1995 Civic EX w/ D15B VTEC SOHC

<U>The problem</U>, When I get to about 5000-6500 RPM's check engine light comes on, and the code is #22 , VTEC pressure sensor
<U>The whole story</U>

Well, I just bought this 95 Civic ex with a swapped d15B vtec motor in,
I had code #22 first, then i wired the vtec wires directly to the ECU and then I get #21, swapped out the whole vtec sensor and pressure sensor, and ECU with a p28 from a del sol, and EVERY time I get in HIGH rpms, the CEL pops on.

I also, took the ground wire and grounded it directly to the battery.

**note** each time I replace a sensor, or re-ran a wire for vtec, I reset the ECU by taking out the fuse for the ecu for 15 minuts or so and the negaitve battery terminal.


So, I was wondering, Does ANYONE know what is going on here? Is VTEC working? Could my ECU be faulty? how can I check?

I know this isnt soemthing major to worrie about, but if somehting is suppos to work on my car, I want it to be!

**UPDATE**

So tonight I was hard on my car, I hit rev limiter in second gear then CEL poped on. Code is Now #22 Vtec oil pressure sensor???

*****UPDATE AGAIN*****

ok, so I swapped out my stock p28 with a del sol P28. Started the car no light, drove the car no light. Got on the car hard and up in high RPM's, lets say about the time Vtec is suppos to enguage like 4500-6 grand, the CEL pops on, I check the code, its #22. recet the ecu, Drive the car again, NO cel, get on the throttle hard and CEL in high rpms.

Basically what im saying is, CEL pops on EVERY time I hit or suppos to hit VTEC.....






Modified by boostless95ex at 9:43 PM 10/7/2006


Modified by boostless95ex at 9:43 PM 10/7/2006

 

tizzop

 

TOP

 

Sounds like you need to check your wiring there sonny boy!

http://www.troublecodes.net

They tell you the codes you're looking up..

21 is VTEC solenoid valve
22 is VTEC pressure switch

It helps diagnose what you're having problems with if you KNOW how it works..

the Ecu performs tests on EVERYTHING when it starts up.. even tests stuff sometimes when the engine is off but the key is on.. Anyhow..

When you turn the key on, the ecu expects a ground signal from the VTEC pressure switch. (Code 22)

When the ECU tries to enguage VTEC by powering the solenoid it pressurizes the cam follower assembly with engine oil pressure which the switch is screwed into.. When it pressurizes the ECU expects to LOSE ground signal both confirming that the VTEC oil switch works and confirms that the solenoid is doing its job and that you have sufficient oil pressure to safely operate VTEC..

I would take a ohm meter and check that your grounds and signal wires between the ECU and the solenoid/switch are good.. If not, there's your problem..

I've only seen it once, and it's really rare but CAN happen..
The other car I saw this happen to actually had poor oil pressure from a spun rod/main bearing.. and was on the brink of triggering the oil light..

From what you're saying tho, I seriously doubt that's your problem..

 

oil level is not a problem! I just did an oil change after triple checking the oil level.

ok, in english, I dunno what ur saying....

Did u read that I ran the Wires DIRECTLY to the ECU? and I took the ground wire and grounded it DIRECTLY to the Battery terminal!

 

WAIT!!!!!


D15B WAS NEVER A V-TEC Engine!!!!

What you're dealing with is a Mini-ME!!!

If it was built without removing the metering valve from the block, you WILL NOT have enough oil volume to operate VTEC!!!!

Sounds like you need to remove the head, pull the metering valve from the deck of your block using a wood screw or something similar, and reinstall the head using a new gasket after cleaning the head and block..

On the VTEC engine The metering valve is located INSIDE the head.. And in the BLOCK on the NON-VTEC engine..



Remove this plug and all should work well..


Modified by Gadget at 11:32 PM 10/3/2006

 

no no no no....

D15B is VTEC and NOT a mini me!!!

D15b7 is NON VTEC

D15B=JDM

 

take off negative battery terminal for a minute or so

put back on

drive car for a little bit

recheck codes.


if you havent cleared the codes from the ecu via the process above then your ecu will have the codes stored. so clear them, and see if they come back.

 

Dunno what to tell ya then sonny boy..

I only mess with Disposable D's when I'm paid for it..

If you are CERTAIN your wiring is correct it leaves you with the only option left.. Some sort of mechanical failure..

Sorry..

 

So, Lemme tell you guys this, may not refect the problem, may be,

I have been having BAD black SOOT all over the rear bumber BAD

 

running rich

 

isnt a the d15b a three stage vtec jdm motor



for the non believers

http://asia.vtec.net/article/EK3Vi/

 

yea and theres a "power version" its 130hp vtec

 

and i also want a firm answer on a faulty ecu code 0

is it when you have a check engine light and you go to check it the lgiht doesnt come on, or
in my case, no check engine light but when i jumper it (obd1) to check for codes (i have no codes) the light stays on, so is that a faulty ecu?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by iphatcrxi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and i also want a firm answer on a faulty ecu code 0

is it when you have a check engine light and you go to check it the lgiht doesnt come on, or
in my case, no check engine light but when i jumper it (obd1) to check for codes (i have no codes) the light stays on, so is that a faulty ecu?</TD></TR></TABLE>

im pretty sure that means no codes.

every car ive ever jumped that showed no codes, it just stayed solid.

