My VTEC light experience and hazone mistake

[chimchim]

I just finally put in a VTEC indicator light in my car following www.hazone.com for the ECU hook up, and a gauge cluster install from somewhere else to put the light in my cluster.

Hazone has one error... or it didn't match (even though I have a 6th gen EX). According to the Helms manual, the VTEC solenoid wire is the green with yellow stripe wire on connector A1 (gray) at pin 8. Hazone said this connector was the "2nd near to you connector". This is not true. For me, it was the 3rd (gray) farthest from me connector. The green/yellow wire was exactly where Helms said it was.

Be CAREFUL when cutting the electrical tape binding your wires together. Use a sharp blade and slowly split the tape open. I almost severed an unrelated wire.

I bought a RadioShack blue 5mm 30mA 560 IL LED with a 390 ohm resistor (which by my calc is about 30mA)... and it's still REALLY dim. Plus, it's a b***h to mount the sucker right. I used some 5/16" air/fuel rubber tubing and jammed it in the light well to hold the LED in place. I shoulda glued it in there because somehow it's aiming to the side.

VTEC on my stock D16Y8 kicks in around 5500 rpm. That seems a bit useless to me since redline is 7000 rpm.

 

[chimchim]

 

[2kstreetcivic]

sweet info man....why did you want a vtec light?

 

[lj17]

nice picture. i was always considering a vtec light. might be cool to have a red LED light up a night when you get on it.

 

[chimchim]

sweet info man....why did you want a vtec light?

Because I'm running a weak stock D16Y8 and for the life of me I've never been able to tell when VTEC kicks in cuz I can't feel it or hear it.

Now at least I know it really does have VTEC, and it's not just printed that way. And most of all I know WHEN it kicks in. Well... hopefully I haven't screwed the operation of the solenoid by loading it with the LED (my biggest fear). Wouldn't that suck if VTEC has been working all this time, but since I stuck the LED on, all the power goes to light the LED instead of activating the solenoid?

 

[defvayne]

Because I'm running a weak stock D16Y8 and for the life of me I've never been able to tell when VTEC kicks in cuz I can't feel it or hear it.

Now at least I know it really does have VTEC, and it's not just printed that way. And most of all I know WHEN it kicks in. Well... hopefully I haven't screwed the operation of the solenoid by loading it with the LED (my biggest fear). Wouldn't that suck if VTEC has been working all this time, but since I stuck the LED on, all the power goes to light the LED instead of activating the solenoid?

well i can hear it on my car, a lil...ha but still it would be cool to have the lil light....rice or not i dont care i might give it a try.

 

[chimchim]

Hey... no rice for me cuz you can't see it at all, right? The gauge looks totally stock... except that when VTEC kicks in, another indicator lights up.

Isn't ricey meaning "performanceless visual modification with the intent of increasing bling factor"?

Knowing when your engine changes profile is info for the driver. Well, whatever. It was a fun project.

 

[pacifico]

I used to have a d16y8 and I could easily tell when the vtec kicked in. I think an intake would help you hear it if you dont have one. Also a vafc controller has a vtec light on it, maybe youd consider that. Just tryin to help out.

 

[ghostwidow]

I used to have a d16y8 and I could easily tell when the vtec kicked in. I think an intake would help you hear it if you dont have one. Also a vafc controller has a vtec light on it, maybe youd consider that. Just tryin to help out.

Yeah the vfac 2 has the knob that changes color when the vtec kicks in (that's badass).

 

[lj17]

Because I'm running a weak stock D16Y8 and for the life of me I've never been able to tell when VTEC kicks in cuz I can't feel it or hear it.

Now at least I know it really does have VTEC, and it's not just printed that way. And most of all I know WHEN it kicks in. Well... hopefully I haven't screwed the operation of the solenoid by loading it with the LED (my biggest fear). Wouldn't that suck if VTEC has been working all this time, but since I stuck the LED on, all the power goes to light the LED instead of activating the solenoid?

i never thought a vtec light would be that rice. unless you wired up to an autometer shiftlight or something. at least with the light on when vtec is engaged, you can make sure it dosen't drop out of vtec when your running hard. i thought that would be nice. hows it work for you when your running high like that?

 

[sohc_vtec 2NR]

VTEC in my D16Y8 was not hard to hear...i do have an intake and an exhaust... i haven't really heard of anyone damaging the vtec by adding a little LED light on it..

 

[2kstreetcivic]

how hard was this install..did you do this to stock guages?

 

[Mr. EeeKaY]

Daym. I wanna try. I know, VTEC on a stock car... You can't really hear it or feel it. I hope when I get my head I can feel it. = )

 

[chimchim]

Actually, I have a CAI and I still can't hear/feel the VTEC kick in. I'm glad I put in the light.

It works well, but since the VTEC doesn't kick in until 5500 rpm, and red starts at 7000, I'm not in VTEC for long.

I did it to my stock gauges (cuz I refuse to put in indiglos cuz I think that's ricey, IHMO). It wasn't too hard at all. Just make sure you have the right tools (pliers, crimpers, taps). I'll try to give a write up sometime soon. Quick version:

- print VTEC on white paper, super glue it between two color binder tabs
- remove gauge shield (2 screws at top, use covered screw driver in the sides to pry the clips at the bottom out)
- undo 4 screws to release gauge cluster
- push releases on wiring harnesses and unplug them, pull out cluster
- push all release tabs and open cluster
- the indicators are really just white bulbs in wells shining through colored plastic
- unsnap the colored plastic and use fine grit sandpaper to sand off the black to get to the clear part
- cut your VTEC label to size and super glue it on the plastic, then snap it back on the gauge plate
- 5mm 30mA 500IL+ LED color of your choice, neg - soldered to 330 or 390 ohm resistor, and solder wires to LED+ and other end of resistor
- mount the light well (glue it into a 5/16" air/fuel rubber tube from kragen and jam it into the light well)
- reassemble gauge

now:
- run wires to the ECU (in the side kick panel of the shotgun side, just rip that plastic plug out, it won't break)
- ground the negative wire (end of resistor) to any chassis point)
- for 6th gen, tap the green wire with yellow stripe on A1 (see pic above)

That's it. Rev past 5500 and try keeping up with that WRX.

 

[yomuppet]

Yeah, I had an intake on my 5G EX, and I couldn't really hear it. If I really strained I could tell myself I was hearing it, but I'm not actually certain I ever heard it. Now my 6G Si... mmm, vtec

 

[Quad-Damage]

Vtec light is so gay, mad rice

I don't even have vtec