I am new and this is my 1st post. Recently bought a 96 EX 2.2 VTEC w/ 5MT. Car is flat over 4000 rpm and begins to miss at 5200. No CEL (Yes, the CEL bulb is good). Tried a "hot" wire to VTEC solenoid pin and the solenoid did click. There was a build up of oil in this electrical connector. Cleaned up, reassembled, drove car, still no VTEC, unplugged connector again and it was full of oil. Does this indicate VTEC solenoid is "blown"?

 

Which electrical connector?

There is one that comes out of the top for the solenoid, and the lower one is for the pressure sensor.

 

I only see one wire coming "out of" the solenoid. It is a single wire and comes out from under the bottom of the "cap" of the solenoid and appears to be green. It leads to a grey, one pin, plastic connector that is mounted on a metal flange. The wire emerging from the female end of that connector is green w/ yellow stripe. This connector continues to collect oil. Don't know where it could be coming from other than the solenoid and running down the wire and into the connector. I assume this is not normal, nor good.

 

I only see one wire coming "out of" the solenoid. It is a single wire and comes out from under the bottom of the "cap" of the solenoid and appears to be green. It leads to a grey, one pin, plastic connector that is mounted on a metal flange. The wire emerging from the female end of that connector is green w/ yellow stripe. This connector continues to collect oil. Don't know where it could be coming from other than the solenoid and running down the wire and into the connector. I assume this is not normal, nor good.

 

The vtec assembly is #9 in the diagram below. The other connector is at #13 that I was wondering about.

It sounds like oil is collecting in the electrical plug that comes out of the top of the v-tec.

Your oil leak may be from the #12 seal. Its a $2 part and pretty simple to replace.

Download the 94 shop manual from the spoon site I posted in the online manuals thread in the DIY section. The procedure in on page 6-9 in the upper right. Make sure that spring loaded part (right below #12) is held in place so that you don't lose it when you unbolt then remove that upper part. Just put some towels around the solenoid so that piece doesn't fall in to the Bermuda Triangle of your engine bay.

The o-ring is labeled filter in that shop manual and is a figure 8 looking o-ring.

 

Sorry, but I failed to mention that I did have a mechanic replace that gasket and gasket/filter #10 due to some seepage. I did not realize that #12 was the location of that gasket. Could the oil be blowing by the spring loaded part (like a piston with rings) and causing the vtec to not engage? Plus it would appear that the wire comes out above the triangle shaped metal plate.

 

I wonder if the solenoid has failed in a way to allow oil through & into the wire?? That happens to oil-pressure switches, but I don't hear about it happening here. But maybe???
In that case there's nothing to do except replace the VTEC solenoid #11.

 

Thanks for feedback JimBlake and PAhonda. Just received a vtec solenoid through ebay, will post results in next day or two.

 

I know they leak thru the solenoid. It's very common but another thing I might sugest as a posible cause is the PCv valve. If the crank case pressure has nowhere to go it starts causing all kinds of crazy problems like the one ur describing., since u said u had the seal replaced it might be worth taking a look into that.
Good luck

 

I know they leak thru the solenoid. It's very common but another thing I might sugest as a posible cause is the PCv valve. If the crank case pressure has nowhere to go it starts causing all kinds of crazy problems like the one ur describing., since u said u had the seal replaced it might be worth taking a look into that.
Good luck