Vtec Indicator Light
10-31-2003, 07:29 PM
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Vtec Indicator Light
Alright, I read online how you can do a light to show you when vtec kicks in. Now I have everything I need. I have a 94' Civic Ex. The 1.6 Sohc Vtec motor. So I have everything to install it. The light is mounted wires are hooked up.
But my question is, Which wire do I hook it up to on the ecu? I read online that its a green wire with a yellow stripe.
I did that and when you click the keys on but dont turn the car over the lights on the panel light up and so does the indicator light. But when you hit vtec the light does not come on.
Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong. Because this really shouldn't be as hard as what I am making it.
Thanks in advance.
But my question is, Which wire do I hook it up to on the ecu? I read online that its a green wire with a yellow stripe.
I did that and when you click the keys on but dont turn the car over the lights on the panel light up and so does the indicator light. But when you hit vtec the light does not come on.
Can someone please tell me what I am doing wrong. Because this really shouldn't be as hard as what I am making it.
Thanks in advance.
10-31-2003, 07:33 PM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (Nowellfan2003)
I did the ecu first too and couldn't get it to work so I just directly connected it to the vtec wire coming off the vtec solenoid thorugh the firewall. I used one of those connectors that splices 1 wire into another.
10-31-2003, 07:34 PM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (Nowellfan2003)
About this How-To:
Ok, your reading this, thinking "VTEC light? that is so rice" well, at one time I would have agreed with you however, I found a need for it. My main reason for installing the light is because, on the SOHC VTEC engine, you can barely feel the VTEC engage as it is much less tell whether or not it disengages in between shifts. So now with this light, I can tell whether or not I have let the engine go out of VTEC mode when I am racing. (More or less its just another gauge to give you information). So having explained myself, I have also included the installation instructions along with part numbers. Enjoy.
Tools Needed
Soldering Iron
Drill W/bits
Other standard tools
Parts Needed:
Parts from Radio Shack:
Package of 330 OHM resistors Part# 271-1113
5mm LED of your choice, I choose a Blue on Part# 276-311
Roll of 18-gauge wire, I got a three color package of solid core but stranded would be better (solid core part# 278-1223 )
Snap-in LED mount Part# 276-079
Tap-in clips Part# 64-3052
Notes:
Alot of people ask if this will work on so and so model of such and such car. This will work on ANY VTEC motor of ANY year. The pin from the ECU is the only thing that may vary, It should always be Green with a Yellow stripe.
Figure out where you are going to mount your LED and drill a 1/4" hole
Solider the two wires to the two leads from the LED (the longer of the two leads is the positive lead The shorter lead is the ground.) Solder the resistor in line with the ground wire (I soldered one end of the resistor to the ground lead on the LED and the other end to the wire) making sure that the wire is long enough to reach from the mounting location to the right side of the passenger seat near where your right foot would be if you were in the passenger seat).Put one of the snap-in LED mounts into the hole that you made. Next insert the LED from behind, into the snap-in connector (you will feel a little click when it is in all the way).Run the cable to the ECU location (near the right foot area of the passenger side). Take out the two plastic retainers for the ECU cover and pull off the cover ( it may take some force, but it wont break).Unplug the two plugs that are closest to you on the bottom of the ECU (there are a total of three plugs, but you don't need to unplug the third). On the furthest plug of the two (the one for my car is Grey), locate the VTEC signal wire (Green with a yellow stripe). Once you find the VTEC wire, attach the positive lead from the LED to it using one of the tap-in clips. If you look under the glove box in the same side as the ECU, you will see a phillips screw, You can strip off some of the ground lead and attach it to this screw. reattach the ECU plugs and put everything back together and test it out.
If you did everything correctly the LED should come on when the VTEC engages.
If this is any help great. I did it but with 2 lights one to know that the engine is running and the second is the VTEC light and u know ppl think its stupid but when you have that little light it help on ur shifting bc you know where you can **** to stay in VTEC to accelerate faster.
Ok, your reading this, thinking "VTEC light? that is so rice" well, at one time I would have agreed with you however, I found a need for it. My main reason for installing the light is because, on the SOHC VTEC engine, you can barely feel the VTEC engage as it is much less tell whether or not it disengages in between shifts. So now with this light, I can tell whether or not I have let the engine go out of VTEC mode when I am racing. (More or less its just another gauge to give you information). So having explained myself, I have also included the installation instructions along with part numbers. Enjoy.
Tools Needed
Soldering Iron
Drill W/bits
Other standard tools
Parts Needed:
Parts from Radio Shack:
Package of 330 OHM resistors Part# 271-1113
5mm LED of your choice, I choose a Blue on Part# 276-311
Roll of 18-gauge wire, I got a three color package of solid core but stranded would be better (solid core part# 278-1223 )
Snap-in LED mount Part# 276-079
Tap-in clips Part# 64-3052
Notes:
Alot of people ask if this will work on so and so model of such and such car. This will work on ANY VTEC motor of ANY year. The pin from the ECU is the only thing that may vary, It should always be Green with a Yellow stripe.
Figure out where you are going to mount your LED and drill a 1/4" hole
Solider the two wires to the two leads from the LED (the longer of the two leads is the positive lead The shorter lead is the ground.) Solder the resistor in line with the ground wire (I soldered one end of the resistor to the ground lead on the LED and the other end to the wire) making sure that the wire is long enough to reach from the mounting location to the right side of the passenger seat near where your right foot would be if you were in the passenger seat).Put one of the snap-in LED mounts into the hole that you made. Next insert the LED from behind, into the snap-in connector (you will feel a little click when it is in all the way).Run the cable to the ECU location (near the right foot area of the passenger side). Take out the two plastic retainers for the ECU cover and pull off the cover ( it may take some force, but it wont break).Unplug the two plugs that are closest to you on the bottom of the ECU (there are a total of three plugs, but you don't need to unplug the third). On the furthest plug of the two (the one for my car is Grey), locate the VTEC signal wire (Green with a yellow stripe). Once you find the VTEC wire, attach the positive lead from the LED to it using one of the tap-in clips. If you look under the glove box in the same side as the ECU, you will see a phillips screw, You can strip off some of the ground lead and attach it to this screw. reattach the ECU plugs and put everything back together and test it out.
