The Tuned CivicX Experience & Reliability Thread (for all models)

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gtman

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Just so you know, bumping warm idle to say 750 or so should lessen that on a base tune. The Phearable and TSP tunes already have a higher than stock idle speed.
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Vehicle: 2021 Civic HB ST CVT

Total tuned time: 1 Day

Tuned miles driven: 20

Tuning device(s) used: KTuner V1.2

Tunes used: Currently using "Quality" 91 (wish 93 was available near me)

Fuel used: Quality 91 (no 93 or e85 in area)

Additional related mods: Greddy Supreme SP Exhaust

Problems/issues: As of right now, I cannot get on the fly map switching working. Phearable's website has my ecu (5AN-AR2) listed as supported, so I'll have to dig around and see what's going on with that.

Driving style: Depends if the wife and dog are in the car. But tame, with fun bursts.

Tuning experience notes: Second mod I have installed on my car and my first tune. It was pretty simple after reading through KTuners instructions/watching some videos.
UPDATE #1

Vehicle:
2021 Civic HB ST CVT

Total tuned time: 1 month 6 days

Tuned miles driven:
1800 miles

Tuning device(s) used:
KTuner v1.2

Tunes used:
Phearable Stage 1.5 non-si

Fuel used:
"Quality" 91 (wish 93 was available near me)

Additional related mods:
Greddy Supreme SP Exhaust

Problems/issues:
None at all.

Driving style:
Trying to drive more modest to help with mpg, but I like to open it up on the highway.

Tune experience notes:
The tune has been amazing, and a must have for my daily driver. Took a trip from UT to AZ to visit some family and had no issues on the 1200+ mile trip. With the extra power and better response it makes highway driving so much more enjoyable, easy and in a sense safer. AZ drivers are nuts and sometimes you need that extra power to merge or get away from some crappy drivers. Maintained 37mpg the whole way which was awesome, and I think higher than before the tune. I look forward to giving an update at 2500 or 3000 miles depending on how long it takes me to hit that. Hopefully I'll have more mods to add to the post next time.
 
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Tune experience notes: With the extra power and better response it makes highway driving so much more enjoyable, easy and in a sense safer. AZ drivers are nuts and sometimes you need that extra power to merge or get away from some crappy drivers.
That's a point I've tried to make many times that I think un-tuned owners don't get. I also live in a very congested area with some of the worst drivers in the US.

On the stock tune, there were times the combination of turbo lag and slow CVT response caused some near miss situations going from light to heavy throttle. The hesitation was very unpredictable. Tuned, turbo lag is minimal, the CVT seems a bit more quick to respond to throttle input and like you said, if feels like a much safer car.
 

dirty_civic

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Vehicle: 2019 Civic Si sedan

Total tuned time: 1 hour

Tuned miles driven: 0

Tuning device(s) used: KTuner V1.2

Tunes used: Flashed KTuner Dual Starter 21 w/o making any changes; Phearable Stage 1.5 will be flashed when I get my CAI installed

Fuel used: 91 octane because I don't have 93

Additional related mods: Stock

Problems/issues: None yet. Will update thread

Driving style: Chill

Tune experience notes: I come from a GTI that I also had tuned. It was a fun car. Hope that getting a Ktuner brings a bit more fun to the overall driving experience.
 
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gtman

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Thanks for adding your car. If you need any tips or help we're here for you. Feel free to post an update when you have some tuned miles on the clock.
 


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On the stock tune, there were times the combination of turbo lag and slow CVT response caused some near miss situations going from light to heavy throttle. The hesitation was very unpredictable. Tuned, turbo lag is minimal, the CVT seems a bit more quick to respond to throttle input and like you said, if feels like a much safer car.
That was my biggest complaint with the civic before I tuned it. If I put my foot down and increased the throttle I wasn't completely sure when I'd get the acceleration. The tune pretty much eliminates that completely and makes me feel way more comfortable on the highway.

I don't think I'd be tuned right now if I didn't discover this thread. So thanks man.
 
