New Civic Performance Mod Help

[lancebarrett]

I just got my 2018 civic sport hatch (CVT) and wanted to start modding it (both cosmetic and performance). I have never done anything like it before and have no experience. What would be the proper order to do performance mods?. I want to get the car somewhere around 300hp without an engine swap so what would be the best things to do. The things I'm planning on doing in the near future are as follows - turbo upgrade (I have no idea if this is an actual thing but if it is please let me know how), new exhaust or something (something that sounds good and adds performance), intercooler then a PRL Race Maf followed by a Ktuner tune.

Those are the main things I want to get done with the car right now and my main question is which of those are easy enough to do myself with no knowledge prior. Obviously all these mods will be expensive meaning saving labor costs would be great. Additionally, is the ktuner tune easy to do myself if I've never tuned anything and know nothing about it.

Thank you

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[SecretAgentYeti]

I just got my 2018 civic sport hatch (CVT) and wanted to start modding it (both cosmetic and performance). I have never done anything like it before and have no experience. What would be the proper order to do performance mods?. I want to get the car somewhere around 300hp without an engine swap so what would be the best things to do. The things I'm planning on doing in the near future are as follows - turbo upgrade (I have no idea if this is an actual thing but if it is please let me know how), new exhaust or something (something that sounds good and adds performance), intercooler then a PRL Race Maf followed by a Ktuner tune.

Those are the main things I want to get done with the car right now and my main question is which of those are easy enough to do myself with no knowledge prior. Obviously all these mods will be expensive meaning saving labor costs would be great. Additionally, is the ktuner tune easy to do myself if I've never tuned anything and know nothing about it.

Thank you

I have had my hatch for less than a year, and am kind of in the same boat. Never modded a car before this one and it's been a blast so far. If I were you, I would start off with a KTuner for the first mod. I would buy a KTuner from either TSP (Two Step Performance) or Phearable's website since they include their stock OTS tunes with the KTuner. The are pretty much the two most popular choices for tunes, there's a really helpful thread where people have listed their setups and tunes along with issues/experiences. My experience with the KTuner was relatively easy for my first time...the instructions aren't the most specific, but as long as you really read thoroughly you should be fine.

After you tune you're free to choose your next part. Enjoy the car and see how it is stock, and from there decide what you want to do next. I did side markers, exhaust, and then tune. If I did it again, I would do tune first, then anything else after that. If you get a tune, then you can focus on other mods and get a PRL CAI with the Race MAF (you'll need to update your tune) when you're ready.

27Won is an awesome company to dig around in, and they have some really awesome mods available. They also have a ton of helpful articles to read through. That's my best advice though, is read everything. Dig through the forums, see what works for some and what works for others. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the car. Hope that helps start you off, I am by no means an expert. I'm just a newbie trying to learn too.

 

[bcrichster]

1st, make sure your current engine and exhaust type

 

[lancebarrett]

I have had my hatch for less than a year, and am kind of in the same boat. Never modded a car before this one and it's been a blast so far. If I were you, I would start off with a KTuner for the first mod. I would buy a KTuner from either TSP (Two Step Performance) or Phearable's website since they include their stock OTS tunes with the KTuner. The are pretty much the two most popular choices for tunes, there's a really helpful thread where people have listed their setups and tunes along with issues/experiences. My experience with the KTuner was relatively easy for my first time...the instructions aren't the most specific, but as long as you really read thoroughly you should be fine.

After you tune you're free to choose your next part. Enjoy the car and see how it is stock, and from there decide what you want to do next. I did side markers, exhaust, and then tune. If I did it again, I would do tune first, then anything else after that. If you get a tune, then you can focus on other mods and get a PRL CAI with the Race MAF (you'll need to update your tune) when you're ready.

27Won is an awesome company to dig around in, and they have some really awesome mods available. They also have a ton of helpful articles to read through. That's my best advice though, is read everything. Dig through the forums, see what works for some and what works for others. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy the car. Hope that helps start you off, I am by no means an expert. I'm just a newbie trying to learn too.

Thanks for the response, I was under the impression that the KTuner could only really be done once. I was planning on getting the CAI first because I read the PRL Race MAF requires a tune for the ECU to account for the extra air but I guess you can just re-tune it to better work. I have my own little list of things I want to do for the exterior, smoked side markers being on there.

