Photos by Sam Draiss Media Summit Point, WV – Team StudioVRM.Racing and owner-driver Roger Maeda made their return to the series on a chaotic weekend marked with intense heat, intermittent rainstorms, and unexpected engine quirks that will give the team plenty to do before the next round of the 2025 USTCC Season. This race also marked the debut of the interim 2025-spec TC class car, which included a new concept for the aero and front suspension but with an internally stock Honda H22 engine as the team waits for its new Bad Guys prime motor to be completed and assembled.   Qualifying Fast lap: 1:28.572 Extremely high temperatures, issues for several USTCC TC-class competitors, and a late-session crash between two GT cars meant that most teams were unable to show their pace in a shortened qualifying session. Maeda’s early banker lap, despite being several seconds off their usual pace, proved to be enough to secure 1 st  on the grid of the TC-class cars and 2 nd of the USTCC field behind Anthony Piselli’s Subaru Impreza.   Saturday Heat Race The Saturday Heat Race brought a shocking revelation as the team quickly realized that the interim 2025 power unit had significantly less low rpm and mid-range power compared to their 2024 engine. Maeda found himself losing time at every corner exit and fought hard to claw back a 10 mph deficit to his closest competitors at the end of Summit Point Raceway’s long main straight. Roger Maeda spent the Heat Race pursuing Andrew Conner in the ST-class On Q Racing BMW 325i, which was suffering from driveline issues of its own in the form of a failing Giubo flex disc. Maeda wrangled the recalcitrant Prelude to a distant second in TC behind Patryk Tararuj’s Subaru BRZ.   Sunday Feature Race Sunday’s Feature Race started with yet another shuffled grid, as fast laps from the Heat Race put Tararuj ahead of Maeda on the starting grid, while Conner withdrew the On Q Racing BMW with a confirmed Giubo flex disc failure. The Feature Race would bring a chaotic dichotomy of fortunes, as the Prelude’s new front suspension and aero provided confidence and grip that Maeda was unable to take advantage of due to the noticeable lack of power at corner exits. When an intermittent Throttle Position Sensor problem (which we later discovered to be a throttle cable issue) surfaced at the halfway mark of the race, Maeda decided to retire the car to prevent damage to the powertrain.   Roger Maeda – Driver – #22 StudioVRM.Racing Honda Prelude Si VTEC Feature Race: 3 rd  in Touring Car Fastest Lap: 1:29.015 “This was a strange one. We knew our interim power unit would be down on power, but we didn’t expect there to be such a big deficit at the exit of high-speed corners. We have some ideas on how to address this, but it’s going to take some time. The silver lining is that Summit Point has always been our worst track due to the longer gearing of the #22 Honda Prelude, and that we can expect much better performance at the higher speed tracks that will feature at later rounds. We’ll work on minimizing the power deficit and making the most of the improvements from our new chassis and aero setup for the remaining rounds.”   Z. Jefferson – Race Engineer – StudioVRM.Racing “It was a full weekend for our first appearance this season. I’m glad we were able to make it on track for all the sessions, even with the mixed conditions. We uncovered a solid lead for needed adjustments, so we are looking forward to the next race weekend.” StudioVRM.Racing  would like to thank our partners, Blue Leaf Technologies  and Bad Guys Worldwide  for their unwavering support and dedication as the team returns to USTCC in its premier TC class. Thank you for making all of this possible!

One of the unfortunate realities of owning an older car (especially an older racecar) is that they develop mystery electrical gremlins over time. For our StudioVRM.Racing prelude, this included: An erratic idle that we couldn't fix through parts or the tune The 10A fuse on the circuit with the ECU kept randomly blowing under load Random check engine light codes that would flicker at startup and disappear Alternators burning out earlier than expected A rare intermittent misfire that would appear once every few events The impact of these mysterious electrical issues came to a head when Fernando at CLM Motorsports discovered that our Prelude's ECU was reporting wildly inconsistent voltage while the engine was running. ECU voltage would drop from almost 14 volts to below 11 volts at load, and dip to under 10 volts at idle - well below what would be considered acceptable performance for a Honda ECU: The voltage trace from our Hondata S300-equipped ECU told us everything we needed to know - those jagged peaks and valleys in the voltage trace are not normal. Long story short, it was finally time to go through the car's electrical system and eradicate all of the gremlins that had accumulated over the years of hard racing. Setting the Stage Like most modern racecars, the StudioVRM.Racing Prelude is a mix of OEM electronics and aftermarket wiring / componentry. At the time of troubleshooting, the Prelude was equipped with: Jason Waters Tuning engine harness with a direct connection to the ECU Burton Racing COP Conversion with the Hondarulez COP Board Honda S300 on a Honda P28 ECU Internally stock, Naturally Aspirated H22A4 converted to OBD 1 with distributor and sensors Longacre kill switch wired to disconnect battery ground and alternator field wire when flipped TL: DR - What Fixed It? For those of you who are experiencing similar issues, here are the three items that ultimately fixed the issues on our car. Click on these links to skip to those sections and see exactly what we did: Re-ground the engine bay, Alternator, and COP harness Rewire the 12v power source for the ignition coil packs to the battery ECU Repair by Garage Noir Auto Table of Contents Step 1 - Easy Checks and Fixes Check your voltage from the ECU Clean, Replace, and Treat Your Grounds Ground Your Alternator Caution: Coil on Plug Conversion Users - Check the Location of Your Grounds Check Your Fuses Zip Tie Problematic Connectors Step 2 - Easy Wiring Checks Run the car without the Alternator Run the car with a different Battery (or without a battery) Check for Breaks and Shorts in the Wiring Step 3 - More In-Depth Troubleshooting Get the Wiring Diagrams. Rely on them. Use the Troubleshooting Flowcharts in the EM section of the Factory Service Manual Isolate the Problem Circuit by Pulling Fuses Replace your Battery and Alternator Cables Check Resistance and Voltage across the Under-Hood and Under-Dash Fuse Boxes Step 4 - Fix or Replace Common Failure Points Have your ECU Inspected and Serviced Inspect / Replace / Protect your Ignition Control Module Check Your Coil Packs - And Check How They are Powered Replace your Main Relay Inspect / Replace your Kill Switch Step 5 - Helpful Add-ons DC 12v Voltage Regulators Ferrite Beads for Protection against Electromagnetic Interference Recommended Tools Although you need very few tools to start troubleshooting electrical issues, we recommend having the following on-hand when troubleshooting intermittent issues: A good quality multimeter with an easy-to-read display A slim LED work light that can fit into tight spaces A pair of flush cutters 3M Super 33+ or Super 88 Electrical Tape A self-adjusting wire stripper A ratcheting crimper for automotive connectors A box of assorted heat shrink butt connectors and heat shrink ring terminals A lighter, small heat gun, or a mini torch to seal heat shrink We at StudioVRM seem to have a fair few Klein and