alright bought this hatch over a month ago.
It had an LS/VTEC swap and when i bought it vtec didnt work.
Things i've tried:
New Distributor
New thermostat (always ran cold)
New VSS, VSS plug and Cluster
Chipped ECU
Oil pan removed and banged out dent, new gasket

My friend suggested trying a new oil line, my ones really long and thin compared to his,
does anyone know if this could cause low oil pressure at the head, and VTEC not to engage?

please help and thanks in advance

Josh

 

maybe a bad vtec solinoid?

 

Why dont you think it has vtec? GSR head or b16?

If GSR: does it have a stock manifold?

There are thousands of posts on here about people not having vtec, or vtec engaging at 5700 rpm when its supposed to be at 4400, etc. What are your specific issues/



edit: Would any of the things you tried even cause vtec to not engage?

 

is Vtec wired up?? its stupid answer but i have seen it happen

 

Do your or your friend know anything about hydraulic systems or pressure? If you have a smaller diameter line or pipe, pressure and velocity will increase. For example, if you used 1" piping instead of 1/2" piping for your sprinkler system you will loose water pressure and the water wouldn't spray as far.
Also, did vtec ever work? What ecu are you using, any CEL's, what tune or chip, how is the vtec wired, may have a faulty vtec solenoid or pressure swithc? There are many things that can be causing your problem.

 

I have no CEL's, using a chipped P28 from Phearable.net. i checked the solenoid on the + terminal and it popped. checked all the wires today, and vtec wires are run straight from the solenoid to the ecu. its a GSR head with skunk 2 intake manifold and stock exhaust manifold. yes the oil line is smaller diameter but its about twice as long as needs to be.

how do i know its got no vtec? no audible crossover and lack of power about 5500rpms.

 

i have an lsv, ive run into no vtec multiple times. every time its been the wiring. when you take off your solenoid to check the screen, if oil drips out of the galley you know its getting oil.

 

did you have any CEL's when u had wiring problems?
i had alot of oil come out when i removed the solenoid. but does that mean im getting enough pressure to it?

 

i had no cel's, and yes, that should indicate oil pressure is fine.
i bet its your wiring.

 

the wiring for the vtec solenoid is good. what other wires should i check? none are broken or loose as far as i can see.

 

Check that the temp sensor for the ECU is working and wired correctly. There are 3 things that must be met for VTEC to engage.

1. Speed exceeding 25 mph. (I think 25 mph)
2. Engine up to temperature.
3. Enough oil pressure at the pressure switch. (green sensor under solenoid)

If the ECU temp sensor is wired incorrectly (could be) the engine will read as being cold. Engine will run rich, idle poorly, VTEC won't engage.

 

well 5500rpms is butterfly opening on stock gsr manifold but you have skunk2 so you would here it b/s there is not a secondary butterfly on skunk2 manifold. on ur chipped ecu at what rpm is your vtec set at if it's at stock setting 4400 you shouldn't here the transaction b/c it's suppose to be a smooth transaction..

 

are you using a JDM head and ECU for any reason? because i know for a fact if you are not sure for obd1, but for obd2 you won't even have the oil pressure switch under the solenoid because the JDM ecu's already read the oil pressure reading in the ecu, but if your using a usdm one, more than likely i would replace the oil pressure sensor i think they run about $80 or so direcctly from honda.

 

I'm offended by the OP's name

 

What the hell are you talking about? JDM or USDM the VTEC solenoid and oil pressure sensor layout is the same. They are right next to each other and part of the same unit.

The ECU uses the signal from the oil pressure sensor to make sure there is enough pressure to engage VTEC. Without enough pressure, it would not work correctly and damage the engine. The oil pressure 'switch' on the back of the engine and the oil pressure sensor on the VTEC head unit are totally different things.

 

do u have vtec or vtech?
jk
but u really have to take ur time and check all wiring and fuses

 

first off, why would you buy a ls/vtec with no vtec? did you ask the person who you bought it from what the problem was? if that person didnt know then why did you buy it?

anyways, not trying to be a douche bag but i personally wouldnt have bought a car like that. check the wires from the vtec solenoid to the ecu, maybe its not put into the right plugs. or maybe its not plugged in all the way. hope you fix it cuz no vtec = no fun.

 

You're starting to get repeat advice. People generally read the OP then put in their 2 cents. Nobody is going to read every post. So at this point we can confirm that:


The solenoid works when you put 12V to it manually.
You have enough oil in the pan. (Up to line #2 on the stick)
The wiring to the ECU for both the solenoid and the oil pressure sensor is good.
Your coolant is topped up (To get an accurate temp reading)
Your ECU temp sensor functions properly and is correctly wired. (If these 2 wires happen to be reversed, it won't read properly - I know from experience)
Your speed sensor on the top of the transmission is wired correctly.

Since you bought the car with the LS VTEC already in it, you don't know how that oil pressure line was made, or installed. Teflon tape may have been used, which can become lodged in the hose, or other component, restricting oil flow. That piece of hose seems to be the weak link here. Maybe remove it, check it out, make it the right length and make sure it can flow. Check that VTEC unit and make sure that there's no debris in the screen.

 

^ mr. stumble on your own words, OP already stated he checked the solenoid screen. oil flowed from solenoid/galley.

i still think its your wiring. make sure everything is run correctly and most importantly make sure the wires are pinned into the harness.

 

Alright i got an alright deal on this car which is why i bought it with no vtec. at first it showed code 8 which i checked before i bought it, and that was a pretty easy fix and i thought that would fix the vtec, but it didn't so now i'm stuck trying to fix it.

anyways vtec is set at 5000rpms on the ECU, its a usdm head and ecu.
i ordered a new line, so ill change that out when it gets here.

whats the temperature sensor's pinout # on the ecu? ill check the wiring for that, but the gauge works fine, so i cant see that being a problem.

the car runs absolutely fine other than vtec not working. no bogging, sputtering, backfiring or anything. and yea i agree no vtec = no fun.

thanks for all the suggestions i really appreciate it
keep 'em comin!

 

I tried to read most of the posts but may have missed one or two...

How are you reading the oil pressure? Do you have a gauge installed? Have you tried using another ecu?

Whom ever built the block could have used incorrect Main bearings leaving you with low oil pressure. Just throwing out another idea.

 

Have you tried re-grounding the wires?

 

Did you try the knock sensor yet? I had that problem on my lsv in my crix.

 

i am not reading the oil pressure. im thinking about getting a gauge though.
i have receipts for the build they say p30 bearings. are these ok?

 

The gauge and the ECU temp come from 2 totally different sensors. Dash temp is from the one wire smaller sensor underneath the distributor. ECU temp is from the two wire bigger sensor, also under and near the distributor. If those wires are backwards... NO ECU TEMP.