The Tuned CivicX Experience & Reliability Thread (for all models)

[gtman]

*UPDATED*

Vehicle: 2020 civic ST hatchback

Total tuned mileage: 8500 miles

Notes: Just flashed in the Phearable 1.5R today. I had been leaving my V1.5T in Map 1, but I think I'm going to run Map 3 for a while to see if I take a fuel hit. Already I can say that where my 1.5T tune seemed to drop mileage driving around-town (averaged around 27), I saw mileage gains around town just during the error clearing drive. I'll keep an eye on that as I was totally expecting to take a hit running Map 3. I'll post an update after I get a week's work of normal driving in.

As for how the 1.5R feels.... AMAZING. Completely smooth, yet very tame with lighter throttle. I need to build a tuner view layout that adds knock so I can monitor that to see if the gas I'm using is adequate, but no issues with performance since I initially tuned it.

Nice to get another driving report on the non-Si 1.5R tune. Great update.

Just one thing. Your miles driven has gone up "0" miles since your last update also said 8500 miles.

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[dstix747]

Nice to get another driving report on the non-Si 1.5R tune. Great update.

Thank YOU for making this thread a valuable tuning tool, and for providing the shared community awareness for reliability!

 

[Jes_si562]

hello everyone since I have a chance to update my status on my experience I’m go ahead and tell you guys.
So far my car has almost 38k miles everything is the same besides that I’ve went ethanol and installed a full motor mount kit. I’ve been on the pherable 2.5 tune for quite some time about 8-10k miles and I do beat my car a lot ahah, so far no issues besides gas prices being stupid high in California but at least blending some ethanol makes it a bit cheaper. That is all ?
Edit:
I have a rv6 turbo waiting to be installed going do it some time this year. Ima have drob or John Vega tune it, I’ll decided once it gets to that point

 

[rwk226]

Update 4.5 (Mini Update)

Tuned Miles: 3,300 (75-85 miles on new tune)

Tune: Phearable 1.5R

Problems/Issues: Gtman was interested in datalogs on how the Phearable 1.5R tune is operating, and while absolutely everything looked fantastic, we saw some strange things from the knock control. If you would like to read up, click here. We are not sure why the k.cont is getting as high as it is, and it could be as simple as crappy gas. But gtman sent John Vega a message and directed him to the above thread in hopes he will take a look, see what my issue might be.

Tuning Experience: Aside from the k.cont issue, the car drives better than ever. Still pulls well, I did extensive data logging simulating all normal driving conditions and managed 32mpg or so, and I personally feel no issue whatsoever. Tune feels more refined than any other I've used, including stock. I still definitely recommend a Phearable 1.5 tune, it is significantly more refined than the stock tune ever was, and has much more power than a tweaked Ktuner base map does.

Update 4.75! (I know I update too much, but I have good news!)
Tuned Miles: 3,500 (at 31,6xx total)

Tune: Phearable 1.5R

Tuning Experience: Pertaining to my issue above, it was definitely just a bad batch of gas. I put a different station's gas in + did a e85 top off (1gal) when I happened to be where I could get some. Ran a datalog today while driving and my k.cont didn't go over 0.49 once, when before I'd cruise at 0.4 but after a single pull I hit 0.9. The 1.5R tune is 1000% worth it IMO as it makes the car feel absolutely amazing, and does what it advertises fully. I still get 40+ mpg when I am doing highway driving and not hammering the throttle, and yet when you gotta go, the Civic has so much power at your disposal.

If you have e85 in your area, I definitely recommend putting a gallon in after every fill up (not more than 1gal though, too much ethanol may harm injectors long term) to help with temps, k.cont, etc.

 

[CVTKiller]

if anyone would like to look at my data log I would greatly appreciate it.- Im running a little rich. I emailed Pherable, Pherable did not see these logs but they told me all is normal because of where i live in florida my CAI and idle times??, I didnt want to be rude and respond Im not having that issue at idle but they didnt seemed not too concerned by my email. regardless Just wanted to get some more insight. Here are my logs I attached 2 had did have some idle time and some pulls. front
setup
CVT
17K miles
27won inlet/ CAI cobra street/ MAP intercooler pipping / Invidia front pipe / ktuner
vibrant resonator /muffler delete
93 octane / mobile /shell

 

[NukeKS14]

Vehicle: 2020 Si Coupe

Total tuned time: A few hours(?) [Don't worry, I'll update every few months as this is my daily/commuter] Car has 9173 miles on the odometer at this point. I'll update every other oil change or so as I get a chance to test things out in various driving environments.

