Some additions to the original post:
Q. VCM has been out for a while now on Honda vehicles. Surely they've made improvements to it since the original problems, haven't they?
A. The technology has not improved much since they introduced it. While Honda claims they have improved the technology since the problems they experienced with the lawsuit, TSB's Warranty extensions etc, all they have really done is change the ECU programming to ensure VCM is not active for too long at any given stretch. The components are all the same. The reason for this is that when cylinders deactivate, the oil ring cannot keep oil out of the cylinders. This is why to this day, I'm hearing reports of new 2016 ody's, pilot and accords with high oil consumption, and I'm sure the reports on the 2017 ridgeline is not far behind. When reported to Honda, they say that up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is "normal". The problem with VCM allowing too much oil to bypass at one time is that when too much oil is present, you get detonation, which permanently deforms the oil rings. This causes even more oil bypassing, which leads to plug fouling and misfires. So by changing the ECU to fire all of the cylinders once in a while during extended cruising, they're burning off the excess oil by mixing it with fuel before it accumulates too much and causes detonation. Therefore, the technology has not vastly improved over time; they're just masking the problems a little better and trying to avoid the big ones.
Q. I have a newer Honda that has an "ECON" button on the dash and a light showing when ECON mode is on or off. Does this mean I can disable VCM with this?
A. No. VCM is always active, the ECON button does nothing to disable VCM. If it did disable VCM, Honda would lose it's rating with the EPA and would be subject to fines. The ECON button is all about acceleration, VCM is about cruising. When you put your vehicle in ECON mode with the button, the ECU tries to save you fuel by smoothing out the response to your accelerator inputs by giving the engine less gas, changing timing and gear selection etc., so that your jackrabbit attempts at accelerating from a stop are tamed down to a little more turtle-like acceleration. VCM is about dropping cylinders when you're cruising and there's no reason, in Honda's mind, to deactivate VCM while cruising because they feel that it is seamless to the driver, plus they don't want to have to pay penalties to the EPA. Your ECON button is doing nothing to deactivate VCM. The perception that it is, is coming from the fact that Honda has removed the "ECO" light from vehicles that have the ECON button and light to remove confusion to the driver. The ECO light used to be the signal that VCM was active.
Q. Which vehicles does the VCMuzzler II work on?
A. The following vehicles that are equipped with VCM (added 2017 Ridgeline).
Honda
Accord & Accord Hybrid 2005+
Crosstour 2010+
Pilot 2006+
Odyssey 2005+
Ridgeline 2017+
Acura
RDX 2013+
RDL 2013+
MDX 2014+
TLX 2015+
Q. Will I notice any difference when driving after the VCMuzzler II is installed?
A. Just about everyone reports an improvement in the drive-ability of the vehicle. It's not something you notice until VCM is deactivated, then you realize that having full power all the time while cruising is better. You don't notice the very slight transitions between VCM mode and non-VCM mode until they're gone.
Q. My newer model Honda does not have an ECO light that comes on and goes off while driving. How do I know that the VCMuzzler II installed on my vehicle is actually disabling VCM?
A. Newer model Honda's do not have an ECO light, which is the indicator in the older models on whether VCM is activating or not. In the newer model Honda's the ECON button is independent of the VCM system, and VCM is active regardless mentioned above. There are a couple of ways to verify that the VCMuzzler is working on newer model Honda's.
The first is to purchase an inexpensive OBD II scan tool. These can be found at your local parts store or on ebay. There are models that have their own display, or you can get ones that plug in and transmit the data to an app that you install on your smartphone. Either one will have a mode for monitoring sensors. If you look at the ECT (engine coolant temperature) reading and it is staying below 167°F the majority of the time, then you are deactivating VCM during that time. Occasional creeping above 167°F after idling in heavy traffic is not a big concern because VCM will only engage for less than a minute after you get going again and the temp comes back down. 167°F is the VCM threshold for every 3.5L engine with VCM that Honda has produced since 2005. So that's a positive way to ensure VCM is deactivated on your newer model Honda.
If you don't want to buy the scan tool, the second way to ensure you are deactivating VCM is to use the highest resistor you can without getting a CEL (check engine light). This method is less accurate, but cheaper as you don't need to purchase anything. In this method, you would start with the red resistor. If you don't get a CEL, then VCM is most certainly being deactivated the vast majority of the time as the red resistor lowers the perceived temperature to the ecu below 167 degF for the majority of driving conditions on all Honda's. If, however, you get a CEL with the red, then you don't need that much resistance and the blue will do the job just fine. Getting CEL errors (usually showing on the display as "check emissions system") is not a troubling event, because you know it's related to the VCMuzzler causing the reported engine temp to be too low to the ECU. These CEL codes can be cleared either by switching to the blue resistor and driving it for a few days, which allows it to clear on its own, or disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, which will clear it immediately.