If you did everything correctly the LED should come on when the VTEC engages.
If this is any help great. I did it but with 2 lights one to know that the engine is running and the second is the VTEC light and u know ppl think its stupid but when you have that little light it help on ur shifting bc you know where you can **** to stay in VTEC to accelerate faster.
10-31-2003, 08:15 PM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (slvrcivic97)
Alright sorry to sound like an idiot but where is the vtec solenoid? Because I found the green wire with a yellow stripe but i couldnt find the solenoid.
I spliced into that wire and ran a wire from that to my light and i took a spin and still no go. But when i use my test light the ground inside the car and the ecu wire, it lights up. but when i used the splice and the ground in the engine bay it made no light? WTF?
When I used the test light for the ecu it made a weird buzzing noise from the engine bay. I am assuming its the solenoid.
Modified by Nowellfan2003 at 5:30 AM 11/1/2003
I spliced into that wire and ran a wire from that to my light and i took a spin and still no go. But when i use my test light the ground inside the car and the ecu wire, it lights up. but when i used the splice and the ground in the engine bay it made no light? WTF?
When I used the test light for the ecu it made a weird buzzing noise from the engine bay. I am assuming its the solenoid.
Modified by Nowellfan2003 at 5:30 AM 11/1/2003
11-01-2003, 07:22 AM
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Re: (93SiVtec677)
looks like a miniature tin can thing. It's right behind your Valve cover on the top left. just connect the ground from your vtec light to a screw inside and run the other wire through your firewall and splice it into the vtec wire coming out of your solenoid. The signal will then go directly from your solenoind to the vtec light.
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11-01-2003, 05:04 PM
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Thanks to all who have helped! I ended up giving up after hours of messing with it and making sure the test light lit up and scratching my head why it didnt work right I have given up. Maybe some day I will let one of you pro's work on my car and figure it out. Thanks though!
11-01-2003, 05:16 PM
#9
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (Nowellfan2003)
I went right off the ecu, use the VTEC signal wire to trip a 10 Bosch style relay.....then sent 12 volts through the switched side of the relay to a 12v LED mounted in the dash where the clock wuold be.
Works everytime.
BTW Water temp needs to be at 125 F for VTEC to engage.
Works everytime.
BTW Water temp needs to be at 125 F for VTEC to engage.
11-01-2003, 05:24 PM
#10
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (Mista Bone)
I'm in Des Moines if you need help with this.. its pretty easy to do 
my AOL IM name is: IntegraLS90 since you can't use IM on here being a trial user
my AOL IM name is: IntegraLS90 since you can't use IM on here being a trial user
11-01-2003, 05:50 PM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (GimpyAccord)
anyone have pics? are wire taps cool to use for stuff like this? i'm trying to wire my secondary o2 and my splicing isn't working so good...but i do have these taps...will they work for something so sensitive?
11-01-2003, 08:41 PM
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05-20-2004, 06:11 AM
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Re: (MrIllegalX)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MrIllegalX »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check out this AWESOME write-up.
http://home.earthlink.net/~civ....html</TD></TR></TABLE>
That's the best write up i've seen so far!
http://home.earthlink.net/~civ....html</TD></TR></TABLE>
That's the best write up i've seen so far!
05-20-2004, 06:34 AM
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Re: (ironballz)
I have a variation of this on my car. I just extended the wires from my vtec light on my dash then I took them out through the firewall where I have 2 24" red neons on both sides of my car by the wheel wells. Now when I hit vtec on the road my whole egine bay glows red like a beast, it's awesome!!!!! Everybody looks at you.
05-20-2004, 07:41 AM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (98civicHBforsale)
Maybe your VTEC doesn't work. Maybe your oil pressure is too low, you burned out the wire or something in the ECU with the test light, or messed up the connection altogether.
05-20-2004, 11:52 AM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (shaundrake)
I hooked mine directly to the solinoid and it won't light up. I have no CEL codes. So I dont know if it is functioning.
05-26-2004, 09:41 PM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (93SiVtec677)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 93SiVtec677 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
on the SOHC VTEC engine, you can barely feel the VTEC engage.</TD></TR></TABLE>
True...no one believes i got VTEC
on the SOHC VTEC engine, you can barely feel the VTEC engage.</TD></TR></TABLE>
True...no one believes i got VTEC
05-27-2004, 03:58 AM
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Re: Vtec Indicator Light (Nowellfan2003)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Nowellfan2003 »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
When I used the test light for the ecu it made a weird buzzing noise from the engine bay. I am assuming its the solenoid.
Modified by Nowellfan2003 at 5:30 AM 11/1/2003</TD></TR></TABLE>
Do not use test lights on an ecu (or anything else for that matter). Digital multimeters are relatively cheap and won't cook precision electrical components (ecu, airbag components, ect....). Just trying to save you a few $$.
When I used the test light for the ecu it made a weird buzzing noise from the engine bay. I am assuming its the solenoid.
Modified by Nowellfan2003 at 5:30 AM 11/1/2003</TD></TR></TABLE>
Do not use test lights on an ecu (or anything else for that matter). Digital multimeters are relatively cheap and won't cook precision electrical components (ecu, airbag components, ect....). Just trying to save you a few $$.
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