car runs perfect until it hits 7000 rpm when VTEC kicks in car shuts down....let off throttle and when rpms lower it takes off again until 7000, them shuts down again.....ANY ideas?

 

why does your vtec kick in at 7K?

 

First off I've had this 2002 S2K for almost a month now and all along this car would lock into VTEC at exactly 7000 rpm. Has nothing to do with it but I changed EVERY liquid this car has in it except clutch and break fluid, as I did not know what previous owner had in her. pulled the original air filter and installed K&N air and also K&N oil filter. Every thing was fine, still locking in VTEC at 7000rpm. No way to tell what previous owner put, but I know the dealer filled it with regular unleaded. I saw owners manual called for super unleaded so I burned the entire tank down and filled with super u. That was 3 days ago. Yesterday at lunch I left work pulled 2nd and let the hair go with the hide....6500 rpm comen up and Im anticipating a 7000rpm VTEC rush ....all I got was a dead stall....no sputter not just a hessatation, but like someone switched the key off. As soon as the rpms came down she came to life again, only to hit 7000 and kill over again.
After work I repeated the same senerio.......with the same results.
Today I brought it to the dealership to show them what its doing. Well im now down to a half tank of the super unleaded, sales manager gets in with me and wee set out.
Hit 2nd hammer the pedal to the floor, cars pullen great and rpms are steady climbing then all of a sudden hits 6000 rpms ...grabs VTEC and actually cought us both by suprise. I am used to the 7000 grab....But when it grabbed at 6000 I swear it had twice the pull over what I was used to at 7000. It startled me and I let up for a second, cought my *** with both hands and hit it again. Ran full throttle past 7000 rpms (never stalled) all the way for the first time to 9000, slapped 3rd gear 8000 rpm and she slammed Vtec again ran it to 9000 with no stall and the sales manager asked me to slow down.....lol
Ok I know ...I know Im long winded but I love my car.

we told the mechanic what it did and about how I switched to super unleaded and he says the computer will adjust itself to burn the reg. unleaded, and is prolly why it was locking VTEC at 7000 rpm. When I switched to the super the computer needed time to readjust to the higher octane. Now that it adjusted for the fuel is prolly it is hitting VTEC where it should and with waaaay more power.\
As I always mention I AM NOT A MECHANIC and if someone has a good line of B.S. I can only take it for truth. Hence why I come here....for everyones vast knowledge....lol
Oh yeah he also said for me to kill the car when I got home,,,,disconnect the neg cable on the battery....cycle the key from off to the on position 3 times,,,,turn to off and wait 30 min. before reconnecting the neg. cable. Says this will drain any stored power to the computer as a result would completely reset the computer. ???
Here again I have no idea. ..Anyone ever heard of this computer / fuel crap??? How about the reset??

 

the car does adjust for what octane is in it. but i don't think it would change when vtec engages

 

To kill power for the car, disconect the battery, and step on the brake. The brake lights should take all the exsiting power away. and connect the cable after 5 min. S2K should take premium fuel. VTEC problems usually exist with a low oil pressure. Check you oil level. But I don't own a S2K.

 

yeah that is true but it won't engage at all if there is a problem

 

At first it would just die out when VTEC would normally kick in. Now the switch from 7000 rpms to 6000 rpms when it does just baffles me? Now the car really runs excellent just hits tec sooner, witch really is good with me ... get an extra thousand rpms worth of adrenalin...lol
When it was stalling, it concerned me. but the way its running now ....I cant complain 1 bit. Right at 5000 or so is a normal shift for my driving from 3rd on up, just a little extra gas pedal and BAM! I'm outta there. When it was hitten at 7000 rpms I had really draw to much attention.
From what I am understanding 6000 is where it should engage? As far as the extra power im feelen in VTEC, I assume its a combination of More air flow, Higher octane gas, and kicking in at a lower rpm?

Oh yeah when it would stall I would get no warning lights of any kind........

 

yes, the stock point in which VTEC engages should be 6000rpms and the increase in power is do to the valves opening more at that rpm so yea, it's pretty much all airflow...

 

It sounds like you might have some oiling or cooling issues. VTEC should kick in at 6k provided the car is warmed up (in the middle of the temp gauge) and your oil pressure is good. If it does not come at 6k and the temp gauge is in the middle then you have a problem with your oild pressure and you need to address before driving the car AT ALL. Could be that your pickup is cloged, could be an oil pump issue...