Irwin tools in our electrical kit alongside our collection of Tyco Electronics (TE connectivity) and cheaper TICONN brand crimp-on connectors. But the reality is that most hardware store brand tools and connectors work just fine. You can get a lot for very little money these days, and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of cheap, reliable tools. That said, we do recommend that you avoid the cheap digital multimeters on Amazon. Many of the cheap ones have accuracy problems and burn out. If budget is a concern, Gardner Bender makes a very affordable analog multimeter that tested spot-on with the Fluke multimeter that we only use for sensitive electronics. We also recommend that you avoid the cheaper self-soldering butt connectors (the no-crimp kind) as well. They are difficult to install in tight spaces and the outer sleeves of the cheaper ones tend to stretch when heated, compromising the strength of the connection. Step 1 - Easy Checks and Fixes Check your voltage from the ECU This step was already done for us by Fernando at CLM Motorsports, and it is an important one to note. Modern ECUs, especially standalones, will give you a better picture of what's actually going on in your electrical system than all but the most expensive digital multimeters out there. The reason is that voltage readings are actually an averaged measurement of voltage over time. What appears to be a steady 12.0 volt signal, for example, is typically a jagged waveform of voltages that averages out to 12.0 volts over a period of time - typically 0.25 seconds (4hz) for a good multimeter to 1 second (1hz) for a cheap one. ECUs, however, datalog at much higher refresh rates - once every 0.1 seconds (10hz) for the Hondata S300 v2, for example. This will let you see "invisible" electrical problems that you will never see with a handheld multimeter. If you have an ECU that allows you to log and display voltage, we strongly recommend that you use that feature first to see what your car is actually seeing in its electrical system. It is also possible to detect these issues using a mini handheld oscilloscope. If you do have access to one, we recommend setting the window to about 10hz to start for automotive troubleshooting. Clean, Replace, and Treat Your Grounds The type of pulsing, intermittent voltage drops that we saw on the Hondata datalogs "Clean your grounds" is still sound and important advice for all cars, both new and old. The difference is that, due to age, the grounding cables on many Preludes have corroded to the point where cleaning off the ends will no longer solve grounding issues. We recommend replacing these big ground wires in your engine bay with new cables: Engine block to chassis Negative terminal of the Battery to the starter / transmission Negative terminal of the Battery to chassis We used 2 AWG copper welding lead to make new cables for these grounding points, using copper 2 AWG lugs from the local hardware store, this affordable hydraulic crimping tool , and our secondhand Klein cable cutter to get them to the exact length that we needed. Although this does involve buying a few tools and doing some hands-on work, you will get better results (and your grounding cables will last significantly longer) than if you bought an off-the-shelf grounding kit that uses thinner or, copper-coated aluminum wires. We also recommend disconnecting and sanding all of the wiring harness grounds that you can see in your engine bay (as well as the points that they mount to on the chassis with 320 grit sandpaper. We also recommend replacing any rusty nuts and bolts that might be holding these grounds in place. Finally, we coated the ends of all of our grounds with an electrical cleaner / protector before reinstalling them. This not only protects the ends from future corrosion, but it also prevents water from migrating up under the insulation of the wire. Steel Camel Thread 'N Post continues to be our favorite for these purposes, but DeoxIT D100L is also a good alternative for those of us who are not planning to do these jobs often. Ground Your Alternator This one is important, especially for those of us with painted engine blocks / brackets. If you are having electrical issues, one of the first things on your to-do list should be to remove your alternator, remove the alternator bracket, and sand any paint or rust off of the surfaces between the alternator, alternator bracket, and engine block. The reason is that our alternators rely on a body ground, meaning that they need a solid metal connection from their casings to the engine block in order for them to work properly. If there is any paint or rust between the alternator and the engine block, this can cause the alternator to produce erratic power and even burn themselves out prematurely. One way to test whether this is a problem is to make a short grounding wire and connect one of the grounding points on your chassis to one of the small M6 sized nuts / studs on the alternator. If adding this ground wire fixes or improves your car's issues, your alternator bracket needs to be sanded. Caution: Coil on Plug Conversion Users - Check the Location of Your Grounds This one is for those of us running Coil on Plug conversions, such as the one offered by Hondata, HondaRulez, or Apollo Tuning. Double check the ground for your ignition coils and ensure that in the location specified by the manufacturer. This is worth noting because, in many cases, this location is NOT the commonly used point on the Thermostat housing. Many COP kit manufacturers recommend that you ground the ignition coils to one of the bolts for the distributor body to prevent electrical noise from the ignition coils from causing issues with the sensors and ECU. They also recommend that it is the only thing grounded to that location - do not stack other grounds on top of this point. Check Your Fuses Before you begin digging into the wiring, we recommend checking all of the fuses in your under-hood and under-dash fuse boxes with a multimeter . With the ignition off, set the multimeter to check resistance, and check each fuse by putting the leads against the two metal terminals at the top of the fuse. Standard automotive fuses should read 0 Ohms (or very close to it) across the leads. If any of your fuses read more than that, have no continuity, or are visibly corroded or damaged, replace it. Write down which fuses you replaced, so you know which circuits to check further down this list. If you see any corrosion on the fuse box itself, clean the contact points with electrical contact cleaner, Steel Camel, or D100L to ensure a good connection. Zip Tie Problematic Connectors Some of the electrical connectors in our cars are notorious for coming loose and causing intermittent issues. These include: Throttle Position Sensor Connector Adapter clips for non-OEM (e.g. Bosch) fuel injectors Connectors for the distributor We recommend inspecting, cleaning, then zip-typing these connections together with thin cable ties, so they won't vibrate apart and cause intermittent issues. Step 2 - Easy Wiring Checks Run the car without the Alternator At this point in their lifetimes, most Honda Preludes are running rebuilt or aftermarket alternators. Our car is no exception. And while remanufactured alternators are very affordable, many of them have sloppy windings or minor internal issues that can cause intermittent electrical issues. Because of this, it's often worthwhile to try running the car with the field wire (the 4-wire plug) to the alternator disconnected. Although the base voltage of the system will be lower (under 12v) as