VTEC KICKED IN YO - all they're cracked up to be?

[r.welfare]

They're even less well suited to an automatic. In fact I am surprised why they were so popular with OAPs given this and the fact the seats are placed so low you feel like you're sitting on the floor. Damn reliable though. Watch out for rusty brake pipes and seized air conditioning compressors.

[purplebargeken]

Buy a VVC MGF! Fit a 52mm throttle body and have some fun.

 

I intend to answer most threads asking about cars in this way

[Petrolize]

It may not really be a car in keeping with the forum but I had one for quite a while whereupon it proved totally reliable and I liked the engine, the gearbox, the comfortable driving position and its looks. Would have had around 135k at the time I sold it for under 1k so good value nowadays for such a smart and modern looking car I'd say. I sold it just before travelling abroad but might get another when I return to the UK as they are good cars, if perhaps a bit boring

 

[overrun]

SR16/20VE(T)

 

Vtec: Invented by Honda, perfected by Nissan - no stupidly short 5th gear, either.

[Asimo]

Vtec is applied differently in different models: sometimes to give extra top end whizz,, Type R etc, but sometimes to give more low end slog than you would expect, ie 2001 1.6 Civic.

[cort16]

Conclusion? Buy one and report back your findings.

[pompei]

A hundred years ago I had a non-VTEC CRX which I think put out only about 20bhp less than the later VTEC model. The CRX forum at the time was full of people having problems "modifying" the VTEC kick in as it didn't happen until about 5,000 rpm.  These engines are designed to rev their nuts off and, as others have said on here, it's what they do. If you want massive torque, it's not the motor for you.

[burraston2006]

Used to have one a couple of years ago. It was totally reliable never went wrong  all the toys worked and did exactly what it said on the tin! Got rid of it because there's no joy in driving without playing breakdown roulette!

[Joey spud]

 

 

Manuals get through clutches quick which is why they get punted on so cheap, make sure you boot it and watch revs and sniff carefully for smell of clutch with the windows down as it can be hard to tell in a car you aren't familiar with. New clutch is a fairly big job on these and equals the value of the car. 6th gen seats are much better than 7th gen in my opinion.

 

 

I did the clutch on my one after it started slipping and it is indeed a bit of a chore.

 

 

The book time is something like 10 hours plus to change the clutch but you can save a bit of time by not fully removing the subframe and wedging the gearbox between the hanging subframe and the inner wing.

Top tip don't do this job in November on your own on your driveway.

[Uncle Jimmy]

A hundred years ago I had a non-VTEC CRX which I think put out only about 20bhp less than the later VTEC model. The CRX forum at the time was full of people having problems "modifying" the VTEC kick in as it didn't happen until about 5,000 rpm.  These engines are designed to rev their nuts off and, as others have said on here, it's what they do. If you want massive torque, it's not the motor for you.

A variable timing engine very often will make the same peak power as the cooking version. It's all about power in the mid range. Moving the point at which the valve timing system begins to operate lower in the rev range will only lower power at that speed.

[Grundig]

VTEC = Turbo lag without the turbo

[xtriple]

I tried out mine today after reading all this. Put it in 'sport' and used the paddles to shift (the artificial) gears and it DOES get fractionally more interesting when revved. Sounds horrible though! Thrashy like a sewing machine on nitrous!

[twosmoke300]

Book time for an accord petrol clutch is 6 hrs . About the same as any modern fwd subframe out clutch tbh

[Honey Badger]

I tried out mine today after reading all this. Put it in 'sport' and used the paddles to shift (the artificial) gears and it DOES get fractionally more interesting when revved. Sounds horrible though! Thrashy like a sewing machine on nitrous!

 

It's a 1.3 set up for maximum economy and driving through a CVT, none of the above is surprising. The one I test drove sounded like it had an asthmatic water buffalo trapped under the floor.

 

Yours is an i-Vtec so it activates in three stages throughout the rev range not one big change, it's nothing like a F20C screamer in an S2000.

 

My J30 kicks in at 3000 rpm and then takes off like a scalded cat, No hint of "Turbo lag" as it pulls well upto 3000 rpm, if people are expecting great things from a bog standard F18 or F20 SOHC cars then they will be disappointed.

[twosmoke300]

Exactly , everyone assumes vtec=fast .

Some of the Eco vtecs give amazing fuel economy in the civics . A quick check is if it has a 5 wire oxygen sensor it's a proper Eco vtec . 50 plus mpg on a run with a 1.5 civic !

[Station]

It won't be fast unless it's a type R or a VTi.

vTEC was designed for economy wasn't it?

My CRX was lovely and handled well and was flipping fast even for a 1.6 (180 bhp), but I prefer turbos.

[HH-R]

Only VVC I've driven is a Mitsubishi 1.3 and I was well impressed. It felt a bit lethargic at low speed and throttle but pulled like a train when given beans.

[Noel Tidybeard]

Got to agree with Brookjim re the perceived quality. My Honda does feel tinny and while the plastics are good quality they don't feel special at all. Also, my tiny little engine is a vtec!

 

It's a 1.4 (or 1.3 depending on who's talking!) and really doesn't feel anything special at all. Never had the vtec 'feeling' but then I never rev it. Thy electric motor however does feel just like a turbo and I like that!

the i-vtec is a diferent animal to what peeps imagine- the cams switch between economy and normal (around 3500rpm) and they use witch-craft so the throttle buterfly is wide open at low revs instead of restricting airflow

 

http://world.honda.com/news/2005/4050705_a/video/

[inconsistant]

I always assumed vtec was short for 'very technical' and this thread hasn't convinced me otherwise.

[twosmoke300]

the older vtec is a wonderfully simple mechanical system

[dugong]

Crush the 800 into a cube and buy an Accord Type V. Sorted.

[Honey Badger]

Crush the 800 into a cube and buy an Accord Type V. Sorted.

 

Death by fire is appropriate for something with a Viking ship on the front?

 

 

I always assumed vetch was short for 'very technical' and this thread hasn't convinced me otherwise.

 

it's an oil pressure solenoid that activates the higher range lobe on the cam in the old system no electronics.

[Taff]

Buy a VVC MGF! Fit a 52mm throttle body and have some fun.

 

I intend to answer most threads asking about cars in this way

 

I had a Honda Accord as a company car for 70k miles and I now own a VVC-F with the 52mm throttle body.

 

Do wot Purple sed. Always.