New owner Hondata question

gtman

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The Ktuner and Flashpro Manager programs are free to download. All the tuning wizardry is in the software. The software is where you to adjust and choose your tune which you then upload to either a Ktuner or Hondata hardware unit you've purchased.

With Ktuner, V1.2 and V2 can upload the same tunes. On the Hondata side, the Race version has many more tunes than the CARB version.
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joecat66

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You know what's better than "shutting it all down" with the sport button? Being able to select 2 different boost levels for normal and sport mode, as well as having 2 other different tunes (each with their own normal/sport settings) and being able to select different levels of turbo responsiveness for each of those 3 tunes. Not to mention rev hang delete, throttle padding, boost ramp aggressiveness, easy-to-use boost by gear with optional ramping for every gear, etc., etc.
i like options...when i want to go out for fine dining with the family i drive my old but still pretty 7 series bimmer. If the mood strikes to do some trail hiking or camping in the wilderness I take the fj60. On sunny weekend days I'll fire up the little british beast and drop the top and hit a car show and the clam shack. The 18si is my daily and I'm trying to keep it simple and fun.
 

Ruskee

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i like options...when i want to go out for fine dining with the family i drive my old but still pretty 7 series bimmer. If the mood strikes to do some trail hiking or camping in the wilderness I take the fj60. On sunny weekend days I'll fire up the little british beast and drop the top and hit a car show and the clam shack. The 18si is my daily and I'm trying to keep it simple and fun.
Good for you having all those cars. Doesn't change the fact that you got ripped off lol.

It is by far the most limited tuning solution, for the same amount of money as a fully featured tuning solution. Both can be "simple" but only one allows you to really tailor the experience to your exact preferences. Also, having tried both, I would say the Ktuner maps just feel better to drive. Much smoother power delivery. There is literally zero advantage to getting CARB FlashPro over Ktuner V1.2. Even the "CARB" aspect is useless when you can easily flash back to stock at any time anyways.

But I guess some people enjoy getting less for their money. :dunno:
 
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SoCalCivicSI

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You know what's better than "shutting it all down" with the sport button? Being able to select 2 different boost levels for normal and sport mode, as well as having 2 other different tunes (each with their own normal/sport settings) and being able to select different levels of turbo responsiveness for each of those 3 tunes. Not to mention rev hang delete, throttle padding, boost ramp aggressiveness, easy-to-use boost by gear with optional ramping for every gear, etc., etc.
Thats Cool Ruskee, but it's only "better" if you want all that versatility, everyone doesn't.

Sometimes less complicated simple stuff is more reliable too.......sometimes.
 

SoCalCivicSI

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Good for you having all those cars. Doesn't change the fact that you got ripped off lol.
Wow...you're coming across as being an Ass....might want to put the brakes on now. :rolleyes1:
 


gtman

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^ Now that that can of worms has been opened I kind of agree.

My first tuner was a Hondata CARB and for a tuning newbie it was a good starting point. I think what Ruskee was trying to point out is that the CARB is a bit limited. But, like SoCal says, some people just want basic and simple.

Sometimes the vibe on the forum is Hondata sucks, Ktuner rocks and I think that's a bit unfair to Hondata.
 
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Emurph8

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Hondata says you can have a shop do the tune for $350. I imagine they’ll do more than the carb tune for that? That’s really what I want. The 6psi boost tune (I don’t want to replace my clutch) The full throttle shift and the rev hang removal. If I can find a local shop to do that for $350 I’m good. I don’t need to do more. I get the appeal to the KTuner and the ability to do all this tuning but for me it’s a brand new car. It’ll be my daily driver shared time with a Ram truck. I just want a little more. Thanks for all the info everybody.
 
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gtman

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Hondata says you can have a shop do the tune for $350. I imagine they’ll do more than the carb tune for that? That’s really what I want. The 6psi boost tune (I don’t want to replace my clutch) The full throttle shift and the rev hang removal. If I can find a local shop to do that for $350 I’m good. I don’t need to do more. I get the appeal to the KTuner and the ability to do all this tuning but for me it’s a brand new car. It’ll be my daily driver shared time with a Ram truck. I just want a little more. Thanks for all the info everybody.
There are 4 dealers listed as authorized to do Hondata reflashes in Pennsylvania. I don't know if any are near you. But yes, they can do a non-CARB reflash.

https://www.hondata.com/dealer-reflash

Seems to me the $350 reflash will do just what you want.
 