you are running solely on battery power, this can sometimes cause the random electrical gremlins and issues to disappear. If this fixes your electrical gremlins, it will be worth trying another alternator. Run the car with a different Battery (or without a battery) Conversely, it is also worth trying to run your car with a different battery, or even without the battery. In addition to its main function of storing enough energy to start the car, car batteries act like capacitors, absorbing and damping out the sudden voltage spikes and dips produced by your car's electrical system. A battery with internal issues won't do this and can allow voltage spikes on one electrical component to affect every other component in the car. We recommend swapping to another known good lead acid or AGM battery (even if it doesn't quite fit in the same space) or by connecting a battery pack to the battery terminals, then starting the car. In a pinch, you can also (carefully!) remove the positive battery cable (and cover the ends of the cables and the terminals with an insulating material) while the car is running. Modern Hondas will run without a 12v battery, as long as they have a healthy alternator providing power to the engine. If your mystery electrical gremlins seem to disappear, or you see more consistent voltage when running the car with a different battery, we recommend simply replacing it, even if it starts the car just fine. Check for Breaks and Shorts in the Wiring Breaks and shorts in your wiring can be notoriously difficult to find, as there are very few (affordable) tools out there that can accurately locate a broken wire or a short inside an automotive wiring harness. Fortunately, a visual inspection of the wiring harnesses and the connectors is often enough to locate a shorted wire. We recommend shining a powerful, low-profile LED light right onto the wiring loom and following it from the fuse box to each of the connectors in the engine bay. A slim LED bar light like this Astro 90SL (our new favorite LED light) is a huge help with this, as you can push it into small spaces like those in the back of the engine bay or under your dashboard. Alternatively, you can take an LED headband (also one of our shop favorites), fold it in half, and shove it into tight spaces to get a good look at the wiring in tight spaces. Look for: Any exposed metal wire where the insulation has worn through Any signs of corrosion or blue calcification forming outside the wiring loom in the middle of a run of wire Any kinked wires or sharp bends in wires, especially those close to the connectors in the engine bay Any wiring connectors, splices, or soldered points in the middle of the wiring, especially wire splice connectors / t-taps / vampire taps The pass-through holes in the firewall where the engine harness goes inside the car (this is a common place for intermittent shorts in Honda wiring harnesses) Any wiring that runs close to the ground (crawl under the car and look from underneath if you have to) Any parts of the chassis where the harness is screwed or bolted to the chassis - sometimes, the insulation will rub through on the bolt and the wire will short via the fastener (surprisingly common in race and track cars) This is also a good time to carefully unplug each connector as you inspect it and look inside. Make sure there is no corrosion inside, and that none of the pins are loose. Use contact cleaner or a soft, non-metallic brush to brush out any corrosion, and push the wiring for loose pins in from the back of the connector to see if they will click back in. If one of the pins in the connector won't lock, the connector itself is broken / looks suspect, or if you suspect a wiring issue inside the connector, consider re-pinning or replacing the entire connector. Most OEM Honda connectors are available, either as kits or as pre-assembled pigtails, from a variety of vendors. The cost of replacement is so low that it is often worth replacing an entire connector instead of trying to troubleshoot it. Finally, if you locate any breaks or exposed wiring inside the harness, cut the bundling tape, wiring loom, and zip ties from the area, and inspect all of the other wires nearby to ensure that there are no other breaks or cuts. We use a seam ripper and thread snips from a sewing kit to cut into bundling tape and wiring looms without damaging the insulation of the wires inside. Remember to stick the side with the red ball inside the loom to prevent the sharp end from poking through one of the other wires. If your break or short is caused by a wire that has rubbed through its insulation and the wire itself looks to be in good shape (common in our cars), you can often get away by sealing the break with liquid electrical tape . We recommend using one of the bright colors, such as green, red, or white so you can find the repair location later. We also recommend wrapping the area in durable plastic split wire loom to prevent it from rubbing through again. They may not be the most attractive form of insulation, but they provide excellent abrasion protection and are easy to install in situ. Step 3 - More In-Depth Troubleshooting Get the Wiring Diagrams. Rely on them. Good wiring diagrams are your lifeline when it comes to mystery electrical issues. Yes, they can be intimidating to look at, but remember - all you need from them is to figure out which wires are connected to what (and which circuits share power and ground). Focus on the circuits that are giving you problems, and ignore everything else. While the PDF versions of the Honda Prelude Factory Service Manual is available from multiple sources online, we recommend buying a paper manual or printing the pages from the Electrical section for easier viewing. The wiring diagrams in the factory service manual span several pages and are much easier to read when printed on paper. Plus you can write on the paper copies in pencil or highlighter. Bishko reprints of the OEM Honda manuals are available on Summit Racing . Aside from some oddly proportioned images (due to the fact that the original manual was printed on A4 instead of Letter sized paper), they are perfect replicas of the original OEM Honda manuals. We strongly recommend having a copy around, even if it's just for the wiring diagrams. Do not trust the wiring diagrams from Hayes, Chilton, or other third party manuals. They are well-known for uncorrected mistakes in their wiring diagrams. AllData is the one exception. They are great, if you can afford a subscription. Use the Troubleshooting Flowcharts in the EM section of the Factory Service Manual It turns out that the troubleshooting flowcharts in the Factory Service Manual still apply, even if you have an aftermarket engine harness. If you have an idea of where some of your gremlins might be coming from (e.g. the ignition system), follow the steps in these diagrams first. They are very well-written, are easy to follow, and will save you a ton of time and frustration. Isolate the Problem Circuit by Pulling Fuses Just like in most new cars, many critical and non-critical electrical components in our Honda Preludes share their power and ground connections with other components. It can often help to temporarily pull the fuses for any non-critical or unrelated circuits to help isolate a problem. If pulling the fuse for a non-critical component such as the horn or the interior lights improves how the car runs, check the wiring diagram and see if they share a common ground or power source with any critical components (especially those related to your injectors, ECU, or ignition system). If