Q about testing vtec solenoid..

[cdpfxz]

hey guys & girls, just a quick question regarding the vtec solenoid, i just used a test light to check if the vtec solenoid was working, and put it in the 2 spots shown and it didnt light up at all.. i was doing it in neutral, and i understand that vtec should still kick in in neutral shouldnt it?

secondly, i disconnected the connector to the solenoid and put the light into that side and it didnt light up either so does that mean that the solenoid might be stuffed? or could it be the wiring to the solenoid?

(all these tests were done revving to 7000)

any help would be greatly appreciated (and yes i have searched!)..... thanks in advance!

nic

[EuroDude]

From what Ive read, VTEC doesnt activate in Neutral.

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showpost.php?p=589721&postcount=27

[ProECU]

LOL, you actually need to be moving, vtec wont kick in without the ECU registering speed.

[pg_vtec]

vtec wont engage in neutral...

try putting it in first..

[cdpfxz]

so in other words i have to hook up a light, then run that through to the cabin? is that the only way i can test it?

nic

[EuroDude]

Well you could jack up the front wheels and drive it in gear with the bonnet open, but you better not do that, it could be very dangerous.

Just get a long wire and rig it around the bonnet through the driver window and blue-tac it down. Or get a VTEC indicator installed yo! :p

[cdpfxz]

ha yeh, the first idea doesnt sound too good.... might be exciting though! :lol:

yeh i might just hook a light up to it tomoro and run that, if i hooked it up to the vtec wire off the ecu, it wouldnt light up if the solenoid was stuffed would it? like it'd do the same thing hey?

sorry for all my questions, im new to vtec as ive been a turbo boy for the last few years! and cant find answers to these searching.. thanks for all ur help

nic

[iamhappy46]

Hey nic,
Will give you a hand tomorrow at Willowbank if you have any problems...

I had a VTEC LED on my Gf's Civic. I can show you which wire you need to cut on the ECU and then rig up a LED or bulb so you know when VTEC is on...

[EuroDude]

But a vtec light wouldn't tell if the solenoid if working or not would it? The light would only tell you if the ECU is sending power to the solenoid. (correct me if i'm wrong).

I would imagine an ECU code will tell you if there is anything wrong with VTEC.

[iamhappy46]

To quickly test if the VTEC solenoid is working, apply a 12V feed directly to the solenoid wire(with the ECU side connector disconnected) and you will hear a clicking sound to confim it works.

[cdpfxz]

hey! yeh that'd be good if u can help me out! i might try hookin up a power line to the solenoid tomoro, thats a good idea! cos i did think about wat euro dude is saying about the power going to the solenoid but doesnt mean its working!

nic

[ECU-MAN]

But a vtec light wouldn't tell if the solenoid if working or not would it? The light would only tell you if the ECU is sending power to the solenoid. (correct me if i'm wrong).

I would imagine an ECU code will tell you if there is anything wrong with VTEC.

yes your right, that only test to see if the ECU is giving the Solenoid power.
its best to take it from the solenoid to ensure your wiring to the solenoid is ok.




To quickly test if the VTEC solenoid is working, apply a 12V feed directly to the solenoid wire(with the ECU side connector disconnected) and you will hear a clicking sound to confim it works.

that to is an awsome Idea/test, but you have to rev the car to 1500 rpm as the oil pressure at idle is not enough to engage VTEC,
downside with this though it dosnt test each individual cylinder. You have to do a VTEC bleed test on each cylinder to ensure the VTEC piston is locking all 3 rockers together.

[cdpfxz]

so that test running a 12v line to the solenoid would work aslong as u held the revs up at 1500-2000 rpm? ...... cars suck! this is why i got away from turbo.... never ends!

nic

[iamhappy46]

But, the 12V feed will allow you to 'hear' if the solenoid works. The cams may not change(due to low oil pressure) but it confirms the solenoid is working.

[cdpfxz]

ah yeh i get wat ur saying.... so if there's power being sent to it, and the solenoid is working, then only problem which i may have is vtec not engaging in all cylinders....

hmmm

nic

[ECU-MAN]

But, the 12V feed will allow you to 'hear' if the solenoid works. The cams may not change(due to low oil pressure) but it confirms the solenoid is working.

yes you may hear a click, still the pin in the solenoid may be jamming, little rev tests the rest of the spool valve.

[ECU-MAN]

ah yeh i get wat ur saying.... so if there's power being sent to it, and the solenoid is working, then only problem which i may have is vtec not engaging in all cylinders....

hmmm

nic

no, that just another posibility

what exactly is your problem

VTEC can have many different problems, but the same symptoms

[cdpfxz]

well im unsure if its engaging at all.... u cant hear it, and u can feel a bit of a pull once u hit around 5-5500, but i dont think its vtec, i think its just the same pull u get of any engine once u get up to around these revs, same as i had wit d16a8....

nic

[ECU-MAN]

probably bet start with your very 1st post in this thread,

connect a wire from the vtec solenoid, ( the single wire connector going to the solenoid ) not the Vtec oil pressure switch.

run the wire into the car, even if its through the drivers window, connect it to a test light and connect the other end of the test light to ground.

go for a drive, non of this lets blow our engine in Neutral stuff

when you hit VTEC the light should come one

some time its hard to tell if VTEC didnt kick in, But in a NA VTEC car you most defainanlt can hear it when it did not kick into vtec ( stock exhaust ),

[ECU-MAN]

also is your sump dented ????

