Ive got a 90 Civic DX, just bought. Has an obd0 b16a running on a PR3 ecu.

I bought the car with a few codes, so I figured thats why vtec wasnt working, Ive since fixed them (coolant temp sensor, 02 sensor and tps position). Only code im throwing is for the IACV code 14, which does not affect vtec

The car is definetely just not hitting vtec, no exhaust note change, no power difference. Ive never driven in a VTEC motor equipped car so I dont know what it sounds like but it def aint hitting.

Oil level is right at the top as well.

Im not evne positive where the VTEC solenoid is, I believe its the sensor at the front bottom left of the valve cover, has one green wire coming out of it thats pretty kinked, then gets wrapped in a THICK black heatshrink type tubing and makes its way over to the passenger side firewall.

How do I diagnose this easily?

I really dont have any hands here either to help me. And its below 0* outside. COLD

Thanks guys

 

As long as everything is working as it should and I mean everything ( my speedo wasnt hooked up and I wasnt hitting vtec, that caused confusion on my part) I would imagine you would check.....maybe resistance at vtec selonoid(its a green plug lower left side of valve cover as u desribed??? (someone correct me if im wrong not 100%if you check resistance) But you will be able to find it out no matter what with this, which includes b16 sir

put it into your favorites


http://www.homemadeturbo.com/f...912.0

your welcome

 

ingredients for Vtec...oil pressure, speedo, temp...

My vtec didnt work when...
1. motor wasn't warm enough
2. speedo wasn't hooked up
3. vtec solenoid was disconnected

Make sure you have good connection on all 3

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SomeDude56 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">As long as everything is working as it should and I mean everything ( my speedo wasnt hooked up and I wasnt hitting vtec, that caused confusion on my part) I would imagine you would check.....maybe resistance at vtec selonoid(its a green plug lower left side of valve cover as u desribed??? (someone correct me if im wrong not 100%if you check resistance) But you will be able to find it out no matter what with this, which includes b16 sir

put it into your favorites


http://www.homemadeturbo.com/f...912.0

your welcome
</TD></TR></TABLE>
yes, check resistance - should be between 14 and 30 ohms

 

also you can check your oil pressure. you may have enought oil in the motor but if the oil pressure is low, vtec won't engage. but i would check your voltage drop across the solinoid. another way is to hook up a jumper wire with a switch to the solinoid and see if you here it click. if it does, the solinoid is functioning.
However, if you're solinoid was bad you would be throwing a vtec code

 

one more thing, if you take the oil pressure switch off there is a little screen. if that screen is clogged vtec wont engage

 

Alright I'll see if I can clean it

Would love to get this car working flawlessly though

 

b carefull when u clean it,
i cleaned mine, and i over torqued the bolt and it snapped off n the head, it feels loose but it really was tight as hell, check and make sure ur wiring is all good too

 

Clean it There is probally a ton of bs in the filter.

 

https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1812135

 

bump for vtec

how do I know the solenoid is getting th ecu's signal

 

bump this ish

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bump for vtec

how do I know the solenoid is getting th ecu's signal</TD></TR></TABLE>

Use a led tester between the solenoid and hte ecu line, make sure u can see it while driving. Did u clean it out, it take 5 seconds.

 

No, its -6 degrees out today, not working weather

There has to be a better way other than to tap into the line with an led and try and keep my eye on it

 

Follow that wire through the firewall, and see where its going. It may be pinned up wrong, It might not even be hooked up, I am not sure it the pr3 is cabable of running vtec. You may need to get yourself and obd-1 ecu, and covert to properly engauge and disengauge vtec.

 

the pr3 is the stock b16a first gen ecu, so yes, its capable of running vtec

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by HondaPartsHero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1812135</TD></TR></TABLE>

GO THERE .... NO GUESS WORK

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">No, its -6 degrees out today, not working weather

There has to be a better way other than to tap into the line with an led and try and keep my eye on it</TD></TR></TABLE>

Quit being a ******* bitch, just do it, you think by sitting inside on your *** reading ht vtec is goign to fix itself? Come on herman

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Boosted Chemist &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Quit being a ******* bitch, just do it, you think by sitting inside on your *** reading ht vtec is goign to fix itself? Come on herman

</TD></TR></TABLE>

owned

 

I personally just dont care enough

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PINKS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I personally just dont care enough</TD></TR></TABLE>

Then why make a thread ? 2500 post and cant figure this out, what have you been doing with your time on ht?

 

really, all these guys take time to post stuff for you to try and you dont try anything. what do you want us to do, come over and fix it for you?

 

gghhheeeyyyyyy ^^^the first thing i looked at was his post count after reading the problem.. i cant believe you seriously dont know how vtec works at this point.

 

Probably because this is my first vtec car? And its my winter beater

Aside from owning 2 turbocharged cars, one a built a6 with a tad over 300whp, I dunno what ive leanred from HT

I didnt say I was trying ****. I said I had cancelled out most of the obvious things, like oil pressure and codes and such. But I am asking for a better way first off to make sure if the solenoid is working, second to make sure its wired right, third to know how to test the wire

Yes I cleaned the solenoid, did nothing

Yes it was -14* outside today with bitter cold wind

 

http://hondaswap.com/reference...28667/
http://tech2.hybridgarage.com/...pr3_a

found these in - 2 seconds...
those are your pinouts, to test the solenoid just apply power to the plug and listen for a click.. though if it was not working you would be getting a code for that also..
to test a wire you need a multimeter.. set it on continuity and put one lead on one end of the wire and the other lead on the other end and listen for a beep..
-your welcome