Q. VCM has been out for a while now on Honda vehicles. Surely they've made improvements to it since the original problems, haven't they?
A. The technology has not improved much since they introduced it. While Honda claims they have improved the technology since the problems they experienced with the lawsuit, TSB's Warranty extensions etc, all they have really done is change the ECU programming to ensure VCM is not active for too long at any given stretch. The components are all the same. The reason for this is that when cylinders deactivate, the oil ring cannot keep oil out of the cylinders. This is why to this day, I'm hearing reports of new 2016 ody's, pilot and accords with high oil consumption, and I'm sure the reports on the 2017 ridgeline is not far behind. When reported to Honda, they say that up to 1 quart per 1000 miles is "normal". The problem with VCM allowing too much oil to bypass at one time is that when too much oil is present, you get detonation, which permanently deforms the oil rings. This causes even more oil bypassing, which leads to plug fouling and misfires. So by changing the ECU to fire all of the cylinders once in a while during extended cruising, they're burning off the excess oil by mixing it with fuel before it accumulates too much and causes detonation. Therefore, the technology has not vastly improved over time; they're just masking the problems a little better and trying to avoid the big ones.
Q. I have a newer Honda that has an "ECON" button on the dash and a light showing when ECON mode is on or off. Does this mean I can disable VCM with this?
A. No. VCM is always active, the ECON button does nothing to disable VCM. If it did disable VCM, Honda would lose it's rating with the EPA and would be subject to fines. The ECON button is all about acceleration, VCM is about cruising. When you put your vehicle in ECON mode with the button, the ECU tries to save you fuel by smoothing out the response to your accelerator inputs by giving the engine less gas, changing timing and gear selection etc., so that your jackrabbit attempts at accelerating from a stop are tamed down to a little more turtle-like acceleration. VCM is about dropping cylinders when you're cruising and there's no reason, in Honda's mind, to deactivate VCM while cruising because they feel that it is seamless to the driver, plus they don't want to have to pay penalties to the EPA. Your ECON button is doing nothing to deactivate VCM. The perception that it is, is coming from the fact that Honda has removed the "ECO" light from vehicles that have the ECON button and light to remove confusion to the driver. The ECO light used to be the signal that VCM was active.
Q. Which vehicles does the VCMuzzler II work on?
A. The following vehicles that are equipped with VCM (added 2017 Ridgeline).
Honda
Accord & Accord Hybrid 2005+
Crosstour 2010+
Pilot 2006+
Odyssey 2005+
Ridgeline 2017+
Acura
RDX 2013+
RDL 2013+
MDX 2014+
TLX 2015+
Q. Will I notice any difference when driving after the VCMuzzler II is installed?
A. Just about everyone reports an improvement in the drive-ability of the vehicle. It's not something you notice until VCM is deactivated, then you realize that having full power all the time while cruising is better. You don't notice the very slight transitions between VCM mode and non-VCM mode until they're gone.
Q. My newer model Honda does not have an ECO light that comes on and goes off while driving. How do I know that the VCMuzzler II installed on my vehicle is actually disabling VCM?
A. Newer model Honda's do not have an ECO light, which is the indicator in the older models on whether VCM is activating or not. In the newer model Honda's the ECON button is independent of the VCM system, and VCM is active regardless mentioned above. There are a couple of ways to verify that the VCMuzzler is working on newer model Honda's.
The first is to purchase an inexpensive OBD II scan tool. These can be found at your local parts store or on ebay. There are models that have their own display, or you can get ones that plug in and transmit the data to an app that you install on your smartphone. Either one will have a mode for monitoring sensors. If you look at the ECT (engine coolant temperature) reading and it is staying below 167°F the majority of the time, then you are deactivating VCM during that time. Occasional creeping above 167°F after idling in heavy traffic is not a big concern because VCM will only engage for less than a minute after you get going again and the temp comes back down. 167°F is the VCM threshold for every 3.5L engine with VCM that Honda has produced since 2005. So that's a positive way to ensure VCM is deactivated on your newer model Honda.
If you don't want to buy the scan tool, the second way to ensure you are deactivating VCM is to use the highest resistor you can without getting a CEL (check engine light). This method is less accurate, but cheaper as you don't need to purchase anything. In this method, you would start with the red resistor. If you don't get a CEL, then VCM is most certainly being deactivated the vast majority of the time as the red resistor lowers the perceived temperature to the ecu below 167 degF for the majority of driving conditions on all Honda's. If, however, you get a CEL with the red, then you don't need that much resistance and the blue will do the job just fine. Getting CEL errors (usually showing on the display as "check emissions system") is not a troubling event, because you know it's related to the VCMuzzler causing the reported engine temp to be too low to the ECU. These CEL codes can be cleared either by switching to the blue resistor and driving it for a few days, which allows it to clear on its own, or disconnecting the battery for a few minutes, which will clear it immediately.
