VAFC II Full Installation Info
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From: Dallas
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i installed everything according to the instructions.. car ran good for about a week. then driving in 3rd about 4000rpms. my car started to bogg and the Infamous light went on(check engine light)... now whats going on?
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 
Did you hook up every wire that was shown on the first post? Then do the initial setup before turning on the car for the first time? Most people get the check engine light because they left out the vtm wire.
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Rep Power: 298 haha.. i was just got the info from my car so i could post up the inital setup procedures but u beat me too it.. lol.. anyways.. make sure u solder ur connections.. dont use that stuff that comes with the kit and crimp it... it can come loose... maybe something u connected got loose.. thats just my opinion
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Rep Power: 298 good for you.. now if something happens down the line u cant blame it on the wires coming loose... haha.. i think earbox loves editing my original post... makes me wonder how much of the original post is still mine.. lol.. 
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 Haha. I think the first paragraph is yours.
The accelerator thing is to make the vafc learn your throttle position, so it knows how much you're pressing the throttle and if you're at wot. There's actually a readout for one of the monitor functions.
The accelerator thing is to make the vafc learn your throttle position, so it knows how much you're pressing the throttle and if you're at wot. There's actually a readout for one of the monitor functions.
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From: Illinois
Rep Power: 0 hey dudes, i got my VAFC connected with that diagram i have an 04' civic and well its still got an unstable idle and it sputters a lot any ideas? i set my VTEC to enage at 5800 and then i checked it and it said vtec is engaging at 3250 and now it wont change..... do i need to hit initialize???? im not sure plz lemme know thanks...
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 Did you perform the initial setup BEFORE starting the engine? It's in the first post. If you don't do the setup, you will have big problems. Initialize the unit (wipe the memory), and unplug the car battery to erase the ecu memery. Then plug it back and turn the car to ON (do not crank motor). Now with the vafcII on, follow the initial setup instructions, turn the car off, and then you can set values. NEVER set fuel or vtec values while the car engine is running!
Hey you're from Illinois? Near chicago, if so we have meets in Schaumberg sometimes.
Hey you're from Illinois? Near chicago, if so we have meets in Schaumberg sometimes.
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From: Austin, TX
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Originally Posted by gearbox
Did you perform the initial setup BEFORE starting the engine? It's in the first post. If you don't do the setup, you will have big problems. Initialize the unit (wipe the memory), and unplug the car battery to erase the ecu memery. Then plug it back and turn the car to ON (do not crank motor). Now with the vafcII on, follow the initial setup instructions, turn the car off, and then you can set values. NEVER set fuel or vtec values while the car engine is running!
Hey you're from Illinois? Near chicago, if so we have meets in Schaumberg sometimes.
Hey you're from Illinois? Near chicago, if so we have meets in Schaumberg sometimes.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Illinois
Rep Power: 0 i did follow initial setup instructions, but that was when we followed APEXi's original wiring, we called ONE SIX and they reccommended checkin out this site and we did we got the new diagram and well we did the initial set up although i think it was kinda half assed so maybe we will try that tomorrow, if not we were thinking of taking it to one six tomorrow and having them run it, and the 3250 rpm's sounds really low for vtec engagement?????? and it was around that point that the car would sound boggy the High to low cam switch over point is where the car would "shudder" at wide throttle...lemme know what you guys think, and if any of you wanna talk directly the SN (on AIM) blingracerx THANKS GUYS
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From: Austin, TX
Rep Power: 0 The ECU is tuned for midrange power. The engine is made for midrange power also. 3250rpm is the MAX engagement point set in the ECU. In wide throttle then the ECU will engage VTEC right at 2500rpm. Question should be asked for whether we should let the VTEC engagement point at 2500rpm. The answer, I would say that, if you don't want the engine to lose power at midrange, then leave it alone. I did several dynos and had them analized. The result is that, the higher the engagement point you move to, for every 1000rpm, you lose about 10% of power, and, torque, up to the engagement point, then it goes back to where it should be.....
That's my advice. I don't know if many people will disagree(I know somebody really want to argue with me and say, set the point to 4000+). But we have 1 wild lobe and 1 flat lobe, I don't know why people will do it at 4000 and lean it up, then the ECU tries to correct the fuel and you lose power again, without sign and warning.
