DIY VTEC Light (with Pics)
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From: Washington DC
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I don't really understand what it is your asking... you want to know how to wire an LED? The long lead is positive, the short lead is negative, hook it up to power and make sure you use a resistor large enough to reduce the voltage to a level the LED can take.
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From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 424 Totally depends on what the source is putting out....
Voltage = Current* Resistance
Get a multi-meter... measure the voltage and current being put out by the source.... then read the LED package to find out what the maximum Voltage and current the LED can handle.... Solve the V=IR equation twice, once for LED max V = Source current* R, and Source voltage= MAX LED Current *R... solve for R... select the higher number of the 2... that is the minimum you can use. anything with more impedance than that is ok.
Voltage = Current* Resistance
Get a multi-meter... measure the voltage and current being put out by the source.... then read the LED package to find out what the maximum Voltage and current the LED can handle.... Solve the V=IR equation twice, once for LED max V = Source current* R, and Source voltage= MAX LED Current *R... solve for R... select the higher number of the 2... that is the minimum you can use. anything with more impedance than that is ok.
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Rep Power: 0 Thanks Boilermaker1, this DIY was really helpful and easy. It was even easier for me since I bought an led that already came with the resistor and led housing installed (this complete led kit is real nice since the housing is flat and not round like led snap-in housings), so all I had to do was tap pos. and ground neg. (so simple). Like everyone else, I am very surprised how early VTEC kicks in about 2500-2700 and I'm not even pressing on the gas real hard (only halfway down to 2/3's tops).
Last edited by NorrinRadd; May 19, 2003 at 03:44 PM.
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From: Texas
Rep Power: 0 **** this is a long thread... ya know what, i always thought that my vtec engaged around 4000... thats weird. are you guys sure it doesnt have variable levels of engagement, like the celicas... once slightly, then once again greater?
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Rep Power: 0 Probably, after driving with the VTEC light now for sometime it sometimes engages early sometimes later. It has a lot to do with how much gas you give it, the more then the earlier it engages (2500-2700), and less would be around 3-4k.
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From: Lakeland, Florida, US
Rep Power: 0 Boilermaker1,
I have a question. I see you have a Oil Pressure Gauge. If I may what wire did you hook the sender wire up to? There are three on the back Positive, Negative and Sender ( I think ). I don't know where it could possibly be or where to hook it up. I went to the DIY portion and under electrical it shows four connectors that plug to the ECU. One of the wires is labeled as VTEC oil pressure switch. Would this be the wire, but it is labeled Switch? Thank you very much. Derek
I have a question. I see you have a Oil Pressure Gauge. If I may what wire did you hook the sender wire up to? There are three on the back Positive, Negative and Sender ( I think ). I don't know where it could possibly be or where to hook it up. I went to the DIY portion and under electrical it shows four connectors that plug to the ECU. One of the wires is labeled as VTEC oil pressure switch. Would this be the wire, but it is labeled Switch? Thank you very much. Derek
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From: marietta, ga
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by FlyRiceRacer02
haha........here is what it should look like
haha........here is what it should look like
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From: Gainesville, Fl
Rep Power: 0 Alright, I did this and I put the light on my gauge pod on my A pillar looks very sweet right next to my A/F guage.....but damn if that light doesn't come on all the damn time....when does vtec kick in for us? Is the yellow/green wire the wrong wire? It almost acts like a map sensor wire or something....cruising on the highway at 80+ and it's always on....
Brandon
Brandon
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Rep Power: 0 ok here's the deal. i've recently re-visited this post again. im doing circuit engineering now in school. i'm guessing that when vtec kicks in, a current of certain amps would flow. since we're wire-tapping in this case, that would cause the current to split right? hence the vtec current that flows would be lesser than the original (the original being without the wire splice). anyone have any idea on how would that affect the circuit?
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From: Orange County, CA
Rep Power: 0 Originally posted by chesireCAT
Alright, I did this and I put the light on my gauge pod on my A pillar looks very sweet right next to my A/F guage.....but damn if that light doesn't come on all the damn time....when does vtec kick in for us? Is the yellow/green wire the wrong wire? It almost acts like a map sensor wire or something....cruising on the highway at 80+ and it's always on....
