Remus Responder: Detailed Review

idragmazda

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Hey all – I installed the Remus Responder on my 2018 Type R (KTuner Stage 1) last week and I wanted to write a review of the product.

Disclaimer: I don’t work for Remus nor did I get any kind of special discount (other than the CivicX forum member discount) when buying this product. I’m writing the review because I like to do this kind of stuff.

Product Overview:
Remus Responder is a device which essentially intercepts the signal from the throttle pedal and modifies the signal and then sends it to the ECU/throttle in order to eliminate pedal lag (which is caused by the drive by wire system), make throttle response quicker (going from 0-100% throttle takes less time) and more aggressive (going from 0-100% throttle takes less pedal). The product does not make more power or torque, nor does it claim to.

If you do a quick Google search, you’ll find quite a bit of polarizing information in various forums on this and similar products. A lot of people say “don’t buy this product because you can just put your foot down faster and that does the same thing”. What the Remus Responder does is absolutely NOT the same thing as putting your foot down faster. The best way I can explain what I think the RR does is that it sends the pedal’s electrical signal FASTER to the ECU, so the throttle snaps open much quicker (how quick depends on the setting you choose). You cannot recreate this faster signal speed by just putting your down faster.

There are is a Youtube video of “PedalBox” which is essentially the same as this product that shows how much faster the product snaps open a throttle body vs. stock.

If you don’t believe me, buy one and try for yourself. Remus offers a 30-day money back guarantee. More info in the files attached to this post.

Use and Installation:
The product is pretty easy to install: you unplug the connector coming out of the throttle pedal, and then you connect one side of the Remus Responder to the connector you just unplugged and then plug the other side of the Remus Responder into the throttle pedal. Takes less than 2 minutes. You just have to make sure to hear an audible “click” when connecting everything.

I ordered mine from Remus directly (PM’d REMUS USA on this forum) and they sent me a set of instructions and a brochure for the product (attached to this post).

On the little controller device there are a bunch of little lights and 3 buttons (one that says + , one that says SET , one that says –).

There are three “main” modes: Race, Sport, and ECO. Then you fine tune the three main modes using the + and – buttons based on your driving preference. If you use a super aggressive selection (Race +3), the throttle will be extremely twitchy. I am set at Race -3 and I like the way it feels. It takes some playing around to find what you like.

Review:
I’ll say this up front so you don’t have to read any further: this is one of those “must-have” mods that will change the driving experience for the better. Obviously it won’t add more HP and torque like KTuner or Hondata, but like those products, once you have it installed you won’t be able to go back (it really is night and day difference).

Once you get the setting just right, you’ll be like “this is the way it was supposed to be from the factory”. You can turn off the functionality by pressing the SET button 4 times to see how much of a difference it makes in the overall driving experience. After you drive with this turned on and then you turn it off, the factory throttle response feel super slow and laggy - as if you were driving a base model Civic.

The other neat thing is that in the CTR’s Sport Mode, you can make the throttle response as aggressive or more aggressive than +R mode without having to use the +R mode’s ride stiffness. Same with Comfort mode. I used to hate Comfort mode because you would have to really apply a lot of pedal to get the car to move (especially if you want to overtake cars on the highway). This product eliminates that (drove 300 miles, nearly all highway this past weekend from PA to CT and it worked flawlessly).


Cons / Potential Downsides:
(1) The product is a few hundred bucks. However, if you own a CTR (and didn’t leverage yourself to the hilt to buy it), you should be able to afford this product. REMUS offers Civicx forum members a discount and a 30-day money back guarantee so it’s pretty much a financially riskless mod.

(2) I did notice some interesting behavior on the throttle position sensor gauge (both on TunerView app and on the dash) when using the product, especially on really aggressive throttle settings. The strange thing that happens is that when you hold the throttle constant at low throttle levels (TPS numbers such as < 20%), the TPS bounces around 1-3% even though I am holding the throttle constant and RPM is staying constant.
  1. Example: I am holding throttle constant at 9% and the RPMs and vehicle speed are staying constant. However the TPS guage will bounce around from 8%, 9%, 10% over and over again. The car drives perfectly fine and nothing feels out of the ordinary but the gauges can’t read the granularity of the signal perfectly. Maybe @REMUS USA can chime in here.
Conclusion
Anyway, that’s my review. I like the product. Try it out. If it doesn't work, return it.

Also if you're one of that people who is going to chime in and say “it’s a placebo” or “it’s all in your head” then I direct you to this:



Cheers.

View attachment 112291
 

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CincyTypeR

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I am hoping Ktuner or Hondata will add DBW (drive by wire) tables to the Type R eventually. Once either of them do that there wouldn't be a need to for the additional responder device.

On my accord ktuner has DBW tables that can be adjusted for the throttle sensitivity. Even can adjust it by the mode you are in (econ or regular) and also by gear.
 


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idragmazda

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I am hoping Ktuner or Hondata will add DBW (drive by wire) tables to the Type R eventually. Once either of them do that there wouldn't be a need to for the additional responder device.

On my accord ktuner has DBW tables that can be adjusted for the throttle sensitivity. Even can adjust it by the mode you are in (econ or regular) and also by gear.
That sounds amazing. I would prefer to have this built into the KTuner. @KTuner is this something we could maybe see down the road? Thanks!
 

remc86007

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^Not sure about back in August, but you can do all of this with the torque demand tables in the ktuner software.
 

ProXy

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The Responder attaches between the OEM pedal sensor and the OEM connector, ready to use in seconds due to plug & play technology.
(https://www.remus.eu/responder)

There is no way the signal can be "faster", it just fakes more throttle for the same pedal distance. So it is exactly the same as using more throttle. In fact it feels a lot more powerful , but you won't be able to perform better on the track, because you lose the feeling within corners. And you have to carry some more weight around the track.

Good information about this: https://outbackjoe.com/macho-divertissement/macho-articles/sprint-booster-is-it-worth-it/
 
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baker67

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I can’t believe what i’m Reading ??
So if I understand what some people are saying I should just practice myself to hit my computer’s ‘’ENTER ‘’ button as quick as can to make it download faster

Let’s be serious a bit,
Does the Remus responder have anything to do with the OBD II Plug !!
I’m asking because I didn’t get my ecu unlocked yet,
Thanks
 
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idragmazda

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I can’t believe what i’m Reading ??
So if I understand what some people are saying I should just practice myself to hit my computer’s ‘’ENTER ‘’ button as quick as can to make it download faster

Let’s be serious a bit,
Does the Remus responder have anything to do with the OBD II Plug !!
I’m asking because I didn’t get my ecu unlocked yet,
Thanks
No need to unlock to use it
Sponsored

 


 


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