Hands on with TSP's Stage 1 tune for the 1.5T (non-Si)

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gtman

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My idle was just like blackdogman's before and my empty passenger seat would shake a little because it was so low. Now it's closer to 750 and the shake is basically gone.

Also in the past when first starting the car, RPM's would maybe start at 1100 and come down. Now it starts at more like 1500 rpm and then comes down slowly.

These are similar changes that people with the oil dilutions updates have experienced. That's why I'm wondering if the TSP tune incorporates the new Honda updates.
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My idle was just like blackdogman's before and my empty passenger seat would shake a little because it was so low. Now it's closer to 750 and the shake is basically gone.

Also in the past when first starting the car RPM's would maybe start at 1100 and come down. Now it starts at more like 1500 rpm and then comes down.

These are similar changes that people with the oil dilutions updates have experienced. That's why I'm wondering if the TSP tune incorporates the new Honda updates.
That's interesting...

I'll be flashing back to stock whenever I get full support on KTuner, so I'll check it out again.

Also worth noting, my car is a 2019. Maybe they started doing that re-programming before I bought my car and I already had it?
 
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Ah. That's it. I forgot you had a '19. Your car already comes from the factory with the newest software update. Lucky bastard! :p

So if you noticed no idle changes when you uploaded the TSP tune, maybe this proves they do incorporate the latest Honda update?

Derek, where are you? ;)
 

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Interestingly enough, my European MY17 idles at 1500 at cold start and 700ish when warm... No oil dilution recall is active in the EU as far as I know...
 

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The 21 Starter tune is really good. I mean it's a huge improvement over stock. The TSP takes it another step further. You'll love it.
how much power does this one make as in the dual stage
 


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these cars seem to idle all over the place from 600-730 based on listening and reading around the pages and forums.
 
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these cars seem to idle all over the place from 600-730 based on listening and reading around the pages and forums.
True but it's really obvious that my car (both at cold idle and warm) is idling faster with the TSP tune. I just hope Derek or TSP will chime in here whether or not they incorporated the new Honda software updates. I'm actually happy with the faster idle speed.
 

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You should be fine. The "X" means it covers all numbers in that range so your 5AA-C81 is compatible.

Just to be sure, does your PRL intake have the RACE MAF?
 

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Ahh they don't support my ECU 5AA-L59 :(
 

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Hopefully KTuner will be able to add on the fly tune switching to your ECU soon.
I contracted ktuner after my oil update. They told me to use 5AA-L58 for starter 2 base map, even tho my ecu is L59.
 
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Time for some more detailed impressions of the TSP tune. I'll be comparing this to the 21.5 psi KTuner tune I was running. That tune had early spool enabled with the most aggressive quick settings on everything.

Let's break this down to low, midrange and top end.

Low end:
The TSP tune definitely feels softer on the throttle. It's lacking just a little bit of the "jumpiness" my KTuner setup had. Not that it feels slow down low, just a little less eager, if that makes sense. I'm sure this is by design because Derek wanted to be cautious with the CVT. I give the KTuner aggressive tune a small edge here.

Midrange:
Both tunes shine in the midrange. They feel super smooth and potent. This is a tie.

Top end:
The KTuner aggressive tune feels amazing all the way up to 5,000 rpm. It's fantastic and really, really smooth. After 5,000 that strong pull starts to diminish. It's the only disappointment I had with the tune.

The TSP tune feels different. While it's a bit softer below 4,000 rpm, at 4,000 it almost feels like VTEC kicks in, yo. Quite a different feel than with Ktuner's tune. And it continues to pull nicely to 6,000 rpm. The easy winner in the top end is Two Step.

So, now that I've driven with it more, do I recommend everyone upgrades to the TSP Stage 1 tune? Well, mostly yes. If the low end felt a bit more punchy, I'd say 100% yes. As it is, it's a well balanced tune that really shines from mid to top end.

If you're someone who mostly drives at lower speeds in city type driving, the tune may not be a huge upgrade for you over the Ktuner 21. But, if you love airing it out and enjoy some high speed highway passing, the TSP tune rocks.
 
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julianzh

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Time for some more detailed impressions of the TSP tune. I'll be comparing this to the 21.5 psi KTuner tune I was running. That tune had early spool enabled with the most aggressive quick settings on everything.

Let's break this down to low, midrange and top end.

Low end:
The TSP tune definitely feels softer on the throttle. It's lacking just a little bit of the "jumpiness" my KTuner setup had. Not that it feels slow down low, just a little less eager, if that makes sense. I'm sure this is by design because Derek wanted to be cautious with the CVT. I give the KTuner aggressive tune a small edge here.

Midrange:
Both tunes shine in the midrange. They feel super smooth and potent. This is a tie.

Top end:
The KTuner aggressive tune feels amazing all the way up to 5,000 rpm. It's fantastic and really, really smooth. After 5,000 that strong pull starts to diminish. It's the only dissapointment I had with the tune.

The TSP tune feels different. While it's a bit softer below 4,000 rpm, at 4,000 it almost feels like VTEC kicks in, yo. Quite a different feel than with Ktuner's tune. And it continues to pull nicely to 6,000 rpm. The easy winner in the top end is Two Step.

So, now that I've driven with it more, do I recommend everyone upgrades to the TSP Stage 1 tune? Well, mostly yes. If the low end felt a bit more punchy, I'd say 100% yes. As it is, it's a well balanced tune that really shines from mid to top end.

If you're someone who mostly drives at lower speeds in city type driving, the tune may not be a huge upgrade for you. But, if you love airing it out and enjoy some high speed highway passing, the TSP tune rocks.
Thanks for the review. This is exactly the information I needed. It's impossible to hit 3k RPM over here in Boston. So many cars in the city and highway.
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