 

yep I'd say THOROUGHLY check your wiring.
must be a problem there somewhere.

if you can verify that everything is in fact connected correctly, and has continuity(make sure u check for continuitY!) then yeah... try another ecu..

 

ok, so get this, somethign new to add,
Tonight I was hard on my car, I accidently hit rev limiter, and the CEL came on, the code was #22 now.

recet ecu, hit rev limiter again (long story basically a GTP got OWNED by an EK9 tonight I followed behind)
And CEL came on again............
Woops

 

sooo.. you don't have a cel when you're just driving normally then?

 

When dricing normally,no. Like I said, I only get the code if I check for it, I dont get the light, I only got the light, when I hit rev limiter or floated valves.

 

To be blunt you prolly don't have the oil pressure.. I know you checked you oil level.. but level and pressure are not the same thing. Get yourself a cheapo oil pressure gauge. On the front of the head there is a small bolt near the vtec solenoid assembly. (oh wait.. i'm talkikng b series since it's what i have.. just find the port. I'm sure someone here knows where it is.) anyway.. hook up your cheapo gauge the oil port. Now.. Disconnect the solenoid from the ecu, including your special wiring job. Run a wire from bat positive to the solenoid. Easier with two people.. just hold the bare wire to the batt terminal for a moment. You should hear the solenoid click.

Now.. remove your jumper wire from teh batt terminal.. have friend start the car. The CEL light WILL BE ON cause the solenoid should be still disconnected from ECU. With engine running at idle.. your oil gauge should read very little psi.. 5lbs at most. A small amount of oil is let in just to keep things lubed up and stuff. Now have friend hold RPMs at 1500, you place wire on batt pos to engage the solenoid. You should read a large increase in pressure on your guage. 45 psi or better.

One more thing.. you'll not want to leave the solenoid manuall connected for any longer then it takes to get your reading. The ECU is not activating the solenoid, so it's not compensating for the extra valve hieght/duration. You'll notice car will run poorly when you enage the solenoid. Or it should if the system is indeed working.

I don't have the helms in front of me right now, so i don't know exactly what honda specifies is the minimum needed to engage the vtec assembly in the rockers.

You have pressure? CHeck pressure at 4500 and 6k rpms.. that's pretty close to what the helms calls for. I had to do this test myself.. for the same reasons you are getting. CEL 22 when you get on her hard.

If you have pressure, then you'll need to take an ohm reading on the pressure sender. Both with the solenoid closed and open. IE pressure/ no pressure for vtec.

DId you or anyone else install any kind of vtec lights or such? Those little do dads that light up when vtec is engaged? If so, disconnect the damn thing.. return the system to stock and start again.. Don't bother troubleshooting a jury rigged system.

 

ill try what you said, and NO i dont have no RICE *** vtec light.

ok, so I swapped out my stock p28 with a del sol P28. Started the car no light, drove the car no light. Got on the car hard and up in high RPM's, lets say about the time Vtec is suppos to enguage like 4500-6 grand, the CEL pops on, I check the code, its #22. recet the ecu, Drive the car again, NO cel, get on the throttle hard and CEL in high rpms.

So, I am going to swap out the vtec sylenoid, and see what happens.

Now if it is not the sylenoid, and I do not, in fact, have enough oil pressure, what should I do? Get a hamp oil filter?
I run castrol syntec 10-30 sythetic oil..........

 

So, if I do, in fact, have NO oil pressure, What should or can I do to acheive oil pressure? Get a hamp oil filter?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jerseydevil &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">To be blunt you prolly don't have the oil pressure.. I know you checked you oil level.. but level and pressure are not the same thing. .</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

First let me clarify that you can have engine oil pressure and not have vtec oil pressure, and obviously you can't have vtec pressure without engine pressure.

Putting on a small oil filter and such to increase pressure isn't the right way to solve your problem. First complete the test that I told you about. IT will tell you what is exactly going on with your vtec system. Once you test for oil pressure as i've told you.. you can leave the gauge installed (please make sure it doesn't leak). run the wiring/tubing into the car and now road test the car with the guage active. If you didn't get pressure in the first test then don't bother with road testing it. The only point of the road test is to monitor the oil pressure as the ecu attempts to activate the system as opposed to you manually engaging the solenoid.

as far as why you would have no pressure? Well the test port monitors pressure after the vtec spool valve. Either you have clogged screens which are restricting flow. your vtec solenoid is buggered up.. ie the coil is shorted internally so that it's giving the ecu a complete circuit and some resistance value, but it' is unable to create a strong enough magnetic field to operate the spool valve. you have a plugged oil port leading to the spool valve.. and lastly you have no engine oil pressure.


Lemme ask you this.. does the car pull hard all the way to the redline? Do you have a lot of black soot on the bumper? My case was that solenoid was shorted.. so the valve was not opening. Car would run pretty well to about 5.8k wehre the IAB's would open.. car would just loose power from there...mind you vtec engaged way back at 4.4k. Or so the ecu though.. but the rockers were not engaged, and there was no vtec oil pressure so i'd get cel 22 like you.

If you are not getting the pressure, you should be running really rich after the engagement point and the car should run out of power as rpms increase.

Run the test and let us know what the results are.. can't really give you any further advice till you do the troubleshooting.

 

YES YES YES, I have ALOT of black soot all over the rear bumper!!!!