TUNING THE CIVIC

fmoney

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Hello, I have a 2017 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan CVT 1.5L Turbo with no Honda Sensing and no Navigation. Sorry for being a noob related to cars and tuning. I plan on purchasing a KTunerV2 for tuning my car. This is my first time doing any of this and I want to make sure to do this correctly without making any mistakes or destroying my car. I have been confused on what parts I need in order to tune. Some said you will be fine with stock and some said you need PRL cold intake and other things first. I would like to tune my Civic with the KTunerV2 which parts would I need to put on my car to use the tuner properly? So I can use with no problems or any damage to my car and it’s engine. But If I really don’t need any parts and can just use the KTunerV2 with my Civic as stock then that would be help save and still tune my Civic. This is my first time doing a tune overall on a car. If there is any information that I can read and understand related to tuning and how to tune properly like how to stop turbo lag etc. then please post below or inbox me with links or whatever else I can learn related to tuning. Thank you
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The Ktuner comes with everythingbyou need and has base tune maps but most would recommend buying it from Two Step Performance or Phearable where you can have a pro off the shelf (OTS) tune that really does a better job managing torque through the power bands. Plus they tune it to take care of the CVT.

I personally can highly recommend the Phearable 1.5R tune. It's very controllable as a daily driver and really wakes the car up. I'd say try that to see if it's enough for you. Most are happy without having to add bolt ons.

Use the tuning experience link to see what bolt ons do for the car, and which require pro tunes when installed. Most street performance parts don't require custom tunes, but won't meet their full potential without some tweaking. Race parts usually require custom tuning.

If you decide to add bolt ons later, you can work with the pro tuner to get a custom tune, and many bolt ons are already supported by hybrid OTS tunes they can send you right away once you give them a list of your components.
 

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Yeah, what dstix747 said. Don't worry so much about additional parts. Don't need em. Get the KTuner from twostepperformance.com or phearable.net and order the unit with their off the shelf (OTS) tune specific to your car and transmission as it's provided with no additional charge. You still get the base maps originally installed with the KTuner as well but as far as which is the better tune, that all depends on who you ask. I'm on the TSP tune, I love it, never tried Phearable only cuz I'm more than content with what I have so I have no real desire to switch even though there's plenty of people that have switched and love the Phearable tune better. Both are relatively safe and the longevity of your engine internals off the tune alone depend on how consistently hard you drive your car, much like any other scenario.
 
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fmoney

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The Ktuner comes with everythingbyou need and has base tune maps but most would recommend buying it from Two Step Performance or Phearable where you can have a pro off the shelf (OTS) tune that really does a better job managing torque through the power bands. Plus they tune it to take care of the CVT.

I personally can highly recommend the Phearable 1.5R tune. It's very controllable as a daily driver and really wakes the car up. I'd say try that to see if it's enough for you. Most are happy without having to add bolt ons.

Use the tuning experience link to see what bolt ons do for the car, and which require pro tunes when installed. Most street performance parts don't require custom tunes, but won't meet their full potential without some tweaking. Race parts usually require custom tuning.

If you decide to add bolt ons later, you can work with the pro tuner to get a custom tune, and many bolt ons are already supported by hybrid OTS tunes they can send you right away once you give them a list of your components.
Yeah, what dstix747 said. Don't worry so much about additional parts. Don't need em. Get the KTuner from twostepperformance.com or phearable.net and order the unit with their off the shelf (OTS) tune specific to your car and transmission as it's provided with no additional charge. You still get the base maps originally installed with the KTuner as well but as far as which is the better tune, that all depends on who you ask. I'm on the TSP tune, I love it, never tried Phearable only cuz I'm more than content with what I have so I have no real desire to switch even though there's plenty of people that have switched and love the Phearable tune better. Both are relatively safe and the longevity of your engine internals off the tune alone depend on how consistently hard you drive your car, much like any other scenario.
Thank you all for your help. Now I wanted to purchase the KTunerV2 off the Two Step Performance website since it had the above center console mount with it but as of right now they are sold out and are only taking preorders. I checked on Phearablde and they have on stock the KTunerV2 for sale. Now I’m confused on the few things I have to answer before adding to cart. For example for my Civic that I own that is all stock with no changes and no bolt addons the choices I have to choose from in the section of Phearable.net Calibration: 1. Race Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI($49.00) OR 2. Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI(FREE) OR 3. NONE ???

