no vtec after rebuild opinions needed

[greasemunkey]

[LEFT]ok sorry guys for another no vtec thread, but I am just needing help brainstorming, I just got done rebuilding my gsr and finished with no cel's and the car runs perfectly fine, I've dealt with this issuse before, but I alwas had a cel or something to clue me in as to where to look. everything works, just hooked up an oil pressure gauge because after doing some research, I could only come up with 2 reasons why it wont work the oil pressure checks out just fine and i have cleaned the solenoid twice, tested it off of the battery and heard it click. but anyways the 2 reasons I came up with were low oil pressure(scary) or dented oil pan. I do have a dented oil pan, however I did before the rebuild and I failed to notice or care since it worked fine before the rebuild. It could have been dented worse during the rebuild though I doubt it. I'm trying to stay away from having to take it off and put new oil in it since I just changed the oil. Any opinions on what else I can do would be greatly appreciated :cheers:
****updated at bottom***
-obd1
-knock sensor ruled out of ecu
-ran the knock sensor wire to it to see if it would work and it didn't help(though the vtec solenoid had yet to be cleaned and was full of bearing material) hmm...should I try it again?

[wonton]

dented oil pan should have nothing to do with it..........try putting a new solenoid on it, just because you cleaned it twice and hooked it up to a 12v source and heard click doesnt mean that it still works!


try a new vtec solenoid and if that doesnt fix your problem.....return teh part! thats what receipts are for! :goodjob:

[CaTcH22]

Actually if the oil pan is dent up high enough into the pick-up tube, then not enough oil pressure and volume to activate vtec. Ive fixed several cars with this same situation

[greasemunkey]

dented oil pan should have nothing to do with it..........try putting a new solenoid on it, just because you cleaned it twice and hooked it up to a 12v source and heard click doesnt mean that it still works!


try a new vtec solenoid and if that doesnt fix your problem.....return teh part! thats what receipts are for! :goodjob:good point sir

[greasemunkey]

Actually if the oil pan is dent up high enough into the pick-up tube, then not enough oil pressure and volume to activate vtec. Ive fixed several cars with this same situationmy oil pressure checks out so wouldn't that rule out that theory?

[CaTcH22]

Pressure and volume are 2 different things. I JUST had an accord that did this. The oil pan didnt look too bad, but it was dented enough, didnt supply enough volume.

[JJSPEC Racing]

Pressure and volume are 2 different things. I JUST had an accord that did this. The oil pan didnt look too bad, but it was dented enough, didnt supply enough volume.

It takes volume to move the vtec pins.

[greasemunkey]

another thing to keep in mind, It does allow me to rev beyond 6400rpms but there is no power difference or sound like before. knowing this vtec is working but in limp mode from what I read, but there was no "hey this is how I fixed it" at the end of what I read..

[95droppedhatch]

i would check the vtec pressure switch it may have went bad if it isnt working and isnt reading oil presure than no vtakkkk

[JJSPEC Racing]

another thing to keep in mind, It does allow me to rev beyond 6400rpms but there is no power difference or sound like before. knowing this vtec is working but in limp mode from what I read, but there was no "hey this is how I fixed it" at the end of what I read..

I had the same situation. The oil pan was dented"not that much", but it was close enough to the strainer to hurt the oil flow. Look at the pan. Also, did the gasket get installed between the oil pump and the pick up? that is a possibility.

[greasemunkey]

gasket was installed(re used old one :p) well damn...guess im banging the bitch out tomorrow...stupid crx crossmember in my way too....I really appreciate the help though guys I will let you know how it goes. Ill also double check the gasket

[scttydb411]

here's what i do when it happens on customer's car:
1. check pressure @ back of block
2. check pressure @ front of head
3. jump solenoid to see if vtec will activiate (easy to do on dyno since you can pull while someone jumps it)...run wires into car and jump it while you drive if you have to.
4. check pan for dents (will cavitate and lose enough pressure/vol to prevent vtec like has been stated)
5. what pan/pickup combination are you using? there is a difference in the depth between ls and gsr pickups and pans. too deep a pickup and too shallow a pan and it's like having a dented pan.
6. check/clean solenoid screens (you've already done this).
7. has the head been taken apart before? if so there may be some pins/parts missing preventing vtec locking in.
8. trying vtec @ wot or part throttle? what about temps? speed sensor working? chipped ecu or virgin? if part throttle, too cold, no speed logging in ecu, or not enough load and chipped ecu w/ vtec window then vtec won't engage either.