Tuned miles driven: ~20

Tuning device(s) used: KTuner 1.2

Tunes used: Phearable Stage 1.5R

Fuel used: BP 93 only (E10)

Additional related mods: HKS Hi Power exhaust, Whiteline RMM insert. PRL Intake tube to replace OEM accordion. DEi Reflect-a-gold wrapped TIP

Problems/issues: None

Driving style: Ohh, I generally take it pretty easy on my commute to work. I've been averaging 36.2 lifetime mpg and usually get between 37-40mpg on my drive to/from work every day. I drive pretty aggressively on the weekends and when I'm cruising though, and I like twisties more than straights. Will probably get some notes from doing SCCA/HPDE events in this thing too.

Tuning experience notes: I left the padding alone. Included notes w/ the Phearable tune are spot on. I keep a NOCO battery tender in my garage (5 amp version) as I have a couple of cars that only see nice-weather driving and I switch it between them, so it was no issue installing it on the Civic while I did my reflash/pairing. They're not expensive and I'd highly recommend everyone have some sort of battery charger as the only real issues I've seen flashing tunes revolve around the weak OEM battery and it being drained/low when the flash is done.

The low-boost target is a noticeable improvement over stock. mid boost target is quite peppy. Haven't switched to the high-boost target yet as I'm still getting the closed loop learning done and LTFTs to align. My butt dyno is calibrated on a 400+Whp 240sx and 500+whp SBF AC Cobra kit-car so take that for what it's worth.

Note for the KTuner 1.2 people like me; I had already Honda Hacked my headunit and it wasn't any trouble at all getting the Ktuner to communicate with my head unit and Tunerview lite. I like the stock interior appearance and want to keep it as a wolf in sheeps clothing per se. Hold down on the 'gauge' in the layout you select to change what parameter that gauge is monitoring in Tunerview. Can't want to post some updates down the road with regard to how it effects my mileage on daily drives. I'm already very happy on the change in behavior.

*Edited for pictures.

Here's the gauge setup I run on Tunerview. It's actually pretty legible when I cast it to the dash.


I grabbed this after my commute home yesterday, then went out and filled up the tank.


I also independently watch mpgs on Fuelio and the lifetime is pretty accurate in my opinion (unlike my 10th gen Corolla).

Update #1

Just changed oil (first time since tune) and I did not show any indications of fuel dilution in oil.

Total tuned time: Less than a month

Tuned miles driven: 1000ish miles

Tuning device(s) used: KTuner 1.2

Tunes used: Phearable Stage 1.5R

Fuel used: BP 93 only (E10)

No additional mods to add. I have been continuing to commute and the first two tanks of fuel were lower mileage than before, I expected that though. My last tank was 40.05 mpg over 290 miles avg! I generally leave it on 23 psi boost target. I haven't had any reason to go up to 26 yet. The car continues to be a solid performer.

*edit - I filled up after I wrote the post and decided I'll be posting up fuel logs with my updates since I mainly commute with this. Two tanks after the install for the ECU to really 'learn' and for me to adapt my driving style to the tune and we're back to 37-40mpg avg per tank. It's REALLY tempting to lay into it as the car is so much fun but when I resist the urge, mileage seems basically unchanged to me. Another note, I installed the Whiteline RMM insert this weekend. The 800 RPM idle helps with my forgetting that I had it installed a LOT. I definitely notice a bit of NVH on startup. That's it. Would absolutely do it again, she's a lot more firm when I slip the clutch taking off on an incline. For a commuter I'd say that or the Perrin are probably going to be the best choice.

 

[rikuhj]

@gtman , im running 1.5r on non si, bit have only 92 octane max. Is it safe to put an octane booster to boost octane by few points?

 

[KiDDKolo]

Vehicle: 2021 Honda Civic Hatchback Sport

Total tuned time: 1 day

Tuned miles driven: 100

Tuning device(s) used: KTuner V2

Tunes used: KTuner stage 1

Fuel used: Chevron 91 (can’t get 93 at the elevation I’m at)

Additional related mods: None

Problems/issues: None

Driving style: Kinda speedy with a heavy foot from time to time

Tuning experience notes: I didn’t even know what a KTuner was a couple days ago.

 

[gtman]

@gtman , im running 1.5r on non si, bit have only 92 octane max. Is it safe to put an octane booster to boost octane by few points?

Absolutely not recommended by KTuner and others as a long term fix.

 

[gtman]

if anyone would like to look at my data log I would greatly appreciate it.- Im running a little rich.

I'd be glad to take a look if you can upload .kdlg files instead. Those Tunerview spreadsheets you posted are tedious to read.

