Wanting to create something. A light for the variable cam activation.

[dann2707]

Hey.

Basically I'm wanting to make my car a little more unique on the dash by having a small led that illuminates when the engine has allowed the variable cam to activate.

Is this done on oil pressure or oil temperature? Or water temp?

If so how would I go about this? By tapping into a feed that gets to a certain figure then allows the led to light up?

Would make it really subtle and oem just wanting to have something like that, also for safety purposes as I know when I can put my foot down and it's all up to temp.

Thanks for any help on the wiring, not interested in hearing don't bother

Thanks

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

The VVT activates at around 1700rpm and switches off at around 6750rpm, so your little LED would pretty much always be on...

 

[dann2707]

The VVT activates at around 1700rpm and switches off at around 6750rpm, so your little LED would pretty much always be on...

Cheers for the reply mate.

I don't mean for the led to come on when the vnt activates, sorry if I've not explained myself properly I'm not feeling well haha

Basically you know the feature that prevents the car from revving past 5k (o when the engine is cold? I want a light that illuminates when the ecu is informed that the temperature is all good and the vvt is allowed to rev past 5k

 

[Xanda73]

Use a normally closed contact to switch the light on below 17k and above 6750 then?

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

Cheers for the reply mate.

I don't mean for the led to come on when the vnt activates, sorry if I've not explained myself properly I'm not feeling well haha

Basically you know the feature that prevents the car from revving past 5k (o when the engine is cold? I want a light that illuminates when the ecu is informed that the temperature is all good and the vvt is allowed to rev past 5k

The only thing that happens when cold, is the limiter is lowered from 7200 to around 6500rpm

 

[TheEvilGiraffe]

The cold limit is not 5k ... if it is - you have a problem.

IIRC 6.9 cold and 7.2 hot ? Something like that - only a few hundred RPM less than hot limit.

Install an oil temp gauge if you're interested in that .. or consider using some mechanical sympathy and don't rag its nuts off for the first 10-15 mins of driving !?

 

[dann2707]

Yeah so basically I want a light that will come on when its up to temp when this limiter is raised.

How would I go about doing that? Thanks

 

[Dan@SJM]

You can't really, nothing short of putting in a seperate temperature gauge

 

[dann2707]

oh

 

[jackaleks]

Defi, Stack and Autometer (to name a few!) all have temperature gauges and tachometers with warning lights.

I guess if you were really really clever you could work out how to put a CAS on the dephaser then use some kind of logic box (Arduino?) to switch a light when a target value is hit? A serious amount of effort for next to no gain.

 

[megane16v]

That seems like a good idea!
And posts above me are all wrong.

There are 3 stages: 6700 7000 7250 rpm and are oil temperature dependent , they look something like this (not sure but as long as I can remember) <60 <75> 90>

All these have been tested in real life by me,so they work as I said before...

 

[dann2707]

That seems like a good idea!
And posts above me are all wrong.

There are 3 stages: 6700 7000 7250 rpm and are oil temperature dependent , they look something like this (not sure but as long as I can remember) <60 <75> 90>

All these have been tested in real life by me,so they work as I said before...

So..... can you make me one?!

 

[megane16v]

I meant phases not the led lights!
If you wanna make your car more unique, I'm currently in the process of manufacturing 2 custom intake manifolds for 172/182 hope to gain 10-15 bhp. That is unique and valuable for me. Guess I don't fall for looks

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

And posts above me are all wrong

You sure about that?

Pretty sure the limiter is water temperature dependent, not oil. Which is the wrong way round in my opinion, but anyway.

Also, the 7000rpm limit is only in 3rd and 4th IIRC, certainly the "shift light" illuminates sooner in 3rd and 4th so I assume the limiter kicks in earlier in those gears also

 

[bozothenutter]

use a phone app?
torque (android) can be set to give a signal on water temp (or does so automatically)
don´t think the ecu mesures oil temp though....never been able to find it in torque.

 

[Knuckles]

Yeah so basically I want a light that will come on when its up to temp when this limiter is raised.

How would I go about doing that? Thanks

Retrofit an RS monitor from the 200s, they have an oil temperature gauge as well as other info.

Someone successfully fitted one to a twingo, afaik, the mk2 twingo is based on the 1*2

 

[megane16v]

Yes it does! 3rd gear is especially a bugger! 'Cause I shift by the sound (like most of us I guess?) and early 3rd gear limiter surprised me (unpleasantly) a lot of times... Anyway when it's cold 6700 revs max it is... According to mine.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Cold limiter is dictated by the coolant temperature. There is no oil temperature sensor.

Rev limiter is 6750 when below the set temperature, then 7200rpm in 1st and 2nd, then 7000rpm after.

 

[The Fatty]

you could just use a shift light configured to come on at 6000rpm.

heres a cheap one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal..._Clothing_Protection&var=&hash=item3398338edc

heres a more elaborate one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PZracing-...EDs-Gear-Shiftlight-Shiftlights-/261659566128

 

[Gus]

you could just use a shift light configured to come on at 6000rpm.

heres a cheap one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal..._Clothing_Protection&var=&hash=item3398338edc

heres a more elaborate one... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PZracing-...EDs-Gear-Shiftlight-Shiftlights-/261659566128

This might be interesting... im only dreaming here so dont take me too seriously but combine that with a few steering wheel leds and end up with this minus the lcd panel.

love that steering wheel. so so right.

