My KTuner experience - an ongoing journal

[EastBayCivic]

Today, I uploaded a new more aggressive tune and it was a bit much for me (everything set to aggressive and higher boost from 4000-5000rpm). I plan on keeping the car a long time and I decided to go a bit more conservative to be on the safe side. I switched to a new 16psi/18.5psi/21psi tune with the quick adjustments only at Improved II on all the tunes and factory tune with the econ button. I also did IAT ignition corrections as recommended by JR on this new tune. I was noticing earlier today in a lot of heavy stop and go (with that more aggressive tune) that my IAT's were getting high and K. Control was fluctuating a lot. The IAT ignition corrections should help keep K. Control more stable.

I also was loving uploading the tunes hooked up to my new battery tender. No worries about the disaster of the battery conking out in the middle of an ECU update. I highly recommend a battery tender if you upload tunes a lot.

What are these ignition corrections you speak of?

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[gtman]

If your IAT's go too high, these IAT ignition corrections will retard your timing so that K.Control stays more stable.

Here's the original information from Ktuner's JR:

Honda deliberately left knock control to handle intake air temperature changes, rather than pulling a standard amount of timing like they've done on previous platforms. You can actually set this up, as I have, or if you're working with Vit or other tuners they've likely already done it for you.

With a tune file open find Ignition Corrections in the list on the left. Hit the plus to expand and find IAT Ignition. Here's how I have mine set for both load settings, and we've seen some extreme temperatures this year here in Arizona, so I'm taking full advantage. My IATs have been around 160 on the Si lately in the afternoon.

IAT(F) 95 / 122 /167 /194 / 212
Corr 0 / 1 / 1.5 / 2 / 3

My knock control stays fairly steady between .48 and .56 and I beat the car up pretty badly on a regular basis... for testing purposes, of course.

The "Corr" is where you put in JR's numbers. Those numbers are the amount of timing retard corresponding to the IAT temp above it.

 

[Civics4Ever]

Great info. Ktuner should be paying you, lol. J/K!

 

[gtman]

Great info. Ktuner should be paying you, lol. J/K!

I totally agree.

 

[EastBayCivic]

Basically if your IAT's go too high, this will retard your ignition so that K.Control stays more stable.

Here's the original information from Ktuner's JR:


There are two sets of numbers you change. The "Corr" is where you put in JR's numbers. Those numbers are the amount of timing retard corresponding to the IAT temp above it.

Any drawbacks to doing this?

 

[gtman]

^ Not to my knowledge but Ktuner would really be the one to ask.

So, recently I found out the station I was using had bad gas. Switched to another station with 93 and now my K.Control stays near .49! What a difference. Loving the Ktuner tunes.

 

[Civics4Ever]

^ Not to my knowledge but Ktuner would really be the one to ask.

So, recently I found out the station I was using had bad gas. Switched to another station with 93 and now my K.Control stays near .49! What a difference. Loving the Ktuner tunes.

What brand was it, out of curiosity? And how did you learn it was bad?

 

[gtman]

Sunoco 93. My K.Control would hardly ever go down to .49 like it should have. One hard run and it would shoot to .70 and take forever to lower back down. I tried a different Sunoco station using their 93 and K. Control is now stable at .49 most of the time. Moral of the story is if your K. Control seems high for the octane rating you use, try a different station.

 

[Alex2893]

something that has become quite apparent with this tune that i have been experiencing lately is on a cold start and even when the red bars hit normal engine operating temperature the car just falls on its face. for a good 10-15 miles of driving off a cold start the throttle response sucks the power is not there. it just feels rough. How i realized this is i drove to my parents house. on the drive to the highway the car felt like crap. even for 10 miles on the highway it was meh but then the car wakes up. it pulls harder, responds better and i can start to hear the turbo every time i punch it. once i get off the highway 40 miles later is really whats amazing. its a completely different car then before i got on the highway. the turbo sound is much more noticeable and it pulls so well and the engine revs and the turbo spools so smoothly. I am just wondering why the longer i drive it the better the car drives with the tune. I figured once it got to operating temp it would be that way right away or in about 3 miles of driving.

 

[WolfTrax17]

something that has become quite apparent with this tune that i have been experiencing lately is on a cold start and even when the red bars hit normal engine operating temperature the car just falls on its face. for a good 10-15 miles of driving off a cold start the throttle response sucks the power is not there. it just feels rough. How i realized this is i drove to my parents house. on the drive to the highway the car felt like crap. even for 10 miles on the highway it was meh but then the car wakes up. it pulls harder, responds better and i can start to hear the turbo every time i punch it. once i get off the highway 40 miles later is really whats amazing. its a completely different car then before i got on the highway. the turbo sound is much more noticeable and it pulls so well and the engine revs and the turbo spools so smoothly. I am just wondering why the longer i drive it the better the car drives with the tune. I figured once it got to operating temp it would be that way right away or in about 3 miles of driving.

What tune are you using?

 

[PowerPerLiter]

You absolutely should not be driving the car even half throttle until it's been completely warmed up on the gauge for at least 10 minutes. What your feeling is the oil and other fluids get up to proper temp. Along with the physical metal components expanding when warm. The coolant being warm does not mean the car is warmed up. A TON of damage can be done that you may never even know about giving it boost before it's warm. Engine and turbo are tighter and the oil is protecting like a 0 weight= bad.

 

[Alex2893]

You absolutely should not be driving the car even half throttle until it's been completely warmed up on the gauge for at least 10 minutes. What your feeling is the oil and other fluids get up to proper temp. Along with the physical metal components expanding when warm. The coolant being warm does not mean the car is warmed up. A TON of damage can be done that you may never even know about giving it boost before it's warm. Engine and turbo are tighter and the oil is protecting like a 0 weight= bad.

ok thats good to know i thought that might be the case. ya i dont really get on it till its been warm awhile. Just making sure my cars acting normal. sucks because my work is only 2.9 miles away and it only takes 7 minutes to get there and when its cold the coolant doesn't even hit operating temp . ill just use eco button for my work commute and tune for longer drives

 

[Alex2893]

A couple of points. Since you only drive three miles to work, maybe consider taking the long way there. Seriously. A short drive like that especially in cold weather is hell on mileage and not great for the engine. I mean it probably isn't even reaching normal operating temps, especially after it's been sitting overnight.

Ik I'm at like 20 mpg problem is I barely give my self enough time to get there as it is let alone take a longer way there. Roads around me suck and if I take a longer way I risk getting stuck in traffic. Way to congested in northern delaware .

 

[gtman]

I'm really happy with my current 16.5/18.5/21 tune. Honestly, most of the time (because it's cold and I only drive 9 miles on my commute) I just run the 16.5 tune. I like to call that my stock+ tune because it's the tune Honda should have used. Those quick adjustments have really let me fine tune my car for the way I drive. When I switch to the 21psi tune and air it out, it's a lot of fun.

I also think the Mishimoto silicone intake hose/AEM Dryflow combo has improved throttle response a bit.

 

[dallasjhawk]

I'm really happy with my current 16.5/18.5/21 tune. Honestly, most of the time (because it's cold and I only drive 9 miles on my commute) I just run the 16.5 tune. I like to call that my stock+ tune because it's the tune Honda should have used. Those quick adjustments have really let me fine tune my car for the way I drive. When I switch to the 21psi tune and air it out, it's a lot of fun.

I also think the Mishimoto silicone intake hose/AEM Dryflow combo has improved throttle respose a bit.

Seriously, the quick adjustments alone make it worth it, and yeah thats how it should have driven stock. Oh well, EPA and MPGs win out

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