VVTL-i not kicking!!!!

[01 Spectra GT-S]

my VVTL-i not kicking!!!! The car temperature was normal, the car was all warmed up. but it just won't kick in.... it is because the gas I use have too much octane?? i use 94 octane chevrong gas.

what cause this???

[Vroom_Vroom]

check your oil level...if your car doesnt have enough oil vvtl-i wont activate.

[01 Spectra GT-S]

what else that might cause the vvtl-i not kicking

[Joe Kewl]

I had this problem a while back. It turns out one of the head bolts had snapped, and the cam lift would never take place, instead the car would bog down and actually lose power after 6000 rpm. Even more ****ed up was the fact that there was no check engine light on. Take it to the dealer, if they do a fair amount of business, they will probably of seen this before. Good Luck

--Robert

[Kit99bar]

thanks for helping him robert :)

[01 Spectra GT-S]

Thanks for the help, but I don't think that is my case, because I don't loose any power after 6000rpm, just I don't feel the lift.

[Maelfyn]

So you're saying it doesn't sound different? Please elaborate. If you aren't loosing power how are you not feeling it.

[WillyK]

What gear are you in? In 3rd you can barely feel it kick in and can't even feel it at all in 4th gear.

[01 Spectra GT-S]

Just as there is nothing happens. Even when I'm in 1st or 2nd gear. When I got over 6000 rpm nothing happens, no kick etc. The car sounds the same, no power lost, no nothing. The car just feels like normal, like I won't know that I go pass 6000rpm, because nothing happen.

[kpsilverman]

sounds like it is kicking in you might just be used to it.

[01 Spectra GT-S]

I don't think I'm used to it. Because I only hit the lift like twice.

[onyx]

yeah, I don't think he's used to it. It's really distinctive, even after driving it for two years. Take it to the dealer, 01 Spectra GT-S, I'm sure there is something wrong.

[01 Spectra GT-S]

Well, this is my plan.... Since my car need an oil change.. I'll change the oil.... and get the car tune-up.... and if it still won't kick.....then is time to bring it to the dealer.

but thx for all your help.

[Omni]

you might also check to see where the rev limiter kicks in, there have been cases when some sensor goes bad and it doesnt know when its warmed up in which case the rev limiter will kick in at about 7k rpms.

[Joe Kewl]

WillyK -
I don't know what you are talking about, I can feel it in every single gear (even 5th!)

Omni also has a good point, wait for the car to warm up, then try and rev it to 8000 rpm, if it only rev's to about 7000 you have a broken sensor (shouldn't a CEL be on for this though?) and it needs to be replaced.

--Robert

[2000blackdragoncelica]

this happened to me awhile back. i forget what me and my dad who is a toyota tech did but email me and let me know if you want me to find out for you. i remember it not kicking in when the lift hits. i think it was a rocker shim or something that operates the lift but im no tech....so i will ask my dad if you email me at c_rash69@hotmail.com. i know exactly what you mean bro and you people will know if your lift doesnt work. trust me. good luck

[01 Spectra GT-S]

You Got Mail;)

[yoshi8me]

i'm not hitting lift too. I just noticed today. I checked my oil and its at max. how much can a sensor cost?

[CTCelica]

I'm having the same problem with my car. I have a 01 GT-S 6spd (with only 5500miles) and 2 months ago I had the same problem, I took it back to toyota and they did not know what was wrong with the car, so they had to get somebody from the headquarter to look at the car, they said that the car was running fine (when they ran it on the computer) but when you drive it, there is no lift (you feel/hear it switching cams but there is no pulling power). When you get all the way to 6200rpm, when the lift is supposed to kick in, you loose power. The rpms will go all the way up to 8200 but you dont feel the car going fast like it is supposed to. In fact I raced my friends 1995 integra ls and he beat, I ended up on his door(from a dead stop to 3th gear, around 80mph). Like I said before the guy from the headquarter came and looked at the car and they said it was running fine and that they were going to void my warranty, because I have an Injen cai and a TRD exhaust. Right now I'm filling out the arbitration papers. By the way if you run your car like that for a while you will end up with bent valves. That is what happend to my car and also the 3th cylinder doesnt work, they say there is no pressure or something, and that it would cost me around 4gs to fix it (toyota gave me that number, and they are not even sure what caused it, they are just trying to say its becaue of the intake). Sorry for the long post, just sharing my experience.

[yoshi8me]

My celica doesn't rev past 7k rpm so i think i broke a sensor. =\

[RobD]

I have the same problem as CTCelica. I had to take it to a second dealership and fight with them to get it fixed. My problem was a srew with a hardened tip broke off in the head. This caused an oil passage way to be closed hence no lift. I had to take off my RMM intake so they could see the problem was still there. When it still wouldn't hit lift and no CEL or computer error messages, the mech. figured it had to be a mechanical problem. He tested the oil pressure to the VVL and it was 30 psi short. Now they are rebuilding the entire head under warranty. I took it in 2/4/02 for the head work and am supposed to be getting it back this Wed.

[CTCelica]

RobD you are at least lucky, cause in my case they just voided the warranty. Now I need to get this car fixed, but before I have to go throught the arbitration process. When everything is done im not even going to keep the car, im just going to get something else.

[RobD]

CTCelica they must first find out what the problem is before they can say your intake caused a problem ! I think they need to be able to prove your intake caused the problem before they can void your warranty.

[CTCelica]

RobD, that is what I told them, but all they did was void the warranty without even checking, they dont even know what really happened to the car. Right now im going through the arbitration, if i dont win ill just get a lawer! As soon as I get the car fixed im going to get something else, maybe a mr2 turbo, like a 93 they are pretty fast too and they can look very good with a body kit!