[greasemunkey]

here's what i do when it happens on customer's car:
1. check pressure @ back of block
2. check pressure @ front of head
3. jump solenoid to see if vtec will activiate (easy to do on dyno since you can pull while someone jumps it)...run wires into car and jump it while you drive if you have to.
4. check pan for dents (will cavitate and lose enough pressure/vol to prevent vtec like has been stated)
5. what pan/pickup combination are you using? there is a difference in the depth between ls and gsr pickups and pans. too deep a pickup and too shallow a pan and it's like having a dented pan.
6. check/clean solenoid screens (you've already done this).
7. has the head been taken apart before? if so there may be some pins/parts missing preventing vtec locking in.
8. trying vtec @ wot or part throttle? what about temps? speed sensor working? chipped ecu or virgin? if part throttle, too cold, no speed logging in ecu, or not enough load and chipped ecu w/ vtec window then vtec won't engage either.your awesome man! ill test the solenoid and bang the oil pan out today. the block is getting good pressure btw the gauge i put in recently has been reading a max of 78-80 really close to 80psi at WOT past 3k and at idle its about 22-25. BUt just to be sure, if jumping the solenoid works then id have to...replace it or wires to it? ( the pan and pickup are factory as far as I know, it did work before so im not worried about things being switched around

[greasemunkey]

ok so i tested the solenoid while driving it and manually hooked it to the positive when i was driving, nothing happened, of course the cel came on for the solenoid not being hooked up, that means the solenoid is no good correct??

[CaTcH22]

As long as you know the mechanical aspects of the head ( rockers, vtec pins, etc..) are ok.

[Black4DrEK]

I have the same problem and I am STUMPED!!!

[greasemunkey]

hey man, come over i want to steal your solenoid for a min lol, ill try to help you fix yours too

[greasemunkey]

http://takemebeyondthehorizon.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/vtec.gif found this its cooool lol im just gonna hook up a blower and make vtec work all the time ...or super glue hah

[red88crx]

I'm having the same problem as the original poster. I also have a dented oil pan, my honda guy has checked out everything he can think of besides the oil pan. It almost feels like I'm not getting enough fuel, RPM's slowly creep up past 4,000 rpms im better of throwing it in 5th and waiting it out. Wondering if you ever banged out your oil pan and if that fixed the problem. THANK YOU very much been struggling with my crx for 2 weeks now, still no vtec



88 CRX
B16A
P28 ECU

[EmminoDaGreat]

Lol at the guy who said a dented oil pan wont effect it.

[CaTcH22]

Lol at the guy who said a dented oil pan wont effect it.
x2

[Tech5]

Few has said what I would have!

Travis hit me up if you need anything else

[greasemunkey]

never banged out the oil pan, i got up under and looked where the dent was and it wasn't where the oil pick-up is, its on the far side. I should do it just to be sure but its been cold and im tired of being under it to be honest. I am switching the solenoid either today or tomorrow with a friend of mine's. if that doesn't work the only other option is to bang the bitch out, i still doubt it is the reason

[red88crx]

Fixed it!! Bet your swap didn't come with a good intake, if you put a smaller one on like i did, try running with no intake for a quick test run. found out thats what was a matter with mine, had an autozone filter on it that was constricting too much flow!!!! Post back on here after you try that


Vtec kicked in, hauling ass now. Getting a nice intake for it now. GRATZ!

RPM's are no longer slowly going up past 4 grand!

[Me86Rob]

easy. Vtec fluid.

[teamGatotsu]

i think u didnt wire ur vtec rite or a ur vtec pin is loose or not touching???it happen to my friend swap the wire were in the wrong pin and vtec wont engage so we recheck it and find the right pin hole for it and now it kick?? try to chech if ur gettin power to the soleniod??

[greasemunkey]

swapped the solenoid, still the same issue, been too lazy to do anything else. it has to be the oil pan, I can rev it out to 8k but it almost makes no power there, so ecu has nothing to do with it or any sensors or wires because of the no fuel cut.

[greasemunkey]

alright update, brand new oil pan and gasket oil pickup was clean, tried swapping the solenoid with a friend again and nothing, it has however popped like 4 times half ass'd in about a weeks time back when it was cold out, I am thinking possibly the secondary igniter in the dizzy?? I did see a noticeable difference in me and my buddys setup, in that major oil port you see with the solenoid off I saw that piece sticking out much farther than his, so i took a deep well socket and tapped it back a good inch...could that cause my problem?? im about tired of this..lol, like im about to just pay mainstream to figure it out i did about everything i could except check pressure to the head. also with the chipped ecu it popped in neutral and with no vss, i have a cable speed sensor that worked its way out and it didn't matter it still managed to pop, i am sure its because of the p06 chipped for vtec to ignore the vss because it is cable

[.:Stirfry:.]

i have a big dent in mine, and it pops like a b16 who took a shot of steroids.

[greasemunkey]

anyone? feel free to be smarter than me I just can't get this one, it did work before the rebuild.

[.:Stirfry:.]

iat sensor

[greasemunkey]

never had it before the rebuild, and again no cel, spent another 2 hours on it tonight, inspected the dist internals and all seems well. jumped the solenoid at high rpms in car and nothing ran my own ground to the pressure switch and nothing, took solenoid off from the head and what looks like the initial pin was pushed back out so i jammed it back in with a socked. inspected the ecu and pulled the chip, all looked fine...could be the ecu still?? have another p06 ecu that I am thinking about getting it socketed so i can swap out chips and try but thats all i can think to do. all plugs throw codes when i pull individually.

[greasemunkey]

thanks to mspi, I now have a verdict. it was 2 pins on the timing belt side of the head missing.