Okay, here's what I'm experiencing. I'm trying to pick up an '01 GSR with just barely 45k on the clock. I test drove it today, all was well but when I tried to get VTEC to engage...nothing happened. I could hear the butterflies switch open at 4000ish rpm but at 5800/6000rpm...nothing. I checked the oil level, it's on the money and the oil is clean. Owner's had it for almost 2 years and said "It's always been this quiet". I couldn't believe him. I checked and checked but the car really is mostly stock aside from the intake.

I've had a '96 GSR with I/H/E Skunk2 Pro Intake, ITR Cams / Spring combo (long list) etc. and vtec engagement was always very audible even with my cold air.

This car is in great shape but no VTEC. Serious problem. I checked the ECU, it's P72 as it should be.

My question is, could everything the ECU needs to engage VTEC be satisfied (i.e. oil pressure, coolant temp, speed sensor, throttle position) and the ECU sends the signal to the solenoid but the solenoid itself doesn't respond? I really want to pick this car up but just can't without having an idea of where to go. I've been told by a friend of mine, who's a tech at Honda, that the ECU might store a code that disables VTEC but won't throw the CEL. I'm going to have the owner go to Advance Auto to have the ECU scanned for any hard codes and have them cleared.

I asked him to check out a google vid of a gsr's vtec engagement and he did, he told me he's never heard it like that. So he bought this car and vtec hasn't worked since.

 

my buddy just had the same problem with his gsr. come to find out the vtec solenoid went bad....

 

Are you basing this conclusion from not hearing the sound of vtec engage? Or did the owner already know this and tell you vtec will not engage?

 

You sure worded that in a difficult way to understand. You should have just asked "Did you drive it? Or did he just tell you?"

I drove it, and checked all connections myself. I did not have an OBD-II scan tool on me.

 

you do realize that you have it backwards. GSR vtec is 4400 and the secondaries come in somewhere under 6000. if the car revs hard to 8200 they are indeed working. if it falls off hard over 6000 you have an IAB problem.

this is like the 3rd thread i've came into with bad info this morning.

 

Then tell me why when I had my '96 GSR and switched to a Skunk2 intake manifold (this REMOVES the butterflies) VTEC engagement was at 6000rpm.

 

the ecu was chipped or you had a type r ecu in the car. the gsr crossover is at 4400, do a search if you would like to confirm this fact

 

I keep hearing this but my car was completely stock when I got it and I never changed the ECU nor did I run an ITR ECU. I heard the timing advance around 4400 but then VTEC wouldn't really hit until 6000rpm. Just my experience.

 

is it possible that vtec does indeed cross over at 4400, but timing wasn't advanced as far as it is at 6000, giving it the "kick" that you are describing? just a thought

 

Your experience is a tad bit on the wrong side. A b18c1 with a stock p72 ecu vtec xover is 4400 iab is at 5750. if the ecu is stock no matter what mods you throw at it the above numbers apply.

now with a chipped p72 or tuning device you could make your xover whatever you would like.

 

could not have said it better. check vtec solenoid.

 

heres a thread to check VTEC operation

https://honda-tech.com/forums/hybrid-engine-swaps-18/%5Bfaq%5D-%22my-vtec-doesnt-work%22-1812135/

 

timing advance? what? the vtec is at 4400rpms, 5750 is iab activation. its in the helms manual.

unplug the vacuum line to he iab line and go hit vtec.

 

if the solenoid is bad wont it throw the code for the solenoid? try taking off the vtec solenoid and look at the screen, it might be clogged.

 

dude vtec hits at 4400 rpm your integra like said had a chipped ecu belive me i have a 01 gsr and it hits at 4400 WHICH YOU DONT HEAR, do a thread search you barely hear gsr vtec you hear the cross over at 5800-5900 of the butterfly valves opening REALLY loud

 

if the car is stock you wont really hear it at all espeacially with all the noise polution maybe on a dead cold quiet night you might hear it at 4400 but if its not throwing a cell and the rev limiter is still reving up to 8200rpm then its fine if there was a problem the motor will first be put into limp mode by the ecu and your rev limiter will be set at around 5500rpm and a check engine light will pop up every one swears its saposed to pop like rrrrrrbbbraaanngggg!!, its a seamless crossover!, certain mods like intakes and headers can make it louder and amplify the sound, but it depends even on a tunned motor if its tunned properly you wont really hear it crossover when driving, on the dyno with the hood poped you will hear vtec cross over and it sounds awsome lol but im sure your just trippin on the vtec pop delema.

 

if anything check the solenoid. mine wasnt hooked up for a while and it never threw a code until the gaskets went bad.

 

Like everyone says. Why are so many gsr owners so obsess with not hearing their vtec engaging or their secondaries opening? If it pulls like a stock gsr regardless if you can't hear vtec/secondaries then it is working fine. Of all the stock gsr I have driven, you can't really hear the vtec/secondaries. It suppose to be a smooth transition.

 

no clue why this is so

an aluminium air intake tube and open exhaust find their way onto cars in search for the loud vtak !

who knows, maybe it's based in the type r since it's quite noticeable at crossover even stock.

 

Yeah, too many people are buying into "Oh, you suppose to hear vtec pop" on a stock gsr. Just because some vtec are louder than others doesn't necessarily imply that your getting the best of it. People are getting confuse on what vtec is and assuming that "the louder it is, the faster you will go." Just because you have vtec on a stock car, doesn't mean it will sound anything similar to a type r, rsx-s ivtec or even the celica gt-s vvtli because that is not always the case.