VTEC Installation

[XP02ED]

OK,

well basically im trying to install my vtec.

i understand i need to run wires from vtec solenoid and the vtec oil pressure sensor

ive read this forum :

http://hondaswap.com/general-tech-articles/how-wire-vtec-40811/

so i understand i need to run a wire from

VTEC solenoid to A4 and a wire from vtec oil pressure to D6

i knoe the vtec oild pressure has 2 wires comming out, mine is broke so theres 2 wires comming out of this where does the 2nd wire go to?

[|N|]

install vtec? lol....

[Eclipsor]

Is it black? Should be a ground. Connect to chassis ground.

[CRXer]

I just noticed in the other thread your running a D15B,I always thought the D15Z was the VTEC version(pardon my civic ignorance)?

What are u doing a head swap or something?

Anyway just run the black wire to the thermostat ground or wherever yours is on the engine.

The other blue/blk? wire to D6 as u have done.

vtec solenoid wire also correct

At least that will clear up your code 22.

The code 23,i dont think your engine has a knock sensor,has it?
Did the ecu come with the head/motor or whatever u bought?
U'll have to wait for the big boys to answer that one.

[XP02ED]

aiight yeh

sorry im running the JDM d15b spec SOHC vtec

ill try take some pics tmz..

looks like the sensors r broken but has wires comming out of it.. which a couple people told me is the vtec oil pressure sensor

aiight well for now i wont worry about codes.. i need to wire up my vtec..

from vtec solenoid do i connect one wire a4?

ah i guess il post my pics tmz to show ya guys what i mean!

[[[d a n n y]]]

3 wires from the one of the plugs on the strut tower bar
since your running your origianl engine wires u dont need to add wires from the Vtec solonoid all u need is to add it from the 3 clips next to the strut tower and then to the ECU

[XP02ED]

danny what ya mean bro!

whats a strut tower and where is that!

[Eclipsor]

I think he means. If you're using the wiring loom that came on the engine and it is intact you should just have to run wires from the big "cannon" plugs at the side of the engine bay to the ecu. Because the sensors are already wired to those plugs.

[XP02ED]

oh yeh i knoe what ya mean

BUT the vtec pressure and solenoid plugs arent plugged to anything if you know what i mean

its just hanging off NOT connected to anything

heres a pic

http://xposed.au.com/carproblems/vtec.jpg

anyone tell me what that green thing is?

it looks like it was broken?

BTW as u can see my vtec isnt connected anywhere.. so th ats what im asking where do i connect it to!

if any1 can take pics and show us how there vtec pressure looks like?

[Eclipsor]

Yeah so you were right in your first post as to where to connect the vtec solenoid and vtec oil pressure. Can't help you with the green thing.

[CRXer]

Yeah looks like its snapped off,however,looks like the focus on your camera is snapped off also,so hard to tell.Should look like this

http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g268/CRXer/IMG_1270_1_1.jpg

Do u have the green plug that plugs into it,wired into the engine harness?

When they say strut tower,referring to the plugs at the shock tower like the other one u were having trouble with,except the vtec wires will appear at the passenger side plugs.

Btw green thing is the vtec pressure switch,looks like u need to find a new one,it tells the ecu that oil pressure is sufficient at the vtec solenoid valve to go ahead with vtec operation.

[XP02ED]

hey!

hmmm the green thing is snapped off, the top bit just has 2 peices of metal comming out of it.

as for the vtec wire, like mine yours is a green wire which turns into a plug right, mine is the same BUT is not connected anywhere

is the green thing, wired to anything?

here is a bette rpic

http://xposed.au.com/carproblems/vtec2.jpg

see how the green thing has 2 pieces of metal, im guessing they turn into wires?
and the plug from solenoid is a single wire..

if someone can tell me where do i wire them to! and nah i looked everywhere in my harness the vtec plugs aren't there

[CRXer]

The "green thing" should be plugged into the green plug u see in the bottom left of the pic.
As mentioned before,"usually" blue/black wire goes to D6 on the ecu & black wire goes to the ground point on your engine,usually thermostat housing.It doesnt matter which wire is connected to which of the 2 pins,2 bits of metal your talking about,its just a switch.So u need new pressure switch"green thing" & a new green plug with some wire hanging out of it so u can extend em to where they have to go.Or u can do a hell bodgy job & try solder some wires to the 2 bits of metal hanging out,but no guarantees on this method.Its no fun at all trying to find intermittent vtec engagement problems.

