Reader Response/Summary Response draft 1

 The Webpage "What is Honda vtec and how it works" (Hevesy, 2023) introduces the concept of VTEC (Variable Valve Time and Electronic Lift Control), which is mainly used in the Japanese automotive maker, Honda. VTEC makes use of rocker arms and camshaft to control the power which the engine is outputting. Principally, at low RPMs, the rocker arms are engaged with the camshaft lobes which are of a less aggressive profile, which in this case of the article, 2/3 of the rocker arms are engaged to the camshaft. Higher RPMs would see all 3 rocker arms on each cylinder fully engaged and performing at its peak potential. VTEC was essentially made with the idea of maximising your mileage (Km/L) while still ensuring the vehicle is still able to eke out every bit of performance that is available in the engine through the activation/deactivation of the rocker arms and camshafts. VTEC is truly an engineering marvel , bridging the gap between street and track (Performance) in the same engine, thanks to its usage of rocker arms and camshaft, allowing the air-fuel ratio to be adjusted accordingly.

    One such feature of VTEC(Variable Valve Time and Electronic Lift Control) is the utilization of the rocker arms/Camshaft. At low RPM/Speed, the full performance of the engine is not needed. This tells the ECU(Electronic Control Unit) not to fully engage the the rocker arms with the higher-intake camshaft (Honda’s VTEC: Do You Know What It Is, And How It Works, n.d). When full utilization of the engine is needed, the ECU will engage all the rocker arms/camshaft, connecting the low-profile camshaft with the high-profile(Aggressive) camshaft. What this does is activates opens all the valves, allowing the engine to draw out the maximum power that it can from the engine. This ingenious utilization of the different mechanical parts in in the engine has essentially made it such that in the same engine, it feels as though there are 2 different personalities in the engine.(Hevesy, 2023)

    At full utilization, all the valves are open. This allows the engine to suck in the maximum amount of air its intake can take in. When the engine is pushed to the maximum, more air and fuel is needed to prevent a drop-off in power, where even the minute changes in the valves opening/closing will affect performance in a race setting. (Honda’s VTEC: Do You Know What It Is, And How It Works, n.d). Hence, when maximum power of the engine is needed, a rich air/fuel ratio is required, and by relation, all the valves has to be opened, and has to be opened for a longer duration of time. At the same time, in normal road conditions such as going to and from work, the ECU will disengage the VTEC solenoid, disengaging the rocker arm/camshaft, effectively closing the larger, high performance valve from opening. This results in a lean air/fuel mixture which drastically improves the fuel economy of the vehicle.

   We know that Performance vehicles being driven on the tracks are generally petrol sucking machines, due to their high displacement(CC/Cubic Centimeters). High Displacement vehicles tend to allow more volume into its cylinder walls in order to create a stronger “combustion” in its chamber which in turn generates more power for the engine. With VTEC, Honda has allowed enthusiasts the option of owning a vehicle which is comfortable and easy to manage while in the streets, with said engine having enough power to toss it around the racetrack and compete with the more aggressive and high-powered performance machines that dominate the race track.

    With the introduction of VTEC, includes more complex moving mechanical parts such as the VTEC solenoid, which is a valve that regulates Engine oil flow, according to my personal motorcycle mechanic. According to the webpage “Honda VTEC solenoid system”(n.d), the VTEC solenoid will cause a multitude of issues down the road such as irregular Oil pressure or leakage(Beischel, T, 2022 Sept 9). Sometimes, such symptoms of the wear and tear can’t be seen until something catastrophic happens, leading to reliability issues in the engine. This will lead to a snowball effect of other parts in the engine being affected. Such parts are generally troublesome to meddle with and repair, and changing to a brand new solenoid is gonna set you back quite a big sum. Most shops would avoid touching Honda engines due to VTEC and the complexity that it entails.

    Lastly, Honda engines are and will still be the go to engine for car enthusiasts due to the comfort of being able to drive it daily, while providing the Performance needed to bring it out and have fun with it over the weekends.


References:

  • Honda’s VTEC: Do You Know What It Is, And How It Works? (n.d.). https://trade.mechanic.com.au/news/honda-s-vtec-do-you-know-what-it-is-and-how-it-works
  • Beischel, T. (2022, September 9). Honda VTEC Solenoid Symptoms (9 Things To Be Aware Of). Autoily |. https://autoily.com/honda-vtec-solenoid-symptoms/
  • Hevesy, A. (2023, June 10). Honda’s VTEC System Explained (And What Makes It So Good). SlashGear. https://www.slashgear.com/1310401/what-is-honda-vtec-how-it-works/
  • Silvestro, B. (2018, September 17). How VTEC Works. Road & Track. https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a23280150/how-vtec-works/

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