What Mod 2 does:

Mod 2 adds a VTEC counter to tally the number of times VTEC is activated.  I installed mine just before leaving my car at the dealer for several in-warranty repairs.  The counter read 115096 when I dropped it off, and the same when I picked it up.  Now I know how they drive my car when I'm not watching.

After a week of me driving the car, the counter read 115139, so I hit VTEC 43 times in a week.  I don't know if that's good or bad.  

Skills and tools required to install:

bulletRemove interior trim panels (driver's side foot well)
bulletSplice wires using crimp connectors (1 wire under the dash)

Parts required:

bullet12 volt DC mechanical counter, non-resetting, low current type
bulletWire and connectors

Unfortunately, I have not yet found a good source for mechanical counters.  I used a counter I had sitting around in my junk drawer.  Well, my junk basement.  It happened to be a 24 volt mechanical counter but works fine on 12 volts, and only draws 10 milliamps, so it won't overload the VTEC circuit on the ECU.  

I was able to locate a counter from Digi-Key that might work.  It's an electronic counter (LCD display) and is designed for 5 to 12 volt operation.  Digi-Key's part # is 267-1011-ND, and it sells for $23.96.  Go to www.digikey.com and do a search on that part number.  If you know of a good source for a counter that may work in this application, email me at bob@baustnet.com .

Installation Procedure:

  1. Find a mounting place for your counter.  I put mine under the dash on top of the air diffuser using double-sided foam tape.
  2. Connect the counter's negative input to ground.
  3. Remove the driver's side door sill trim - 3 clips in the middle, 1 locking tab at each end
  4. Remove the driver's side kick panel - 1 screw, 2 clips.
  5. Run the counter's positive input wire to the ECU.
  6. Locate the green/yellow wire on the ECU (it's the only one on this connector).  See photos A & B..
  7. Using a wire-tapping connector, splice the wire from the counter into the green/yellow ECU wire.  Do not cut the ECU wire, you just 'tap' into it.
  8. Put everything back together.
(A)  Picture of ECU connection (B)  Close-up of ECU connector
p1.jpg (58085 bytes) p4.jpg (51475 bytes)
 

 

(C)  Photo of my counter installed above the air diffuser
p6.jpg (33739 bytes)