Should I upgrade certain aspects of my car before getting the KTuner?

sbroom

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Hello everyone,

I have a 2021 Civic hatchback EXand was looking to get more power out of it. I’ve seen many things about the KTuner and how it is very very recommended within the community. But I have the question of do I need to or would it be best to upgrade certain aspects of the car first for example a new intake, or fuel injectors etc. If so I have been looking at the inlet pipe upgrade from PRL and the cold air intake from PRL and Bosch fuel injectors. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know!!

Thank you all!

Honda Civic 10th gen Should I upgrade certain aspects of my car before getting the KTuner? 9D5A7618-5D08-4F51-8E7E-ABFC3DFB478B
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Tac3403

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Ktuner is recommended as one of, if not the first mods to our 1.5T's! no mods required for tuning.

I recommend purchasing your ktuner from either Phearable or TwoStepPerformance. They will bundle the ktuner with an off the shelf tune for your car, so you can immediately have a solid bump in power and reliability compared to the ktuner base tunes.

If you do want to do an intake, PRL cobra is a great option. I personally have this (with the race maf, specifc race maf tunes are required to run this!) on my 16 ex-t cvt. I have also heard great things of 27won's intake, however if your car is a cvt I believe there are some fitment issues.

If you want to buy that prl cobra intake at the same time as the ktuner i'd say go ahead and get the race maf, install ktuner first then you would message TSP/phearable the ecu version so they can send you the correct tune.

injector upgrades are not required at all. Definitely leave them alone unless you are getting a custom tune and have already maxed out the stock fuel system (I don't know if that's even possible on the stock non si turbo) as for the turbo inlet, its not going to gain you anything. It flows better yes, but the other limitations in the exhaust system and cold side are bigger issues.

stage 1 tsp gains about 40whp over stock, adding an intake will probably gain another 5-10hp. The prl cobra makes great noises and dropped my intake air temps a good 10-15 degrees.

for further power mods, 27won downpipe & frontpipe, 27won or prl intercooler. turbo inlet I would not even bother with until doing a big turbo.
 
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sbroom

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Ktuner is recommended as one of, if not the first mods to our 1.5T's! no mods required for tuning.

I recommend purchasing your ktuner from either Phearable or TwoStepPerformance. They will bundle the ktuner with an off the shelf tune for your car, so you can immediately have a solid bump in power and reliability compared to the ktuner base tunes.

If you do want to do an intake, PRL cobra is a great option. I personally have this (with the race maf, specifc race maf tunes are required to run this!) on my 16 ex-t cvt. I have also heard great things of 27won's intake, however if your car is a cvt I believe there are some fitment issues.

If you want to buy that prl cobra intake at the same time as the ktuner i'd say go ahead and get the race maf, install ktuner first then you would message TSP/phearable the ecu version so they can send you the correct tune.

injector upgrades are not required at all. Definitely leave them alone unless you are getting a custom tune and have already maxed out the stock fuel system (I don't know if that's even possible on the stock non si turbo) as for the turbo inlet, its not going to gain you anything. It flows better yes, but the other limitations in the exhaust system and cold side are bigger issues.

stage 1 tsp gains about 40whp over stock, adding an intake will probably gain another 5-10hp. The prl cobra makes great noises and dropped my intake air temps a good 10-15 degrees.

for further power mods, 27won downpipe & frontpipe, 27won or prl intercooler. turbo inlet I would not even bother with until doing a big turbo.
I was looking to get either the upgrades or the ktuner first to be able to get a nicer radar detector I’ve had my eyes on but now that you say everything I may have enough to get the ktuner, intake, and radar detector! Thank you for all of the help! Is there any other recommendations you may make to do to the car for performance? I like how it looks already just want some more power lol.
 

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Depends on your power goals. KTuner, PRL Flex kit and a tune will give you the best bump in HP.
Relatively cheap and super easy to install.
 