Which option should I go with for my all stock 2017 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan CVT. For the MAF HOUSING I put STOCK since my car is all stock correct??? For the Fuel Octane Section since day one of buying my car brand new in 2017 from a Honda dealership I have been pumping gas only at SHELL always using 87 Regular Unleaded ever since I had my car and still do till this day with no changes at all. We also have here is 89 Plus Mid Grade and 93 Premium V-Power. I really hope I don’t have to change the Fuel Octane level especially nowadays with gas prices being extremely high but I am willing to change it up and use whichever Fuel Octane level I should be using for much better results with the Tuner as long there is no damages to my car or engine. So now which fuel octane level should I put on for the order??? And if it’s different then which level should I start to use after I get my Tuner??? The Add Intake System I’m go with is NONE as I will be keeping my car all stock as of right now. Let me know what are the best choices that I should go with and also if I am doing everything correctly or if I am doing it incorrectly in any way please let me know. Thank You
 
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Thank you all for your help. Now I wanted to purchase the KTunerV2 off the Two Step Performance website since it had the above center console mount with it but as of right now they are sold out and are only taking preorders. I checked on Phearablde and they have on stock the KTunerV2 for sale. Now I’m confused on the few things I have to answer before adding to cart. For example for my Civic that I own that is all stock with no changes and no bolt addons the choices I have to choose from in the section of Phearable.net Calibration: 1. Race Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI($49.00) OR 2. Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI(FREE) OR 3. NONE ???

Which option should I go with for my all stock 2017 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan CVT. For the MAF HOUSING I put STOCK since my car is all stock correct??? For the Fuel Octane Section since day one of buying my car brand new in 2017 from a Honda dealership I have been pumping gas only at SHELL always using 87 Regular Unleaded ever since I had my car and still do till this day with no changes at all. We also have here is 89 Plus Mid Grade and 93 Premium V-Power. I really hope I don’t have to change the Fuel Octane level especially nowadays with gas prices being extremely high but I am willing to change it up and use whichever Fuel Octane level I should be using for much better results with the Tuner as long there is no damages to my car or engine. So now which fuel octane level should I put on for the order??? And if it’s different then which level should I start to use after I get my Tuner??? The Add Intake System I’m go with is NONE as I will be keeping my car all stock as of right now. Let me know what are the best choices that I should go with and also if I am doing everything correctly or if I am doing it incorrectly in any way please let me know. Thank You
I recommend 1.5 non si Race version for you if you plan on actually pushing your car as it has the artificial knock removed so your car will retain power and continue pulling until the top end. The 1.5 non si normal version is still good but retains the artificial knock. Stock maf is the correct selection. Basically if you’re doing consistent pulls back to back it pulls timing back(aka power) even though nothing is wrong because the ecu thinks it’s being pushed on too much. It’s a safety mechanism Honda has to prevent damage to the engine from my understanding. You’ll need to use 93 octane for either of the two tunes for it to run properly. If you’re not going to be beating on your car, honestly the 1.5 non race version is fine. The tune will make daily driving a much more refined experience regardless. Even though 93 is more expensive youre probably looking at $3-5 at most per tank fill up from empty so it’s not really that much of a difference for what you’re getting out of it. As said before, you don’t need any supporting modifications like intake or Intercooler. I’ve ran both tsp and phearable tunes completely stock and had no isssues besides maybe some heatsoak during the summer which is common since it get really hot here in California, but daily driving it’s completely fine.

so basically choose either selection 1 or 2 for the tunes depending on what you deem fit for your needs. Stock maf housing is correct. 93 octane fuel. I believe the base maps on ktuner were made on 91 octane fuel and since you don’t have that you’re probably going to have to run 93 regardless since that’s the next step up from the mid grade option you have. You’ll have to run 93 with either option of basemap or phearable tune.
 

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Thank you all for your help. Now I wanted to purchase the KTunerV2 off the Two Step Performance website since it had the above center console mount with it but as of right now they are sold out and are only taking preorders. I checked on Phearablde and they have on stock the KTunerV2 for sale. Now I’m confused on the few things I have to answer before adding to cart. For example for my Civic that I own that is all stock with no changes and no bolt addons the choices I have to choose from in the section of Phearable.net Calibration: 1. Race Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI($49.00) OR 2. Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI(FREE) OR 3. NONE ???

