2009 -2015 Honda Pilot p3400 p3497 Valve Pause System Stuck Off Fixed! – Replace Oil Pressure Sensor

– Honda Genuine (37240-R70-A04) Oil Pressure Switch (Same part number for front or rear bank)

– O-ring for both sensors part number 91319-paa-a01

– DEWALT 1/2″ 6 PT Deep Socket 24MM

– NEIKO Drive Premium Breaker Bar

– TOPDON AL400, OBD2 Scanner, Full OBDII Code Reader, Check Engine Light Scan Tool

Just a quick video showing how I replaced the Oil Pressure Sensor / Switch on the Rear Bank (Bank 1) on a 2011 Honda Pilot. The vehicle had lost power and the check engine light came on. After reading the codes, I found that it had a diagnostic trouble code P3400 for the Cylinder Deactivation System. Other Code Readers might say ‘Valve Pause System (VPS) Stuck Off’.
The P3400 code is for the Rear Bank of cylinders (Bank 1) nearest to the firewall. If you have the DTC P3497 it is for the Front Bank of cylinders (Bank 2) nearest to the radiator.
You will see that this is a very quick repair (less than 10 minutes).
This also applies to other Hondas with the active displacement or the VCM (Variable Cylinder Management). The repair would be the same process for the P3497, but it’s located in the front bank of cylinders, on the front, passenger-side of the engine.

This can be an intermittent or constant problem and can be caused by several things but is commonly caused by a faulty oil pressure sensor.
It can also be caused by Low Engine Oil Level or Dirty Oil.
In our case, changing the oil pressure sensor (or switch) and O-ring solved the issue. This part is also called the rocker arm oil pressure switch.

This problem is quite common among many other Honda and Acura Models including the Honda Odyssey, Honda Accord, Honda Ridgeline, Acura MDX, Acura TL and more.

Tools Needed:
Large flathead screwdriver to remove the engine cover
24mm Deep socket and ratchet and/or breaker bar

Torque specs I found online: 25Nm or approximately 18 ft. lbs. I recommend checking that in your manual to make sure that’s correct.
Do not overtighten this sensor, because you can easily strip the threads.
We were not able to clear the DTC for the P3400 because it was listed as a ‘permanent code’, but after driving the car for several days, that code went away on it’s own.
Hope this was helpful in diagnosing the p3400 and p3497 fault codes
check engine light p3400 p3497
dtc p3400 p3497