[Tsx536]

Here's a copy of my review that I posted in another forum. Here you go guys. Let me warn you, it's freakin' long, sorry about that.

Here is my review of the Hondata ECU upgrade in a 2004 TSX 5AT Automatic with Injen Intake. I drove around for about an hour in both the city and some country backroads. It was pretty cool outside, the temp guage on the TSX read 69 degrees.

I took it to redline about 20-30 times and all I can say is WOW! You can definitely notice the difference! The car just drives differently. It's much smoother and responsive. The car pulls a little harder from 2k-3k and much harder from 3K-7K than it did before! The extra power up high in the RPM range can definitely be felt! It feels like you can take off and pick up speed much faster than before.

The throttle is much more responsive, giving you more control of your speed and acceleration. At 75% throttle, it feels similar to what it use to feel like at 100% throttle before the reflash. I remember being at 75% throttle and thinking I had it floored already, you should have seen the smile on my face when I realized that it wasn't floored yet and I still had about 25% of throttle to go!

It also feels like the Hondata has restored that missing low end power/pep that you lose when you get a CAI. One of the things I didn't like when I first installed the Injen intake was the loss of the low end torque. I feel like you can definitely notice the low end power loss, especially on a 5AT. The car just didn't have the same pep. It would feel kinda sluggish sometimes at low RPMs, especially when accelerating from making a quick stop. The Hondata fixes that problem. That missing power to is back! This makes driving in D mode a lot more enjoyable.

I drove around about 25% in D mode, just so I could try to see how the Hondata would effect normal everyday driving. I was impressed by how it felt. It was very smooth and I was impressed on how the car would take off at WOT. In D mode it seems as if the car downshifts much faster/smoother than before. If you really floor it, depending on how fast your going, sometimes it will downshift and you'll be at 5K RPMs putting you directly into VTEC! I use to feel like I would have to be in SS mode in order to go fast, but now I feel like that D mode is responsive enough that I won't need to drive in SS mode anytime I need to pass or pick up speed quickly.

SS mode still kicks D Mode's ass though. In first gear you can really feel the car pulling harder. Being able to rev all the way to 7600 is awesome. There is nothing like shifting and staying in VTEC! I only did it few times, but when I did I was like The car starts getting really loud when you hit those high RPMs. I remember in reading Dzuy's Hondata review that he thought the TSX sounded much more "pissed off" This is a really good way to describe it, because the engine just sounds mean!! Whenever Vtec kicked in, I could really hear the Injen sucking in the air. Whenever I shifted at VTEC I could hear a release sound coming from the air filter, similar to a blowoff valve, but not as loud. It's Fcukin' awesome!!

Now for the bad:
1) The hesitation is noticeable at 5K. There is about a 1/2 second hesitation, and you can feel it. It feels weird when you experience for the first time, but then you start getting used to it. It's not extrememly bad or unbearable. It's noticeable enough to where I'm considering headers though. I'll try to let you guys know a little more about what I think after I get to drive a little more. I would NOT let this prevent you from getting Hondata though.

2) The car seems to be louder. Especially at high RPMs. Just like I said above, it sounds pissed off! This is good or bad depending on who you are. I don't mind the extra sound, but that's just me. I won't be taking it too 6K-7K RPMs with my parents/grandparents in the car though. This is another thing I'll have to analyze some more as I drive more.

3) Gas Mileage - I'll have to see how the gas mileage is effected, but I'm guessing I'm going to get less MPG. With the more sensitive gas pedal and the lower VTech point, I think it's going to be easier to use more gas. After I've had Hondata for a little while, I try and do some comparisions.

The Bottom Line:
Hondata was exactly what I was looking for! I would recommend it to any other TSX, especially any with a 5AT with cold air intake.

I now consider the Hondata the official #1 best bang for the buck mod.
Looks like the Injen intake has moved down to number two.

Special thanks to Kindle Racing for a great price/service. I recommend them to anyone who wants to get a reflash.
Also thanks to Hondata, for flashing and shipping my ECU very quickly I promised.

 

[Tsx536]

Gas Mileage Review

Here's my gas mileage review. This is for you Robert_TSXGeek :thumbsup:

I've spent the last week or so testing out what kind of gas mileage I could get after the Hondata. Here are the results:

Engine:
5AT Auto
Injen Intake in CAI Mode
Hondata

Miles Driven: 396.2 Miles
Fuel used: 14.93 Gallons
Miles Per Gallon: 26.54 MPG

35% City / 65% Highway
65% D Mode / 35% SS Mode

I drove the car normally and pushed it to redline about 5-10 times. I usually drive about 80-100 mph on the way to work, and 75-90 mph on the way home. I did hit 110 mph once or twice but that's about all. I did try to stay conscience about not reving very high when it wasn't needed. With Hondata, since there is a little more acceleration in the low RPMs than before, I noticed that I didn't need to rev as high to get some good acceleration. I think this helped out my gas mileage numbers a lot.

The bottom line is my gas mileage is about the same as before I got Hondata. If I were to push my car very hard the whole time taking to redline frequently then I'm sure the Hondata would cause me to use the gas up much faster. I bet I would probably only get about 300-325 per tank. Having more acceleration down low helped to balance things out a little though since I don't have to rev as high when I'm driving normally.