The green/yellow wire from the vtec solenoid goes into the grey plug,obviously,so u need the grey plug that fits into this plug so u can run the wire back to ecu A4 as u mentioned in first post.U could also just cut the grey plug off & join a bit of wire straight to it if u wanted,without any problems,just insulate the join well with some heatshrink.

[XP02ED]

ok so if im doing a dodgy job right.. i will need too

Vtec Solenoid Wire : connect this wire to A4 on the ECU (or look for wire from this slot and connect to it

Vtec Pressure Sensor : connect 1 wire to D6 and ground one

i aint to worried about cutting plugs off to wire stuff ;D

[CRXer]

Yes,correct connections.

Theres no prob with cutting the grey plug off & just joining the wire,just make sure its well insulated(like i said heat shrink,not tape,if u use tape put some split conduit over it as well or cable tie the tape on) & support the wire as well,dont leave it dangling by the solder or crimp connector join.

The green plug,try find some terminals to slide onto the metal bits & again insulate it well,but your on your own with this one,I highly recommend u get the proper plug & get a new pressure switch.

If your gonna get this dodgy,I would probably just run the pressure switch terminal D6 to ground & forget about the pressure switch for now ,till u find a new one.Just make sure u keep your oil well maintained & topped up,& dont come crying to me when something breaks;)

I have seen vtec pressure switches before disabled by software,but i just dont want to be responsible for tellin u to do this.

[XP02ED]

hahaha aiight

so that covers the solenoid bit

yeh i guess ill buy a pressure switch

when i buy this it wont come with the plug though to the wires right

but i rex i can just run the wires off it? without the switch

ill check it out tnmz and open up the switch to see whats in there..

im assuming its just 2 wires.

one which connects to D6 and one ground!

[CRXer]

hahaha aiight

so that covers the solenoid bit

yeh i guess ill buy a pressure switch

when i buy this it wont come with the plug though to the wires right

but i rex i can just run the wires off it? without the switch

ill check it out tnmz and open up the switch to see whats in there..

im assuming its just 2 wires.

one which connects to D6 and one ground!


Yeah youll have to find someone with an old engine harness or cut one off a wreck to get the plug.I might have something thatll do the job,I'll have a look later.

[XP02ED]

aiight kool, thanks! i posted it on wanting to buy i guess hopefully someone has one ;D

vtec wont work untill this is connect right!

[CRXer]

Ok dude,your in luck,I got the 2 plugs,u just have to find the pressure switch.

The pressure switch plug is not pretty green,but you'll just have to cope with grey.

They also only got bout a metre of wire hanging out of em,but at least u'll be able to make a proper join on the pressure switch.

Like I said u dont really need the solenoid plug,but i got if u want.

Also if u search the local wrecker,u'll find a lot of intake manifold sensors,such as IAT,IACV,etc, use the same plugs as the pressure switch if thats easier & the solenoid plug I'm fairly sure is the same as some A/C compressor plugs,so that opens up the possibilities a bit.

PM me if u want mine,however,I'm at the opposite end of Sydney.

EDIT:yes,no vtec for u unless solenoid connected & pressure switch wire from ecu grounded in some sort of fashion.

[XP02ED]

oo aiight sweet as!

pm sent! :D!

btw i got no idea where the pressue switch is?

is this it?

http://xposed.au.com/carproblems/vtec3.jpg

i think this is what im gna do :

Vtec Solenoid : direct wire from A4 on ECU straigt to the solenoid.
Vtec Pressure Sensor : direct wire from one plug to D6 on the ECU, then i will connect a direct wire to ground

ill start it tomorrow morning,

if im wrong please tell me!

only thing im worried about is the pressure sensor im assuming from the photo above, does it matter which one i use as poisitive or negative?

EDIT : ok pm cleared it up for me! thanks! time to look for a pressure switch, but can someone clear up if the wiring im abotu to do is correct?

[CRXer]

Doesnt matter which way u connect the pressure switch,it is just a switch,its just joining the 2 wires together.

Yes that is the pressure switch,find a new one.

And yes the connections u listed are correct.

[XP02ED]

SWEET! if you come around to me work later that will be sweet, just be here by 10:30 :D

[XP02ED]

ehy guys well i wired my vtec i think

the wire from A4 was orange and white, which i followed through to the shock tower at passenger side which i connected directly the vtec wire too..

the D6 wire did the same but was orange and blue which i connected on vtec pressure switch to..

and the other wire to a ground which the engine uses?

both wires directly below each other!

if i should change the grounding? where should i ground it

did this install my vtec? how can i tell>?

