Im new here, and also a new (05) RA owner, ive been reading alot and theres lots of good stuff here for noob's. some obviously dumb questions are asked,(will evo headlites fit an RA)and some "huh, wouldn'ta thunk it's" like why evo wheels don't fit so well and so on. My compliments to those who run this site and all their patients with us noob's.

My question is this

in 2003 i test drove a brand new RA, i remember how strong the effect of the mivec was then, and recently i became the proud papa of a Labrador black 2005 RA with just 44,000 miles on it. Great buy!! Expecially considering that I caught the dealership trying to swap some nearly new Bridgestone Blizzaks for some Nexen CP series tires, and ended up taking both sets home!! Thank you samsung for hi-res camera phones, just happened to snap a photo of the wheels to send to my brother on tuesday when i test drove it, and noticed the switch wednesday when i picked it up and had proof on my phone Combine that with a good price of $9000 and i feel pretty good about it.
Ive been reading that the Mivec kick in point is about 3500rpm, and although the acceleration is good and strong throughout, I can notice nothing extra coming on in that range in any gear. How strong should the effect be, and how would I know if I had an issue with it? The car has about 12 days remaining on the original bumper to bumper warranty so if it needs to go in, i gotta do it quick!

any suggestions are appreciated! Love the car!!

 

Thats perfectly normal. It is not very similar to v-tech in the dramatic feel of before/after. One time that was offered up to me ages ago, was simply put the car in neutral, and slowly rev the motor past 3500. You will absolutely hear the mivec "engagement" or whatever then. I hope this helps.

 

Our MIVEC engages progressively (one cylinder at a time although at 3500rpm that happens quite fast) instead of all four at the same time like Hondas. Hondas actually lose some power at the switchover point but thats the price to pay when you want the noise effect.

Try what Boozeup&riot says and if you can't hear it, leave the hood opened and open up or take out the filter (<- if you have the OEM one, otherwise just open the hood). You should be able to hear it then.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. I have noticed, now that Ive had the car awhile, that the Mivec effect, as i like to call it, is much more noticable when the engine is cold. Once warmed up it is almost undistiguishable. Thats okay i guess, as long as i know its working its cool. The first mod i have in mind is gonna be an Injen c.a.i., followed closely by a piggy back ecu. (since they say you lose low and middle range torque with a c.a.i., and i want it back). eventually, I may do a Body kit. But a conservative one, not one that make the car look like it has a big *** end. I dont really want to do alot with the motor, it's my DD and it only has 47,000 miles, so lotsa warranty left yet. I'm aiming more for unique looks, since i spend about 3 hours a day driving to and from work. I want people to wonder what it is. So a body kit, wheels, and maybe a spoiler switch.

Thanks for your advice.

 

Side note, since you're driving an 05, their ecu's came programmed to engage mivec @~4k rpms not 3.5k like the 2004's. Better highway gas mileage and such, just dont expect to hear it at 3.5k like previously posted.

 

One other test, if you are able to rev the engine over 5000 rpm, MIVEC is working. The ECU won't let it rev that high if it can't switch over.