I think I snapped a rod...

[Honda_RacerX]

these are people on stage 2 and beyond(custom tunes beyond 21 psi)


how many base maps have broken a rod yet? Or even stage 1.

Engines that blew up on just basemaps, not custom tunes:

https://www.civicx.com/threads/so-my-engine-blew-up.34226/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/engine-just-blew.40157/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/well-im-knocking.20266/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/did-...ngine-got-messed-up-with-a-tuned-civic.28289/

edit* Also Pookie's engine. Its this thread, but still, his engine blew on a basemap.

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[Micah]

The tuning process is dangerous by nature. When knock is detected, or a too lean condition occurs during tuning, damage is a risk in those moments. Off the shelf, safe tunes, on stock or mostly stock cars are the safe bet but still carry inherent risks.

Each time an engine blows, it should be a learning experience for everyone. Limits are found the hard way.

The OP is a hero for taking the risk and being willing to document the experience for other owners on this forum.

From what I have seen on many forums over the years, once an engine blows, it goes one of two ways:

1 repair back to stock and sell private or trade in

2 build up a better beast and hope it lasts.

I have personally gone both routes. Each time it makes me wish I had just bought a better car and left it alone....except my old 2002 WRX, that thing went over 100k at 300whp(vf34), then another 75k at 440whp(EFR7163). All on the stock block. It defied logic. Both tuning shops continued to be amazed at how well it responded.

 

[xcivicx]

3rd gear 30mph. When I do this get some decent pull at part throttle. This seems to be the exact place we do not wanna be. Low rpms high torque heavy load. Me? Not tuned the si yet. But for sure will. kay tuna in hand.

 

[gtman]

Engines that blew up on just basemaps, not custom tunes:

https://www.civicx.com/threads/so-my-engine-blew-up.34226/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/engine-just-blew.40157/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/well-im-knocking.20266/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/did-...ngine-got-messed-up-with-a-tuned-civic.28289/

edit* Also Pookie's engine. Its this thread, but still, his engine blew on a basemap.

Do me a favor. Please read all the posts in all those topics. They always start out with "gosh golly gee, I was innocently driving over a speed bump and my engine blew". Then we find out there was a lot more to the original story.

Not sure why you are on this anti-tune tirade but tuning has been going on for a long time and will continue to thrive. I still believe the base tunes are safe but sometimes the car owner makes poor choices with additional mods and how they drive their car.

 

[kpzcivic]

Why does anyone think a Honda Civic is a performance car? There's where the problem starts. If you have the need for speed, save some cash and get a real go-fast ride.

 

[Honda_RacerX]

Do me a favor. Please read all the posts in all those topics. They always start out with "gosh golly gee, I was innocently driving over a speed bump and my engine blew". Then we find out there was a lot more to the story.

No sure why you are on this anti-tune tirade but tuning has been going on for a long time and will continue to thrive. I still believe the base tunes are safe but sometimes the car owner makes poor choices with additional mods and how they drive their car.

I don't know why you are always on a blame the driver, not the tune bandwagon. Just because you are tuned and nothing has happened to your engine? If that's the case, that is some flimsy and wishful thinking logic.

 

[FlexRex]

Why does anyone think a Honda Civic is a performance car? There's where the problem starts. If you have the need for speed, save some cash and get a real go-fast ride.

True that.

They blame the driver to appease themselves that their tuned cars may not suffer the same faith cuz the driver is different.

 

[gtman]

Why does anyone think a Honda Civic is a performance car? There's where the problem starts. If you have the need for speed, save some cash and get a real go-fast ride.

See that's where I disagree with you. And this is from my POV so take that how you will. I know the limits of my non-Si. It's not a great handling machine. I just wanted better driveability for my commutes and ocassional fun drives. The base tunes and now the TSP Stage 1 has done that. My car is no performance machine but it's a fast commuter.

I still get great gas mileage but have a much more competent car.

 

[Honda_RacerX]

True that.

They blame the driver to appease themselves that their tuned cars may not suffer the same faith cuz the driver is different.

And they always say shit like "you abused the car, so its not the basemap's fault, it was all you".

Well, first of all, if a person is tuning their car, theyre not doing it to drive it slow and conservative. That doesnt even make sense.

2nd of all, and what should be the most common sense thinking, anytime someone mods their ecu to have the turbo push more boost than what comes stock, theres obviously a risk to increased bearing wear.

 

[Micah]

Why does anyone think a Honda Civic is a performance car? There's where the problem starts. If you have the need for speed, save some cash and get a real go-fast ride.

My 2002 WRX was 3 years old and used with 30k miles when i bought it, single owner leased. It cost me 14k. I put over 30k into it. Once the VF34 went on I was pulling away from lightly modded STI. I was using Cobbs OTS vf34 map. Then I was dyno and street tuned and gained another 30whp. I was able to pull away from Cobb Stage 2 STI. Then I sold it to my younger brother. He went nuts, built the head, changed to an even better turbo, EWG, headers, and exhaust, he was pulling away from Corvettes and sticking door to door with GTR. Eventually after about 80k of very hard driving and countless quarter mile passes, a main journal bearing failure took it down.

It served us both well. But I outgrew it, and eventually so did he. It was cheap to run and insure. Zero regrets.

...edit... I should mention that whenever there was a doubt the car stayed parked and another car was driven until the issue could be sorted out. Compression tests were performed many times, sometimes up to 3 times a year. When in doubt, be patient.

 

[FlexRex]

@Micah..2015-2019 wrx fadit20 engine gets 400whp on e50, no need to change anything. Just flex it.

 

[Drake]

Why does anyone think a Honda Civic is a performance car? There's where the problem starts. If you have the need for speed, save some cash and get a real go-fast ride.

Are you going to try and argue the Honda Civic Type-R is not a performance car? Because the last I checked it performs pretty good.

 

[amirza786]

Engines that blew up on just basemaps, not custom tunes:

https://www.civicx.com/threads/so-my-engine-blew-up.34226/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/engine-just-blew.40157/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/well-im-knocking.20266/

https://www.civicx.com/threads/did-...ngine-got-messed-up-with-a-tuned-civic.28289/

edit* Also Pookie's engine. Its this thread, but still, his engine blew on a basemap.

He doesn't have just a base tune. He has full bolt ons. Ethenol. He had a custom tune. He's making near 300 WHP and God knows how much torque. There is nothing base about his car. He took the car way beyond it's engineered threshold, and warning signs began to pop up

 

[FlexRex]

He wasn’t saying his car is base tune, he was saying that base tuned cars blow up too.. in response to someone saying that only fbo tuned cars blow up.

Otherwise i agree, he pushed it too far.

 

[Micah]

@Micah..2015-2019 wrx fadit20 engine gets 400whp on e50, no need to change anything. Just flex it.

This was a 2002 WRX that was mine from 2005-2013, and my brothers from 2013 to now. He is currently parting it out. We both found wives. I have 3 kids. His wife wants kids. Priorities change.

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