VTEC system malfunction/smoky exhaust
 

I have a 2001 Honda Accord EX with 4 cyl manual and about 112k miles. I just bought it about a month ago, and already I've got a check engine light on. I had them read the code at an Autozone and it came back as a VTEC system malfunction. It was still driving alright, but not if I hit the gas hard. I checked the oil level and found it to be low, so I put some in and the light turned itself off shortly thereafter. Then a week or so later, the light came on again, and the oil was back down again, so obviously I'm losing it fast. In the meantime, a friend following me told me when I accelerate I get smoke coming from my tailpipe so obviously I'm burning oil. I'm fairly handy at fixing things on my own, but I need to know what to fix. Someone told me it could be the head gasket, but it could be other things as well. Any ideas on how to rule things out so I know what to replace?

The vtec uses oil pressure to operate. Does the car run better after you top off the oil? How much oil are you losing in a week?

Try to figure out why you are losing oil. Look under the car to see if there are any signs of an oil leak. A clogged PCV valve can cause excessive oil consumption too.

Worn oil rings in the engine can definitely cause your problem. How is your coolant level? Is there any oil in your coolant or vise versa? Is the smoke coming out of your tailpipe blue/black or white?

if engine burns oil.. first i would do as Pa suggested chk the pcv valve ,, if ok,, could be worn rings,, ( engine overhaul basically ) or worn valve seals ..Also chk to make sure that there are no oil leaks