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VTEC Light install
Posted: September 6th, 2006, 8:16 pm
by 3stagevtec
What you need:
LED with Holder
330ohm resistor
18 gauge wire
VTEC Honda
Wire the 330ohm resistor in series to the -ve terminal on the LED and the run that wire to a ground point. Connect the positive lead of the LED to the VTEC signal wire near the car's ECU. To determine which is the car's VTEC signal wire, see below. Install the LED in a convenient location in the car's dash. Your done...
To determine which is the VTEC signal wire, look under the hood for the VTEC solenoid(s). The wire leading to the solenoid(s) is what is responsible for VTEC engagement. For my car (D15B 3 stage VTEC) the wires leading to the two solenoids are Green with a Yellow stripe and Red. The Green/Yellow represents the changeover from 12V mode to 16V mode. The Red wire represents the changeover from 16V normal cam to 16V wild intake cam.
Solenoid Wires
Red wire leading to ECU.
LED holder in place
LED in holder installed
Entering Warp speed!!
In VTEC!
Posted: September 6th, 2006, 8:31 pm
by Val
So it worked then? Nice.
You should specify that this is for the D15B.
Posted: September 6th, 2006, 8:54 pm
by 3stagevtec
Val wrote:So it worked then? Nice.
You should specify that this is for the D15B.
Yip! I finally got em working!
I was trying to make it kinda general so that it may be helpful to others who try it also. That's why I left out the engine model number... It's a really fun instrument to have in your car IMO...
Posted: September 6th, 2006, 9:50 pm
by Zh@ne
waayyyzzz nice dude i gonna try it first thing saturday morning....
Posted: September 6th, 2006, 9:52 pm
by Zh@ne
waayyyzzz nice dude i gonna try it first thing saturday morning....
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 9:23 am
by Val
That install looks really neat, but here's another idea (which I tried in my car but ripped it out).
Use a dremel and mark out "VTEC" in plexi (not right through the plexi, but give it a rough finish so that light will diffuse within the text). Place your LED in a small hole in the side of the plexi, then blacken out the backing of the plexi (use paint, and you can tape up the sides). It comes out real neat if you're hand is steady with the dremel, or if you have a "router" I think is the name. I did it freehand though. I still have the plexi with VTEC written on it.
That way, when your VTEC kicks in, the LED will light up the plexi and you will see VTEC lighted up. Find a nice place to mount the plexi (I mounted it under my head unit, but ripped it out for a preamp instead).
Just a thought.
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 9:53 am
by Big Z
Interesting...
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 11:21 am
by X2
Val wrote:the plexi, but give it a rough finish so that light will diffuse within the text). .
Get someone with an etching pen/machine to do it clean !
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 12:48 pm
by Val
Hmm, good idea.
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 3:43 pm
by Aaron 2NR
hmmm i rem madcrix was jokin bout this this a nite..lol
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 4:46 pm
by redsupra101
why is the resistor needed though? i genuinly dont know and asking eh.......... not ill commenting.
and
what if i wanted to use a brighter LED, or several LEDs, would i need a different value resistor? or maybe just resistor per LED instead?
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 5:07 pm
by Rahtid
^^^^^^ never did electronics?
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 5:24 pm
by Val
Normal LED's use about 2V. If you exceed the rated voltage for an LED, it will burn out.
Some leds use different voltages (e.g. 5V). Car voltage is 12V. Resistors are needed to break down the voltage to the led from the car's electrical system.
V=IR where V is voltage, I is current and R is resistance.
For the particular current flowing in the wire that you tapping (which will remain constant), you need to choose a Resistor with a certain resistance which will give you the voltage required for the LED.
what if i wanted to use a brighter LED, or several LEDs, would i need a different value resistor? or maybe just resistor per LED instead?
Yes.
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 6:05 pm
by Zh@ne
the reason that the resistor comes on the negative part of the LEd is because yuh tend to experience a reverse voltage form time to time (a back voltage) if this voltage pass thought the negative terminal of the LED then i will cause the LED to blow. grounding these components so time isnt enough!
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 6:07 pm
by Zh@ne
Yes if u plan to use different LED yuh have to consider the rating on the resistor that you are using this is because that is becasue LEDs have different voltage and wattage rating!
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 6:54 pm
by redsupra101
Val wrote:Normal LED's use about 2V. If you exceed the rated voltage for an LED, it will burn out.
Some leds use different voltages (e.g. 5V). Car voltage is 12V. Resistors are needed to break down the voltage to the led from the car's electrical system.
V=IR where V is voltage, I is current and R is resistance.
For the particular current flowing in the wire that you tapping (which will remain constant), you need to choose a Resistor with a certain resistance which will give you the voltage required for the LED.
what if i wanted to use a brighter LED, or several LEDs, would i need a different value resistor? or maybe just resistor per LED instead?