you have a race car or a dedicated track car that never sees street use, we recommend pulling the fuse for unused circuits entirely, then using a dab of dielectric grease to protect the exposed terminals in the fuse box. This will minimize the chances that a problem in a noncritical circuit will cause issues with critical components in the future. Replace your Battery Cable and Alternator Cable This would have been completely unnecessary 10 years ago, unless you lived in a very rust-prone climate. Unfortunately, the wiring on most cars built in the 90s and the early 2000s are now so weather-worn that even the battery and alternator cables have started to corrode inside the insulation. If you have noticed any calcification or white powder forming at the ends of your positive battery terminal or either of the 12v positive power connections in your underhood fuse box, we recommend replacing the thick cables that connect to your battery and alternator. We used the same 2 AWG copper welder cables that we used for our grounds earlier (but with red insulation this time) and built new cables for our battery to fuse box and alternator to fuse box connections. 2 AWG cables are a tight squeeze under the factory fuse box cover (the OEM Honda cables are much thinner at 4 AWG), but the improvement on our car was immediate and immense. Just by replacing the three major grounds listed above and installing new battery / alternator cables, we saw the base voltage to our ECU rise by over 0.6 volts. As an added bonus, the car became much easier to start - a welcome improvement considering how finicky the oversized intake setup and fuel injectors make our car on startup. Check Resistance and Voltage across the Under-Hood and Under-Dash Fuse Boxes This is another item that would have been unnecessary 10 years ago yet is much more common now. Use a multimeter with long leads (or extension cables), and measure the resistance and voltage difference between the 12v power sources on the underhood and underdash fuse boxes. If you see a voltage drop of more than 0.5v or see any significant amount of resistance between the battery source and the 12v leads in the fuse box (there should be close to 0 Ohms), inspect the wiring harness between the fuse boxes, check the fuse boxes for corrosion, or consider replacing your ignition switch (just the electrical switch, not the lock cylinder). Ignition switch failures are becoming increasingly common now, especially on race cars where the wiring is exposed to the elements. New ignition switches are affordable and readily available from RockAuto, so this is definitely worth replacing on dedicated track and race cars. This would be a good time to ensure the fuse boxes themselves are in good condition and aren't coming apart. We found that the SRS airbag attachment on our under-dash fuse box was starting to separate from the base fuse box. While it was not causing any issues, we decided to remove that add-on module entirely to prevent any issues in the future. Step 4 - Fix or Replace Common Failure Points Speaking of common failure points, there are a handful of other common failure points that are worth investigating or replacing as a prophylactic measure: Have your ECU Inspected and Serviced If your car's ECU has not been professionally inspected in over 10 years (or if it has never been inspected), this is definitely worth doing. Many of the common "Honda electrical issues," including unstable voltage issues, startup, emissions, and intermittent fuel system issues, can be traced back to worn-out modules and capacitors inside the engine control unit itself. These problems are surprisingly difficult to spot for the untrained eye, despite the fact that Honda ECUs are very easy to open and inspect. If you have a Hondata or similar OEM Honda-based ECU, we recommend sending it out for professional inspection. We decided to send our ECU to Chris at Garage Noir Auto , who took the time to talk through our issues in detail before agreeing to inspect, service, and upgrade the spare Hondata-equipped Honda P28 ECU that had previously powered the StudioVRM Prelude during its years racing in SCCA Improved Touring S. While this spare ECU hadn't been professionally serviced since 2015, it has received multiple visual inspections and ran our previous powertrain without any issue. So we at StudioVRM weren't expecting Garage Noir Auto to find too many problems. However, when Chris inspected our seemingly healthy ECU and ran it on his engine simulator, he found multiple worn components, two slightly leaky capacitors, and worrying signs of corrosion on some key contacts on the back of the main board. Chris was able to complete the entire inspection and repair process, as well as the installation of a brand new HondaRulez COP conversion board, in a single day before shipping it back to us with plenty of time to test the car before our next race weekend. He even sent us a gallery of photos showing the repair and upgrade process, which he was nice enough to let us republish for your reference: Photos by Chris - Garage Noir Auto This change made a huge impact, stabilizing the voltage to the ECU enough that, with the combination of the new ground and battery cables, eliminated the majority of issues we had experienced. This change also fixed the issue of the alternator output voltage jumping around erratically under load, presumably as the alternator field wire signal (which comes from the ECU) was more stable as well. This was surprisingly cheap to do, so we recommend this as a precautionary measure for anyone with an older Honda ECU, or a Hondata-equipped ECU. We plan to send our other Hondata-equipped ECU to Garage Noir Auto for a similar service as soon as we finish writing this article. Inspect / Replace / Protect your Ignition Control Module Those of us who rely on the OEM Honda distributor know that the Ignition Control Module inside the distributor is a common failure point on our cars. While we have yet to find a bulletproof method of preventing ICM failures, keeping the distributor cool and providing it with clean, constant power have been shown to extend the life of both your distributor and ICM. We recommend keeping under hood temperatures down by venting the hood (if possible), zip-tying the electrical connectors to the distributor to prevent loosening / vibration, and taking as many measures possible to ensure that the distributor receives a good, clean 12v signal when the car is running. Or, if possible (and allowed by your rulebook), install a Coil on Plug conversion kit. Check Your Coil Packs - And Check How They are Powered Ignition Coils draw significantly more power than advertised and produce a tremendous amount of electrical noise and interference that will affect surrounding electronics. Because of this, they can also cause other components on the same circuit to behave erratically when they begin to fail. We recommend taking your coil packs to an auto parts store to be inspected on an ignition coil tester. The $25 handheld coil pack inspectors from Amazon are not sensitive enough to detect a failing coil pack that is still able to produce a spark. More importantly, we recommend that you power the coil packs from a 12v power source that connects to the battery, with no other components on the same circuit , and protect them with a 15A fuse . Many off the shelf COP kits (and aftermarket racing harnesses) tie the power to the ECU with the power wire to the ignition coils, which allows the noise and high draw of the coil packs to feed directly back into the ECU and other engine sensors. This