1.5T Have a turbo and a CVT? Considering a tune? Read this!

Hnichill81

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A little background. My 2017 Civic EX-L is my first turbo and first CVT. It's a great car but I wanted a bit more performance from it. I hate that lag you feel going from a light to heavy throttle. In certain traffic situations it makes accident avoidance and lane changing a bit dicey. And of course, I love the idea of a bit more power overall.

I'm one of those people that researches and researches before I make a decision. Long time members here know I made topic after topic and post after post asking about tuning. Months of asking and asking and learning.

I finally decided to get the Hondata Flashpro. After using their tunes for a while I changed to Ktuner. First off, this topic is not a Ktuner vs. Hondata thread, let me make that clear. The truth is, both are quality products and us 10th gen owners are lucky two have two good tuning choices. There are certain areas where I prefer Hondata and certain areas where Ktuner is tops. You can't go wrong with either device.

Just like most of you on the fence about tuning, I had 3 concerns. Warranty, CVT longevity and the turbo. Would I lose my warranty? Can the CVT and turbo engine hold up with all the extra torque and boost? Well here's the thing. You're NOT going to lose your bumper to bumper warranty on stuff just because you're tuned. But, if you throw a rod or wreck your CVT due to the tune, that's another matter entirely. You have to go into tuning figuring that YES it's "possible" you could screw up your warranty and your transmission and/or engine. But the real question is this... how likely is it that an out of the box base tune will damage your car?

In my opinion, both Hondata and Ktuner have done their homework. They've created tunes that were tested extensively (and continue to be tested) to make sure they're safe to be daily driven. You may have read about CVT's that have gone up and blown turbos. Read a bit deeper and you'll see that those vehicles were abused. You can only raise boost and torque so high. You can't launch the car holding the brake and revving the engine. But, drive like a normal human being and you will be shocked how much more fun these cars are tuned with just a base tune. Of course, you can take things beyond a base tune safely, but you do need to be cautious. With many mods especially, a custom tune by a pro is the way to go.

So how does a tuned 10th gen CVT turbo feel compared to stock? It's noticeably quicker and a whole lot more confidence inspiring. Highway passing becomes a no sweat situation. Merging is almost a relaxing event cause you know you have power to spare. There's less lag and more throttle response. Ktuner in particular, has tons of easy quick adjustments that fine tune the way the car drives.

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that you can tune your car to stock type power levels if you want, but reduce the lag and up the throttle response. Even though you haven't added much boost that way, the adjustments make the car drive so much better than stock. You can even tune the car in such a way that you can change from a higher boost tune to your stock type tune at the switch of a button.

How does a tune affect MPG's? There can be a small MPG hit at part throttle but for the most part (if you stay out of boost), mileage is close to stock levels. On the other hand, the extra power is kind of intoxicating so it will be hard to keep your foot out of it. :yes:

If you do get tuned, the extra power means you should upgrade your tires. The stock tires are OK but you'll need something with better traction for sure. Which also brings up another cool feature of tuning... Boost By Gear. With BBG, you can reduce power in low gears to help limit wheel spin.

All in all, tuning is fantastic with the CVT. In the 5 minutes or so that it takes to upload a new tune to your ECU, you get what almost feels like a new and better car. It's that good. It's easily the best bang for the buck mod you can get.
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Hnichill81

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A little background. My 2017 Civic EX-L is my first turbo and first CVT. It's a great car but I wanted a bit more performance from it. I hate that lag you feel going from a light to heavy throttle. In certain traffic situations it makes accident avoidance and lane changing a bit dicey. And of course, I love the idea of a bit more power overall.

I'm one of those people that researches and researches before I make a decision. Long time members here know I made topic after topic and post after post asking about tuning. Months of asking and asking and learning.

I finally decided to get the Hondata Flashpro. After using their tunes for a while I changed to Ktuner. First off, this topic is not a Ktuner vs. Hondata thread, let me make that clear. The truth is, both are quality products and us 10th gen owners are lucky two have two good tuning choices. There are certain areas where I prefer Hondata and certain areas where Ktuner is tops. You can't go wrong with either device.

Just like most of you on the fence about tuning, I had 3 concerns. Warranty, CVT longevity and the turbo. Would I lose my warranty? Can the CVT and turbo engine hold up with all the extra torque and boost? Well here's the thing. You're NOT going to lose your bumper to bumper warranty on stuff just because you're tuned. But, if you throw a rod or wreck your CVT due to the tune, that's another matter entirely. You have to go into tuning figuring that YES it's "possible" you could screw up your warranty and your transmission and/or engine. But the real question is this... how likely is it that an out of the box base tune will damage your car?

In my opinion, both Hondata and Ktuner have done their homework. They've created tunes that were tested extensively (and continue to be tested) to make sure they're safe to be daily driven. You may have read about CVT's that have gone up and blown turbos. Read a bit deeper and you'll see that those vehicles were abused. You can only raise boost and torque so high. You can't launch the car holding the brake and revving the engine. But, drive like a normal human being and you will be shocked how much more fun these cars are tuned with just a base tune. Of course, you can take things beyond a base tune safely, but you do need to be cautious. With many mods especially, a custom tune by a pro is the way to go.

So how does a tuned 10th gen CVT turbo feel compared to stock? It's noticeably quicker and a whole lot more confidence inspiring. Highway passing becomes a no sweat situation. Merging is almost a relaxing event cause you know you have power to spare. There's less lag and more throttle response. Ktuner in particular, has tons of easy quick adjustments that fine tune the way the car drives.

