vtec controller problom
vtec controller problom
i got a vtec controller installed last week, its pretty nice and i got it for only 300 bucks! when a friend of mine and i installed it and ran the car it was fine and no engine lights came up. but now my emissions control light is on. in the morning when the engine is cold it wont go past 4000 rpm's! the rev limiter doesnt allow it, but when the engine is warm, i restart the car and then it runs fine. my vtec kicks in and everything is normal. do u know why this happens, or know someone that has one and has the same problom. i called apexi and they said they have never had that problom but i was the first to call telling them i installed it in the first place. they have no explanation other then my OBD on newer civics are very sensitive and doesnt allow for it to work. i dont know what to do, hope its not doing any damage to the engine but other then that its running great. i can feel vtec kick in at 5200 rpm's and pulls alot more. it helped alot and the best gains then any other aftermarket parts on my car. im getting it tuned so i can have it kick in at 3000 to 3500 rpm's all the way to redline. thanks!!!
first member with a d16 swap
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Sellersville, Pennsylvania, US
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i had that problem. i was told that it wasnt possible to hook it up on our cars because of the computer system on our cars. but looks like a few people on here have it. mabey there are full of it. who knows?
thats what the guy said at the perfomance shop, he said that apexi had just ok'd the vtec controller to work with our car. it works but the damn ecu sucks! can anyone tell me if they have or had this problom! thanks!!!
we dont have vtec, we have ivtec, which is more emmisons friendly (damn ulev rateing!)and works on a slightly different principal. when the ecu detects a modified ecu signal from the controler it goes into limp mode, the fact you cant rev past 4000 is a safty feature the ecu is basicly trying to save the engine from breaking becasue it detects a problem. take off the vtec wires and reset the ecu and the problem should clear up. the reason people have the VAFC rather than the SAFC is for nitrous use and its connected to the n20 soloinoid not the vtec one. (at least in my case)
"thats what the guy said at the perfomance shop, he said that apexi had just ok'd the vtec controller to work with our car"
This guy wasnt the one who SOLD it to you was he? does he drive a 7th gen? does he know ALL that much about our cars? he is probally just trying to get a sale. get your information from a unbiased source rather than someone who is trying to make money off you.
lastly, the reason that APEX'I recalled many of the vtec controllers is becasue too many kids set their VAFC to 3000 rpms and ended up blowing up their engines. there is a reason why honda didnt have vtec kick in right off the bat. listen to honda there smart people. you shouldnt be engageing VTEC at that low of a RPM or speed (fine once in a while at the track) driveing at highway speed in vtec, which is about 3000 in fifth, will kill your engine.
"thats what the guy said at the perfomance shop, he said that apexi had just ok'd the vtec controller to work with our car"
This guy wasnt the one who SOLD it to you was he? does he drive a 7th gen? does he know ALL that much about our cars? he is probally just trying to get a sale. get your information from a unbiased source rather than someone who is trying to make money off you.
lastly, the reason that APEX'I recalled many of the vtec controllers is becasue too many kids set their VAFC to 3000 rpms and ended up blowing up their engines. there is a reason why honda didnt have vtec kick in right off the bat. listen to honda there smart people. you shouldnt be engageing VTEC at that low of a RPM or speed (fine once in a while at the track) driveing at highway speed in vtec, which is about 3000 in fifth, will kill your engine.
my bad, its early in the morning, what i ment to say is vtec-e......check it out
2002 Honda Civic DX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic LX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic EX: 1.7L SOHC VTEC-E 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A2)
2002 Honda Civic HX: 1.7L SOHC VTEC-E "Lean Burn" 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A6)
2002 Honda Civic DX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic LX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic EX: 1.7L SOHC VTEC-E 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A2)
2002 Honda Civic HX: 1.7L SOHC VTEC-E "Lean Burn" 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A6)
Quote
[hr]Originally posted by: Boost
we dont have vtec, we have ivtec, which is more emmisons friendly (damn ulev rateing!)and works on a slightly different principal. when the ecu detects a modified ecu signal from the controler it goes into limp mode, the fact you cant rev past 4000 is a safty feature the ecu is basicly trying to save the engine from breaking becasue it detects a problem. take off the vtec wires and reset the ecu and the problem should clear up. the reason people have the VAFC rather than the SAFC is for nitrous use and its connected to the n20 soloinoid not the vtec one. (at least in my case)
"thats what the guy said at the perfomance shop, he said that apexi had just ok'd the vtec controller to work with our car"
This guy wasnt the one who SOLD it to you was he? does he drive a 7th gen? does he know ALL that much about our cars? he is probally just trying to get a sale. get your information from a unbiased source rather than someone who is trying to make money off you.
