Hi all,

I'm a new owner of a '00 S.

here's my first problem

VTEC does not engage in while its raining.

Couple of factors i've ruled out:
1) car is warm (3 bars)
2) car has sufficient load not to have wheel spin (driving at 100+kph)
3) car has AEM V2 CAI (1st gen with "wet" filter, not AEM's dry filter)....... filter is dry even when its raining.
4) CAI tube does not have water. (I've custom'd a hole + drain valve)
5) car has sufficient oil and oil pressure
6) car bounces off a 6000rpm rev limit when VTEC doesn't engage (as if the car is not hot enough)
7) no CEL, no history of CEL when plugged into OBD2 scanner)

Other info:
1) MAP TSB = done by previous owner
2) VTEC hits consistently on dry and semi-wet roads
3) there's no VSA or drive-by-wire.

Other info about me:
My old DD is this monster:

410hp/336tq @26psi on C16. Driven daily "to and from work".....according to ICBC.
I'm quite familiar as to how hondas work in terms of engine building tuning as this monster was fully built and tuned by me.
some of you may have seen this running around Vancouver, BC.
I'm also the owner/creator/admin of Vancouver Accord Club



BUT...... this car and OBD2 is new to me.

my 2nd question is, is this a safety feature or is there something else wrong?

 

Edit: nevermind

 

Id say its a good thing it prevents Vtec in rain - i went sideways when Vtec just hit with a less than 1psi difference in my tires... was able to recover but I shit my pants.

Anyway, I'm betting on a sensor getting bad contact or shorting out due to the rain.

I think the sensors that it uses to determine vtec switch is temp sensor/oil pressure sensor right? are there any others? I'd check the wires for frays/shorts. Since youre in Canada, Im assuming the roads have salt = good electrical conductor if the wires get wet.

 

This is very odd- im interested

 

the engine bay is completely dry even if we get a heavy downpour

ECT, vtec oil pressure activation switch, vtec solenoid. all wires good.

any of these are unplugged or shorted, it would throw a CEL instantly.

 

My VTEC would not engage either at 3 bars -- I waited until 4-5 bars and it engaged fine. It was also raining when this happened.

 

your issue maybe a thermostat problem, ive never seen 5 bars on the temp gauge or even 4 for that matter, might want to check into that. as for the rain situation, im stumped, pcv valve ok? any other mods done to it, like a spoon, or maybe the iac? not sure, would like to know the diagnosis on this

 

AP2s have more bars

 

^ he has an AP2, different number of bars on the gauge

 

Maybe your car cares about your wellbeing. Lucky..

First month i owned mine i learned not to vtec on wet roads. I pulled a 270 spin on a freeway on ramp doing 50ish. No more vtec in anything but dry conditions. It wasnt even raining that day, just wet roads from the night before.

I still dont know how i recovered, but thank god i did.