[Eclipsor]

If they aren't connected properly you should get an ecu code.

[XP02ED]

and im a noob ;D

how do i get an ECU code LOL

i was told i got an aftermarket tacho if this helps

[CRXer]

Did u find a new pressure switch or is it at least hooked up "temporarily",pics please.

If it is hooked up,connect a small wattage 12V globe between pin A13 on the ecu & a 12V power source such as the ignition supply on your clock.

then turn on the ignition & see if the globe blinks at you & count them,noting any pauses, & long/short flashes.

Could also hook up a 12V small wattage globe,one end to the vtec solenoid wire the other end to ground & go for a drive & see if it lights up at the vtec engagement point for your engine.Dont disconnect the solenoid wire ,just tap the globe wire into it somewhere ,prob at one of the joints youve made in the wire.

[XP02ED]

ooo nice idea CRXer! btw thanks for comming last night woke up extra early to install it..

i followed the wires from A4 and D6 and found it was on the wiring harness which lead to the shock tower at passenger side.

other side of the plug had no wires or anything connected to it..

so basically cut the two wires from the plug and connected 1 to solenoid 1 to pressure switch (not new just temp was able to plug what you gave and taped it up with electrical tape at this time looks like it holds, took a 30 mins drive to test if it held)

then grounded the last wire

... after reading your post it gave me that good idea..

ill get a bulb i have..

wire the positive to a13 on the ECU? negative ground it anywhere.
edit : from my spreadsheet a13 is : 13 GRN/ORG MIL Code Light Ctrl.

what does this have anythign to do with vtec engaging?

have a drive on the m4/m7 and see if works?

if the bulb lights what will i be liooking for?

[CRXer]

ill get a bulb i have..

wire the positive to a13 on the ECU? negative ground it anywhere.

have a drive on the m4/m7 and see if works?

if the bulb lights what will i be liooking for?

Other way round.

The ecu grounds the globe,so u could say A13 is the ground & u need to find a 12V supply for the other end of the globe,globes dont have a polarity,just make sure its a small wattage like 2 watts or less,i dont know exactly how much the contacts inside the ecu can handle.

U probably have the codes stored already,since u have started it without the wiring in place previously,so u will have to reset the ecu to clear the codes,by turning the ignition off & pulling out your backup fuse for 10secs & then replacing it.

I dont know what your backup fuse is,maybe one of the civic boys can help u,but it will be in the engine bay fuse box & will be a 7.5 or 10A fuse,so maybe just pull all of them out that have this rating for 10secs.or just disconnect the battery negative terminal as another alternative.

Then go for a short drive,turn your car off,connect the D4 ecu terminal to ground,then turn back on to the ignition on position(not start), & watch the globe.

eg code 3 + code 22 will be,3 short flashes,3-5sec pause,2 long flashes,1sec pause,2 short flashes,then it all repeats again

Edit after your done turn ignition off & remove D4 wire from ground,then reset ecu again.

[XP02ED]

ooo i guess a kwik way is just to

take out the battery for 1 minute this should clear my ECU right?

BUT what ya just said went past me!

ok well a13 is negative, so thats my griound.. ill wire from positive to globe as my positive then right?

so after i got for a drive connect the d4 wire on ECU to ground on globe? or on wire?

d4 = BROWN WIRE - Diagnostic (timing) < this correct>?

ok looking at ECU layout on plugs B1 is a power input can i run a wire from that as positive then? so keep all wires inside the car while driving

from the flashes and things how do i knoe if vtec was installed?


EDIT :

afdter some thought, i was thinking

get a globe with 2 wires..

wire one end to A4 and another anywhere else depending on ground or positive
is the a4 wire a positive or negative wire?

anywaiz once i figure this out, go for a HARD drive, and if the light glows id assum vtec is working yes?

[CRXer]

ooo i guess a kwik way is just to

take out the battery for 1 minute this should clear my ECU right?just disconnect the neg terminal for 10-20secs.

