Hey all,

I’ve got oil leaking through my Vtec connector plug. Enough that it’s seeping out and has dropped on the oil filter.

I’ve replaced the O-ring and that seemed to have stopped the leak for a bit, but it may have just taken a while to get to the point that the connector boot was full again.

I’m planning to replace all the relevant gaskets and hoping to get advice on what gaskets to use? I know that the Ballade upper gasket is junk but not sure what’s available from Honda vs aftermarket and which is the best gasket to use for each part?

Thanks!!!!

 

You mean the oil switch for VTEC? If so, they tend to actually leak back through the connector. If it looks like oil is inside the connector you just need to replace the switch. They are not expensive. Make sure to clean the connector on the harness out as well when you do it. It will be very obvious as you will remove the connector and see oil inside it.

If you mean the VTEC solenoid assembly then Kraken is the go to for that set as they sell both. Honda only sells one of the two separate from the assembly.

After fixing all of this, clean that u shaped coolant hose below them very well with warm soapy water/degreaser. That oil will break it down and cause that hose to fail prematurely.

 

Sorry! Yes the oil switch for Vtec is leaking through the connector. It’s been a while but I think I replaced the gasket for the original switch, but not the actual switch itself. So I’ll definitely do that.

Sounds like Kraken for the upper gasket and Honda for the lower? Or is Kraken good enough for both?

I figure I’ll replace all the gaskets since the car has nearly 200k miles on it and I take it to 3-4 HPDE events per year.

And good heads up on cleaning the hoses!

 

Kraken for upper and lower. Their kit contains both and seem to be high quality. I have had mine in for years without issues.

 

Been looking at parts from Honda and that damn oil pressure switch is $100!

Obviously still cheaper than a whole new VTEC assembly at $350 from Honda but damn….

 

If you can wait a bit on the shipping (takes a couple of weeks I think) these guys have it for a lot cheaper. They ship from Japan hence the wait.

Buy Genuine Honda 37250PCXA02 (37250-PCX-A02) Switch Assy., Valve Timing Oil Pressure for Honda S2000. Prices, fast shipping, weight - Amayama

I see some ebay sellers with OEM ones listing them pretty cheap as well.

 

Wow! Thanks for that heads up! That’s a lot cheaper and I’ve definitely got time.

 

Got the kraken gaskets installed today and the old gaskets were definitely leaking. The lower especially was so brittle it broke apart as I lifted it off of the housing.
Only problem is that I broke the housing of the oil pressure switch (also super brittle). I put the connector back on it and held it in place with a zip tie, but when I started the car I immediately got an engine code P2647 (Rocker Arm Oil Pressure Switch Circuit High Voltage).

I tried clearing the code and restarting several times but it’s persistent…I’ve got the new switch in the mail but it’ll take some time to get here. I’m hoping it’s just the switch and not a broken wire…

When I removed the Vtec solenoid housing from the car, I also disconnected whatever the small ring terminal connection is, that’s below the solenoid housing and is in the same harness as the Vtec solenoid and oil pressure switch connectors. Then I soaked all 3 connectors in soapy water because they were all covered in oil. I also sprayed and cleaned the little hose above the oil filter to get the oil off of it.

 

Final update, looks like the new Vtec oil pressure switch did the trick! I got one off eBay claiming to be OE Honda but it was a black connector instead of brown and shipped in a Honda bag with the Honda name blacked out with sharpie…

Real or not it works perfect. No leaks, VTEC works great, and no more engine codes!