can cause intermittent Check Engine Light codes, idle issues, and even alternator charging issues (all of which we were experiencing on our car). By wiring the coil packs directly to the battery, you take advantage of the fact that the battery acts like a giant capacitor, allowing it to damp out the voltage spikes and dips generated by the coil packs, thus isolating the rest of your car's electrical system from the ignition coils themselves. Coil packs also draw a surprisingly high number of amps under load. If your coil packs are connected to a power source with a 10A fuse, you may notice that the fuse will sometimes blow under heavy load. If you experience this issue after installing a COP conversion kit, we recommend re-wiring your power source to draw from the fuse box directly, and using a 15A fuse instead. Do not replace your existing 10A fuses with 15A fuses , as this risks damage to the other components (and ECU) that are on that circuit. The one downside to wiring the coil packs straight to the battery is that they can cause a parasitic draw on the battery when the car is off. This is very easy to address on a race or track car with a kill switch, as you can simply shut off the kill switch to disconnect the battery from the car when it is not in use. On street cars, we recommend finding an unused 15A circuit that is tied to the ignition switch, setting up a relay to disconnect the circuit when the ignition is off, or installing a switch that allows you to manually disconnect the coils. The last option is also quite effective as an anti-theft device for modified cars, as very few potential thieves are interested enough to diagnose an ignition issue in a street car. Replace your Main Relay Main relay failures are a common cause of intermittent fuel, ignition, and non-starting issues. Unfortunately, even the expensive Genuine OEM Honda relay is still prone to failure due to a fundamental issue with the design of the circuit board. Our recommendation is to replace the main relay entirely with a main relay conversion, such as the one sold by Jordan Distributors Inc . This plug-and-play kit replaces the problematic main relay with a standard Bosch-style 5-pin relay, which is much more reliable (and cheaper to replace). JDi also sells a two-relay version which maintains the separate ground and trigger wire connections in the stock relay. While this does not seem to be necessary for most street, track, and race cars, it may offer peace of mind for those of us with higher power cars or with more load on our electrical systems. Inspect / Replace your Kill Switch This is something that racers often forget about - Kill switches are wear items. Every time you flick that big, spring loaded lever, you wear the terminals on the inside of your weather-resistant kill switch. It is worth testing the resistance across the poles of the kill switch while it is in the On position, to ensure that you see 0 Ohms of resistance. Our 8 year old Longacre kill switch showed a noticeable amount of resistance (5 Ohms!) across the secondary poles, which we use to disconnect the alternator field wire. We replaced our kill switch before it could cause additional wear and tear on our alternator. Step 5 - Helpful Add-ons In addition to the above, there are some affordable add-ons that can help mitigate voltage instability and other electrical issues. Of all of the items we tested, there are two in particular that were helpful for solving issues with voltage instability and signal interference: DC 12v Voltage Regulators Also known as DC-DC Buck-Boost Controllers, these small boxes can stabilize the voltage from automotive power sources, absorb surges, and maintain a steady 12v to critical components in your car, such as your ECU and Ignition Control Module. After testing multiple brands, we found that this EKYLIN brand stabilizer worked the best and had the fewest reported failure rates of all of the compact and affordable options on the market today. Just wire the 12v in and 12v out power leads inline with the circuit that you want to stabilize, and connect the ground wires to two separate locations where you can get a known good ground (preferably to the chassis). These voltage regulators can be used as a band-aid to get you through a dyno tuning session or race weekend, but can also be used as surge protectors for sensitive circuits. We left ours connected to the 12v power wire for our engine harness to ensure that the most sensitive components get steady and clean power under the unforgiving conditions of the racetrack. Ferrite Beads for Protection against Electromagnetic Interference This one is more important for street cars with sensitive in-car electronics (such as sound systems, GPS, and in-car entertainment screens) than race cars. Clip-on ferrite beads can go a long way towards suppressing interference from noisy electronics in the vicinity of your sensitive components. These are commonly used to eliminate buzzing and static on sound systems and monitor cables. Having used them on street cars and computer equipment, we can say with confidence that they do work. They will also reduce the amount of noise emitted by noisy electronics, such as coil packs or the thick wire connecting the ignition coil to the distributor on external coil ignition systems. We recommend attaching the beads about 2 inches, or about 5 cm, from the device you want to protect or the device producing the EMI. While this did not solve our erratic voltage problem, it did eliminate the obnoxious buzzing from our 5V DC power adapter as well as the USB connection that powers our in-car cameras. We also tried these on the jumper harness of our in-car radios and found that the radios picked up less static and odd noises when the car was running. If you have enough cable length and the wires are thin enough, we recommend looping the cable around so that the bead clamps over two or even three runs of wire. Considering how cheap these beads are, they are worth trying, especially on anything that transmits sound or video. A Few Final Words of Advice In the end, it was a combination of re-grounding the car with new wires, repairing the ECU, and separating the ignition coils from the rest of the car's 12v power system that eliminated our intermittent electrical issues once and for all. This was a frustrating and time-consuming exercise for us here at StudioVRM, due in no small part due to the decision to test multiple methods and products (many of which did not work as stated). But having spent months combing through the electrical system before seeing the car perform on track with zero electrical issues, we can say with confidence that this was time and money well spent. Our recommendation is to work slowly and methodically, over days and weeks if necessary, while taking careful notes as to what you found and fixed. Intermittent electrical issues may seem daunting at first, but they are all very solvable - and the tools / parts to fix them are more affordable now than ever. Just remember - these cars are not that complicated. You can do this. See you at the track. Disclosure: StudioVRM and Roger Maeda are not affiliated with Steel Camel, CLM Motorsports, DeoxIT, Summit Racing, Garage Noir Auto, JDI, Astro Tools, or any of the other vendors mentioned here. Any of the parts purchased and reviewed for this article have been purchased at full price from our team's car development budget and Roger's own pocket. StudioVRM is an Amazon Associate, which means that we get a small amount of referral income if you buy a product using any Amazon links in the article.