BUT what ya just said went past me!

ok well a13 is negative, so thats my griound.. ill wire from positive to globe as my positive then right?Yes,tap into a supply with a small fuse on it like your ignition wire to your stereo or clock,etc.Or just run a wire with small fuse in it to battery positive,just make sure u use the less than 2 watt globe.

so after i got for a drive connect the d4 wire on ECU to ground on globe? or on wire?connect D4 straight to ground,its the SCS service check connector u have prob read about.U need to do this to adjust timing as well.

d4 = BROWN WIRE - Diagnostic (timing) < this correct>?see above

ok looking at ECU layout on plugs B1 is a power input can i run a wire from that as positive then? so keep all wires inside the car while drivingyes u could,but u wont get any indications of power supply probs with the ecu,which is not a great deal.

from the flashes and things how do i knoe if vtec was installed?Report back any code flashes u note.also hook up the globe to the solenoid wire as i described above & see if it comes on when u go past your vtec rpm point,i dont know what it is for your engine,prob around the 5krpm mark.

Blue bits

[CRXer]

EDIT :

afdter some thought, i was thinking

get a globe with 2 wires..

wire one end to A4 and another anywhere else depending on ground or positive
is the a4 wire a positive or negative wire?

anywaiz once i figure this out, go for a HARD drive, and if the light glows id assum vtec is working yes?

A4 is a 12V positive output to the solenoid to activate it.So hook up the other end of the globe to ground.

Dont forget your tapping into this A4 wire,dont disconnect it from the solenoid.

If u connect your globe at the ecu end then its not going to tell u that the power is reaching the solenoid,u have to tap it into the solenoid end to make sure.

This test will only tell ya that all conditions have been met to allow vtec activation via the solenoid,it will not tell ya that the actual hyraulics in the cams are working correctly,but youll prob notice this anyway,as it will be running pretty crappy in the high rpm's

[XP02ED]

ok reading that... this is what i understand...

1.Disconnect Negative from batter..
2.Grab a bulb less than 2 watts.. connect it to A13 (ecu) for ground and a wire to somewhere for the positive end
3.Go for a drive trying to maximise speed or RPM
4.Connect a wire from D4(ecu) to ground (i got no idea what this is gna do and how its gna work)
5. d/c my battery again.
6. Put car On (not ignition) then see what happens with bulb?

im not getting how this is gna work / and what its gna do

well what im gna do to test Vtec engaging would be

Tap into Vtec wiring on A4 and use it as a positive to a light bulb,
Ground the negative,
run my car if it glows vtec engages, so this mean that vtec was wired correctly.. to see if it is working i'll have to do the method you posted above, which im having diffuctly understanding

[CRXer]

ok reading that... this is what i understand...

1.Disconnect Negative from batter..yes to clear codes already stored in ecu,only have to do for 10-20 secs
2.Grab a bulb less than 2 watts.. connect it to A13 (ecu) for ground and a wire to somewhere for the positive endyes
3.Go for a drive trying to maximise speed or RPMIn the speed limit of course.U only have to be doing over about 30km/hr,but vtec will engage at about 5krpm,like i said i dont know the exact figure for your car
4.Connect a wire from D4(ecu) to ground (i got no idea what this is gna do and how its gna work)Puts the ecu into diagnostic mode
5. d/c my battery again.do this last after u have seen if any codes flash
6. Put car On (not ignition) then see what happens with bulb?Put car onto ignition "on",ie oil & battery lights come up on your dash,u dont have to start engine.

im not getting how this is gna work / and what its gna do

well what im gna do to test Vtec engaging would be

Tap into Vtec wiring on A4 and use it as a positive to a light bulb,
Ground the negative,
run my car if it glows vtec engages, so this mean that vtec was wired correctly.. to see if it is working i'll have to do the method you posted above, which im having diffuctly understandingJust do the code check first & then when all the codes are sorted,hook the vtec light up

blue bits

[XP02ED]

4.Connect a wire from D4(ecu) to ground (i got no idea what this is gna do and how its gna work)Puts the ecu into diagnostic mode

yeh so i ground that wire, right then what else do i do? is that all?
i dont get how its gna tell the bulb the codes?
and while i wire this to ground will the bulb be wired to a13 for grounding and a wire to positive on the battery (pr anywhere)

is the steps correct besides #5, i do that last

[CRXer]

Yes the bulb from A13 to ground is your check engine light which u dont have on your stock cluster,this is a temporary arrangement so u can do the code check.

If the ecu is in diagnostic mode by grounding D4,it will flash the fault codes it has stored after your drive once you turn the car off then turn it back on to the ignition "on" position.Ground D4 after u turn the car off.Hopefully the bulb will just stay on not flashing at all,telling u that it has not detected any faults.

