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I just purchased a 2018 hatchback sport. I'm in Canada so I was able to get the sport version with all the Touring options besides the leather and LED headlights (still have the led running lights), not worth 4k more IMO, otherwise I would have went Si. Passed on the Si because I personally don't care for Coupes, tired of Sedans, and really love the Hatchback dual exhaust and aggressive look.
Anyway I want to get a tune. I was told Hondata or Ktuning is the way to go. I have a few questions.
#1- I know it'll void warranty but can I load the stock tune back if I needed to bring it into the dealership?
#2- What tune to get and what results!
$3- Long term I heard changing the mapping to yeild these gains basically consists of leaning out your fuel and increases boost and can lead to issues down the rosd. True?
The only mod I've done so far are some debadging and smoked license plate frames. I want to keep this ride clean and don't want to lower it or change exhaust, my wife is tired of me modding my cars to that degree and I'm kinda over that phase myself anyway. Just looking for a bit more power if I can, not that this 1.5 turbo motor needs much I'm actually very impressed with it
#1- I know it'll void warranty but can I load the stock tune back if I needed to bring it into the dealership?
#2- What tune to get and what results!
$3- Long term I heard changing the mapping to yeild these gains basically consists of leaning out your fuel and increases boost and can lead to issues down the rosd. True?
I've been looking into it also, and staving it off because I'm trying my hardest not to f*** with this car. haha. Like you, I'm much over my super ricer-modding days since I did that for the better part of 15 years with my 2002, but driving this car is an absolute joy, and it's making it hard for me to not want to get a bit more out of it. That, and my buddy (10 years younger than me) drives a 16 EX-T Sedan (vs my Sport Hatch), and he makes me want to tinker with this thing. lol
That said, I can provide some insight
1) It only voids warranty if they can prove that the tune lead to failure of the part you're trying to get warranty claims on. Slight caveat, however. The general consensus out there is if you try and get warranty work done on a modded car, some dealerships out there will fight tooth and nail to deny warranty claims. YMMV. You can, like you mentioned, flash back to stock, but there is a grey area about what dealerships can see. Some people claim dealerships can see if an ECU has been flashed or not, but many of those claims were rebutted with other claims that they would have to do a lot of digging to see what and how or something. Not 100% on that one. The other big claim I can recall, which sounds a bit more feasible, is that dealerships can see what max boost pressure your engine saw. Sport hatch that's tuned to 16.5psi, and they see constant 23psi? They can easily venture a guess that you flashed your ecu. Tread lightly with this one, if you want to be able to keep your warranty claims. Either that, or wait until your warranty is up and go buck wild. lol
2) Another general consensus out there is that the KTuner is the way to go. More versatile (especially if you go with the V2 that has it's own standalone, aluminum housed tablet), and cheaper than its Hondata counterpart.
KTuner V1.2 (no tablet, comes with 3(?) maps: +3, +6, and +9psi) - $450
KTuner V2 (same module as V1.2, but comes with fancy pants tablet) - $650
Hondata - $650
If you have a bit more money to burn and you want lots of bang for your buck, look into the VitTuned KTuner. Dude's done magic with the GenX Civics
3) Have not heard of any issues thus far, so I can't answer that one. However, with the "conservative" tunes available with any tuning unit you get, it shouldn't lean it out. They made these tunes to deliver reliable power to the L15B7 platform. The only "decreased reliability" I could fathom is the fact that you'd be pulling more out of this motor than from the factory, resulting in an increase in wear and tear.
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
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Re: Tune or No? First time Honda owner, new ride!
but there is a grey area about what dealerships can see. Some people claim dealerships can see if an ECU has been flashed or not, but many of those claims were rebutted with other claims that they would have to do a lot of digging to see what and how or something. Not 100% on that one. The other big claim I can recall, which sounds a bit more feasible, is that dealerships can see what max boost pressure your engine saw. Sport hatch that's tuned to 16.5psi, and they see constant 23psi? They can easily venture a guess that you flashed your ecu. Tread lightly with this one, if you want to be able to keep your warranty claims. Either that, or wait until your warranty is up and go buck wild. lol
There isn't much in the way of tuner stuff in my corner of the planet, so I've no practical experience in this area. Yet.
Here's stuff to consider:
Fact: When a dealers scanner is plugged into the car, we can view the VIN and hondas software version # installed in the ECM and other control units.
While this might not wave obvious red flags to the typical person running the scanner, the data from the dealer scanner is regularly transmitted to the mother ship.....soooooo if you don't have the stock ECM and tune installed when the scanner is plugged in, there ya go....
Also consider, far more data may be sent than the dealers scanner can show the tech in the dealer shop. Engineering has access to far more data than we techs ever get to see (or need to see) in the field.
