Honda Build Up: the gadgets

The car is moving along well. I really happy with the pickup and the straight line speed that I am getting. Eventually I will need to replace the fly-wheel with a manual one. I am still using the fly-wheel from the automatic gear-box. I head that the one for manual gearboxes are lighter and would encourage higher straight line speed.

Anyway, I've fitted an APEX-i Auto Timer and a PIVOT Speed Meter. Thanks to my younger brother who traded in a set of white 15" rims, the auto timer and the speed meter for my iPod Mini. Yup, we barter traded the stuff. In Asia we still do that.

Both units are imported from Japan and are both top-notch gadgets. They give you the ability to read what your engine is doing and help you tune your car the way you would want it.

The instructions are all in Japanese but thankfully I have a friend who has the schematics to install the two items into my Honda. The APEX-i Auto Timer returns readings for Air/Fuel (A/F) ratio, O2 reading, Voltmeter and a turbo timer. While the PIVOT Speed Meter is just as the name implies. It tells speed.

Simply put, you'll need the A/F readings to tell whether your engine is running rich or lean. Rich is when you are pumping too much fuel into the engine (higher fuel consumption - bad) and lean, when too much air is going in (engine will die - bad). Car-geeks like me need to know whether too much fuel or air is being pumped into the engine simply so we tweak the engine for the most optimum condition. With high fuel prices, knowing that you are the most from the fuel you pump in is a bonus.

The O2 reading is tied into your A/F reading. The O2 sensor sends an electrical (Voltage) signal into the engine management computer (EMC) which in turn determines that amount of fuel to pump in and amount of air to pull into the engine. A/F and O2 run together on the auto timer and it generally helps you see whether your engine is efficiently burning its fuel.

The voltmeter gives you a reading for the strength of your battery. It also helps you see whether your alternator in the engine is really doing its job. The battery is used during start-up and when the car is on the move the alternator kicks in to supply electrical energy to the car. Some cars come with the volt-meter built in but most newer cars don't. I think that all cars should come with one built in. Since all new cars are now Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) having a voltmeter is compulsory. The drain on the battery is massive even so when you consider a full sound system which puts further strain on your battery.

The turbo timer basically is a count down timer that helps shut down your car. The idea is when you turn off the engine their is still residue oil on the pistons and other moving parts of the engine. The turbo timer allows you to set a time that you feel is sufficient to allow the oil and what-nots to settle before the engine turns off. The engine is kept running even when the key is taken out. I set mine to 10 seconds. Cars that have turbo units on them must have a turbo timer. It helps "cool down" the turbo unit before the engine shuts down. For NA cars the turbo timer is just a cool gadget to have. You don't really need it.

I am actually looking at installing an APEX-i SAFC with VTEC Controls for my Honda. It will make both the turbo timer and speed meter redundant since it incorporates all the features of the two. The SAFC would give me more control on how the engine behaves right down to the gear ratio level. It is a lay-man tuning device. Tuning it right would give my Honda that extra boost when I need it. The SAFC unit intercepts signals to the EMC and sends in another set of signal that you set. Thus, you are hacking the car's onboard computer in order to make it do what you want it to do. I've been asking around for this and I am looking at a cost of RM1,000. A 2nd hand unit is hard to come by in Malaysia but among car-buffs I am sure I can find one.

Next up would be to work on the interior deco of the car. I'm thinking leather seats and fittings.