[cdpfxz]

yeh ive got intake and cat-back exhaust on it....... so makes it harder to hear over that....... i'll do the check tomoro then and see wat happens.... and go from there..

nic

[ECU-MAN]

its the exhaust note you listen to,

they sound different in high revs on low cams.

[EuroDude]

You could take out the Air Filter resonator and listen to the difference in sound between revving in Neutral, and revving in gear.

The resonator is that curved air intake piping you can simply lift out.


[edit] scratch that, you have an aftermarket intake (unless its just a panel replacement?).

[cdpfxz]

no the sump doesnt hav a dent in it as far as i know..... changed oil the other day and it was all good...... and yeh it was the same b4 i changed the oil... just another question, if the light showed power from the wire to the solenoid, it still wouldnt mean the solenoid was working though would it?

nic

[cdpfxz]

its got j's replica intake on it. my mate had a del sol wit b16a, and it sounds nothing like that did.... no roar as such

nic

[ECU-MAN]

yes and no

it proves the ecu is doing its bit

you then could have a prefecly fine VTEC solenoid, spool valve, strainer, cam gear, but low oil pressure


trust me you can beat yoru self or months trying to find the problem.

could even be your thermostat.

I had a problem car recently, turned out to be the relife valve in the oil pump

after the voltage test you best do a oil pressure test

[cdpfxz]

yeh thats the prob hey! sometimes it takes u forever to find these little probs! i'll do the voltage test tomoro anyway, and let u know how it goes....

nic

[EuroDude]

Click this (VTEC test):
http://www.all-acura.com/article141.html

[cdpfxz]

thanks eurodude.... just had a read and thats helpful too.... looks like im spending my day tomoro going through all these tests until i find something!

nic

[jsttgn]

get a haynes manual

[tinkerbell]

get a haynes manual

WTF?

i think he needs a help - not a hinderance...

here is something that might help too:

VTEC Troubleshooting
http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=164863

[tinkerbell]

From what Ive read, VTEC doesnt activate in Neutral.

http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showpost.php?p=589721&postcount=27

FYI - hat is only in reference to auto transmissions...

VTEC will activate in neutral in a manual transmission car, you just have to be moving...

[iamhappy46]

Yeah, good idea... Jack up the front of the car and spin a wheel to pulse the VSS ;)

[cdpfxz]

i have power to the solenoid, and the solenoid makes the click sound wen i put power to it, so i might pull it off and see if it needs a clean... that guide was good too tinkerbell, thanks!

nic :thumbsup:

[cdpfxz]

pulled it off and all seems good.. in relation to vtec not engaging due to low oil pressure...... is that because the ecu registers low pressure (meaning because there is power going to the solenoid, oil pressure is not an issue) or will it still not engage with low oil pressure even if the ecu sends power to it? thanks for ur help ppl....

nic :thumbsup:

[ECU-MAN]

you also need load to get VTEC to engage, best drive it on the street in 1st gear.

if your oil pressure is low VTEC can engage then disengage, or not engage at all.

[cdpfxz]

yeh i drove it around the street wen i tested it, i had my foot down wen i was making sure it was powering the solenoid, and the light held right through....

wat i meant wit that last post was, with vtec not engaging due to low oil pressure, is it because the ecu detects that and doesn't send a signal, or is it because of something engine related which doesn't engage it. because the ecu is sending power to the solenoid...

nic

[ECU-MAN]

on a pre OBDII car, the ECU check the VTEC pressure switch ( VPS ) when VTEC engages, if the switch does not register a pressure signal, ( makes not difference what the pressure is ) the Engine Light will come on and you will not get any VTEC action.

how ever if you have oil pressure problems, your ecu might not see that, as the VTEC solenoid is open, some pressure is pressent and trigering the VPS, but not enough to engage all the cylinders.
posible causes,

relife valve,
oil pump,
sump/pickup
oil quality ( viscosity, age )
oil level,
oil filter,
VTEC solenoid strainer
oil galeries.

[cdpfxz]

ok kool i gotcha!

possibilities as far as i can see then are the relief valve, oil pump or oil galleries.... the rest i have checked or changed recently..

nic

[ECU-MAN]

is your sump slighly convex ( the bottom of a spoon ) flat or concave could be borderline.

[cdpfxz]

from memory of my look at it this morning im pretty sure its completely flat

nic

[ECU-MAN]

when all else has failed, ( which is probably now )

hook up an oil pressure guage to your main oil pressure outlet ( remove the pressure switch ) and check the engines oil pressure. at idle, at 3000 rpm and at 5000 rpm

[cdpfxz]

yeh i think thats the go.... might go buy one in the next couple of days, best way to see whether its an oil pressure related problem i guess!

nic

[AsH_]

how much are vtec solenoids ???

New ???
Used ???

[schmick_mick]

The car needs to be doing 30kph and have 60PSI oil pressure before the VTEC will activate.