Rep Power: 0

2006 Civic Si Malfunction Indicator Lamp HELP while doing about 45mph around a free-way on-ramp and just about to V-tec ....my Malfunction Indicator Lamp came ON, and it felt like my Engine speed limiter kicked in. so i let up on the gas and shifted to 3rd , then it cut-out .... so i tried 4th.....barely any power like put-put power... then to 5th and then 6th, and felt like a old lady doing 55mph. couldn't go over 60 without power loss! I have about 3/4 Tank Full and My Oil is about @ 40% life left, the first time i seen this Malfunction Indicator Lamp on before it came on with the OIL LIGHT as well Doing the same thing.... SPEEDING AROUND A LOOP.... BUT ALL IT NEEDED WAS SOME OIL, THEN PROBLEM WAS GONE. ANY IDEAS ON WHAT IT COULD BE....?

 
Rep Power: 285

So, you added oil or changed the oil and both indicator lights turned off?

 
Rep Power: 0

The first time i added about a 1 qt. of Oil and the Oil light vanished. then the Malfunction Indicator Lamp was gone about a day later.... But now!! the loss of power is what scares me.

 
Rep Power: 285

What was the oil level on the dipstick prior to you adding oil?

 
Rep Power: 0

....lol... bone dry, thats when i learned that the OIL LIFE % METER DOES NOT MEAN HOW MUCH OIL IS REALLY LEFT IT'S A TIMER....MORE OR LESS OF WHEN THE ECU THINKS YOU SHOULD CHANGE YOUR OIL. RIGHT?

 
Rep Power: 285

Its a very common perception that the oil life meter actually measures the amount of usable life left the oil has, but it's just an odometer. If you've ever had a car that has trip buttons on the gauge cluster, where you press the button and it tracks the miles, that's all the oil life meter is.

If it was really bone dry I'm surprised your engine is still running and adding 1 quart wouldn't be enough to bring it back to the proper level, the oil level should be on the second fill line.

 
Rep Power: 0

i Know.... i just added 1 qt. till payday....about 3 days later... then changed the Oil & filter myself and Added 5 qt. of 5W-20 Royal Purple. with a K&N Filter. That was at least over 8 months ago....when i first got those WARNING LIGHTS ON MY DASH! Its just kind of strange it did it again in the same scenario. Speeding around a free-way ramp!

 
Rep Power: 285

Well, when you hit a turn hard it forces all the oil to one side of the oil pan, making it more difficult for the oil pump to pick it up and the engines thinks it doesn't have enough oil for a second. An off-ramp shouldn't be tight or banked enough to cause that though, unless you're extremely low on oil.

 
Rep Power: 193

The loss of power is the ECU going into safe mode basically to prevent serious damage to the engine. Low oil pressure would cause this for sure.

Keep the oil up, it should NEVER be off the dip stick. If you're on VTEC a lot your car will burn more oil.

 
Rep Power: 812

keep the oil at max and check it often. "vtecing around" does burn a lil oil and it can add up over time. and switch to 5w30, the 5w20 is often too thin for the vtec solenoid to work properly on a hot day. check the engine code too. you may need to clean out the vtec screen filter.

 
Rep Power: 367

what everyone else is saying is: VTEC is activated by oil pressure.
If oil is low, the VTEC does not turn on and trigger the engine check light.
engine check light is so as you can crawl to a service station or mechanic without destroying engine.
If you car lost that much oil in 8 months, you need to find the leakage, which could be a lot of different stuff (asking here will not help if you are not mechanically inclined). So take it to a mechanic.