HELP! 1996 civic ex problem upper end noise and a P1259 code
 

Yesterday my wife was driving her 1996 civic ex auto when the check engine light came on. It shortly after that started making some upper end noise that comes and goes. I ran a scan on it and came up with a P1259 or 22 code which indicates a vtec problem either in the oil pressure switch or the vtec solonoid. I have tested both appear to be fine. I have cleared the code and it keeps coming back and so does the noise. The code will come back at idle or when kept at 3000k plus rpm. The engine niose seems to happen after idleing for several minutes. It sounds like a click then a loud snap as if something was floating around in the rocker assembly. I have removed the valve cover and cranked the engine, but everything seems to be operational from a distance. I am thinking of replacing the top cap rocker assembly, since I believe this is where the extra cam action from the vtec occurs in cas there is a something broken or stuck. Any ideas on this would be great. If anyone has come across this problem before I would love to know what it was.
Thanks,
Julian

Re: HELP! 1996 civic ex problem upper end noise and a P1259 code
 

what type of engine do u have in the 96? 1.6l sohc vtec?

Re: HELP! 1996 civic ex problem upper end noise and a P1259 code
 

It is a d16y8 1.6l SOHC Vtec 1996. I just solved the problem. It was a failure in the Vtec solenoid body. Someone had used RTV silicone to seal it when they attached it to the cylinder head and a little chunk of rtv had gotten loose inside the vtec solenoid housing causing the plunger to get stuck. This was causing all kinds of top end clicks and loud tapping. I removed the solenoid and cleaned it out of any and all debris and put it back on reset the ecu and I am happy to say it is fixed. YES!!!