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gtman

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That was my biggest complaint with the civic before I tuned it. If I put my foot down and increased the throttle I wasn't completely sure when I'd get the acceleration. The tune pretty much eliminates that completely and makes me feel way more comfortable on the highway.

I don't think I'd be tuned right now if I didn't discover this thread. So thanks man.
Thanks for the props on the thread.

Here was the exact moment I decided the stock tune sucked. I was at an intersection, waiting to make a left hand turn. Oncoming traffic was heavy. I finally had the opportunity to turn but needed to give it some gas. I gave it maybe 2/3 throttle and ... and... NOTHING HAPPENED. Just a hair before the approaching cars nearly hit me... it finally went. Horrible.

For a while after that in city driving I mostly used S and that helped a bit. Then I got my Hondata and it was a bit improved. It wasn't until I switched to KTuner and all of those great quick adjustments that finally I had the hesitation free car I wanted.
 
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CJtheDJ

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Vehicle: 2019 Civic Si Coupe HFP

Total tuned time: 4 months

Tuned miles driven: 2500

Tuning device(s) used: KTuner V1.2

Tunes used: Phearable Stage 1.5R (Map 3 only)

Fuel used: Shell 93 only

Additional related mods: HFP suspension, PRL Cobra CAI Street, Competition Clutch Stage 2 Clutch w/ Lightweight Flywheel, kzCMC, and PRL SS Line. Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S / X-Ice Snow

Problems/issues: N/A

Driving style: 80% Chill 20% Spirited

Tune experience notes: I was initially very hesitant on tuning and only decided to go through with it because of this thread. The Phearable 1.5R tune really woke the car up. The increased power and torque are noticeable during spirited and normal driving. Preemptively replaced clutch before tuning. New Clutch holds power beautifully and feels like stock to me.

I knew the SI was no Type R before the tune and post tuning it still feels closer to the stock Si than a Type R. The tune is great and I can't speak highly enough of it's improvements. But I am still left wanting more. (In terms of power and handling while using that power) I was considering doing more modifications but I think I will hold off and shop for a faster new vehicle in 2023.
 
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UnknownNate

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Vehicle: 2017 Civic EX Hatchback

Total tuned time: 1 night

Tuned miles driven: ~25 miles

Tuning device(s) used: Ktuner v1.2

Tunes used: Phearable 1.5

Fuel used: Mostly Shell 93 with some 89

Additional related mods: Intake resonator delete

Problems/issues: None

Driving style: Like a teenager- a lot of pulls on backroads and aggressive driving.

Tuning experience notes: Struggled with the tune a little bit, it is my first time modifying a car in any major way. Had some weird issues with rough starts, turbo pressure peaking at 15 psi, and turning the car off/on gave me every single code at one point.

However, outside of these issues (probably of my own fault), it has felt amazing. The overall responsiveness is 10/10, most of the lag in acceleration is removed, and passing feels so much more comfortable. 0-30 the car feels mostly similar but once the turbo is fully spooled the difference is like night and day, and the acceleration is enough to feel like I'm being thrown back in my seat. It's a much more enjoyable experience and would 100% recommend it to any driver looking for just a little bit more.

Vehicle: 2017 Civic EX Hatchback

Total tuned time: 2 months

Tuned miles driven: ~2500 miles (total: ~79,500)

Tuning device(s) used: Ktuner v1.2

Tunes used: Phearable 1.5

Fuel used: Shell 93

Additional related mods: No intake resonator

Problems/issues: Slight whirring noise on deceleration occasionally, likely just the CVT being noisy or maybe tires? I've seen others complain about the same noise and it's something I can only hear if I have total silence (AC off too).

Driving style: Like a teenager- lots of pulls on backroads and aggressive driving.