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I've had both Hondata and KTuner. I can honestly say KTuner is just plain better in every way. And again, CARB FlashPro: ~$500. KTuner V1.2: ~$500. I could understand if one was way cheaper than the other, then the "I just want something simple" argument would make sense. But you literally have the option of buying a vastly superior product for the same money. It's not like KTuner is more complicated to use. It's just as easy to select a mild basemap and upload it to your car and you have your simple reliable tune, same as the FlashPro. Except you also have the ability to do a whole lot more after you own the car for a while and get comfortable with it. Or if you want to disable rev hang, or adjust the turbo spool response. Or set up a valet mode. You have so much more freedom, if you choose to explore all those extra features. And even if you don't, I personally think the KTuner basemaps feel better than Hondata's. I thought Hondata was fine, until I switched to KTuner.
 
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Emurph8

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There are 4 dealers listed as authorized to do Hondata reflashes in Pennsylvania. I don't know if any are near you. But yes, they can do a non-CARB reflash.

https://www.hondata.com/dealer-reflash

Seems to me the $350 reflash will do just what you want.
Thanks! I think that’s the way I want to go. My teenage son will be driving it occasionally. I don’t need it to be to crazy. The closest ones about 100 miles away. I’m in Harrisburg.
 


Ruskee

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My teenage son will be driving it occasionally. I don’t need it to be to crazy.
With KTuner, you can set up Map 1 to be like the factory tune. And then set up Map 2 as the higher boost tune. When the unit is plugged into the OBD port, the car will start in whatever map you left it in. If you remove the unit from the OBD port, the car will start in Map 1. So if you let your teenage son drive the car, they won't even know it's tuned (unless they know how to switch maps).

Another thing: you can turn off rev hang with Hondata (non CARB version) but you can't adjust throttle padding. Rev hang disabled with standard throttle padding can feel pretty harsh whenever you let off or get back on the throttle. KTuner lets you adjust the throttle padding. You can also toggle rev hang on/off with a steering wheel button as you're driving. Which is very convenient when you're stuck in traffic or crawling through a parking lot.

These are just some of the features I'm talking about.
 

Ruskee

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Everybody has different priorities and points of view.

Yes, but I sense much of this view is rooted in being brand new to this car and fear of the unknown. I'm sure this view will change quickly once they see how easy it is to use. I think it's better to get something with headroom for growth later down the line, and the ability to change things at will. Versus paying for a one-time reflash that might seem sufficient now but leaves you with nothing else. That's my opinion. I just don't want someone making a purchase they'll later regret.
 

gtman

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But, some people aren't really comfortable tweaking their ECU tune themselves. And sometimes things glitch out with uploading a tune and people go into panic mode when their car won't start.

Also, it's a funny thing about Ktuner versus Hondata. I've had both and clearly Ktuner has more features for the average user. It's reduced the lag I had in both the stock and Hondata tunes. But I actually like the high RPM feel of the Hondata tune I ran a bit better.
 

Ruskee

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I actually like the high RPM feel of the Hondata tune I ran a bit better.
I know what you mean, but I think that's more applicable to a CVT car (used to have an EX-T myself). The Si, being a 6 speed and having the different turbo, already feels a bit more "high rpm focused" compared to the EX-T. So the low end power is more welcome. Also, cold air intake made a very nice top end improvement and actually made it feel more rewarding to rev out. But that's a whole other topic lol.
 

gtman

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Looking at boost tables comparing base Hondata tunes to base Ktuner tunes is interesting. Ktuner has much higher boost targets at lower rpm's. Hondata appears to use the Honda factory strategy of gradually upping boost and peaking it at 5500rpm. I guess I kind of got used to that feel having Hondata for so long. It felt more sluggish off the line (compared to Ktuner) but all of the sudden felt like a rocket punching it on the highway. Because the Ktuner is so much more punchy down low, the acceleration actually feels slower by the seat of the pants at fast highway speeds. At least that's how I perceive it.

I guess my ideal tune would be the Ktuner low/midrange punch with the woosh of high rpm adrenaline I had with Hondata. I'm sure if I was to actually time things, Ktuner is faster though.
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