Honda Repair: Civic, lights dimming, speedometer going nuts, check engine light on!, speedometer needle, reputable dealer

Question
Hi there,
I climbed into my 97 civic tonight and turned it on only to find the check engine light stayed on.  As I drove, I don't think it made a difference in the driving, but the lights were dimming off and on and the speedometer needle was all over the place!  The engine kind of sounded like it was wirring down and picking back up a little as the lights dimmed too.  I turned it off and on about 4 more times and it was the same.  I looked in the manual and it said something about the emissions sensor and that if you continue to drive it it could hurt the engine.  Any idea what is going on here and how much it might be to fix?
Thanks a lot!
Melisa Dettbarn

Answer
Melisa, the only thing I can suggest to you at this time is to bring it to a reputable dealer or service repair shop. The engine light is an indication of a fault found, what it could be, who knows? There are many sensors and things controlled by the computer. It almost seems like a charging system issue? You need to have a code pulled in order to lead you in the right direction. If you could get that code, let me know. RICK