cars news 10: Hondata Reflash Unlocks Loads of Power From Honda Civic 1.5L Turbo

The Honda tuning experts at Hondata just released a product that can dramatically increase the power coming from the 1.5-liter turbo-four found in the 10th-generation Civic (2016+). The California-based tuner claims you can take your regular turbocharged Civic up to Si power levels and beyond (up to 233 hp) with its FlashPro tuning module.

The FlashPro allows for full user tuning and data logging and offers many calibrations to cover those wanting small power gains on their unmodified Civic to those building highly-modified, track-focused Civics in need of high power gains. This is great for owners who plan to slowly modify their Civic, as there is a specific tune for modified intakes and exhausts, and for higher-octane ratings and boost levels. The more aggressive tunes require additional aftermarket modifications.

The latest Civic offers an available 1.5-liter turbocharged I-4 that produces 174 hp and 162-lb-ft of torque in the sedan and 180 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque in the hatchback. The new Civic Si uses the same 1.5-liter turbo but tuned to crank out 205 hp and 192 lb-ft, while the new Civic Type-R comes powered by a 306-hp, 295-lb-ft 2.0-liter turbo-four.

In a video released by Hondata, the presenter explains that the featured manual Civic Hatchback received a tune that increases turbo boost by 9 psi, increasing peak horsepower by 35 hp and peak torque by 60 lb-ft (higher octane may have been used and/or aftermarket intake and/or exhaust). This results in about 225 hp and 254 lb-ft, surpassing the Civic Si’s power output. Before the flash, the featured manual Civic Hatchback put down 191 lb-ft and 190 hp on an engine dyno machine, higher than the factory rating.

He continued to explain that under the factory tune, artificial turbo lag caused the turbocharger to take 1-1.5 seconds to reach full boost after the gear shift. The FlashPro removes this artificial lag, allowing for immediate full boost after a shift. Additionally, the no-lift shift feature allows the driver to keep the throttle slammed on the ground while shifting gears, keeping the turbo spooled up after gear shifts.

The product’s website has a list of dyno charts showing different power gains on both manual- and CVT-equipped Civics. The factory power rating shown used an octane rating of 87 and the post-tune power levels are on 91 octane. The most powerful increase shows a gain of 42 hp and 76 lb-ft (producing 233 hp and 268 lb-ft) on a manual Civic that was modified with a test pipe, custom exhaust, cold air intake, and high-octane race fuel. Another chart shows a 23-hp and 50-lb-ft increase by raising the boost by 7 psi on a manual Civic. A CVT-equipped Civic gained an additional 25 hp and 35 lb-ft with a 6-psi boost increase, and gained 15 hp and 14 lb-ft with a 3-psi increase.

The FlashPro tuning module connects to your Civic via the OBD-II port and to your laptop or desktop using a USB 2.0 connection. No ECU modification is necessary.

Source: Hondata