One thing a lot of people don't realize is that you can tune your car to stock type power levels if you want, but reduce the lag and up the throttle response. Even though you haven't added much boost that way, the adjustments make the car drive so much better than stock. You can even tune the car in such a way that you can change from a higher boost tune to your stock type tune at the switch of a button.

How does a tune affect MPG's? There can be a small MPG hit at part throttle but for the most part (if you stay out of boost), mileage is close to stock levels. On the other hand, the extra power is kind of intoxicating so it will be hard to keep your foot out of it. :yes:

If you do get tuned, the extra power means you should upgrade your tires. The stock tires are OK but you'll need something with better traction for sure. Which also brings up another cool feature of tuning... Boost By Gear. With BBG, you can reduce power in low gears to help limit wheel spin.

All in all, tuning is fantastic with the CVT. In the 5 minutes or so that it takes to upload a new tune to your ECU, you get what almost feels like a new and better car. It's that good. It's easily the best bang for the buck mod you can get.
I'm glad I found this thread. I just got done reading about your Hondata trial and was ready to go all in. The turbo lag and CVT lag being able to be reduced had me very interested. I just started reading this thread and I'm sure a lot of my questions will be answered. Thanks.
 
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gtman

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vctwhitepearl

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Feel free to ask whatever you like along the way. I've been running Ktuner Stg 2 21+psi tune since March of last year. The car is wonderfully responsive with no turbo lag and plenty of reserve.
 

rlkassan

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Hey everybody,

First time posting... never really been a car guy to be honest, so most things aftermarket are still foreign concepts to me.

i have a 2017 sport touring cvt with less than 10k miles on it. I've been considering getting a k-tuner, but i had a few questions.

1) . i am really looking for the "safest" option given my warranty (i understand there will always be risk). I am not a pedal to the metal type but i feel like my car struggles getting up to speed when getting on the highway. This, passing, and just getting around the city a with a bit more power is my end goal. will a basic (stage zero?) tune address what i am looking to get out of it? is it any "safer" going with a lower setting tune, or does it all really just depend on how i drive the car?

2) does a tune render "sport" mode obsolete? what really is the difference i will see with a tune vs. stock sport mode?

3) i do all maintenance through the dealership. i think i read somewhere that honda can not tell if you've tuned the car, as long as you set back to stock before bringing in for service. is this accurate?

4) regarding the k-tuner itself, i have honda hack and can install the app. is there still benefit for spending extra to get the v2?

Thanks in advance for your help!
 


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@rlkassan
You can use the “Search” on the forum to find answers to your questions. There is a ton of differentiating opinions, preferrances and recommendations. Reading will provide you with a broader knowledge base with regard to your questions.
 
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gtman

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rlkassan...

Just some basics here. Simply adding a tune will transform your driveability. Even if you put it at something as low as 15psi but tweak the throttle settings a bit (a simple dropdown menu) and speed up spool and tweak turbo response, you'll hardly have any turbo lag. It makes passing and accident avoidance maneuvers much easier. You won't believe it's the same car. It's that good.

If you have a laptop and want to save money, get the V1.2. It can do the same things as it's big brother.

Comparing a tuned Civic to pressing the Sport mode on the stock tune is night and day. That's only a transmission program to put you at higher rpm. No comparison to a full, real ECU tune.

Drive your car normally, don't abuse it and a base KTuner tune will treat you well. And yes, revert to stock when taking it to a dealer.

Hope that helps. I've run tunes for a year and absolutely love it.
 

rlkassan

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@rlkassan
You can use the “Search” on the forum to find answers to your questions. There is a ton of differentiating opinions, preferrances and recommendations. Reading will provide you with a broader knowledge base with regard to your questions.
Thanks, i started trying to search for various keywords and i see that it hits back relatively easy for things i have questions about!
 

Hnichill81

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Mine is on it's way. So after you flash your car, does the tuner have to stay in it everytime you drive. Well in and hooked up I guess I am asking?
 


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gtman

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^ Absolutely not. Some people do, but for me, it's not necessary. The only time I generally leave it plugged in is when I'm switching tunes, to check some key parameters. I also plug it in for the occasional datalog.
 
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jhking84

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Hey everyone. I'm new to this forum and this has all been very informative. I've got a 2018 Civic Touring and just ordered a ktuner 1.2 this afternoon. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me how easy it is to use. I've seen a lot on the internet but would like more input. I've seen alot about the dual tune and being able to put it in eco mode for factory settings and then take it off for the boost. Just wondering how hard this is to do once I receive my ktuner. Thanks.
 
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gtman

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This will help you with your V1.2:



http://www.ktuner.com/KTunerHelp/index.htm

Is it easy to flash a tune? It really is. If you can follow directions, you can do it. You lock the unit to your car, register, chose a tune, upload it to your ECU and... new, improved power! If you get stuck, KTuner customer service is very good and people on this forum are happy to help.
 
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vctwhitepearl

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Flashing a tune into your car from the new tune list is like uploading music to your phone via usb. Connect your PC to the v1.2 and be patient while listening to your car and wait for the on screen prompts, about 6 minutes and you'll be all set ...….I leave the v1.2 plugged in real-time to see Tunerview via Bluetooth while I'm also using Android Auto on an S9. It all works, it's nice to see real time in/ out temps, AFR, knock control, and boost as you go.
 

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Tuned since it August, it has been an awesome 10k miles!

Started with the Starter 21 tunewith the OTF maps for a few months and then tried out Stage 2 in November. It has been really good but I think I'm going to swap back to the Starter 21 with the IAT corrections @gtman shared a while ago.

Hopefully this will keep my knock control down when it starts the weather starts to heat up this spring and summer. I've been in the 0.5-0.6 rangr ever since the weather cooled down too...

Damn 91 octane California gas :banghead:
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