 

Just a quick question you state that the times it stalled on you you had just left work or just started going somewhere? Is your car fully warmed up when you are attempting to hit VTEC (which you should always make sure it is). By warmed up do you have the normal indicated bars for operating temp I think it is 3 bars for AP1s. If you are beating on the car after you just started it the ECU will put a rev limit on the motor and not let VTEC engage until the car has reached a certain operating temp ( I think it is 160ish as that is what my AP2 3 bars corrolate to and my temp gauge reads about this when I see three bars on the dash) Another thing that tells me this might be the case is you drove it to the dealer to show them and it works there, so the car is all nice and warmed up already.

The S has a rev limiter until you get to a certain coolant temp. If you are just starting out and the car is cold don't beat on it trying to get it to go into VTEC. Let it warm up and then have at it, it usually is a good idea if the car is cold to wait till atleast the idle drops back down to about 1K before driving the car.

 

It was not at full operating temp. but I do sit for at least 2 minutes before driving. I go by the owners manual, it says it is not necessary to sit until it is fully warm. Now when I do take off when not at full temp, I run 1st to about 3000, 2nd to 4000, 3rd to 4500 to 5000. the time I sit , plus starting out this way by fifth gear its at full operating temp. If Im doing something wrong please let me know...I go by the book and what I read on here, as I dont know squat about this car...but im trien to learn. I dont wanna do any damage

 

Wait so was the car fully warmed up before trying to go past 6,000rpms? If not then that is why the rev limiter hit so early.

 

The 2 minute wait is long enough to start driving but not long enough for the motor to be warmed up enough to start banging it into VTEC. This is problably why you hit the rev limiter. I looked up the info for AP1 the third bar does not come on until 160 degrees, this is the minimum temperature that is required before the ECU will allow VTEC to engage. The next bar does not light till 235. So a normal AP1 S should never see the 4th bar light up, as your normal operating temp will be from 180-200. So you need to basically wait till you have three bars on your temp gauge lit before you start trying to go into VTEC.

 

Thanks once again guys, that is what it was. I let it warm as usual but I took it easy until I got the third bar and it was all good. No problem with the car, only my stupidity, lol.

At the risk of breaken some forum rule..lol I have to ask what will seem to the majority in this forum, a stupid question.
I see everyone talking about AP1, and AP2.....????? Camoy you say I have an AP1? Does this have to do with the year model, motor? I have not been able to figure this one out....lol

 

They're the chassis codes

ap1 = 00-03 in the US these are the F20 (2.0) 9000rpm engines
ap2 = 04+ in the US these are the F22 (2.2) 8000rpm engines

 

i wish this was still a purists' car

 

bump

 

In the last 6 years things have changed a lot. Which is why i don't post much.

 

Lucky for you it was just that. Please make sure to warm up your car from now on. Also check your oil level every time you fill up with a new tank of gas.

 

Boots, are you sayen this car should only be owned by die hard mechanical wizards? Are they should be the only ones posting here?
I may be 41 years old but this little car sparked an intrest in me. If everyone in here knew everything, this would be a pic post site, not a forum for information. There are other forums but the people here are apparently more knowledgable as all I got on other sites was misguided info. You know everyone has to start somewhere....and you were me at one point(trien to learn). If I took this wrong im sorry. I really am thankful for all the great info . I get from everyone here, so THANKS AGAIN!

 

no, i just think it's a little fool-hardy to have bought a car without researching it at all, which is obviously what has happened...just saying

 

Yeah thats cool....everyone has there opinion.
But I wasnt planing on buying a race car...lol Saw it the motor was clean, the car inside and out was very well cared for, I liked the looks and I liked the way it drove. I did like I would have with any other car. Granted.....I didnt know what I was buying and they didnt know what they were selling. The car is sweeeet! and stock. always will be stock. After readen on here I realised what I stumbled upon and realised It needed special care. That is why I come here.
Later all I would like to do is drop it down closer to the fender, without changing tire sizes. And prolly wheel spacers to bring em out about 1/2 in. to an inch or so.
I buy cars because I like em......sorry if you take offense at that....


If it really bothers people that much that a normal guy drives an S2K........16 grand will get me out of it......LOL

 

ignore Boots - it's just his time of the month

 

good to see anyone pumped about owning these cars.

the mechanic was probably right about the computer issue and it shouldn't persist from here on out. The thing I will add is that though these cars are designed very well and are extremely reliable, they are far from foolproof. Make sure you're on top of your oil change intervals, use a good filter, and if at any time it develops a weird noise or something, shut the car off and check for what it is and narrow it down. Other than that, enjoy the car, you might want to consider some modifications down the road to enjoy it a wee bit more.

I know I enjoyed a turbo S2000 a hell of a lot more than the stock one I had before that. ran that car up to 9000+ RPM's every day and it shrugged it off like a champ . for the average joe the supercharger kits are a bolt-on affair and adds a lot of pep to the car.

 

i havent gotten laid in like two months...im a little testy