Which option should I go with for my all stock 2017 Honda Civic EX-L Sedan CVT. For the MAF HOUSING I put STOCK since my car is all stock correct??? For the Fuel Octane Section since day one of buying my car brand new in 2017 from a Honda dealership I have been pumping gas only at SHELL always using 87 Regular Unleaded ever since I had my car and still do till this day with no changes at all. We also have here is 89 Plus Mid Grade and 93 Premium V-Power. I really hope I don’t have to change the Fuel Octane level especially nowadays with gas prices being extremely high but I am willing to change it up and use whichever Fuel Octane level I should be using for much better results with the Tuner as long there is no damages to my car or engine. So now which fuel octane level should I put on for the order??? And if it’s different then which level should I start to use after I get my Tuner??? The Add Intake System I’m go with is NONE as I will be keeping my car all stock as of right now. Let me know what are the best choices that I should go with and also if I am doing everything correctly or if I am doing it incorrectly in any way please let me know. Thank You
You don't need bolt ons or additional engine mods to run a Ktuner. You also don't need to order a Ktuner directly from TSP ir Phearable, but will see a slight discount over ordering from either versus obtaining the Ktuner then buying the tune, which is just a software file. If you go with the Phearable package, you can always buy the TSP tune later and can switch back and forth however you want. It's all done in SW. Both tunes are great.

As for gas, I'm not sure about the TSP tunes, but with the Pearable 1.5R, you really need to run 93 octane fuel, or use 91 octane with 1 gallon of e85 per tank. This limits a lot of people because they have no access to 93 or e85. It seems that you have access to the correct fuel, but if you need to reduce the gas quality based on cost, you can get the Pearable 1.5T tune, which is OK with 91 gas. However, if the extra couple of dollars/tank difference in gas prices between regular and super affects your decision, tuning may not be for you. Remember that tuning still puts additional strain on a car, and may lead to some costly repairs down the road.

If you accept the potential cost risk, then selection of the street configurations appears to be correct, except for your gas choice of 87. I didn't even think it would let you select that with 1.5R.

You'll need to get the your exact ignition module number as well. This is located just aft of the air filter box near the bottom of the fuse box and is somewhat difficult to read. I just stuck my phone down into the gap and took pics. If you get that wrong, your car may not start or may throw codes until it is corrected.
 
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fmoney

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I recommend 1.5 non si Race version for you if you plan on actually pushing your car as it has the artificial knock removed so your car will retain power and continue pulling until the top end. The 1.5 non si normal version is still good but retains the artificial knock. Stock maf is the correct selection. Basically if you’re doing consistent pulls back to back it pulls timing back(aka power) even though nothing is wrong because the ecu thinks it’s being pushed on too much. It’s a safety mechanism Honda has to prevent damage to the engine from my understanding. You’ll need to use 93 octane for either of the two tunes for it to run properly. If you’re not going to be beating on your car, honestly the 1.5 non race version is fine. The tune will make daily driving a much more refined experience regardless. Even though 93 is more expensive youre probably looking at $3-5 at most per tank fill up from empty so it’s not really that much of a difference for what you’re getting out of it. As said before, you don’t need any supporting modifications like intake or Intercooler. I’ve ran both tsp and phearable tunes completely stock and had no isssues besides maybe some heatsoak during the summer which is common since it get really hot here in California, but daily driving it’s completely fine.

so basically choose either selection 1 or 2 for the tunes depending on what you deem fit for your needs. Stock maf housing is correct. 93 octane fuel. I believe the base maps on ktuner were made on 91 octane fuel and since you don’t have that you’re probably going to have to run 93 regardless since that’s the next step up from the mid grade option you have. You’ll have to run 93 with either option of basemap or phearable tune.

You don't need bolt ons or additional engine mods to run a Ktuner. You also don't need to order a Ktuner directly from TSP ir Phearable, but will see a slight discount over ordering from either versus obtaining the Ktuner then buying the tune, which is just a software file. If you go with the Phearable package, you can always buy the TSP tune later and can switch back and forth however you want. It's all done in SW. Both tunes are great.

As for gas, I'm not sure about the TSP tunes, but with the Pearable 1.5R, you really need to run 93 octane fuel, or use 91 octane with 1 gallon of e85 per tank. This limits a lot of people because they have no access to 93 or e85. It seems that you have access to the correct fuel, but if you need to reduce the gas quality based on cost, you can get the Pearable 1.5T tune, which is OK with 91 gas. However, if the extra couple of dollars/tank difference in gas prices between regular and super affects your decision, tuning may not be for you. Remember that tuning still puts additional strain on a car, and may lead to some costly repairs down the road.

If you accept the potential cost risk, then selection of the street configurations appears to be correct, except for your gas choice of 87. I didn't even think it would let you select that with 1.5R.

