I bought this 2003 civic ex about 6 months ago and its been in limp mode since i got it thinking its probably just the vtec solenoid or something like that so yes I have been driving daily in a car stuck in limp mode. I found out about a month ago when I went to go change the vtec solenoid that the previous owner had swapped a non vtec motor into it and just put a vtec solenoid on the back. The car is an ex so it had a vtec motor but now it doesn't so the ecu freaks out and puts it into a limp mode is there any way that I could remove the vtec from the current ecu or just get a non vtec ecu because I don't feel like changing the head to a vtec head. Thanks.

 

Im more surprised the theres a spot to mount the solenoid on a non v head. If you have a non v engine and have a v ecu it wont work, you need the non v ecu to work and just remove the solenoid, dont cut the wires going to the solenoid, just tuck them away incase you get urge for vtec yo. The problem i see though is finding the right ecu with all the options of an ex, aka moon roof, cruise control, alarm, abs, tach, as far as i know the lx models dont come well equipped, my choice would be get the v head and save yourself some headaches, your block is a a2 right?

 

Yeah it's an a2 that's what I was worried about with the of cry thanks.

 

OF ECU* not cry lol

 

LX*

 

take a picture of the head and the solenoid attached to the head

 

Did you solve this problem I have the same I had the same problem with my civic tried a new non vtec ECU car didn't want to start without giving gas

 

Block stamp? If you have a spot to bolt on a vtec solenoid, it should have vtec. Or remove the valve cover and know for sure