Vtec Indicator Light

youzAbusta

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Today i decided to do the simple Vtec indicator light mod. i used this write up--

http://6thgenaccord.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6831&highlight=vtec+indicator+light

i made a few slight changes like instead of splicing the vtec wire and taping, i used a splice in connector. its alot cleaner and safer if i ever decide to remove the led.

And second i positioned the led in the extra switch cover next to my sun roof switch, as you will see in the video. it turned out looking very clean.

I used a green LED(3.0v@20mA) and the resistor i used was a 470 ohms 1/2W.

For those who don't know, Radio Shack carries single LED bulbs and Resistors. I only paid $3.73 total for a 2 pack of LED's and a 5 pack of Resistors

This is the link to the video of me cruising after install and engaging/disengaging Vtec a few times to show it working.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ezk-CeFgWE
 

xci.ed6

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Damn, I want to hook up a relay to operate the exhaust dump in place of that led!
 

youzAbusta

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thanks man and that it a really good spot for switches and such. and yea mines not fast by any means lol
 

Igor

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Engages kinda early? I can hear mine engage at around 3500
 

Mariam Disuja

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First a little history of my misconception.

I used to think that vtec is a point where the cam geometry changes. It occurs when a hydraulic unit connects two different lobes of the cam shaft when is triggered by a solenoid. There is lot more to this, I am not trying to write a exposition on vtec, it has been very well documented on the net. Simply put, this results in the engine producing more power when vtec is activated. The vtec point is usually around 5000 RPM. Perhaps all this is true for older Honda vtec engines, but not so for the i-vtec or our R18A. This great piece of information never dawned on me till recently when I saw it in action, live. More on this later.

Now back to vtec indicator installation.

So my naive mind was fixated on a vtec point discovery when the engine is supposed to generate more power. I wanted to know when this occurs. So searched the net till I found two solutions. Both involved attaching a LED that can tell when vtec is activated or not.

1. Take the vtec pin from the ECU and attach a LED to that line.
2. Find the vtec solenoid, attach the LED to the electrical line connecting the ECU to the solenoid.

For R18A, finding the ECU pinout information turned out to be a impossible task. Found a few diagrams on the net, but was not sure if it was for the 2.0L Si or 1.8L R18A.
i-vtec solenoid wiring help - 8th Generation Honda Civic Forum

collected
 

xci.ed6

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Yeah, vtec swaps cams, ivtec changes lifter pivot, iirc, analog signal & effect.
 

youzAbusta

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the f23a1 vtec engagement is between 2300 and 3500 ish RPM's dependng on throttle position and a few other factors. which is why this may confuse you Mariam Disuja as the f23 vtec is totally different from the r18. the indicator light simply tells you when power is being sent to the vtec solenoid. however i havnt seen any lag time between the light coming on and hearing the engagement.
 

xci.ed6

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If you've worked on an old vtec head there will be no delay without damage, lol
 
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