You'll need to get the your exact ignition module number as well. This is located just aft of the air filter box near the bottom of the fuse box and is somewhat difficult to read. I just stuck my phone down into the gap and took pics. If you get that wrong, your car may not start or may throw codes until it is corrected.
Thank you all for taking time out to help me with giving as much information as you can and answering all of my questions. I finally placed my order today from Phearable.net for the KTunerV2 with the Phearable.net calibration: RACE Stage 1.5 For 2016-2021 Civic 1.5T NON-SI. Can’t wait till it arrives and will let you all know how it works out once it do. I think the most annoying and hard part from all this was getting the ECU number in the engine bay. I wanted to make sure I get the right correct ECU number. So after multiple times of trying to use my phone by taking a picture or video with flash on or off there was no luck. Luckily after sticking my head to get it myself with flashlight on I managed to get the number even then it was still very hard. Wish they can make it a much easier way to get the ECU number lol
 
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fmoney

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I bought a KTuner Flash V2 and finally got it in my hands!!! After setting it up I flashed my car with just the Stage 0 only that came with the KTuner for right now because it runs with 87 OCTANE and I have more then half a tank left till I finish the 87 OCTANE in my car tank. Now I think that my ECU supports the On The Fly map switching I think that’s what it is called correct me if I am wrong about anything at all but you use the controls of the cruise to pick like Map 1, 2, or 3 something like that. Now when I tried it worked with the cruise controls from switching from 1 to 2 to 3 on the Rev Gauge. How does that work when I flashed only the Stage 0 ECU to my car? By default it’s on 1 always when I start the car because I leave KTuner unplugged after flashing or using it for any other reason I need to. My question now is What would happen if I was to change from 1 to 2 or 3 and drive on that while my car is still flashed to Stage 0 with 87 OCTANE in the gas tank? Will it be okay to do so or will it damage the car engine up? Is there something I am not understanding at all about this or if there is something I am doing that is wrong? Thank You and Have a good day!
 

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I bought a KTuner Flash V2 and finally got it in my hands!!! After setting it up I flashed my car with just the Stage 0 only that came with the KTuner for right now because it runs with 87 OCTANE and I have more then half a tank left till I finish the 87 OCTANE in my car tank. Now I think that my ECU supports the On The Fly map switching I think that’s what it is called correct me if I am wrong about anything at all but you use the controls of the cruise to pick like Map 1, 2, or 3 something like that. Now when I tried it worked with the cruise controls from switching from 1 to 2 to 3 on the Rev Gauge. How does that work when I flashed only the Stage 0 ECU to my car? By default it’s on 1 always when I start the car because I leave KTuner unplugged after flashing or using it for any other reason I need to. My question now is What would happen if I was to change from 1 to 2 or 3 and drive on that while my car is still flashed to Stage 0 with 87 OCTANE in the gas tank? Will it be okay to do so or will it damage the car engine up? Is there something I am not understanding at all about this or if there is something I am doing that is wrong? Thank You and Have a good day!
OTF map switching won’t do anything for stage 0 as it isn’t set up to have have different MAPS. Meanwhile if you use a tune like TSP or Phearable or create your own they are set up to have three different maps.

In regards to using 87 octane, here is a thread about using it for Stage 1 in which KTuner themselves responds. The ECU will retard the timing of you use 87.

https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/ktuner-stage-1-with-87-octane.21412/
 


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fmoney

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OTF map switching won’t do anything for stage 0 as it isn’t set up to have have different MAPS. Meanwhile if you use a tune like TSP or Phearable or create your own they are set up to have three different maps.

In regards to using 87 octane, here is a thread about using it for Stage 1 in which KTuner themselves responds. The ECU will retard the timing of you use 87.

https://www.civicx.com/forum/threads/ktuner-stage-1-with-87-octane.21412/
Thank you and Yeah I read that but I am using Stage 0 with the 87 OCTANE only until I run the tank to complete empty then from there I will only use 93 OCTANE from here on
 

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Thank you and Yeah I read that but I am using Stage 0 with the 87 OCTANE only until I run the tank to complete empty then from there I will only use 93 OCTANE from here on
Shouldn’t be any problem with that then.
 
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fmoney

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Shouldn’t be any problem with that then.
So does changing from 1 to 2 or 3 using the cruise control does nothing at all? Because it does actually change up and down on the Rev Gauge when I use the controls that’s why I was wondering what does that do then since it’s Stage 0 using 87 OCTANE.
 

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Once you open a starter map you can set different levels for each of the three map switching tunes. If you're waiting until you get 93 to do that you can at least take a look ahead of time. Stage 0 is explained on the vehicle's application page and tune description. There are not multiple levels for the stage 0 tune, so switching gets you the same level.
 

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So does changing from 1 to 2 or 3 using the cruise control does nothing at all? Because it does actually change up and down on the Rev Gauge when I use the controls that’s why I was wondering what does that do then since it’s Stage 0 using 87 OCTANE.
For stage 0, yes it doesn’t do anything. See Ktuner’s post above.
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