Honda’s VTEC System Explained (And What Makes It So Good)

As for how it actually works, it’s a marvel of automotive engineering. At the top of most modern car engines is the “head” that contains, in simple terms, all the valves, camshaft(s), and sparkplugs that make the engine function. VTEC works by using a set of three rocker arms on top of each cylinder resting on a camshaft that controls the valves. As Honda says, a low speeds, when the engine isn’t revving very fast, a third of those rocker arms don’t do anything, mainly because the engine isn’t working very hard. When you kick it into high gear, that third rocker arm clocks in to work and is able to help the engine achieve more horsepower as the revs climb. 

Honda attests that VTEC allows your average Honda to essentially take on the persona of two different cars. When your Civic is just cruising around, it’s not particularly exciting, but gets the commute done. However when it hits a high enough RPM, VTEC works its magic and allows its tiny powerplant to output as much power as it can muster. Even the exhaust sound changes, according to Honda, as the fundamental nature of how the exhaust exits the engine (through the valves) has been altered.