Ok I have a 98 accord auto. 4cy and I've been going to the kill section alot and I've seen people talk about hitting "Vtec" when they were racing, what do they mean? I mean I know it stands for Varible Timing Electronic Control, but what does it ACTUALLY do? I recently raced my friend he has a 04 Chevy Caviler auto. and we're both stock his engine is an Eco tec what ever that means and he only has 110 on the spedo, but when we both lined up he got a good distance b4 I actually caught up I was going about 80 when I finally reached him so I guess his chip kicked in by then.

 

Here is a link from http://www.howstuffworks.com


"What does the VTEC system in a Honda engine do?"
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question229.htm

 

Vtec. Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control.

A system by which Honda imparts a "Dual Personality" to their otherwise free-spinning line of automotive engines.
The problem arose thru the inherent chacteristics of small displacement 4 cyl engines. If designed for acceptable highway performance, the power in the low RPM ranges suffers. Conversly, if designed for good low RPM operations, the power suffers in the High RPM ranges.
What Honda did was to add a secondary cam lobe to either the Intake Valves, or both Intake and Exhaust, which when activated electrically would change the valve timing to one favorable for high RPM uses.
This is all done in the background, with this change taking place from between 4800 and 5200 Rpm, depending on car.

P