Brandon
Alright, I did this and I put the light on my gauge pod on my A pillar looks very sweet right next to my A/F guage.....but damn if that light doesn't come on all the damn time....when does vtec kick in for us? Is the yellow/green wire the wrong wire? It almost acts like a map sensor wire or something....cruising on the highway at 80+ and it's always on....
Brandon
unlike older models they always kicked in at around 4500 rpms Thread Starter
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From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 424 Originally posted by ben_spawn
ok here's the deal. i've recently re-visited this post again. im doing circuit engineering now in school. i'm guessing that when vtec kicks in, a current of certain amps would flow. since we're wire-tapping in this case, that would cause the current to split right? hence the vtec current that flows would be lesser than the original (the original being without the wire splice). anyone have any idea on how would that affect the circuit?
ok here's the deal. i've recently re-visited this post again. im doing circuit engineering now in school. i'm guessing that when vtec kicks in, a current of certain amps would flow. since we're wire-tapping in this case, that would cause the current to split right? hence the vtec current that flows would be lesser than the original (the original being without the wire splice). anyone have any idea on how would that affect the circuit?
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Rep Power: 0 ohh cool. so vtec kicks in when there's a difference in voltage across two points in the circuit.
one more note, as far as i've known, LED are current suckers...they love currents. so they'll suck up alot of current. have you heard about this tho? I'm just trying to verify this.
hmmm oh yeah boilermaker, i think it shouldn't matter where you wire your resistor because wiring it before the LED or after the LED, shouldn't make any difference. i don't think it would though because the current that enters the LED has to be same current that leaves the LED. the thing with LED's is that it allows current to flow in only one direction (anode to cathode--following convention).
one more note, as far as i've known, LED are current suckers...they love currents. so they'll suck up alot of current. have you heard about this tho? I'm just trying to verify this.
hmmm oh yeah boilermaker, i think it shouldn't matter where you wire your resistor because wiring it before the LED or after the LED, shouldn't make any difference. i don't think it would though because the current that enters the LED has to be same current that leaves the LED. the thing with LED's is that it allows current to flow in only one direction (anode to cathode--following convention).
everyone should check this place. beats radio shack any day in the led department.
http://superbrightleds.com/
http://superbrightleds.com/
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Just did it and it works pretty good. For a tempary place to put the led just get a small gromet and put it on the led, place it right between in the crack between the center concial and the vertical concial. It will not go further than an inch or so but pretty good fit. Low and still visable. It was pretty easy to do but just make sure you don't keep the positive and negative wires togeather. Heat shrink will work if you dont have soder and heat shrink. I used soder to connect the wires, put heat shrink over both sides and 3M tape to hold both togeather. You can check the L.E.D. with a 9 voilt. Resister works and you can try it with it on and with out it. Oh make sure you connect it to the lower white connecter. Green line with yellow stripe. Thanks for the info! 
Last edited by Bullet; Jul 9, 2004 at 09:02 PM.
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Rep Power: 0 Vtec 3 stage? Philippines
we are told that we have a 3 stage Vtec engine here. (D16W8) that's our engine model here installed to a 7th gen civic. was wondering will the same wire be used? or totally diffrent? since I hear my engine change sound at 3000rpm maybe we have same ECU? but with and additional solenoid for the 3rd stage? or is it all bull? man I'm totally confused here... is there really a 3 stage Vtec 1.6 engine manufactured by honda?
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From: Lost Angels
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Originally Posted by ben_spawn
ohh cool. so vtec kicks in when there's a difference in voltage across two points in the circuit.
one more note, as far as i've known, LED are current suckers...they love currents. so they'll suck up alot of current. have you heard about this tho? I'm just trying to verify this.
hmmm oh yeah boilermaker, i think it shouldn't matter where you wire your resistor because wiring it before the LED or after the LED, shouldn't make any difference. i don't think it would though because the current that enters the LED has to be same current that leaves the LED. the thing with LED's is that it allows current to flow in only one direction (anode to cathode--following convention).
one more note, as far as i've known, LED are current suckers...they love currents. so they'll suck up alot of current. have you heard about this tho? I'm just trying to verify this.
hmmm oh yeah boilermaker, i think it shouldn't matter where you wire your resistor because wiring it before the LED or after the LED, shouldn't make any difference. i don't think it would though because the current that enters the LED has to be same current that leaves the LED. the thing with LED's is that it allows current to flow in only one direction (anode to cathode--following convention).
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