vtec problem pleaseeee help

[alex690]

hey i just bought a 99 vtir lude and vtec in second is acting a little strange..
first gear theres not much vtec about it which is standard i think
second gear vtec either kicks in at like 6800 - 7000 rpm or it kicks in at just past 5000 and it feels like vtec is cutting in and out after that..
3rd gears fine.
please help me
thanks fellas

[riruiz_88]

are you sure your car is at running temperature? your car wont engage vtec unless its at optimum oil pressure/temperature.

[_bORdO_]

im not to sure about what im about to say tho,
i have heard people talk about either oil leaks or not enough oil in your vtec solenoid.

again not 2 sure but would hurt to check if you have any sort of leak around your solenoid.

[Sleepy.]

check your oil level.

[gumus89]

Car must be running at normal temperature, vtec wont work when oil pressure isnt normal.

Oil may be low, as its the oil itself that engages the vtec.

Vtec Solenoid may need cleaning/gasket may need replacing.

Preludepower is a great site, lots of info. Same with Preludeaustralia.com
Cleaning VTEC Solenoid (http://www.preludepower.com/forums/showthread.php?t=287196&highlight=Cleaning+Vtec+solenoid)

[alex690]

another thing i noticed is that in second just after vtec finally kicks in for a split second it turns off again and i get a rather noisy rattle from somewhere in the engine bay..?

[aaronng]

What petrol are you using? Your car needs a minimum of 95 RON, but 98 RON would be the way to go since your combustion chamber would have some carbon buildup which can cause hot spots and some amount of pinging under heavy load.

[alex690]

thanks for the help..
i got a service changed all the fluids and cleaned out my throttle body.
seems to have fixed it all up car feels much more responsive and smooth now