For right now I'll try and get the tune done and see how it works with everything stock. Do you have any idea of how much hp/torque was added to your car from the tune? Or how much different was the driving before and after?

 

[bluehatch17]

Ktuner is a continuous process and you either go back to stock or have a custom tune or change it to another off the shelf tune. It’s not done once and you can’t reverse it.

 

[SecretAgentYeti]

Thanks for the response, I was under the impression that the KTuner could only really be done once. I was planning on getting the CAI first because I read the PRL Race MAF requires a tune for the ECU to account for the extra air but I guess you can just re-tune it to better work. I have my own little list of things I want to do for the exterior, smoked side markers being on there.

For right now I'll try and get the tune done and see how it works with everything stock. Do you have any idea of how much hp/torque was added to your car from the tune? Or how much different was the driving before and after?

I got the Phearable stage 1.5 tune for my civic and the difference is night and day. Way better throttle response, less turbo lag, and the car just freaking flys. I think it's about a 38hp increase and 74tq (a little less for us CVT owners to put less stress on the transmission.) Tuning is something you can do as much as you want. You can go with Phearable, switch to TSP (or vice versa) and then get a custom tune to try and hit that 300hp.

The reason I'd go for a tune first, is because the race MAF requires a tune. So if you get the race MAF, but have no tune, then you need to spend another $400 to get the KTuner. Or you can get a tuner, add some other mods, then down the road get the CAI w/ Race MAF and spend an extra $50 to update your tune to the new MAF. That's just my personal preference though.

 

[lancebarrett]

I got the Phearable stage 1.5 tune for my civic and the difference is night and day. Way better throttle response, less turbo lag, and the car just freaking flys. I think it's about a 38hp increase and 74tq (a little less for us CVT owners to put less stress on the transmission.) Tuning is something you can do as much as you want. You can go with Phearable, switch to TSP (or vice versa) and then get a custom tune to try and hit that 300hp.

The reason I'd go for a tune first, is because the race MAF requires a tune. So if you get the race MAF, but have no tune, then you need to spend another $400 to get the KTuner. Or you can get a tuner, add some other mods, then down the road get the CAI w/ Race MAF and spend an extra $50 to update your tune to the new MAF. That's just my personal preference though.

Getting the tune first seems like a great idea. So I would have to get a KTuner for $400 then would I do the tune myself or bring it to a professional? I'm not sure I understand where the $50 for an updated tune is coming from. So if I want to change the tune I originally gave my car, it's completely reversible and I can change it to anything that works with the mods i have at that point in time?

 

[rwk226]

Definitely go Ktuner via Phearable for their amazing Phearable 1.5 tune. It by itself turns the car from a peppy commuter to a way faster car than it has any right being. If the tune isn't enough, you can go with intake for induction noises, exhaust for engine noises, downpipe for better turbo spool and a few extra HP, and... to hit 300hp you do have to go upgraded turbo. 27won has their W1 kit, PRL has several kits, and I'm sure there's others out there. However, to get 300whp in a hatchback is rather difficult due to our rods being weaker than the non-Si coupe and sedans, not to mention the Si models. CVT won't be that big of a deal as long as you go with a tuner who has experience with Honda 1.5Ts and CVTs. John Vega or Derek Robinson are your best bets there. In the end it's all very expensive and with doing all these upgrades can lower reliability (whether you have issues or not depends on many factors).

I would recommend just tuning with a tune, and if you want the benefit of intake or exhaust sounds then go with an intake or exhaust. Otherwise it is wise to just enjoy what you have, buy a weekend car in 5 years once you get your Civic paid off.

 

[SecretAgentYeti]

Getting the tune first seems like a great idea. So I would have to get a KTuner for $400 then would I do the tune myself or bring it to a professional? I'm not sure I understand where the $50 for an updated tune is coming from. So if I want to change the tune I originally gave my car, it's completely reversible and I can change it to anything that works with the mods i have at that point in time?

So if you're going the KTuner first, this is what you would get. I remembered prices wrong, they're $450 actually, sorry. If you want the Phearable tune...I'm going to explain things as if you're wanting their tune, since it's what I'm familiar with. If you want TSP Tune then you can go through their website. I would do your research and see what works best for you.

