OK, so I found a really nice Prelude at a local Honda dealership the other day, so I went down tonight and took it out for a test drive. The drive went really well and the car is all good except for a couple really minor problems that the dealership is going to take care of. However, I have a question regarding the VTEC on the car.

I used to have a '95 del Sol with a JDM H22 in it. However, it was a modded engine and the ECU was not stock, so I know that I can't really compare the two when it comes to speed or the feel of the engine itself. However, when I took the Lude close to redline in 1st, I didn't feel a distinctive kick for VTEC, it was more like a gradual pull and the engine got louder of course. Is this full-on VTEC in a stock Lude or was the car not warmed up completely? The reason I ask is because I don't want to buy this car (I have it on hold for me at the moment) if the VTEC isn't functioning properly. Keep in mind that the car had maybe 5 minutes to warm up before I went all out, however, the temp gauge said it was warmed up.

So, let me know what to expect. It sounded like VTEC, it just didn't kick real hard at a certain RPM like my del Sol did (but then again, I had the switchover at 5500 and some stage II cams). I'm assuming that this is the way it's supposed to be since it's stock cams and VTEC is supposed to be a gradual crossover, not a big jump or anything.

Any help or input is appreciated.

 

To me it sounds like the oil may have not been up to temp yet, but thats my opinion. Did it feel ok in the other gears? My 92 lude with the 01 H22 goes through 1st so fast it is hard to tell. But going into vtec rpms when it isnt fuly warmed up isn't adviseable in my opinion. Just because the oil isn't flowing as fast as it would when it is hot. Your del sol prolly had a pretty hard kick in vtec so it might not seem like it is ok, my guess would be that it is just fine. Just my .02
~Joe~

 

ya, the stock lude sounds like that. i had the same feeling when i took out all my bolt-on mods and reset the vafc and ecu, and i had the same feeling!! how come it doesn't kick in as hard as it used to be. it is just a little change in sound and power increase gradually and the lude is way heavier. how many miles on that lude? i think it is alright! just me 2 cents.

 

Like I said, it felt OK, but it's real hard to tell since the only H22 I've driven was in a del Sol. I mean, I just downloaded a video of an H22 at the track with the video being done from inside the car and it sounds just like the Lude I drove tonight...the thing that I'm wondering is whether or not I should be feeling a real big kick or if it's a gradual progression.

It's not even close since the weight difference between the two and the difference between a stock H22 and the one I had in my del Sol is huge as far as internals go.

 

81k is the mileage...

 

that's how it feels. the prelude weighs like 3000lbs where as the del sol weighs how much? it won't kick as hard as the del sol did until you put alot of money into it. simple i/h/e won't be enough. that's just my opinion though.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Storm_Rider &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that's how it feels. the prelude weighs like 3000lbs where as the del sol weighs how much? it won't kick as hard as the del sol did until you put alot of money into it. simple i/h/e won't be enough. that's just my opinion though. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh, I know that, I have no plans of trying to make this car fast. I just want something nice and reliable to get me to and from work. This car is really nice, has good amenities and decent pickup. That's all I'm looking for really. The only reason I'm asking this question is to make sure that this car isn't damaged and I'm thinking that it's all about the extra weight or something.

However, when everything else is fine except for the CD player not working and the trunk latch being a bit old...I guess you don't have that much to worry about in the first place.

 

Could be that you just broke loose. I know in 1st there is not much I can do to make the car get traction in 1st @ WOT. 2nd is a better test. That said the switch is night and day, but the pull wouldn't be as note-worthy as the little civic.

I may spin because I'm still rocking the OEM struts. Koni's are sitting in the kitchen though!

"wahh, wahh, WAAHHH" *I Love my Honda* by DOHC vtec

 

Here's what you do.

Take the car for another test drive with a friend.

Tape a $20 dollar bill to the dash.

Get the car on the highway and keep it in third.

When you get to 4500 rpms punch it.

If he can grab the $20 dollar bill once you hit 6000 rpm's then vtec
isn't kicking in correctly and you should drive
the car off of a cliff and get a 4th gen vtec

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SKDRCR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here's what you do.

Take the car for another test drive with a friend.

Tape a $20 dollar bill to the dash.

Get the car on the highway and keep it in third.

When you get to 4500 rpms punch it.

If he can grab the $20 dollar bill once you hit 6000 rpm's then vtec
isn't kicking in correctly and you should drive
the car off of a cliff and get a 4th gen vtec </TD></TR></TABLE>

Now, that's an example of why I love this forum so much. That was just the kind of post that I was hoping to see.........a nice technical explanation necessary to make a dude feel good about a possible purchase.

I especially liked the bit about the cliff.

 

well you're not really supposed to feel vtec kick in, you can only feel the vtec crossover if the car is poorly tuned...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by geezandrew &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well you're not really supposed to feel vtec kick in, you can only feel the vtec crossover if the car is poorly tuned...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Or stock.

 

(well you're not really supposed to feel vtec kick in, you can only feel the vtec crossover if the car is poorly tuned... )


since when are you not suposed to feel vtec?? i can sure as hell feel mine..might wanna get that checked out.. my engage is real hard and is loud as hell and im tuned perfectly on the rollers..

 

i have an almost stock 98 auto. it pulls harder and gets louder in vtec. It really noticeable. More so than my 94 GSR was with header and intake. lude has aem short ram only.


neil

 

i have a 98 base and for me i'd say first is the most ridiculous gear of them all, the rpms climb and then scream once in vtec. i only have a ebay intake w/ k&n but when my oil is gettin low it won't be as noticeable. i just can't imagine a Honda dealership having a car on the lot, which doesn't have topped off fluids

 

well, the kick on a stock car should still be noticeable... are you shure you were pushing down on the gas all the way?? sometimes i think i am, but im really not, and when you really are at WOT you should notice something... mine kicks like a mule when vtec kicks in, but its not stock either... but i remember when i bought it , stock, it still kicked pretty good...

 

Yeah, I raced a 5th gen in my 4th gen and I pulled away from him noticeably in 3rd and 4th. If you had a Del Sol with an H22A, you will not feel anywhere close to that, especially from a 3000lbs+ car with an H22A4 in it.

 

I have an h22 sol, and my buddy had (sold 3 months ago) a 97 lude. his vtec crossover was sooo much smoother than mine. All he had on it was an exhaust, and I've got a bunch of bolt-ons, which I think makes more of a difference than the weight. Most bolt on's add more power to top end, and usually have less effect on lower rpm's, so when you cross into vtec, the motor really comes alive. Have you felt &gt;5200 rpms in a lude without working vtec? It feels like its faster to shift at 5k. Vtec is working fine. My .02.