Yes.
yeah but he didnt say what voltage led he used anyway.. i had 2 ask. how am i to know what is the voltage out of the ecu, whats the voltage of the led?
Zh@ne wrote:the reason that the resistor comes on the negative part of the LEd is because yuh tend to experience a reverse voltage form time to time (a back voltage) if this voltage pass thought the negative terminal of the LED then i will cause the LED to blow. grounding these components so time isnt enough!
wouldnt a diode prevent against this 'reverse voltage'?
mine was hooked up with a 12v high intensity LED and a diode on the +ve
didnt install it in the car as it wasnt as bright as i wanted it to be.
id try ur method to see if it yields a brighter light
thanks
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 7:56 pm
by Zh@ne
Yes the diode would serves the same function as the resistor however the resistor in most cases are cheap and easier to purchase than the diode.
However don't get me wrong by placing a resistor on the negative lead of the LED "WILL NOT INCREASE BRIGHTNESS" to get the LED to show brigther yuh need a LED with a great voltage tolerence therefore instead of a 12V LED buy a 24V LED however this still is not enough u will need a small circuit to boost the voltage to the LED (juss as a transformer steps up AC current) there is a device to step up DC current . Cant remember what to do off hand i will have to look in meh books for it as soon as i find it i will send a post!
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 9:21 pm
by 3stagevtec
Val wrote:Use a dremel and mark out "VTEC" in plexi
I was thinking of that same thing to try! But to write "VTEC" in small font with a dremel aint an easy task... I think the plain LED in dash looks more professional / factory stock..
Posted: September 7th, 2006, 9:29 pm
by 3stagevtec
redsupra101 wrote:yeah but he didnt say what voltage led he used anyway.. i had 2 ask. how am i to know what is the voltage out of the ecu, whats the voltage of the led?
I used a standard red LED. I'm not sure of the voltage, but according to
Val it should be around 2V. The voltage out of the ECU is ~14V.
Posted: September 17th, 2006, 10:29 pm
by Silvermike
ouuu ouuu, ive got one better.
when my vtec comes in i have the circuit hooked to the loud speakers of my stero and i hear "vtec" as it comes in. (as well as the light)
fcukin ricers
Posted: September 18th, 2006, 12:39 pm
by crazybalhead
This has to be the stupidest mod EVER.
Posted: September 18th, 2006, 7:59 pm
by VexXx Dogg
IMO it is a cool idea.
call me a ricer but say what....
Posted: September 18th, 2006, 9:15 pm
by Zh@ne
Silvermike wrote:ouuu ouuu, ive got one better.
when my vtec comes in i have the circuit hooked to the loud speakers of my stero and i hear "vtec" as it comes in. (as well as the light)
so it actual says "vtec" on the speakers?
fcukin ricers
Posted: September 18th, 2006, 9:25 pm
by Silvermike
dee^3
Posted: September 18th, 2006, 9:31 pm
by Silvermike
dee^3
Posted: September 19th, 2006, 12:29 am
by Sky
Zh@ne wrote:Yes the diode would serves the same function as the resistor however the resistor in most cases are cheap and easier to purchase than the diode.
However don't get me wrong by placing a resistor on the negative lead of the LED "WILL NOT INCREASE BRIGHTNESS" to get the LED to show brigther yuh need a LED with a great voltage tolerence therefore instead of a 12V LED buy a 24V LED however this still is not enough u will need a small circuit to boost the voltage to the LED (juss as a transformer steps up AC current) there is a device to step up DC current . Cant remember what to do off hand i will have to look in meh books for it as soon as i find it i will send a post!
Why not just use a relay? I said that before. Instead of all this maths. Btw isnt that the wire that goes to the actuators in the engine? I might be wrong, but I think that wire should be burdened with as little load as possible. We don't know the voltage coming from the ecu, but that resistor might just be extra load incase of a leak in the diode grounding off that wire (might be bye bye ecu)
Posted: September 19th, 2006, 8:30 am
by crazybalhead
ENT!!!!!
I wasnt cutting up my harness to put a diode to tell me something that I know is happening already.
Posted: October 26th, 2006, 1:08 am
by hondat
ok 3stage but can i hook up two led's i have a 3-stage also so i was askin if 1 for 12v-16-v and the other for 16v to 16v wild cam mode. is it possible or will it work
Posted: October 26th, 2006, 11:04 am
by 3stagevtec
hondat wrote:ok 3stage but can i hook up two led's i have a 3-stage also so i was askin if 1 for 12v-16-v and the other for 16v to 16v wild cam mode. is it possible or will it work
yeah, that will work also. i wanted to put in a second led also, but just never got to doing it...
Note:
The green/yellow wire (leading to the second solenoid) will only signal when you pass 3000rpm. It will not work in synchronization with the green 'econo' indicator on the dash.
Posted: November 5th, 2006, 2:21 am
by hondat
cool thanks il try it and see wat happens