What makes a 1999 Honda accord sputter at 4000 RPMs?

Answer 1

Q.is the car low on oil by chance? if there isn't enough oil the vtec solenoid will not engage, and that typically happens around 3500-4000 rpms.

A.yep low on oil, checked the car when i got home last night, and no oil, I'm an idiot. but haven't been blowing smoke or leaking oil, so not sure where the oil went. but good call. thanks

Your "Check Engine" light is probably lit up - if you're lucky it's just low oil, get a Jiffy Lube oil change and - have them reset the ECU. If that doesn't fix it, probably is a dirty strainer screen, or...

Reasons for no VTEC operation include low engine oil level, VTEC solenoid not opening or the screen behind it is restricted, an engine that has low oil pressure, or an oil pressure leak to the rocker arm assembly. In some cases, when engine work is performed, a missing or damaged O-ring can cause incorrect oil pressure to the VTEC system.