engine questions on 94lx wagon

ok, i have a 94 lx wagon AT and i was wondering about some specs and performance suggestions. i know it's a 2.2 4 cyl, but i've heard some say it's v-tech... and i'm unsure of this. and whatever engine i have, what's the engine code? also, what octane gas is best in this engine here in illinois and indiana?

now onto some performance... first off this is my mom's car and she doesn't really want me modding the car much. but yea... how much will a K&N typhoon change the sound? also... anyone know of a performance stearing wheel that will have some type of buttons on there for the cruise control settings? also, what are the +'s & -'s of going from 15" to 16" wheels... and what's required to get the car set up for the bigger size? also, can anyone point me in a direction with intake headers (also opinions on if they're worth it). and i'm looking at exhaust systems... but i'm wondering if there's anything that's almost stock quiet at low rpm's (like under 3 or 4K), but a moderate note above that. low cost without low quality is my goal on everything... and any price estimates and direct links would be nice since i'm still using 28k modem and sites load SLOW (but you don't need to go out of your way). thanks all... and if you can let me know what the +'s & -'s of these systems can be in terms of fuel mileage, safety, engine life, accel., etc. so i can maybe convince her to lighten up. i know it's askin alot, but thanks

aight let's take it from the top- your engine code will be on the block itself, and might even be in the manual. f22 is vtec f23 is not. use 87 octane, you will not benefit from any higher, as both engines possibilities for your car have low compression. if you turbo use 93. i'm not familiar with that specific k&N product, but if it's an air intake or exhaust it's gonna be a noticeable difference in sound. i believe greddy's exhausts are the lowest decible ratings around, but you will still be able to tell a big difference between that and stock. never seen a performance wheel w/ cruise controls, though many have buttons that you may be able to wire that way, i'll leave that to someone else though. also i'm pretty sure you have an airbag in that steering wheel which means it is ILLEGAL to switch it because you have to disengage the SRS system. this will cause problems with getting your car inspected, and collecting insurance if you split your head on a wheel that should have had an airbag in it. if you search you'll find tons of info on wheel sizing for your particular application. if by intake headers you meant intake manifold then i don't think that is where you wanna be making your first mods. it's gonna be tough to find good stuff cheap, especially if you cannot search the internet efficiently, but good luck.

That was all pretty good responses. To add my 2 cents, 87 octane is what you should use for above said reasons, any intake(K&N)/Cold air intake will add a slightly deeper tone to your car under acceleration. And will also add a slight hissing/sucking noise under acceleration and while idling. It wont be too much that it would annoy parents. I don't know too much about replacement steering wheels, so I will not even address that. Switching from 15s to 16s, wont have any significant +s or -s. It will look better, give you a bit more traction, a bit better turning ability, and will slow you down a tad when starting from a deadstop...but in all honesty, they wont really change anything that much. I would think that you could find 16s that would fit fine with no modifications/"setup".
Now as far as intake headers, I assume you meant a comma in between the two words... Intake I would get off ebay for 40 bucks, they are all practically the same. If you really want to, then get a K&N cone filter and carb sticker and put them on the cheap ebay piping. It'll save you some money. Headers...4-2-1 headers will increase airflow out of your engine. This is the first piece of the exhaust. REalize that any changes to exhaust will do 3 things, 1: make your car louder
2: increase hp slightly
3: you might lose some low-end torque if you eliminate too much backpressure.
4: attract cops attention

I have hedman header on my Accord. THey are ok, but have some fitment issues sometimes. I had some issues with the gaskets lining up. Do a search on headers in this forum if you want to know more. Exhaust, as jazer says will add volume, lots of volume. If your mom still drives it, I would stay away from exhaust(if shes like my mom) because mine is loud and it drones and she hates it.

As far as getting your mom to lighten up...fuel mileage will increase slightly. K&N filters are cleanable and reuseable, so you will save money in the long run, rather then replacing airfilters all the time. Those mods wont affect safety. The larger wheels may even help providing you with a larger tire footprint on the road = more traction = happy mothers. Honestly, all of this wont affect your cars hp too much, maybe 5-15hp at the most. You may also, as said before, lose some low-end torque and actually slow down a bit. None of them will decrease engine life. Plus its a honda...it lasts forever.
I would say get the wheels and the intake...but if your mom still drives it...stay away from exhaust for now. Hope that helps

yea, it does help alot. and sry for the confusion about the header thing... i don't know a whole lot about cars... but i'm studying to be a mechanical engineer so i learn stuff like that pretty quickly. but i guess the exhaust i'll be staying away from until i get my own car. but thanks for the wheel info... i'll definatly be saving for that and the intake. i know these aren't going to add fantastic amounts of power, but can you think of anything that might add some mid range power? also, i know i should start a new post about this, but does anyone know why the springs would be squeaking whenever i turn... it's loud enough to hear clearly inside the car. but thanks for the advice, it's all much appreciated.

Ps. i just checked, and it's vtec... yay!

Your sure its the springs(not struts, brakes, etc..) that are squeaking. Also is it an actual squeak or like a bobbeling noise? The rough thing about adding hp, is that you have a 4cylinder. It's tough to get alot out of them without forced induction(ie, turbo, supercharger, or nitrous). Engine work would be pricey and not really worth it, in my opinion. Underdrive pulleys can cause damage...so I wouldn't do those. I personally would wait awhile until you get your own car, then get something that will provide a better base for higher hp. I look back at my light modded honda and wish I had saved the money, because after all I spent, I didn't get much improvement. Granted, it was a good learning experience, but I would rather of saved that money and put it into my vr4.

i'm not sure exactly what it is... but i know it's a suspension component. it will happen with or without brakes.... and the brakes squeal on their own sometimes. but the sound is kinda like (sry, but it's the closest thing i can think of) a squeky mattress while being heavily used (if you get my drift...). but a cross between that and a groan. and it sounds like it's coming from the rear if that helps. it's pretty loud... and it mostly only happens at lower speeds but when you're turning kind of sharply (but i'm sure it's the suspension and not stearing or brakes). i know 4 cylinders aren't much without forced induction... but i like N/A. hopefully sometime soon i can get something for rallying (an estort gt, something cheap with parts available at junkyards. i say escort gt just because i was getting to know my escort lx pretty well until it got towed for an insane rate ($180... and $30 a day which we couldn't pay... so it's gone...)... and the 1.8 is alot better than the lx's 1.9. enough about fords on a honda forum, but what do you think the suspension noise could be?

I really don't know..just guessing I would assume a worn spring maybe. Or the spring is putting too much stress on some other part...