Help me guys. I'm struggling alot with this one. Here is the story so far.

Rebuilt JDM H22 about 1800 miles ago. Type-S 11:1 cr pistons, ATR cams in brand new head. Including brand new vtec solenoid. Runs fine.

Car drives fine to work. VTec working. No problems.
Front balancer shaft oil seal blows out on me when I start up in the car park to go home. Oil painting the car park floor as I reverse out. Engine turned off. Engine run for max 30 secs. Lucky or what (oil level checked at start of journey - on max/full). Got towed to Honda dealer. New seal fitted, cam / balancer belts replaced.
Car running again. Except oil light taking 2-3 secs to go out on cold start, fine after that. But test drive reveals no vtec engagement. Oil pressure????
Car back to Honda for oil pressure test. Comes back with 29psi at ide and 60psi @ 3k rpm (all good). Car is returned to me. I check spool valve filter for blockage, nothing found. Continue driving for a day (no vtec). Next day oil light starts to randomly blink whilst driving!!!, I pull over check oil level - still on max - no leaks.

I decide to replace the main oil pressure switch with new Honda part, as oil pressure test ok so must be faulty switch?. Next day oil light stays off and does not blink for 1 trip. Then 2nd trip back to blinking whilst driving. Never stays on and never comes on at idle?

Tomorrow, changing oil & filter(adl-blueprint jap part) as a last attempt to fix it. HAMP RTA-505 filter on at the moment.

Anyone any ideas what the hell has happened? I'm going crazy...

P.S. About the VTEC. I am running a dyno tuned P72ecu with Neptune RTP and a apexi vafc2(connected with boomslang harness - no dodgey wiring). I can see the vtec light turning red, so ecu sending vtec signal? yes/no?

 

if the VTEC light comes on, and the motor is not activating VTEC, i'd be concerned with that VAFC.

Why exactly are u running Neptune and a VAFC???

Make sure ur oil sending unit has a good connection. Sounds like ur takin the right steps, but im not sure why ur light would come on during driving, and not at idle

Have u changed the oil since the rebuild?

 

I had the vafc2 installed for ages. Long before the new ecu + neptune rtp. Its connected with a proper harness so defo not a bad diy apexi install wiring problem. The apexi is just for show now. No settings in it. vtec still worked the day the front balancer shaft seal popped out!

Its had regular oil + filter changes since the rebuild. Last oil change about 400miles ago. Oil was topped up by Honda after the repair to the seal.

The connection to the oil pressure switch is a bolt and electrical ring. I made sure the wire was nice and tight, and moved the wire around a bit incase of a poor connection. Oil light is behaving exactly the same as before I swapped out the pressure switch!

If, after I change the oil and filter again, and I still have problems, I might have to start to think about checking the wiring harness or loom for a bare wire or something shorting, its not likely though. I suppose I could disconnect the vafc2 from the harness to see.

I can't help thinking that the oil light isn't telling lies though, seems a huge conincidence that vtec stopped working at the same time. (through low oil pressure). But I had Honda do the oil pressure test to check. Very good pressure.




Modified by tim.simpson at 11:44 PM 11/6/2008

 

Did oil/filter change this morning. Took it out for a little test, all seemed well for a few miles (about 15 mins). Stopped to collect the missus (more weight in the car )and immediately the light blinks/flashes once at me as we pull away. Never flashes on idle, or pulling away in 1st. Flashes as I go into 2nd, then periodically flashes when driving along. At idle, if I blip the throttle it will flash once when the revs drop down. Never at idle. If I apply throttle in 3rd or 4th there is no light.

Starting to think there is a wiring fault somewhere for the oil light. Engine sounds no noiser than normal. If I had a pressure gauge installed it would prove it...

 

Do you think this could be caused by a dent in the sump? I cant see anything obvious, but cant find any good pics of h22a sumps to compare with....

 

the sump of the pan should be flat, with no caving.

If the lowest part of the pan looks like it could be worn as a hat, i suppose ur oil pick-up could be being blocked by the pan.

 

Update: Got SPA oil pressure and temp gauge fitted and proved that oil pressure was in fact all over the place! It was dipping low <10psi whilst driving along (which was flashing my oil light) and not increasing with revs as it should. Idle psi varied from 12-18psi one minute to >23psi another minute on idle with hot engine. Yet when driving oil pressure poor and was stopping vtec engagement.(<50psi at 3000rpm). I decided to pull the engine completely and replaced it with a used 90k Accord TypeR H22A7 engine and U2Q7 LSD gearbox running on my Neptune RTP. Now the engine has been stripped down it appears I was conned BIG TIME by Inline Motors Ltd. (UK) They had fitted a used JDM motor which had not been rebuilt at all, or fitted with the parts which I paid for. I would never use them again, or recommend them. I lost all my money on their 2 "rebuilds", and neither of the engines were any good at all. Didn't last more than 2k miles, which took it out of warranty, so they were not interested. I have no paperwork, only emails to back up my claim, so I have made a total loss with this. Take note, people in the UK, do NOT use Inline Motors, Wolverhampton.