How does Vtec work on cars?
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When the engine runs, a shaft spins along with everything else, with bumps (lobes) on it to tell valves when to open. The timing, length, and “shape” of them opening is what determines how much fuel and air gets in, which changes how the combustion happens.
When the car is designed, engineers choose a design that allows for decent fuel economy, power, and stability. But this means that sometimes it is too weak at full throttle, or burns too much fuel when idling.
As a fix, Honda’s VTEC has two different bumps on the same shaft, and when the engine gets above a certain level, it switches from one to another.
This allows there to be a “easy” set, for basic driving and idling, and a “power” set, for when you’re at full throttle and high RPMs.
There are a few more details (about how it actually functions) I have left out, feel free to ask if you have any questions.
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