lastly, the reason that APEX'I recalled many of the vtec controllers is becasue too many kids set their VAFC to 3000 rpms and ended up blowing up their engines. there is a reason why honda didnt have vtec kick in right off the bat. listen to honda there smart people. you shouldnt be engageing VTEC at that low of a RPM or speed (fine once in a while at the track) driveing at highway speed in vtec, which is about 3000 in fifth, will kill your engine.[hr]
[hr]Originally posted by: Boost
we dont have vtec, we have ivtec, which is more emmisons friendly (damn ulev rateing!)and works on a slightly different principal. when the ecu detects a modified ecu signal from the controler it goes into limp mode, the fact you cant rev past 4000 is a safty feature the ecu is basicly trying to save the engine from breaking becasue it detects a problem. take off the vtec wires and reset the ecu and the problem should clear up. the reason people have the VAFC rather than the SAFC is for nitrous use and its connected to the n20 soloinoid not the vtec one. (at least in my case)
"thats what the guy said at the perfomance shop, he said that apexi had just ok'd the vtec controller to work with our car"
This guy wasnt the one who SOLD it to you was he? does he drive a 7th gen? does he know ALL that much about our cars? he is probally just trying to get a sale. get your information from a unbiased source rather than someone who is trying to make money off you.
lastly, the reason that APEX'I recalled many of the vtec controllers is becasue too many kids set their VAFC to 3000 rpms and ended up blowing up their engines. there is a reason why honda didnt have vtec kick in right off the bat. listen to honda there smart people. you shouldnt be engageing VTEC at that low of a RPM or speed (fine once in a while at the track) driveing at highway speed in vtec, which is about 3000 in fifth, will kill your engine.[hr]
SI Civics, and RSX have I-VTEC, EX civics have VTEC, LX and DX have nothing, and HX has VTEC-E which is a green version of VTEC. I still like LX and DXs though.....
ok, lets set it straight, if you search for VTEC on this fourm you come up with a thread called "Engine Codes and VTEC-E Confusion"
let me lift straight from the thread, posted by pestlnc, a supermember: and i quote....
Just an FYI for everyone out there. Seems to be the general consensus that the EX comes with vtec and the HX comes with vtec-E. To set the record straight they're both the same. The HX merely adds the ability to lean-burn...which is why it has an A/F Ratio sensor (like the Si & RSX).
The vtec in the EX is also vtec-E. Here ya go:
2002 Honda Civic DX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic LX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic EX: 1.7L SOHC vtec-E 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A2)
2002 Honda Civic HX: 1.7L SOHC vtec-E "Lean Burn" 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A6)
call your dealership if you want. or get a helms manuel. trust me on this one.
let me lift straight from the thread, posted by pestlnc, a supermember: and i quote....
Just an FYI for everyone out there. Seems to be the general consensus that the EX comes with vtec and the HX comes with vtec-E. To set the record straight they're both the same. The HX merely adds the ability to lean-burn...which is why it has an A/F Ratio sensor (like the Si & RSX).
The vtec in the EX is also vtec-E. Here ya go:
2002 Honda Civic DX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic LX: 1.7L SOHC 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A1)
2002 Honda Civic EX: 1.7L SOHC vtec-E 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A2)
2002 Honda Civic HX: 1.7L SOHC vtec-E "Lean Burn" 16-valve I4 ULEV-certified engine (D17A6)
call your dealership if you want. or get a helms manuel. trust me on this one.
The upshot of the whole thing is that from all the posts and threads on the subject I have read, nobody has ever got a Vtec controller to work properly on a 7th gen Civic. The ECU just won't let it work.
Joined: Aug 2001
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the EX has VTEC-E. And for some reason no one has gotten it to work correctly. You will probably have to remap your whole ECU to make it work correctly but then you will lose some of the features that Honda put on it.
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