So when you buy the KTuner, you get a free tuning file from Phearable in an email and they ship you a KTuner. When it gets delivered, you get your car, a laptop and the KTuner and you can tune your car by yourself in your garage/parking lot/driveway. If I were you, I'd watch a Youtube video or two and see the process for yourself, but again it's fairly easy. Plug KTuner into your car, take cord from KTuner and plug into your laptop. Follow some instructions from either KTuner's video, their written instructions, and/or Phearable sends an email with similar instructions on how to flash your ECU with their tune.

So you tuned your car and you're enjoying the OTS tune from Pherable, awesome. Now you get the PRL CAI with the Race MAF, that's bad ass. BUT, your tune is for the stock MAF...so you get on Phearable's website again and get this. Install your CAI, flash your ECU with an updated tune file from Phearable and stark enjoying those cold temps. I'm not 100% on the process of the MAF Change Service, but don't be afraid to reach out to Phearable with any questions you have. Super nice guys and the reason I know about the MAF change is because I emailed them asked them.

Hopefully this helps, and I explained things well. I'm happy to share my incredibly limited knowledge.

 

[lancebarrett]

Definitely go Ktuner via Phearable for their amazing Phearable 1.5 tune. It by itself turns the car from a peppy commuter to a way faster car than it has any right being. If the tune isn't enough, you can go with intake for induction noises, exhaust for engine noises, downpipe for better turbo spool and a few extra HP, and... to hit 300hp you do have to go upgraded turbo. 27won has their W1 kit, PRL has several kits, and I'm sure there's others out there. However, to get 300whp in a hatchback is rather difficult due to our rods being weaker than the non-Si coupe and sedans, not to mention the Si models. CVT won't be that big of a deal as long as you go with a tuner who has experience with Honda 1.5Ts and CVTs. John Vega or Derek Robinson are your best bets there. In the end it's all very expensive and with doing all these upgrades can lower reliability (whether you have issues or not depends on many factors).

I would recommend just tuning with a tune, and if you want the benefit of intake or exhaust sounds then go with an intake or exhaust. Otherwise it is wise to just enjoy what you have, buy a weekend car in 5 years once you get your Civic paid off.

The Phearable 1.5 tune sounds like the way to go. When you said CVT wouldn't be much of a problem if I go to a experienced tuner, do you mean I should go to an professional to get it tuned to the Phearable 1.5?

Not saying I will, but in the far future I might want to make it pretty fast. Do you know the threshold where the CVT starts to slip? For example, if the car had around 300hp, 350 or even 400 would the transmission need to be replaced for something stronger?

 

[lancebarrett]

So if you're going the KTuner first, this is what you would get. I remembered prices wrong, they're $450 actually, sorry. If you want the Phearable tune...I'm going to explain things as if you're wanting their tune, since it's what I'm familiar with. If you want TSP Tune then you can go through their website. I would do your research and see what works best for you.

So when you buy the KTuner, you get a free tuning file from Phearable in an email and they ship you a KTuner. When it gets delivered, you get your car, a laptop and the KTuner and you can tune your car by yourself in your garage/parking lot/driveway. If I were you, I'd watch a Youtube video or two and see the process for yourself, but again it's fairly easy. Plug KTuner into your car, take cord from KTuner and plug into your laptop. Follow some instructions from either KTuner's video, their written instructions, and/or Phearable sends an email with similar instructions on how to flash your ECU with their tune.

So you tuned your car and you're enjoying the OTS tune from Pherable, awesome. Now you get the PRL CAI with the Race MAF, that's bad ass. BUT, your tune is for the stock MAF...so you get on Phearable's website again and get this. Install your CAI, flash your ECU with an updated tune file from Phearable and stark enjoying those cold temps. I'm not 100% on the process of the MAF Change Service, but don't be afraid to reach out to Phearable with any questions you have. Super nice guys and the reason I know about the MAF change is because I emailed them asked them.

Hopefully this helps, and I explained things well. I'm happy to share my incredibly limited knowledge.

If I get the Phearable Ktuner tune, once I tune the the stock car, do I have to tune it every time I make an upgrade to it? Like, if I added a downpipe would I have to tune the car to fit with that and so on with things like exhausts and an upgraded turbo. Also, when you said "You can go with Phearable, switch to TSP (or vice versa) and then get a custom tune to try and hit that 300hp." are you implying I would have to get a Phearable tune on top of a TSP on top of a custom tune to reach 300hp? You've been incredibly helpful so thank you for that.

 

[rwk226]

The Phearable 1.5 tune sounds like the way to go. When you said CVT wouldn't be much of a problem if I go to a experienced tuner, do you mean I should go to an professional to get it tuned to the Phearable 1.5?

