my VTEC fell off...

[VT3C]

ok
Motor: JDM B16A
Car: 94 EG5

drove home from work the other day, took her to 6500 briefly (VTEC working) was cold dry weather.. then parked car outside for 3-4 hours.. then came outside to drive to shops and went to start car and CEL came straight on before the motor had turned over.

checked code and it's a good old "22" which is VTEC pressure Switch..

now my oil is a little bit dirty but isnt over due for 5,000kms service interval. and i've replaced the VTEC solenoid gasket within the last year. and because the CEL comes on before the motor starts I fuigure it must be a wiring issue rather than oil clogged screen.

obviously i fiddled with the plugs etc but still no VTEC..

man driving round for 3 days with no VTEC is fkn boring !! first time in 6 years i've had no VTEC :(

any ideas guys ? I have manual but only options is has is to test the voltage of the switch with a multimeter.. i dont have one tho:( i dont undeerstand why it just stopped workling like that..

[aaronng]

Buy a multimeter. $15 at jaycar.

[Limbo]

did you check if you have oil? COuld you be running low on oil?

[VT3C]

nah I am not running low on oil.. i check every couple of days as I use full synthetic oil.

plus - cant be oil-pressure related because the CEL comes STRAIGHT on when u turn on the ignition ( before you start the motor).. so i figure it must be a wiring / sensor issue.

checked the plugs etc and everything seems normal.

any yeah my oil is getting a bit dirty but is less than 4,000KMS old.. same goes for oil filter (genuine HONDA) etc..

[ECU-MAN]

sounds like an electrical problem.

you need to check the continuity from teh ecu to the VPS.

could be the switch just crapped it self.

try disconecting it and reconnecting it.

[VT3C]

wil ltrace wires etc on sunday and let u know how it goes ;) pray to god of vtec it comes back - driving with no vtec is soooo boring hahah

[daniel b16a]

ahhaha...bede juz get new engine...

[spardikis]

hey man although the light comes on straight away its best to check the actuall solinoid. take off the 3 10mm bolts and there you will find a small gauze the siez of an oval 10c piece filtering the inlet oil into the solinoid.
clean it well and reinstall it, making sure the rubber seal is oiled and seated properly again...very easy to check and clean, probably a 30min job.

[VT3C]

hey man although the light comes on straight away its best to check the actuall solinoid. take off the 3 10mm bolts and there you will find a small gauze the siez of an oval 10c piece filtering the inlet oil into the solinoid.
clean it well and reinstall it, making sure the rubber seal is oiled and seated properly again...very easy to check and clean, probably a 30min job.

hrm nah I've removed and serviced the solenoid within the past 12 months - replaced the gasket/screen with new item.. and i change my (synthetic) oil every ~4,000kms.

plus get this - last night I started the car after it had been left for a few hours again. .and the CEL didnt come on !!! I drove all the way to the servo (engine didnt warm completely up) and was too scared to turn off motor, but I did.. then I came and re-started car and no CEL for about 20 sec.. by now engine was warm.

so i think it must be a loose earth.. goin to take a look at her tonight

[aaronng]

Did I hear loose earth? It's time for the Ghetto Grounding Cable Mod! :D

[spardikis]

yeah, with the vtec pressure switch - it has an earth if i remember corectly. might be wrong tho...

[VT3C]

hrm.. my car has a mind of it's own.. artificial intelligence or SOMETHING !!

Long story but basically.. after i had picked up new header from Post Office, the CEL went off.. and I managed to drive to the servo as i mentioned.. then it came back on..

then the next day i spent a couple of hours cleaning and polishing the new (2nd hand) header and then when i went to get in my car to go to the shops, no CEL.. I started to think.. "gee you're goin to tease me untill you get the new parts installed huh?" as soon as I thought THAT, the CEL came back on..

next day when i went to install the header, i put the header in the front seat to drive to KB's house.. then the CEL wasnt on.. engine ALMOST warmed up ready for VTEC and then it came back on..

Fitted the headder.. went to start car up.. no CEL.. went for a test drive.. no CEL.. VTEC working (first time in almost 2 weeks !!) then after a few VTEC's it came back on.. I turned off the car and re-started immediately.. and havnt had the CEL since.. and VTEC been working perfectly..

now WTF ?!?!?!?!?! does my car have some kind of brain ?? I've had her for almost 6 years and done over 100,000kms in her.. and i have sentimental attachment.. but man this is WEIRD !! hahah

the ONLY semi logical explanation was that my negative battery terminal is VERY corroded and i wiggled the terminal and that was the ONLY other thing i did apart from the header install.. so unles sTHAT fixed the VPS code.. my car has a mind of it's own..