Tuning experience notes: Same as before. As a somewhat unrelated side note, anyone who wants to drastically change the aesthetics of their car, do a chrome delete + get aftermarket side reflectors. It's relatively cheap (not even $100) and makes the car so much sportier despite not looking too far from stock.
 

nikkon

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Hi all,

let me share my experience as well.
when I purchased the car back in jan 2018, I did performed a chip tune to a local company in Bucharest (where I was living back then). the car was all stock and I got nice figures: 220hp and 300nm.
After almost 15k km I decided to release the pressure on the OEM turbine and add the Wagner intercooler and downpipe kit. Mounting them I discovered that my turbine was almost fried, the axe was moving and the release pressure gate was damaged.
I decided to get the TD03 turbine instead as a small upgrade and retune the car.
I’ve installed all and made the tune @ atm-Chiptuning in the Netherland. The car pulls now 250hp and 343nm.
However after a few normal - slow drives I got the system check light on dash. It’s the yellow check system sign. After an obd2 diagnosis it seems to be a caralytic convertor issue - error code P0420. it disappeared after long drives (3-400km sporty driving) but is always coming back.

Vehicle: 2018 Civic SportPlus

Total tuned time: ~3years

Tuned miles driven: ~15000 km

Tuning device(s) used: don’t know

Tunes used: custom tune

Fuel used: only 98 (Europe specific)

Additional related mods: intercooler, turbo, downpipe, catch can, shifter kit from acuity

Problems/issues: oem turbo fried. P0420 error check constantly

Driving style: normal due to regulations and speed cams all over ?
 
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Drake

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Update changes:

Total tuned time: 7 months

Total tuned mileage: 5,000 miles

Problems/issues: None, other than a subtle mysterious noise that appears at low RPMs only when tuned
Update update changes:

Total tuned time: 14 months

Total tuned mileage: 10,000 miles

:drive:
 
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Current thread stats (as of 12/30/21)

Total tuned cars submitted: 868
Non-Si 401; Si 374; CTR 68; 2.0 NA 25
Sedan 440; Hatchback 267; Coupe 161

Total tuned miles driven: 12,386,025 (reported)
Most tuned miles driven: choo (139,000)
Cars with over 25,000 tuned miles: 124 (15%)

Cars with major drivetrain failures: 22 (2.6%)
Failures by model: Si 6; Non-Si 15; 2.0 NA 0; CTR 1
Failures by tune type: Base 9; OTS 5; Custom 8
Percentage of cars running reliably: 97.4%

Transmissions: CVT 302 (35%); Manual 566 (65%)
Base models: 71% CVT; 29% Manual
Upgraded clutches installed: 96 (17%)
CVT failure rate: 2.1% (6)

Hondata used for tuning: 187; Race (161) Carb (26)
KTuner used for tuning: 718; V1.2 (406) V2 (312)
Other devices used: JB4 3; RaceChip 4; Motec 4
Usage rate: KTuner 78%; Hondata 21%; Other 1%

Pro custom tuned cars: 172 (20%)
Base tuned only cars: 267 (31%)

Most popular OTS tune: TSP Stage 1 (344)
Other popular OTS tune: Phearable Stage 1.5 (179)
Newest OTS tunes: TSP 1+ (45); Phearable 1.5R (43)

Most popular fuel used: 93 octane (447; 52%)
Users adding 1-1.5 gallons E85: 98 (12%)
Flex fuel kits installed: 97 (12%)

No bolt ons added: 262 (30%)
Bolt ons added (not FBO): 432 (50%)
Cars with full bolt ons: 174 (20%)

Cold air intakes installed: 338 (38%)
Short ram intakes installed: 96 (12%)
Upgraded intercoolers installed: 274 (31%)
Aftermarket exhausts installed: 235 (26%)

Aftermarket downpipes installed: 265 (30%)
Aftermarket frontpipes installed: 182 (21%)
Upgraded turbo inlet pipes installed: 80 (9%)
Upgraded turbos installed: 71 (8%)
 
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Closing out another year of the thread. Thanks to everyone who added their cars or added updates this year and made our community better. You guys are awesome. Maybe 2022 will see a higher percentage of tuned owners adding their cars here. I've tried my best but it hasn't been easy in any way.

Happy New Year everyone.
 
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Happy New Year to all!
 

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