Hello everyone, been dealing with this weird issue on my car for the passed few days. Vtec is not engaging on my B16. There is absolutely no oil going to the test port on the head on idle with the solenoid getting 12v from the battery. The solenoid is clicking, but nothing is going through it I'm assuming.
When the solenoid is plugged in properly into the ecu, the computer is sending battery voltage to the right wire. My engine has proper oil pressure (70+psi), and the o ring under the cam cam in the center is present, and brand new. The engine is a B16A2 swapped into a 2000 Honda Civic CX. Again, all the wireing is there, Vtec Mechanical issue going on, and it's driving me crazy.

https://youtu.be/6xQ8LmdqYTE

That's what the car pulls like, if this helps anyone.

 

Update, took off The spool valve again to see if any oil would flow to it, and nothing. Pressure switch still seems to fill up, not throwing a vtec code so I'm assuming it's still seeing the pressure required for vtec. Anyone know where the oil flows in this head?

 

How do you know if it's not going into vtec? My si with the b16 is the slowest vehicle I own, so it doesnt feel special at any rpm?

 

I know it's not going into vtec because it falls flat on it face at 6500 rpm, and the vtec test port has no oil whatsoever in it.

 

Try a known good solenoid. I had that solenoid fail , only I had a code for it. The vtec engagement point was like hitting the brakes. Enough to toss you forward .

 

I have a funny feeling it's not the solenoid, i coukd run cleaner through it when it has power, and it closes properly. Car runs the exact same with the solenoid unplugged from the ecu

 

How are you testing the signal?

 

With a multimeter inside the car, 13.5v(Battery voltage im assuming) is being sent to the solenoid at about 5500rpm. Recently I've been confused because the fuel map doesn't seem to change. Car runs exacly the same with the solenoid unplugged. ECU I'm using is a P2T

 

The ecu doesn't send a 13.5v to the trigger the solenoid buddy...

 

The exact number don't really could, you're probably right, i was driving when i seen this. Still dosent help the fact that no oil is making it to my solenoid

 

Check the head?

 

I'm trying to avoid taking it off for now. My union is on strike, and I've got no source of income to buy headstuds and a gasket. Could my oil pump be gone bad? Even though it produces enough pressure at the block?

 

This is what the car pulls like, it's the same with and without solenoid unplugged. At this point my mind is blown. Took it for a long drive today, there is oil that came out of the test port on the head, which is good news to me.

 

What is the check engine light on for? Mine pulls and sounds the exact same way. I don't see or hear an issue

Are you running 5w30 synthetic? Are you running a new oil filter?

What ecu are you running?

 

That Engine light was actually for the Vtec pressure switch. At that time my oil pan had a dent in it. I've removed the dent and haven't got that light again, thankfully. 5w30 Royal Purple in the engine with a brand new filter. Shouldn't you be able to hear the crossover ever so slightly?

 

Not if the car is stock. Get an intake and exhaust and I'm sure youd hear the tone change

 

Forgot to mention i had megan racing headers with a cat back exhaust. Decent sized muffler in the back aswell. With a cheap cold air intake.

 

"Low oil pressure, not having the engine warmed up, bad VTEC solenoid, I think it would depend on the CEL but all the above could cause VTEC to not engage."

Again, the ecu does not send 13.5vs to activate vtec. If you wired it to the battery you're doing it wrong.

 

Not wired to the battery, straight to the right pin on the ecu. Probably doesn't show 13.5, coulda been 12.5, was driving whilst looking at the meter. But the engine is seeing all the right parameters for vtec. The video above shows how it runs all the way up to eight grand. Engine runs the same with and without solenoid unplugged though, which confuses me. I'm reading that the engine would run like crap because of the fuel mapping or something when it goes into vtec without the solenoid unplugged, but it doesn't change one bit. I've got an adjustable fuel pressure regulator on the engine, i wonder if whoever had it before me set it too low or too high.

 

Use a led light or something, ground one end and put the other to the signal.

 

Replace the pressure switch. My car had a similar problem and for some reason the switch had a hairline crack on the connector. My sympotms was that the car ran better when the check engine light was on. Otherwise it would have a high idle when I first started it

 

Think that would restrict oil to the pins? Car runs perfectly fine, just not sure if i got vtec lol. No engine lights. I'll keep an eye out for a used one.

 

So, figured I wouldn't leave this hanging. But after testing just about everything, I finaly solved my problem. I had a funny feeling somebody installed a Gasket for a Non Vtec motor, or put the gasket on backwards. So today I went out and bought a kit for lsvtec oil lines, to bypass the oil passages in the block and go straight to the head. After installing it, I went out for a boot and voila, Vtec. Never been so happy, could finally focus on something else lol. Figured I'd post this here, since a couple people tried to help me out.

 

So uh, youre saying you dont have a b16a2 then?

Yeah that probably would have helped diagnose the problem

 

It is a b16a2, i guess somebody put the wrong headgasket on or something before me blocking the hole for vtec oil