Like every industry, the racecar apparel industry has its own insider-only secrets. And as a savvy consumer who depends on the comfort and safety that your gear provides, it's important for you to understand some well-known trade secrets BEFORE you put down your hard-earned cash to add a new piece of fireproof kit to your wardrobe. So here are 10 secrets that we've learned in over 2 decades of trying, wearing, testing, racing, and destroying helmets, race suits, gloves, shoes, and more... as well as, of course, speaking with vendors and manufacturers. Modern Racing Suits don't fit "correctly" unless you are sitting down Have you ever looked at an F1 or Indycar driver and noticed how often they walk around with their suits unzipped from the waist up? That's no coincidence. Photo by Jen Ross The truth of the matter is that modern road racing suits are extremely uncomfortable to walk around in. Those of us who have tried "well-fitting" suits know that it is difficult to stand up straight in a FIA 8856-2018 or SFI 3.2/5 rated racing suit without feeling that the fireproof fabric near your crotch is giving you the worst "front-wedgie" you have ever had in your life. The reason is that racing suits are cut in a way to give you maximum mobility when you are seated in your car. This makes sense. Suits are safety equipment, and they should be designed to protect you while you're using them (i.e. when you're seated in your car). Unfortunately, this means that modern suits have less fabric on the front of your suit than the backside, which makes the front tight and the back slightly baggy. It also causes the back of your collar to obnoxiously dig into the back of your neck when you stand up straight. So what should you do, especially if you aren't able try a suit on before you buy it? 2024 USTCC TC class Champion Sean Milburn has a great tip: First, buy a body measuring tape (like this one ), use it to accurate measurements of every part of your body, add 2 cm (or approximately 3/4 of an inch) to every vertical measurement (torso, sleeve length, inseam/outseam) , then use those figures to compare against the sizing guide that the manufacturer provides. This is especially important for your vertical torso measurement and the inseam / outseam of your legs, as the bottom half of your racing suit will naturally ride up from your ankles as you drive. Sean Milburn (center) in his custom-cut racing suit This recommendation also applies if you are planning to order a custom suit from a manufacturer like TRT , Marina, or OMP (three popular manufacturers of custom-cut racing suits). These sutits are sewn together with very little fabric overlap, so there is no room to "let out" any fabric to make them bigger in any dimension. Your best bet is to order the suit "long" and have a dry cleaner or a tailor "bring in" some of the fabric in case it happens to be too tall or too long for your body. Racing shoes don't "break in." Some even shrink with wear Most sneakers and dress shoes will "break in" as you wear them. Shoe salesmen will cheerily tell you that it's ok if a dress shoe feels slightly too tight, because you can just walk around in them for a bit and they will eventually stretch to fit your feet. And they would be right. Not so with racing shoes. Modern racing shoes are made of thicker material than your average street or dress shoe. Others have stiffer fire-resistant liners on the inside that don't stretch at all. Worse yet, due to the harsh conditions and moisture accumulated from on-track use, most leather or suede racing shoes will actually shrink over time, making for an increasingly tight fit as you wear the shoe more often. Because of this, we recommend that you try your street shoe size and 1/2 size up (in US sizing) before buying a pair of racing shoes. We then recommend that you choose the one that gives you a tiny bit of extra space at the tip of the toe box. When those shoes inevitably get wet, they will shrink. And that tiny bit of extra space in the toe will keep the shoe from becoming uncomfortably tight. Unfortunately, most racing shoe manufacturers do not make "wide" shoes. American racing shoe brands generally run wider than their European counterparts, but for some of us, even that isn't enough. For those cases, we recommend using a shoe stretcher , like this: We recently learned (from speaking to a few manufacturers) that it is perfectly ok to use this type of stretcher on a leather or suede racing shoe. These stretchers will not only give you some extra room to articulate your heel, but will also widen the toe box just enough to make a narrow shoe a comfortable fit on a wider foot. This also seems to work on shrunken shoes as well, so if you want to extend the life of your racing shoes, we recommend spending the $20 to $40 US to get a set to park in your closet. You can (and should) wash your racing suit 20 to 30 years ago, it was the norm for drivers to rarely (or never) wash their Nomex or FPF (AKA ProBan or Pyrovatex) racing suit. In 2025, most suit manufacturers recommend that you wash your suit on a regular basis. What changed? The answer is that racers and suit manufacturers realized that "track grime" is flammable. The grease, oil, fuel vapors, and rubber dust that becomes embedded in the fibers of your racing suit over time will degrade its fire-resistant properties. Cleaning that grime off of your gear is considered better than any potential wear or damage that you might cause by machine-washing your racing suit. The other answer is that fabric detergents have come a long way in the last few decades. While race-specific detergents like Molecule Performance Wash have existed for years, off-the-shelf detergents like Woolite and All Free & Clear have caught up and are now proven safe to use on Nomex. Even the latest wave of sweat-beating activewear detergents are safe to use on racing suits. We recommend washing your suit in on the Delicate cycle with cold or warm water to preserve the fibers of your suit and to prevent shrinking. Most manufacturers recommend air drying your suit on a hanger, but we have found that it is ok to tumble dry your suit as long as you set the heat at its lowest setting (e.g. no heat, tumble dry low) in a laundry net. New shoes and gloves are always better Photo by Sam Draiss Photography While suit and helmet technology have evolved gradually over the past 20 years, racing gloves and shoes have improved in leaps and bounds just in the past few years. If you want to upgrade your gear, we recommend putting that money into new gloves or new shoes. In just a few short years, the stiff leather palms of old school racing gloves have become completely obsolete, replaced by comfortable and flexible Nomex fabrics that offer similar protection while providing much-needed dexterity. The chunky sticky silicon "fingerprints" that used to be common on fabric gloves have now been replaced by large, flat tactile pads that are less likely to peel off or pick up dirt. Even external stitching is starting to become a relic of the past — Robotic sewing processes now make it possible to make low-profile internal stitching that you can't feel while wearing the gloves. Photo: Sparco On the footwear front, racing shoes have become lighter, more flexible, and more comfortable to drive or walk in than ever before. The soles of new racing shoes are thinner, better contoured, and have built-in hinge points so you can flex your foot while actuating the pedals or walking around the paddock. Fire-resistant liners have given manufacturers the flexibility to poke tons of vent holes on the sides of the shoe, making for a much more breathable and less sweaty driving experience. Photo: Alpinestars Rounded heels are now the norm, reducing wear on the soles of your shoes when you pivot your feet against the oft-abrasive floorboards of your racecar. And heel cutouts on the backs of newer mid-top shoes have all but eliminated the cuts and calluses that form on the back of your ankles over the course of a long race weekend. If you haven't replaced your shoes or gloves in the last 5 years, we strongly recommend that you look at the sale rack of the racing supply store at your local track. Some of the shoes and gloves on the clearance rack are light years ahead in both safety and comfort. It's worth getting the most comfortable underwear you can afford Many racers will spend a ton of money getting the best suit they can afford and wear their street clothes under it. Having tested a variety of undergarments and materials (including not wearing undergarments at all), we have come to the conclusion that it's more comfortable to get a slightly cheaper suit and a set of flexible, high quality Nomex undergarments to wear under it. From a safety perspective, the benefits are obvious. Nomex underwear will protect you from fire and abrasion better than your cotton or synthetic undershirt (or boxers) ever can. But the real benefit is in comfort. Nomex is extremely breathable and will keep you cooler in and out of the car. Plus they are easy to wash, which means you can show up at the track with a fresh set of clothes every day. Another benefit is that properly sized Nomex undergarments tend to be both slimming and flattering for most bodies. There is an undeniable "cool factor" that draws the attention of competitors and