 

[JW-172]

It seems like alot of work, you'd have to find out if the limiter is governed by water or oil temperature, then find out what temperature that is. Then maybe wire up a oil temp or water temp sensor with an LED that comes on when the temperature is up to the specified amount? I'm not great with electrics so this may be complete crap

 

[SiH]

You'd be far better fitting an oil temperature gauge and not ragging the crap out of your car until it's fully warm.
Then you can fit a simple circuit with a temperature switch to ping a light when it's up to operating temp (which will be much later than when the water warms up) if you still want a silly pointless light.

If it's done, as some suggest, by water temp, then my car heats up within about 2 miles of my house. There's absolutely no way that the oil is warm enough to rag the balls off it by then. The variable limit just seems a bit like it's paying lip service to idiots. It would be a much better idea to tap the electronic throttle and limit the sensor to, say, half throttle when cold, and rev limiter to around 4.5k or something.

Just because the car lets you do it, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Remind me not to buy a car from you! The oil needs to warm, as does the box oil and various other bits.

 

[dann2707]

You'd be far better fitting an oil temperature gauge and not ragging the crap out of your car until it's fully warm.
Then you can fit a simple circuit with a temperature switch to ping a light when it's up to operating temp (which will be much later than when the water warms up) if you still want a silly pointless light.

If it's done, as some suggest, by water temp, then my car heats up within about 2 miles of my house. There's absolutely no way that the oil is warm enough to rag the balls off it by then. The variable limit just seems a bit like it's paying lip service to idiots. It would be a much better idea to tap the electronic throttle and limit the sensor to, say, half throttle when cold, and rev limiter to around 4.5k or something.

Just because the car lets you do it, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Remind me not to buy a car from you! The oil needs to warm, as does the box oil and various other bits.

Congrats on completely missing the point of the thread dude! I don't rag the crap out of my car until it's fully warm. You'd think after getting a first class degree in automotive engineering i'd have some kind of sense. It was merely to have a gimmicky light rather than stopping me from ragging from cold.

 

[SiH]

If you need a light to stop you ragging it from cold, then I'd suggest you need to go and take a look at the coursework from your first class degree in automotive engineering.

I didn't miss the point, I was merely suggesting that relying on Renault's 'lip service to morons' water temperature based limiter was probably not the right way to judge whether or not the car was up to a suitable temperature to be hammered.

You'll notice I suggested a far more practical solution. All you need is a temperature switch and an LED. Then plumb this into the oil circuit.

 

[Goodj]

I might be wrong here, but I'm pretty sue my old 172 had a shift-light from the factory?
OK, it may in the instrument cluster, where dials and lights typically go, but I'm sure it existed.
As such either
1) OP, you could use this output to wire in your own, re-located LED
2) It's already there, you just don't spot it. Which is what will typically happen with shift lights unless you spend your time to the redline staring at the dash

EDIT: Ah! sorry, my bad, your quesiton wasn't about rev limit/redline lights. Yes, lighting for a VVT actuation is a non-starter really, but yes, shift lights
http://www.cliosport.net/threads/182-shift-light-anyone-got-one.624364/
http://www.cliosport.net/threads/172-shift-light.272322/

 

[warwickstingray]

Super cheapo option is to use your mobile phone. The torque app has a shift light with it via a Bluetooth obd dongle. Has a beep similar to the 200 as far as I remember and you can't miss a huge great red square on a smart phone screen if you can mount it where it can be seen. Aux out or a small battery powered speaker works well if your speakers are puny. You can set it to whatever rpm you like.

From what I remember it can show engine temp as well. How accurate it is I'm not sure but worth a try before shelling out.

15quid all in I paid.

I have seen oil drain plugs with temp sensors built in for Ford's that send to a fairly cheap gauge. Might be worth a look.

These cars warm up pretty quickly. I did a recent track day that was 6C and just did a warm up lap 2miles at a steady pace after a few minutes idling in the pit queue and all was fine.

 

[bozothenutter]

@Dan@SJM thanks for confirming there is no oiltemp sensor, would the only way to get one be a sandwichplate?
watertemp is indeed not the way to gauge engine temp from cold.

 

[Laine_16v]

Eh, am i missing something here? Just splice into the VVT wires and install a small LED, VVT activates = Light activates.

 

[Goodj]

Vvt is active from little above 1500rpm. It's not like VTec which has a fixed on/off, VVT constantly adjusts timing but around 4-5k it makes itself more noticeable as the timing goes from 'Eco' to 'sport' (for want of a better way of putting it)

 

[Dan@SJM]

He wants a light to say when the limiter is in the hot setting

Eh, am i missing something here? Just splice into the VVT wires and install a small LED, VVT activates = Light activates.

 

[Goodj]

Given it's a pointless exercise anyway, how about splicing into the tacho and then when it gets to 4010 RPM it flips a relay to illuminate a chandelier hanging from the rear view mirror

and some LED valve caps
and some strobing underbody neons at the rear.

The '4k kick' becomes the next 88mph

 

[iimushroomzii]

Just wire it up to a rocker switch and flick it on when the cars warm. Seems pretty pointless anyway....

 

[SiH]

Actually, if you go with the Arduino idea, you could output an alert to a in-dash display if you go over 6800 revs when the water temperature is under the specified temp.