Tac3403

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I was looking to get either the upgrades or the ktuner first to be able to get a nicer radar detector I’ve had my eyes on but now that you say everything I may have enough to get the ktuner, intake, and radar detector! Thank you for all of the help! Is there any other recommendations you may make to do to the car for performance? I like how it looks already just want some more power lol.
Downpipe and intercooler are the two most important after getting the ktuner itself. Intercooler will let you make repeated pulls and help avoid heat soak.

front pipe normally combo'd with downpipe as a package deal, it really doesn't pick up much power but is more free flowing.

if there is ethanol available in your area you could consider a flex fuel kit, thats a great way to gain power. You will have to retune for ethanol.

exhaust after the frontpipe isnt really that restrictive, so a catback wont be worth much for power, some nice noise to be gained though.

big turbo would be my next step honestly. something like the W2 from 27won.


Ktuner > intake > intercooler (+charge pipes) > downpipe (+front pipe) > (turbo inlet) > (Cat-back exhaust) >Flex fuel conversion > Big turbo
bold is important stuff, + is normally bought at the same time for ease of installation but not required, and ( ) is not required but still considered a bolt on power mod.

I would upgrade your brakes before considering ethanol/big turbo. slotted rotors, better front pads like ebc yellow, and motul rbf 660 fluid. Same for tires
 


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sbroom

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Downpipe and intercooler are the two most important after getting the ktuner itself. Intercooler will let you make repeated pulls and help avoid heat soak.

front pipe normally combo'd with downpipe as a package deal, it really doesn't pick up much power but is more free flowing.

if there is ethanol available in your area you could consider a flex fuel kit, thats a great way to gain power. You will have to retune for ethanol.

exhaust after the frontpipe isnt really that restrictive, so a catback wont be worth much for power, some nice noise to be gained though.

big turbo would be my next step honestly. something like the W2 from 27won.


Ktuner > intake > intercooler (+charge pipes) > downpipe (+front pipe) > (turbo inlet) > (Cat-back exhaust) >Flex fuel conversion > Big turbo
bold is important stuff, + is normally bought at the same time for ease of installation but not required, and ( ) is not required but still considered a bolt on power mod.

I would upgrade your brakes before considering ethanol/big turbo. slotted rotors, better front pads like ebc yellow, and motul rbf 660 fluid. Same for tires
Sorry for the late reply but thank you for all of the help!!! I will make sure to update with any stuff I decide on! Just wanted to make sure that the PRL intakes are good or are there any that you recommend?
 

Tac3403

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Sorry for the late reply but thank you for all of the help!!! I will make sure to update with any stuff I decide on! Just wanted to make sure that the PRL intakes are good or are there any that you recommend?
prl and 27won are the best out there imo, i went with prl
make sure you get the cobra (full cold air intake) not the short ram
 

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The way I look at it and have always recommend it, build from the ground up. You are expecting the car to have 30-40% more power than it came from factory, so in order to put that down to the ground effectively you should consider the following mods in order:

1) Tires: Super important, you need a sticky All Season or Summer set as there's nothing worse than tuned 10th Gens running around on the factory Continentals, and worse the Goodyear All Seasons. Recommendations: Continental DWS06, Michelin PAS4, Firestone Indy500, Continental ExtremeContact Sport, Michelin PS4S, Yokohama V601

1a) Wheels: if the budget allows, you can reduce up to 10lbs of rotating mass per wheel by going for a lighter, flow formed wheel. Immediately noticeable, the car feels more responsive and rides better

2) Rear Motor Mount: try an insert from Perrin or Whiteline for $30. This will help eliminate wheel hop at stock power levels, and greatly reduce/eliminate wheel hop you can experience during heavy acceleration

3) Brake pads and brake fluid: coming back to making 30-40% more power, you need 30-40% better if not more braking power. Start with performance pads and higher boiling temp fluid.

