a second stored code.
- Does the blink give the full code like 23-01?
- No. The blink gives the major code (the system). The minor part, such as 23-01 versus 23-02, is read with a diagnostic tool. The major page lists the documented sub-codes.