With the KTuner native format, I can easily see everything in real time in the KTuner software.

 

[dstix747]

As for how the 1.5R feels.... AMAZING. Completely smooth, yet very tame with lighter throttle. I need to build a tuner view layout that adds knock so I can monitor that to see if the gas I'm using is adequate, but no issues with performance since I initially tuned it.

I added knock control to my primary tuner view display and am holding steady at .48-.49 regardless of throttling. I figure that means I'm good to go with the 93 octane from the Shell I typically get gas from. There is a Shell station with E85 and 93 super on my daily route, so I may try the 1 gallon mix to see if it "improves" some, but definitely not necessary.

Also, I mentioned that it appears to be smoother with a lighter throttle. In fact, what I am seeing now is that it takes a bit more throttle to kick the turbo in hard, which is great for daily driving, and may be where I see some mileage improvement. With the 1.5T, it didn't take much throttle to make everyone think I was racing them. That was fun, but impractical. Near WOT to get around people fast still works fine, though!

This tune also doesn't appear to tank my mileage sitting in fast food lines, which often gave me around -0.4 mileage each time I'm in one, and is a major player in my low mileage since my wife and kid eat fast food most nights (I personally haven't had fast food in months). I'll be able to test this theory with my next fill-up around Tuesday.

 

[gtman]

Also, I mentioned that it appears to be smoother with a lighter throttle. In fact, what I am seeing now is that it takes a bit more throttle to kick the turbo in hard, which is great for daily driving, and may be where I see some mileage improvement. With the 1.5T, it didn't take much throttle to make everyone think I was racing them. That was fun, but impractical. Near WOT to get around people fast still works fine, though!

I may have to switch to Shell. Even on the regular 1.5 tune, it doesn't take much to get me away from that magic .49 number on Sunoco 93.

As far as throttle response, you're saying it's softer than the regular 1.5? That's surprising to say the least.

 

[dstix747]

As far as throttle response, you're saying it's softer than the regular 1.5? That's surprising to say the least.

Softer meaning that I have a bit more to press, say from 0-1/3 throttle movement, where I get acceleration before I see the boost pressure noticeably kick in hard. It'll still kick hard and spin the tires at WOT, and spools up fast if you dump on it for a second. No difference when I want to move, just easier to tame when I don't. I consider it a plus, not a negative. At WOT, I'm hitting 23.8.

Also, all driving so far was with ECO set. According to Phearable notes, there's no longer a difference between the boost in ECO and D (I was under the impression that 1.5T switched from 15 to 19 in Map 1, 19 to 21 in Map 2, and Map 3 was always 24?). It says the boost psi for 1.5R is 16 in Map 1, 21 in Map 2 and 24 in Map 3 for either now. However, I'm not sure if the throttle response settings are different between those modes. I set my base K-tuner map up that way when I fist got it (ECO = Factory response, D = Aggressive 3). With 1.5T, I felt a response difference, where D seemed to ramp the turbo in synch with the throttle all the way through the throttle travel. I'll test the 1.5R in D today and report back if there's a noticeable difference.

 

[gtman]

A few things. And this might explain your soft throttle comment.

1. If you are driving with the Econ button pressed, throttle response is reduced.

2. The regular 1.5 tune has always had the same normal/eco targets as well.

3. I think you're looking at some very wrong numbers. Boost for both the 1.5 & 1.5R is 15/20/24.

So here's how this works. When the Econ button isn't pressed, you get the normal, lively throttle response. With it on, throttle response and A/C output is lowered in an effort to save gas. The reality is, it makes things feel more sluggish. Although as you said, flooring it gives you your power.

 

[dstix747]

A few things. And this might explain your soft throttle comment.

1. If you are driving with the Econ button pressed, throttle response is reduced.

2. The regular 1.5 tune has always had the same normal/eco targets as well.

3. I think you're looking at some very wrong numbers. Boost for both the 1.5 & 1.5R is 15/20/24.

So here's how this works. When the Econ button isn't pressed, you get the normal, lively throttle response. With it on, throttle response and A/C output is lowered in an effort to save gas. The reality is, it makes things feel more sluggish. Although as you said, flooring it gives you your power.

Oops! I think I used the numbers from my base map self-tune there. I could have sworn the 1.5 had a similar setup, but the site says the same boost number you have here.

As for the ECO/Non-eco, that is exactly what I was describing. However, the 1.5R still feels less aggressive in ECO than the 1.5 did. And again, I feel it's a good thing. Perhaps 1.5 ECO setting was set to aggressive 1 or 2, where 1.5R is set to factory? No way to tell on my end.

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