4) Suspension: non-Type R's start feeling floaty above 75mph. I experienced this in my Si, especially after 100mph it really didn't feel safe at all. In order, I would recommend a rear sway bar upgrade, Whiteline's Anti Lift Kit, and lowering springs. I can break down each component, but essentially each contributes to better response and stability at all speeds. I've sprinted and held my Si at 130mph for 15-20 seconds with what's been listed so far, I wouldn't dare do that with stock components

4a) Chassis Bracing: my first bracing mods well before I even started Unity were the Ultra Racing Strut Bar and Trunk Brace. I remember on my first test drive that the car felt more settled over road joints, and bumps on the highway. I then went on to add the full catalog when I had the brand and became a dealer, and have maintained that less chassis flex will help the suspension do an even better job. The non-Type R's respond really well to these since their chassis are less rigid and the MacPherson front suspension isn't as good from the factory as the Dual Axis suspension featured on the R

5) Now is when you start adding your power mods. Tuner, Intercooler, Intake and others based on your goals and wants.

You can PM me with questions about setups, or check out my website for parts :) My recommendations come from my experience with owning and modding this platform over the years, and I like to build balanced cars that I myself would love to own and drive for years. I learned early on that chasing power-only get boring rather quickly, and you'll end up parting out and selling rather quickly to move on to another platform or a Type R that has been engineered from factory to perform at the higher performance levels. Truth be told, the 1.5T's/Si are more fun and nimble to get around in everyday, and offer great fuel economy while doing so
 
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sbroom

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Ktuner is recommended as one of, if not the first mods to our 1.5T's! no mods required for tuning.

I recommend purchasing your ktuner from either Phearable or TwoStepPerformance. They will bundle the ktuner with an off the shelf tune for your car, so you can immediately have a solid bump in power and reliability compared to the ktuner base tunes.

If you do want to do an intake, PRL cobra is a great option. I personally have this (with the race maf, specifc race maf tunes are required to run this!) on my 16 ex-t cvt. I have also heard great things of 27won's intake, however if your car is a cvt I believe there are some fitment issues.

If you want to buy that prl cobra intake at the same time as the ktuner i'd say go ahead and get the race maf, install ktuner first then you would message TSP/phearable the ecu version so they can send you the correct tune.

injector upgrades are not required at all. Definitely leave them alone unless you are getting a custom tune and have already maxed out the stock fuel system (I don't know if that's even possible on the stock non si turbo) as for the turbo inlet, its not going to gain you anything. It flows better yes, but the other limitations in the exhaust system and cold side are bigger issues.

stage 1 tsp gains about 40whp over stock, adding an intake will probably gain another 5-10hp. The prl cobra makes great noises and dropped my intake air temps a good 10-15 degrees.

for further power mods, 27won downpipe & frontpipe, 27won or prl intercooler. turbo inlet I would not even bother with until doing a big turbo.
Just wanted to ask about the race MAF for the PRL cobra and where to get it since I do not see it on the website as well as how I would send where I but the ktuner from the ecu to get the correct tune? And if you don’t mind me askingdoes the ktuner and the intake change the sound of the car by a large margin?
 

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PRL DP was the most noticible bolt on for me, second only to the tune.
 


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Just wanted to ask about the race MAF for the PRL cobra and where to get it since I do not see it on the website as well as how I would send where I but the ktuner from the ecu to get the correct tune? And if you don’t mind me askingdoes the ktuner and the intake change the sound of the car by a large margin?
Intake
Buy the ktuner from tsp as well and then when you plug it into the car and set everything up, there's a spot on the program that lets you see what version your ecu is. You Email them letting them know your order number, ecu version, car ymm 2019 ex whatnot, and that you need the prl cobra race maf version.

They will send you the tune within a few hours if you do it on a workday or in the morning/monday morning. Install the intake then flash the tune to the car and you are good to go! always good practice to record a datalog and then upload it here (and post your car on @gtman 's tuning thread) to make sure everything is working properly.

then you don't need to retune for anything else, even a downpipe or intercooler is fine with this tune. unless you would like to change tunes to something more agressive like phearable 1.5R (highly recommended) or if/when flex fuel/big turbo
 

Tac3403

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PRL DP was the most noticible bolt on for me, second only to the tune.
definitely will be the case, I always just preach intercooler and intake first due to the horrible heat soak these cars get. Anything to help mitigate that before pushing for more power is preferable imo
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