If there's been a fault code set in the ECM during an extreme boost driving condition, MAP value is recorded in the freeze frame data....which could definitely be a telltale even if it's unrelated to the problem at hand.
If you stuff the stock ECM back in (or flash back to stock) before taking the car in for that CEL problem, that code and data are just gone unless or until the original system recognizes the problem
I don't know right now if lifetime maximum boost is noted on a data list.
Seems like I remember something about a stored max RPM parameter though in case of over-rev., but not positive.
(At home, can't check a scanner--and can't check data without an identical car to connect to)
Lately I've been diagnosing older cars with genuine problems.
If you flash the ECM with your tune (or bolt in a different ECM), what do the rest of the control units in the car do? Do they go mentally nuts with strange data being fed to them and set a bunch of Uxxxx codes? (Most of the time the driver can't see anything unusual, no extra warning lights or other giveaways) If codes set in various other controllers, they are not erased when you put the ECM back to stock....most can't be erased by a battery disconnect either.
That might raise an eyebrow.
Things to ask Hondata or ktuner
Is ktuner doing the turbo L engines? I thought hondata was reporting up near 300HP on the 1.5 already.
If you flash the ECM with your tune (or bolt in a different ECM), what do the rest of the control units in the car do? Do they go mentally nuts with strange data being fed to them and set a bunch of Uxxxx codes? (Most of the time the driver can't see anything unusual, no extra warning lights or other giveaways) If codes set in various other controllers, they are not erased when you put the ECM back to stock....most can't be erased by a battery disconnect either.
That might raise an eyebrow.
I read reports of some dealers seeing max boost higher than stock tune (e.g. someone running a +6 tune on a base civic, dealer being able to see that 22psi) even after reflash to stock, but all that was just word of mouth... fingertip? reports.
Is ktuner doing the turbo L engines? I thought hondata was reporting up near 300HP on the 1.5 already.
Both, actually. The civic that broke into the 11's on the drag strip was running ktuner on a full e85 tune. Like I mentioned above, while Hondata has the legacy of being awesome, the KTuner unit is proving to be much more versatile and customizable at a lower price point, thus being the fan favorite at the moment
Originally Posted by xakantorx
Im sorry for hijacking to ask this question, but what option makes the gauges red like that?
That's all OEM on 10thgen's with the "upgraded" display (e.g. not the lx trim or the USDM sport trim)
ah, gotcha. It might be a difference between sedan/coupe/hatch then.
I know with the 7thgens (01-05; I previously owned a 2002), Honda had different gauge cluster lighting in coupe vs. sedan (red vs green/blue). Come to think of it, that very well may be it, too. I know on the hatches, the little ambient overhead LED thingy is red, but on some (maybe sedan?) it was blue. That said, do you drive a sedan?
I should have added that, mine is a hatch too. Upon closer inspection, it looks like OPs car has a different display from mine though. I didn't get the one with navigation so maybe that's it
Purely speculating here, might be LX/EX/EX-L vs Sport/Sport Touring
OP has a CDM sport, I have a USDM sport. OP's car is basically a 6MT version of the USDM Sport Touring. My USDM sport is an LX with a lip kit, different tune, center mount exhaust, and 18" rims.
A buddy of mine had his ECU flashed and tuned on his VW by a local tuner. Starting having engine problems and the tuner said it’s a VW problem so we will reflash back to stock so you can take it in to have it looked at. After digging the VW dealer refused to fix anything (he needed a new motor) because they said it had been modified. The tuner refused to fix anything also so he was in a battle with both of them for months. I think VW finally settled with him but he still had to pay a crap ton of money and all the time spent dealing with it.
Just food for thought but that was VW.
I saw that 11 sec Civic and it was awesome he was doing that with very little work. The L15 is what is in my Fit, I am hoping Hasport will make a mount kit if it’s possible to fit the new turbo L15 in there!!!
If you think a good mechanic is expensive, try hiring a bad one
Joined: Dec 2011
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From: Midwest. Aiming about mid-chest
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Re: Tune or No? First time Honda owner, new ride!
Anyway I want to get a tune.
There are Honda dealers doing them for customers. I have no idea about the logistics, but there are a few. Research!
I saw that 11 sec Civic and it was awesome he was doing that with very little work. The L15 is what is in my Fit, I am hoping Hasport will make a mount kit if it’s possible to fit the new turbo L15 in there!!!
I just found that last night!!! That looks awesome I subscribed to it so I can keep tabs on what’s going on. I have an 09 which I am hoping is new enough that they can make the 2015 stuff work on it.
I also found a website and YouTube channel that Brian Gillespie (Hasport Owner/creator) has that had a cool explanation of the new L15 and some of its technology.