Not saying I will, but in the far future I might want to make it pretty fast. Do you know the threshold where the CVT starts to slip? For example, if the car had around 300hp, 350 or even 400 would the transmission need to be replaced for something stronger?

No, I meant your CVT should hold up if you decide to go upgraded turbo, IF you go to a tuner who is experienced with CVTs. The highest HP number I've seen on a CVT is 300whp or so, I'm not sure if one would want to go past that point. You should trade in for a manual if you want to make more than 300hp. Civic Si is definitely better to make power with. Type R is much faster off the lot, as well.

Phearable 1.5 can be flashed using a Ktuner unit yourself, only time you'd want to go to a custom tuner is if you go upgraded turbo, or if you're FBO and even then, not necessary to.

 

[86salmon]

If I get the Phearable Ktuner tune, once I tune the the stock car, do I have to tune it every time I make an upgrade to it? Like, if I added a downpipe would I have to tune the car to fit with that and so on with things like exhausts and an upgraded turbo. Also, when you said "You can go with Phearable, switch to TSP (or vice versa) and then get a custom tune to try and hit that 300hp." are you implying I would have to get a Phearable tune on top of a TSP on top of a custom tune to reach 300hp? You've been incredibly helpful so thank you for that.

The tunes from Phearable and Two Step Performance are off the shelf (ots) tunes. They are premade tunes that push the car harder than the base starter tunes from ktuner. They are locked and only have a few things in the menus that can be changed/customized

They are fine to use up to full bolt on (fbo) with your add on parts. Once you are FBO, you should look into getting a custom tune to get the most out of your parts. If you get a flex fuel kit, both Phearable and TSP have tunes you can purchase to utilize it, but again, if you are FBO with flex fuel, a custom tune will run better.

If you do a turbo swap, you absolutely need to be custom tuned. This can be done in person or remotely on a Dyno. This can also be done via email with a tuner. Derek Robinson of IMW and John Vega of Phearable are popular choices

Once you are tuned, ktuner allows for 3 on the fly maps that can be toggled through without reflashing the ecu. The OTS tunes have 3 levels of power in their maps. My custom tune has a vallet map and my full send map


I hoped this helped

 

[lancebarrett]

The tunes from Phearable and Two Step Performance are off the shelf (ots) tunes. They are premade tunes that push the car harder than the base starter tunes from ktuner. They are locked and only have a few things in the menus that can be changed/customized

They are fine to use up to full bolt on (fbo) with your add on parts. Once you are FBO, you should look into getting a custom tune to get the most out of your parts. If you get a flex fuel kit, both Phearable and TSP have tunes you can purchase to utilize it, but again, if you are FBO with flex fuel, a custom tune will run better.

If you do a turbo swap, you absolutely need to be custom tuned. This can be done in person or remotely on a Dyno. This can also be done via email with a tuner. Derek Robinson of IMW and John Vega of Phearable are popular choices

Once you are tuned, ktuner allows for 3 on the fly maps that can be toggled through without reflashing the ecu. The OTS tunes have 3 levels of power in their maps. My custom tune has a vallet map and my full send map


I hoped this helped

So could I run a Phearable tune with a KTuner up until the point at which I get an upgraded turbo? Also, when I reach that point, would the custom tune I guess "overwrite" the Phearable? And is there any purpose of the KTuner once I get a custom tune or is the custom tune using the KTuner. About the maps, are they like presets to tunes when you want to drive a certain way?

I am new to the modding world and I really don't have any idea about much so I really appreciate all the help.

 

[86salmon]

So could I run a Phearable tune with a KTuner up until the point at which I get an upgraded turbo? Also, when I reach that point, would the custom tune I guess "overwrite" the Phearable? And is there any purpose of the KTuner once I get a custom tune or is the custom tune using the KTuner.

I am new to the modding world and I really don't have any idea about much so I really appreciate all the help.

No worries

I'm no expert either, I just read a lot on here and other forums.

Ktuner and Hondata are modules that plug into your obd and allow software to flash and rewrite the tune settings on your ecu. They both have base tunes that are unlocked and can to be manipulated to push more power from your motor.

The Ktuner or Hondata can then be used to monitor how your engine is running, which you should do if you get an aggressive tune and add bolt ons, directly from a laptop or with an app via Bluetooth.

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