xXx Justin xXx

yea... d16z6. i noticed when i hit vtec my oil gauge drops to 0. normally running about 50ish.... maybe a notce under as the rpms go up at WOT. how can i test to see if the vtec oil pres. switch is bad, or if it is wiring? i had cheap connectors on it, but then i went back and soldered all the connections where i extended the wires at the switch, and also where they met the wires that were attached to the ecu pins.

and what is normal oil pressure on a z6 at idle.... regular driving, and wot.. should the #'s change? i know it will be less pressure at idle and lower rpm, but shouldnt it be high at a higher rpm? TIA

xXx Justin xXx

please... somebody help...... w/o the oil pressure.... does vtec still engage? i know not to go up that high w/o oil pressure, just wondering if there would be a power loss as well.


Modified by SOHC Beast at 4:39 PM 7/31/2003

B18C5-EH2

I doubt most of the guys here even run an oil pressure guage, so don't take offense if nobody answers a question having to do with raw oil pressure figures.

Are you getting a check engine light?

xXx Justin xXx

no... no lights. just noticed when i get to about 5k the gauge drops from 50-60ish to 0-10... i just checked the wiring under the hood again...the ground is still connected good....and im guessing the connections are still good at the ecu. i soldered them? do you know if it is common for the oil pressure switch for vtec to go bad? this engine came out of a 95 ex. and has about 115k on it? i rebuilt the block.. but sensors are stock. also it has been sitting for about 6 months since my crx was totaled.

thanks for any help you can give Tom.

built562

does the car still hit vtec? if the car still hits vtec and the oil pressure drops does the pressure go back to normal after you drop out of vtec?
since you are running an electric oil pressure gauge i would say it has something to do with the wiring. possibly the ground (even though you said you checked) because when the vtec oil pressure sensor gets power it kills the gauge.
does the oil light come on?
try running a mechanical oil gauge

B18C5-EH2

Dumb question, but have you checked your oil level too?

xXx Justin xXx

yes, oil is full...... and at wot it drops.. then when the rpm falls again it goes back up. and no... no oil light in the dash... so you think it is just b/c i have an electronic gauge? thanks for the help guys.

Archidictus

The oil pressure in your system should drop when you hit VTEC. Think about it: the 3.9 quarts of oil in your system suddenly occupies a greater volume, thus the system pressure must deminish. Although I'm not sure if it should drop that much, as long as you're still actually hitting VTEC and the car isn't exploding or making funny noises or flashing CEL's at you, it's really nothing to worry about.

I've got a D16Z6 hatch. I work at Valvoline. I wouldn't worry about it.

xXx Justin xXx

yea, i have a z6.... worked at a valvoline place, and now at a pontiac quik lube thing.... our computer says it only gets 3.5 quarts. and my stick shows full. no check engine lights, no oil light, no funny noises... still feels like it has the power. just concerned me that the gauge goes down. but then again at 3k when i went from coasting to floored it dropped a lot.... i dont know if it is the way the oil goes around in there, or if it b/c i have an electric gauge?

just thought it would be worth asking about rather than blowing up my engine...