[spardikis]

check the knock sensor....i know the light comes on randomly when this is broken...they suck, they also have a tendancy to fall apart. worth a shot, its located under the intake manifold.

[spardikis]

but this does not explaine the cell you had !

[VT3C]

nah it aint the Knock sensor - I have NO knock sensor.. it was broken so i've removed it and wired ap a resistor to the ECU (thanks to ECU-MAN).. however I still reandomly get the code 23 (Knock Sensor).. but since the new header install.. i havnt been getting ANY codes !!!!

got some baking soda last night so will remove and wash my battery and replace the terminals on the weekend.. might make that ghetto earth kit too.. at least for the main ones ;)

[EGB16A]

nah it aint the Knock sensor - I have NO knock sensor.. it was broken so i've removed it and wired ap a resistor to the ECU (thanks to ECU-MAN).. however I still reandomly get the code 23 (Knock Sensor).. but since the new header install.. i havnt been getting ANY codes !!!!

got some baking soda last night so will remove and wash my battery and replace the terminals on the weekend.. might make that ghetto earth kit too.. at least for the main ones ;)

so vtec works for you now??

[barefootbonzai]

when they were talking about grounding, it's not the one from your negative battery terminal. You should check the grounding wire from the VPS is getting good ground.

[VT3C]

yes VTEC has been working (no VPS code etc) since I installed the header.. and like i said the ONLY thing i did that may have 'fixed' the problem was to wiggle jiggle the negative battery terminal. I havnt touched any other grounds etc. I am thinking that perhaps the corrosion on the negative terminal may have created some interfearance in the grounding field and perhaps altered the readings to the ECU of the VPS.
The wires (one to ECU, the other a ground) from the VPS are in the stock B16A harness and nothing has been touched there since my swap.

now my battery terminal corrosion - what causes THAT ?? because in 6 years i have only ever got this problem fairly recently (3 months or so) and when i clear away the corrosion it's all back in like 1 day's time. Also been getting zapped when exiting my car last couple of weeks.. might be related ? the battery is only newish..

[spardikis]

if it is a green or blue coloury powder its copper salphate which is the reaction between sulpheric acid and copper. basicly when you get battery acid leaks on your terminals and or wires. it changes colour depending on what metal the acid reatcts with too. just wash it off.

Anyway, i'm in the process of trying to fix my knock sensor. its pissing me off. what's the go with the resistor? wouldnt mind getting rid of the stupid knock sensor myself.

As for your code, check all your connections and maybe even put annother direct battery ground to the engine or rocker cover... or check you have put the one from the radiator support back to the rocker cover. ive seen problems where a car would start, but had no head lights or stereo due to poor grounding like this.

[aaronng]

got some baking soda last night so will remove and wash my battery and replace the terminals on the weekend.. might make that ghetto earth kit too.. at least for the main ones ;)
Do I hear the someone wanting to be the first to follow my GGC (Ghetto Grounding Cable) DIY? :D

[aaronng]

now my battery terminal corrosion - what causes THAT ?? because in 6 years i have only ever got this problem fairly recently (3 months or so) and when i clear away the corrosion it's all back in like 1 day's time. Also been getting zapped when exiting my car last couple of weeks.. might be related ? the battery is only newish..
It's corrosion of the battery terminal and/or connector. Just record your radio code and radio station presets. Take off the connectors (-ve first, then +ve), clean up the corrosion from the terminal. Apply dielectric grease (the one used for spark plugs) or spray on silicone lubricant. Then reconnect the terminals, +ve first and then -ve. Once you've put it on. Spray a bit more silicone or apply more grease (not too much grease, otherwise it'll get messy)

[VT3C]

Do I hear the someone wanting to be the first to follow my GGC (Ghetto Grounding Cable) DIY? :D

yeah for sure.. I know what to do just not 100% sure where all the Crounds are located.. found 3 so far ;)

bought new decent gold-plated battery terminals also.. fitting them tonight if I have time after work.

[Limbo]

Just put a few extra so that you don't get the same problem. If you double up on the grounds than that should fix your problem.

[spardikis]

deffinatly...let us know how she goes :)