spectators when you walk around with your black Nomex undershirt exposed above a half-zipped FIA or SFI rated fire suit. And coolness always counts. The "original" Simpson HANS is the least comfortable Head & Neck Restraint available today Photo: Sam Draiss Photography Ever since the patent of the original Hubbard HANS device expired in the 2000s, there has been a steady stream of companies entering the Head & Neck safety restraint market. The closely guarded secret here? The original Simpson HANS device is arguably the worst Head & Neck device on the market today. The original HANS design relies on a large, stiff frame that comes down in front of your collar bone to brace your torso in an impact. This design has proven safe yet uncomfortable for many, especially for drivers with flatter torsos as well as female drivers who find that their car's racing harnesses compress the frame into their chest in a constricting manner. Fortunately, upstart competitors have been looking for ways to improve upon the original HANS design. And over the last 20 years, they have succeeded. The NecksGen Rev2 Lite head and neck restraint is the current gold standard for comfortable and safe head & neck restraints. Their design is so light and unintrusive that you barely feel it while strapped into the car. The low-profile NecksGen design was so comfortable that the original sellers of HANS device saw them as a threat and attempted to litigate them into stopping production of their product (which at the time was called the DefNder device). Photo: NecksGen Despite their attempts at litigation, failing, and making subsequent improvements to the HANS design, the latest HANS IV with the sliding tethers and lighter frame are still no match for the NecksGen style design for comfort and weight. For budget-conscious racers, the similar (albeit slightly heavier) Zamp Z-Tech Series 8A head & neck restraint offers the same level of protection and similar comfort at an even lower price point. Even Simpson's own Hybrid Sport restraint (the author's HnR of choice) offers a more comfortable and ergonomic fit, and the harness is comfortable enough that you can wear it all day. With even lighter, more affordable, and even more ergonomic devices like the upcoming NecksGen Rev X Carbon on the horizon, there is very little reason to consider the "original" Simpson HANS series at this time. All of the cheap helmets are made by the same two (related) companies. And that's OK Photo: BSR Helmets If you have been in the market for an affordable helmet, you may have noticed that many of the budget offerings out there look and feel very similar. This is no coincidence. Most of the budget-friendly helmets from brands like Pyrotect, B2, GForce, Conquer, Zamp, and USR are all manufactured by Beijing Rodia Sports Manufacture Co or Beijing Shenzhou Rodia Industry & Trade Co. This means that, aside from cosmetic differences in the vents, shell shape, and features, all of these helmets offer similar protection, similar quality, and similar optics through their visors. This is not necessarily a bad thing. All of these BRSM and BSRI auto racing helmets have passed SFI SA Testing at independent testing houses. And an affordable, certified helmet is better than one that isn't built to the same standards. In fact, the shells for BSRI's Carbon helmets are manufactured in Japan and are of excellent quality and comparable weight to those on more expensive helmets. Of course, you will miss out on the ergonomic advantages, the smaller shells, more aerodynamic shapes, and clearer visor optics that you get from the more expensive helmet brands. And as someone who started with a $250 G-Force hybrid open-face and now races with a top-shelf Arai GP6S, this author always recommends getting the best helmet you can afford. But for less than $275 US for a comfortable full-face helmet that meets Snell SA2020 standards, there is no shame in picking the budget brands to protect your head. If that sounds more your speed, our advice is to pick the cheapest one. Because many of them are the exact same product with a different badge. You should choose your helmet by head shape, not just by fit There are a myriad of fitment checks and sizing guides to help you choose a fitted helmet. But very few auto racing helmet vendors or manufacturers talk about the shape of your head. This is one area where we can benefit from following the example set by our two-wheeled brethren in the motorcycle racing world. Head shape is one of the first things a motorcycle rider looks at when choosing a helmet. Most drivers' heads fit into one of three categories: Round Oval, Intermediate Oval, or the Long Oval, based on the profile of their head when viewed from above. Illustration: FortNine.ca While there are means of measuring the profile of your head, it is much easier (and surprisingly, more accurate) to just take a photograph of the top of your head and make an educated guess as to which head shape profile that is closest to the actual shape of your head. Some helmet manufacturers, like Arai, will list the head shape for their helmets in their spec sheets. But most auto racing helmet manufacturers do not. Fortunately, most manufacturers tend to cater towards a particular head shape across their lineup of their auto racing helmets. From firsthand experience, we can share that the following manufacturers' Snell and FIA rated car racing helmets tend to fit these head shapes the best: Arai Intermediate Oval Bell Round Oval to Intermediate Oval HJC Long Oval Sparco Long Oval to Intermediate Oval Stilo Round Oval to Intermediate Oval Our tip is to try your helmet on before you buy it, and if you feel pressure points on the front and back of your head (i.e. the helmet is too round for your head) or you feel pressure on the sides of your head (i.e. the helmet is too long for your head), try on a different brand of helmet, not just a different model from the same brand. Your noggin will thank you in the long run. Get several pairs of socks to wear at the track. Ask for them as cheap gifts Those of us who enjoy the occasional wet-weather hike know that wet socks will drain your stamina. Not only is it uncomfortable, but the moisture can also promote the growth of bacteria and fungi on your feet, which can cause uncomfortable swelling while you drive. From our experience, the best thing you can do is to carry multiple pairs of clean Nomex socks with you in your gear bag. This author carries 3 pairs of socks to an average race weekend, and launders them (along with his Nomex undergarments) in the hotel's washing machines on Saturday night. Clean Nomex socks are cheap, comfortable, and are the difference between an unpleasant slog through a wet race and a comfortable drive where at least your feet are dry. Our advice here is to ask for them as a cheap gift from family members. It's hard to have too many Nomex socks in your wardrobe. Not only do they offer an extra layer of protection, they are comfortable enough to wear under dress shoes, just in case you forget to do your laundry over the weekend. Custom printed (dye-sublimation) suits are not breathable Photo: Denise Conner One recent trend in custom racing suits is to offer custom-cut suits with printed designs. These suits, such as the OMP Racing One Art and the Marina UNIC Plus, give buyers the ability to fully customize the design of their suit based on a digital drawing. Much like the custom vinyl wraps on cars, you can get your suit printed in any design or color as long as it can be illustrated in a program like Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape. This amazing advancement in racing suit technology gives racers the ability to create a racing suit that looks exactly the way that they want. The downside? Custom printed suits are hotter and less breathable than other suits. The reason for this is that the manufacturers of these printed suits use a process called dye sublimation to press the ink directly into the fabric. In order for this process to work without bleeding ink to the other side, the outer layer of the suit needs to be woven more tightly than they would in a typical suit. This results in a suit that feels heavier and is less breathable than an "off the rack" piece from a manufacturer like Sparco, OMP, or Alpinestars. And in a closed cockpit car with limited airflow, this can result in sweating or overheating while driving. Our recommendation is to ensure that there is sufficient airflow and driver cooling in your car before committing to a fully custom dye sublimation racing suit. And if that isn't possible, look for a simpler design that is made up from pre-dyed colored fabrics (like the Marina Air Plus instead of the dye sublimation UNIC Plus). Or just look for an "off the rack" suit made with lightweight modern fabrics. Either way, your body will thank you on those hot summer days. Photo: Sam Draiss Photography See you at the track. ~R Disclosure Section: All products tested for this article were rented from other racers, or purchased out of Roger's own pocket at full price. StudioVRM and Roger Maeda are not affiliated or sponsored by any of the brands or vendors mentioned above. StudioVRM is an Amazon Associate, which means that we get a small amount of referral income if you buy a product using any Amazon links in the article.

