need help with vtec light

im trying to hook up a friends teg b18c2 with a vtec light but i have a small problem. i have the power cable wired to the vtec solenoid and the ground wire to the chassis. both wires are secure but everytime my friend hits vtec, the check engine light comes on and the vtec light doesnt light up at all... can anyone tell me the reason why? i dont really wana wire the power cable to the ecu but if i have to, is there a diagram to help me? oh yeah, his dash clock doesnt work no more either :(
thanks guys for you help.

check the fuse for the clock on the dash and how did you connect your wire to the wire on the vtec solenoid? It would be better to do it before the ecu than in the engine bay but i guess if you already did you already did....If you are gonna do a vtec light i would suggest only stripping wires inside the car in front of the ecu, and ALWAYS solder, and use heatshrink if you can but electrical tape will work.

YOu need a resister in line with the light.


My link which had the exact instructions isnt working any more, but I have all the bits somewhere.

If I can find them Ill post the resister needed.

a resistor? hmm i never thought about that, since i had no problem wiring a vtec light to my brothers civic...
if you could, please put up the link, thanks. :)
oh, ive checked the fuses but im having a really had time taking the out so i dunno wots up with the clock.. :o

Here is a good explanation for a VTEC light. I've used it on both a D16Y8 and a B16A and both times it worked fine. http://www.hazone.com/howto/vlight.htm

i basically did the same thing but wired to the vtec solenoid (green & yellow wire) and not the ecu. it didnt really tell me more about the 330 ohm resistor. thanks for helping me out though :)

Basically solder the resistor in between the LED and the ground connection you are using. Trust me, running the wrong voltage through an LED will eventually cause it to die, and if it is way to much voltage it will explode, literally. Trust me, I've done it, it's not cool and can really burn!

cool, thanks for your help luti. peace :coolguy:

Originally posted by luti
Basically solder the resistor in between the LED and the ground connection you are using. Trust me, running the wrong voltage through an LED will eventually cause it to die, and if it is way to much voltage it will explode, literally. Trust me, I've done it, it's not cool and can really burn!

Is the resistor supposed to be on the positive side of the LED or the negative?

I've read the whole thread here as well as a pair of How-To sites and I can't get this to work. I have 18g wire, an LED, a 330 Ohm resistor and still no VTEC light.

I hooked the resistor to the negative terminal on the LED and then grounded it. The positive lead got a length of wire and went to the GREEN wire with YELLOW stripe on the ECU. The engine was warm and I rowed the gears through to fourth and I got NOTHING. I hit the rev limiter in second and still, no light.

Is there any chance that the 330 Ohms of resistance are too much for this application? All automotive electronics experts are welcome to respond!

Perhaps I should mention that I've got a 2002 Accord. Engine is an F23.

<sheepishly ...> Any help?

Possibilities:
1. The VTEC solenoid does not work.
2. Check your ground. Ground it to the car.
3. The green and white wire isn't the VTEC wire for the 2002 model
4. You completely cut the VTEC wire instead of splicing it and adding the positive to it.

Originally posted by dominate9
Possibilities:
1. The VTEC solenoid does not work.
2. Check your ground. Ground it to the car.
3. The green and white wire isn't the VTEC wire for the 2002 model
4. You completely cut the VTEC wire instead of splicing it and adding the positive to it.

(1) Unless I'm imagining it, I can tell that VTEC kicks in at around 4k RPM. I've got moderate acceleration up to that point, then it zooms forward. If I'm right, then the solenoid is fine.

(2) The LED is grounded. I'm using the same grounding point as when I tested the LED last night. First I hooked it up to a constant 12V power and got a nice blue light. Then I moved the positive lead to work in conjunction with my headlights. When I flipped the switch, it worked. Since it worked both of these times, I have to assume that my negative lead (with the resistor) is properly grounded.

(3) This is a possibility. Unfortunately, I can't find a resource that tells me what wires are coming out of the ECU. The information I got from a different board said that the GRN/YLW wire was the correct one and that matched what the DIY said on hazone.com. So, until I see a diagram or get someone to tell me that I'm using the wrong wire, then I have to go with what I've got.

(4) Not to be a jerk or anything, but I can guarantee that I did not cut the wire all the way through. I've done stupid things to my car before (even blew the master fuse once). However, I've gotten pretty decent at cutting and splicing wires. So, I'll reject that this is a possibility.

That only leaves us with number three. Man, I do not want to spend $50 for a Haynes manual just for this one stupid little project ...

:frown:

I'll admit it. I got the wrong wire. I printed the ECU wiring diagrams for connectors B & C for the '99 Accord, then I went down to my car to check things out ...

I *definitely* found the GRN/YLW wire. Unfortunately, it was in connector A. The diagram showed that I needed to find the GRN/YLW wire on connector B. I have no idea what it was that I was tapping in to. I haven't testedit yet, but I feel a bit more confident now that i have a wiring diagram to work from.

If you still care ...I'll keep you apprised of the situation.

Thanks again!

Find the wire in the engine bay (on the back of the valve cover coming from the solenoid), figure out its color and then go look for the matching color from the proper plug on the ecu.

No problem. Feel free to keep me (us) posted.