[XP02ED]

ok basic end summary before i test it tmz morning :

.Disconnect Negative from batter..yes to clear codes already stored in ecu,only have to do for 10-20 secs
2.Grab a bulb less than 2 watts.. connect it to A13 (ecu) for ground and a wire to somewhere for the positive endyes
3.Go for a drive trying to maximise speed or RPMIn the speed limit of course.
4.Connect a wire from D4(ecu) to ground
5. Put car On (not ignition) then see what happens with bulb?
6. if the bulb doesnt flash. remove battery again

remove current setup

get a wire from where vtec connects in engine bay connect wire to positive of wire to the bulb, and ground the other end.
have a drive and see if bulb lights on to see if vtec engages!

hopefully this is right if so ill let ya know tmz what happens!

[CRXer]

ok basic end summary before i test it tmz morning :

.Disconnect Negative from batter..yes to clear codes already stored in ecu,only have to do for 10-20 secs
2.Grab a bulb less than 2 watts.. connect it to A13 (ecu) for ground and a wire to somewhere for the positive endyes
3.Go for a drive trying to maximise speed or RPMIn the speed limit of course.
4.Connect a wire from D4(ecu) to ground
5. Put car On (not ignition) then see what happens with bulb?Ignition "on" is where u want the key,turn it till your oil light & battery light come on,but dont turn the engine on.
6. if the bulb doesnt flash. remove battery againif bulb stays on constant thats good news,ie no faults.

remove current setup try to work on a more permanent arrangement for this setup,to make code checks a bit easier for u,ie put a globe permanently in your dash somewhere so u can be instantly informed of engine faults & put a switch in the D4 wire with it switching onto ground to make it easier.

get a wire from where vtec connects in engine bay connect wire to positive of wire to the bulb, and ground the other end.
have a drive and see if bulb lights on to see if vtec engages!

hopefully this is right if so ill let ya know tmz what happens!


blue bits

just run the vtec bulb from engine bay back into the cabin so u can see it while driving obviously

edit:dont forget to remove D4 from ground before u disconnect battery for the last time.

[XP02ED]

ok sweet i get it

aiight but i still dont get how A13 and D4 will signal the light bulb to flash and stuff?

is that something the ECU does?

BTW once ive set this up,
i can setup a Vtec globe aswell reading post which we talked about to see when vtec engages!

what im gna do to minimise wiring right,

Connect A13 and to A23/A24 to ground it, Positive end of the bulb t D1
Connect D4 to A23/A24 as well to ground it (i might put a switch between).

BTW going by this layout :

http://www.ff-squad.com/tech/wiring/obd1.ecu-pinout.zip
____________________________________

once this is setup ill make a kool setup to blink stuff when vtec engages ;D

[CRXer]

ok sweet i get it

aiight but i still dont get how A13 and D4 will signal the light bulb to flash and stuff?

is that something the ECU does?

BTW once ive set this up,
i can setup a Vtec globe aswell reading post which we talked about to see when vtec engages!

what im gna do to minimise wiring right,

Connect A13 and to A23/A24 to ground it, Positive end of the bulb t D1
Connect A13 to one end of the globe only,not to A23/A24.Connect the other end of the globe to a power source like the other examples ive given above.If u connect it to D1, this is a permanent supply off the battery & I'm not sure,but it is possible that the ecu might not release the A13 contact when the ignition is off,so the globe could glow permanently if a fault is registered & flatten the battery,like leaving your interior light on.Just go the extra yards & find a supply that is switched on with the ignition key,like clock,etc or just tap a supply with a 3amp fuse off the black/yellow wire coming off the ignition switch.Like i said i could be wrong but until someone else tells u otherwise just do this,u will be puttin the globe up near the cluster anyway so it will be right near the ignition switch wiring.U can connect to D1 for temporary testing purposes,but why cut into your wiring more than u need to.

Connect D4 to A23/A24 as well to ground it (i might put a switch between).
If u do this then u definitely need to put the switch in to take the ecu out of diagnostic mode,for normal operation.Make sure u know which is the off position on the switch & put it somewhere its not gonna get fiddled with.

BTW going by this layout :

http://www.ff-squad.com/tech/wiring/obd1.ecu-pinout.zip
____________________________________

once this is setup ill make a kool setup to blink stuff when vtec engages ;D

Blue bits