Driver bio for Roger Maeda, the Driver-Author-Mechanic known as "Touring Car Racing's Greatest Loser." Roger Maeda Driver/Author – StudioVRM Racing Team Stats Height: 5'8" (172 cm) Weight: 175 lbs (77 kg) Born: Kyoto, Japan Resides: East Brunswick, New Jersey Nationality: United States of America Trivia Daily Driver: Toyota FJ Cruiser Favorite Driver(s): Jenson Button, Kaz Nakajima Favorite F1 Team: Racing Bulls Likes: Chess, Precision Pistol, Italian Food Motto: Let every loss make you stronger. Pro Touring Car Racing's Greatest Loser Racing the road less traveled means encountering more obstacles than the average driver. As a result, Roger Maeda is no stranger to losing. Yet, through every defeat Maeda has grown stronger, faster, and wiser. As he steps up to the flagship TC class of the USTCC in 2025, Maeda strives to push the limits of car, driver, and technology in pursuit of even greater performance. Racing Record *Season in progress 2025 USTCC East Series - TC Class 5th* 2024 US Touring Car Championship East Series - SP Class 2nd 2023 US Touring Car Championship East Series - SP Class 🏆1st 2022 US Touring Car Championship East Series - SP Class 2021 SCCA Club Racing - Super Touring Under 2020 SCCA Club Racing - Super Touring Under 2019 SCCA Club Racing - Super Touring Under 2018 US Touring Car Championship East Series 2017 SCCA Pro-IT Series 2016 SCCA Club Racing - Improved Touring S Class 2015 SCCA Club Racing - Improved Touring S Class 2014 SCCA Club Racing - Improved Touring S Class 2013 IMG Endurance Racing Series 🏆1st in PI-4 2013 IMG Sprint Race Series 2012 IMG Sprint Race Series 2011 EMRA Sprint Race Series 2010 EMRA Time Trial Series 🏆1st in ST-4 2009 EMRA Time Trial Series 2008 EMRA Time Trial Series 2007 EMRA Time Trial Series

Technical specs and details on the StudioVRM.Racing Honda Prelude. Our flagship race platform built with our philosophy of combining modern tech and classic machinery. The Car: StudioVRM.Racing Honda Prelude "Kikka" Chassis 1993 Honda Prelude 2615 lbs with Driver Studio VRM – BRT Front Splitter Custom 71" wing from Maximum Attack Motorsports BRT wing uprights and end plates JF Custom Metal aluminum side skirts 8 Point Road Race Roll Cage Engine Honda H22A VTEC Engine AEM 3" Intake Skunk2 74mm Throttle Body Bad Guys Intake Manifold Rosko Racing 2" Intake Manifold Spacer Bosch 600cc Injectors Walbro 255 LPH fuel pump PLM race header 3" Race exhaust Canton Accusump Oil Accumulator Engine oil Cooler Vented value cover with 2 qt Oasis catch can Doxey Racing Developments Racing Oil Pan Electronics Honda S300 overhauled by Garage Noir Auto Burton Racing / Hondarulez Coil on Plug Conversion Transmission Honda M2S4 5-speed MT WaveTrac Limited Slip Differential MFactory 4.64:1 Final Drive Suspension Race-valved Tein Super Street Coilovers Swift Springs 16kg-f/mm Front, 18kg-f/mm Rear Kingpin Machine spherical bearing conversion Team Professional Awesome Bump Stops Brakes FatFour Customs RL Big Brake Kit Raybestos ST-45 racing brake pads - Front Raybestos ST-77 racing brake pads - Rear Wheels & Tyres Hankook F200 Slicks: 235/620R17 F – 200/610R17 R Kei Office 17x8 F – 17x7.5 R What's in a Name? In deference to the team's motto of "Bloom in Chaos" the StudioVRM.Racing Team assigns each of its race vehicles a flower-themed name. Kikka was the car that started this tradition. Kikka "the Citrus Blossom" owes its name to the dazzling white flowers of the thorny Tachibana orange plant. In its native Japan, the Tachibana blossom is regarded as a symbol of remembrance and perpetual youth - much like the ever-evolving, 30-year-old 4th gen Honda Prelude that shares its name.

StudioVRM is the racing enthusiast's source for tech tips, product reviews, tool hacks, and well-kept racing secrets. Race Hard. Bloom in Chaos. 1 2 3 4 5 The Car: StudioVRM Honda Prelude - USTCC "Kikka" Technical Specs The Driver: Roger Maeda Meet the Driver – Author – Mechanic known as "Touring Car Racing's Greatest Loser." Driver Bio Latest Articles Our Partners Racing Secrets Blog 1 2 3 4 5