I hear everyone talking about how they hear a big difference when the engine kicks to VTEC range but I have to be honest, I don't. I don't feel much difference either. Could my VTEC not be working right?

Does it kick in only under heavy load or WOT?
I hear my intake in WOT and it sounds pretty steady through the rev range... louder with gas, quieter when I let off gas etc.

How can I check this? I heard a CL-S owner talking about how their actuator (or somesuch thing) was bad and wasn't engaging their VTEC.

Inquiring minds want to know!!

 

You should be able to hear it at about 4000 rpms. What you should do is when you take off from a light just floor it. As you are flooring it listen to your engine. You should hear the engine get louder at about 4000 rpms. To me it sounds like a boost of energy to the engine.

 

VTECH kicks in at high rpms thats why people get vtech controllers to make it kick in at what rpm they want but if it kicks in at to low an rpm you can blow the motor and the only i can tell you to see if it is kicking in is at a high rpm i dont remember exactly what but at a high rpm you will feel the car pull more thats when the vtech kicks in and what it does is allow more air flow no like an intake and the air just flows in and allows your car more pull hope this helps so go see if you feel it pull

 

i dunno i think i feel it around 4500 or so...but im probably wrong hehe...but hey when u feel that extra little kick and your engine starts roaring...yup thats ur vtec kickin in...hhaha thats the best i can do

 

The vtec cam switch over on a sohc motor is not very dramatic, if you can feel it at all it is pretty subtle. So it is not uncommon to not be able to tell if the vtec cam has switched over. On the dohc vtecs, h22, b18 etc, the "kick" is a lot more noticeable.

 

here goes.. we do not have actuators... you have to check by the rora in your motor, only if you have Intake... which i think you said you do... You will not here it unless you are driving.. cannot here it a stop... you should feel lil boost and louder reving at around 3800-4000 rpm.. no questions asked... get on the gas,... if you baby it... the V-tec is being kicked in because theres no reason to have boost if you are coasting...!!!!

 

i read somewhere that the vtec kicks in around 5500 rpm. i notice that when i'm driving at low speed and i floor it, the rpm goes to like 6000rpm then drops to about 4000rpm then starts to cilmb as i'm accelerating.i do hear it and feel somewhat of a boost...i'm so used to driving 5-speed

 

Thats correct about the h22 vtech kick is reall strong. One day ill have a h22 cl

 

I know that the Type-s kicks a 4800rpm... 1st gens should kick at as previously stated... 3800-4000 rpm... If you punch the gas of course youd think it was the V-tec, but unfortunately it only your automatic downshifting kivcking up to 6000rpm... once that happens and shifts again the V-Tec will ingage once it begins accelerating from 3500rpm to 4000rpm on up...

 

I'll have to get on a strip of road today and listen/feel for it. I think it may be subtle like R1 said. All the 3.0 folks have much more noticable results I'm sure.
I guess I do baby it sometimes when I'm just driving regular. I don't floor it all the way through the gears but i do often cruise it up to 5,000 RPM's while light on the gas before shifting.
When i floor it I usually shift at like 6,000+ RPM, sometimes getting close to the red in the lower gears. I don't want to dog my engine but I do like the torque it has up there.

 

TEAR UP THAT PAVEMENT... Then tell us about your adventure!!!

 

If you have an intake the VTEC cam engagement is much more obvious.

Here is an easy way to listen to the difference, put your car in 2nd gear from a dead stop (preferably on a deserted road).

Floor the gas peddle from a dead stop and listen to the change in sound as your rpm's increase. The sound should change from a growl to a roar when the VTEC cam engages. (assuming you have an intake)

 

that could work too....

 

if u have an intake then u should hear ur engine roar and the car start to pull like it never did stock. and exhaust and header really helps too. now i can get thrown into my seat when i floor it and vtec engages. with my intake alone my car sounded like my v8 truck when vtec engaged. too bad its not as powerful.

 

hmmm... I was wondering something. When I'm flooring the car... it gets really loud(with the intake) at 3500-5000 rpm. Then from 5k-6250redline, all I hear is this mechanical noise. I can't really explain it, but I was wondering if that was normal. BTW I have a 2.2 stick. Thanks

 

That's how my F22 was like with just an exhaust. Sounds cool in the midrange, then it was kind of muted, and all you heard was the engine noise, not the exhaust note.

 

I guess I notice a bit of difference but I'd hardly call it a huge difference. I don't get thrown into my seat or anything. I know that the more gas i give it the more the sound goes louder but i don't really notice a big difference when it passes through that range of RPM's I notice that things seem "smoother" feeling in the higher rev range like if it likes to be there more than in the lower RPM's so I guess I'll just take it that everything is cool. It just seems like things are so much more "noticable" on others when they talk.

 

What year CL's have the h22 engines, what kind of engine does the 3.0 99 CL have, and is the h22 engine the fastest that comes in CL's?

 

good question.... how bout a 98 3.0 cl...??? i have no ideas aqbout the h22 crap... teach me something please!!!!