the solenoid is fine. i've checked it and checked it again to be sure. the screen looks brand new and it is in perfect running condition. and the CEL comes on when i turn the key is turned to on. everything on the car is fine except the VTEC doesn't work. nothing else points to some other conlcusion like low oil or a weird idle. the car seems to run fine but VTEC just won't engage. still can't figure out why

 

Maybe a bad oil pressure sensor?

 

Make it throw the CEL and CHECK IT LIKE PEOPLE ON HERE HAVE SAID. The CEL in my CRX only comes on when I let it ride in gear to a light (strikingly similar to your car). On my OBD 0 ECU there is a display to check the code via a red blinking light. It blinks the code from the time I turn the car on to the time it turns off. The point is you ARE/DAMN WELL SHOULD BE in the safe loop (no VTEC) if there is a PROBLEM. And there is one. My code is, as people have mentioned in this very thread, for the VSS. I usually buy new parts to check if it was the problem instead of using someone else's old possibly junk parts.