One important thing to keep in mind is that, VTEC controllers are NOT meant to extract more top end power. It IS used to get a "smooth power and torque curve". In older VTEC's, the graph often show a flat and dip around 4000-5500rpm range. VTEC controllers are then used to correct it, to gain the power back in that range. This is ALSO why older VTEC cars LOWER the engagement point, sometimes down to 3000rpm. Then think about it, why we want to raise the point?
Anyway, I did dyno'd it and found that, if I move my VTEC point up to 4000rpm, I have a complete FLAT curve from 3300-4000 then a sudden jump when VTEC engages. Tuning is not appropriate at that region because it's still running at 12Valve mode.
That's my advice. I don't know if many people will disagree(I know somebody really want to argue with me and say, set the point to 4000+). But we have 1 wild lobe and 1 flat lobe, I don't know why people will do it at 4000 and lean it up, then the ECU tries to correct the fuel and you lose power again, without sign and warning.
One important thing to keep in mind is that, VTEC controllers are NOT meant to extract more top end power. It IS used to get a "smooth power and torque curve". In older VTEC's, the graph often show a flat and dip around 4000-5500rpm range. VTEC controllers are then used to correct it, to gain the power back in that range. This is ALSO why older VTEC cars LOWER the engagement point, sometimes down to 3000rpm. Then think about it, why we want to raise the point?
Anyway, I did dyno'd it and found that, if I move my VTEC point up to 4000rpm, I have a complete FLAT curve from 3300-4000 then a sudden jump when VTEC engages. Tuning is not appropriate at that region because it's still running at 12Valve mode.
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 I heard it's best to keep the vtec engagement stock. It should only be activating when a number of conditions are met, such as appropriate oil pressure and wide open throttle. Activating it at other conditions with the vafc may cause problems down the line.
But try the initial setup again and set all those options on the first page. If they're not set right, the car runs like crap.
I took my car to garage qwai and had them tune it, and they set the vtec to 2800rpms. I have it back to stock now.
But try the initial setup again and set all those options on the first page. If they're not set right, the car runs like crap.
I took my car to garage qwai and had them tune it, and they set the vtec to 2800rpms. I have it back to stock now.
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 Yeah just check out the chicago forums. It's pretty dead most of the time, but there will be meets posted occasionally. The best turnouts are in the spring.
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 is the check engine light on, and did you reset everything and redo the settings? Put the vtec to passive mode (****), since you shouldn't change that anyway. I'll post my wide throttle settings for a/f or you can search for the thread where I posted the dyno. It's different for every car tho.
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 It's in there someplace. I know they set the vtec to 2800 rpms when they were tuning, but don't know if that was after they were done.
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...o+with+dh+head
http://www.7thgencivic.com/forums/sh...o+with+dh+head
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Illinois
Rep Power: 0 ok, you guys are totally gonna make fun of me for this, i went through and double checked my connections and guess what?? i had the sensor input and sensor output wires SWITCHED!!! lol, i got it fixed, the cars runnin, no engine probs, no check engine light, running smoother than a babys bottom, thank you guys so much for helpin me out, id love to see those A/F ratios, but i think im gonna get it dyno tuned..... heres the site to my car, if you guys wanna check it out, im gonna have new pics posted soon and im workin on headers right now....anyone wanna add to my list of up coming parts....?? the goal for this car is 13's on 1/4 N/A thanks guys :-D http://www.programgeeks.net/other/de...s/tanveer/car/
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 Glad you got it working. Your future mods look good, but some of those are not made yet for our cars. Stay away from regrind cams, intake manifold, and throtle body if you're staying NA. Maybe a light bore, but that's it. No aftermarket crank pully if you want the engine to last.
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Joined: Jul 2004
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From: Illinois
Rep Power: 0 wait, so an intake manifold is not N/A?? i thought it was naturally aspirated, and as for pulleys, what do they do to the engine?, im just wondering cuz im kind of confused, thanks...and ill keep u guys posted on the status.
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: NV
Rep Power: 812 keep changing it until you get **** (four stars).
Intake manifold is generally not a good mod for an NA car. Someone did design one here that made more torque and hp, but it cost his $2000 and was full custom job. The KMS manifold is junk and actually causes major power loss if you don't have a turbo.
Intake manifold is generally not a good mod for an NA car. Someone did design one here that made more torque and hp, but it cost his $2000 and was full custom job. The KMS manifold is junk and actually causes major power loss if you don't have a turbo.