*Note: I also have a lot of stereo equipment in my TSX that weighs me down, so there is a possibility that you might even get a little better gas mileage than I did

 

[COKE]

thank you for the long review

 

[LI_NY_1]

thanks also for the review(s). lookin forward to enjoyin the same things in a day or two...

thx

 

[Cyde]

I always here hondata was designed with injen cai, and headers, well what if i have cold-airbox instead or like others have Short-ram, and what if i had stock headers or some other brand of headers? with other brand of exhasut, would that make the hondata setting not as effective?

 

[Triz]

Intake and exhuast are the 2 most important mods you want to have in order to experience the full gains of hondata. It was tested and designed on a 6 mt tsx with an ice box and dc header. If you are talking about brand-wise, basically which ever peice has the best dynos i would say would put out the better numbers with hondata overall.

 

[genk-jomblo]

It also feels like the Hondata has restored that missing low end power/pep that you lose when you get a CAI. One of the things I didn't like when I first installed the Injen intake was the loss of the low end torque. I feel like you can definitely notice the low end power loss, especially on a 5AT

do you mean :
If I install CAI then my car will "lose power" ???
I just bought 1 x DC sports header and 1 x CAI injen ready to installed next week.

I'm using AT as well.

Apperently there is NO hondata in Australia.

Cheers
Genk

 

[Triz]

do you mean :
If I install CAI then my car will "lose power" ???
I just bought 1 x DC sports header and 1 x CAI injen ready to installed next week.

I'm using AT as well.

Apperently there is NO hondata in Australia.

Coming from stock and then installing both a header and intake at one time, you will most deffinately hear and feel the gains. With a cai you lose a very little power when under 3k rpm, but most daily driving isnt even done within those rpm ranges. I didnt even notice any losses at all when installed mine. But i can assure you, that you will not feel any loss in power, especially when your adding a dc header which gives you some ok gains for low-end and fairly good gains for high-end.

 

[Benz]

You wont LOSE power with the CAI...... you just lose a little torgue at the low end...... but have fun reving up high!!

Cheers`

 

[Tsx536]

You will lose a little torque...like everyone is saying. It's barely noticeable, but I did notice it. It's totally worth it for all of the power and sound up high in the RPM range. Plus having the headers will help too.

 

[genk-jomblo]

Coming from stock and then installing both a header and intake at one time, you will most deffinately hear and feel the gains. With a cai you lose a very little power when under 3k rpm, but most daily driving isnt even done within those rpm ranges. I didnt even notice any losses at all when installed mine. But i can assure you, that you will not feel any loss in power, especially when your adding a dc header which gives you some ok gains for low-end and fairly good gains for high-end.

Thanks guys for your explanation,


we'll see after my CAI and HEADER installed and write some reviews about it.

 

[DateTSX]

Now if they only they make it for the 05....

 

[Spirit]

Very Good Review :thumbsup: It tempts me to get the Hondata now.

You will lose a little torque...like everyone is saying. It's barely noticeable, but I did notice it. It's totally worth it for all of the power and sound up high in the RPM range. Plus having the headers will help too.

:reading: :nod: :nod:

 

[Cyde]

Intake and exhuast are the 2 most important mods you want to have in order to experience the full gains of hondata. It was tested and designed on a 6 mt tsx with an ice box and dc header. If you are talking about brand-wise, basically which ever peice has the best dynos i would say would put out the better numbers with hondata overall.

but back to my question, i mean what if people have other mods like fuel rails, new cams gears, new car, heads, etc.. differnt from what the hondata fixed settings. whouldn't they be worst off with hondata cuz it's not tuned for onlt a car with some type of intake and headers.

personally i hate CAI's loose torque which what you use in daily driving, top end i dont use cuz there are no long straightways here, i prefer the mugen cold airbox.

 

[Triz]

but back to my question, i mean what if people have other mods like fuel rails, new cams gears, new car, heads, etc.. differnt from what the hondata fixed settings. whouldn't they be worst off with hondata cuz it's not tuned for onlt a car with some type of intake and headers.

personally i hate CAI's loose torque which what you use in daily driving, top end i dont use cuz there are no long straightways here, i prefer the mugen cold airbox.

Well of course if you change your cams and head, then your deffinately going to have to change your ecu. Like for the RSX, toda engine kit come with new cams, valve springs, race header, and a new ecu desinged to work right with the new adjustments that were made. Hondata was designed and tested on a 6mt with intake and headers so you would need those to fully achieve the gains that hondata designed. Hondata will eventually make a K-Pro for are car probally in about a year or some crazy amount of time, and thats what you would need if you wanted to do heavy engine modification.

And it all depends on what kind of driver you are. I, myself, spend alot of time driving above 3.5k rpm. But, if you like to take it easy drivng and not rev up your car then a cai is not for you. I never even noticed the power loss whatsoever with my injen cai. I mean can you really feel the 2-3hp that you loss???

 

[Andynolife]

if u drive hard enough .. u wont feel the lose in tq at low end .. :laugh:
but i do feel the lost .. ~
anyway .. ~ since Hondata is only a reflash and it's only design for simple bolt on engine mods .. ~ it's gonna hard to tell if it will do much with major engine mods like head and cams .. ~ however, .. even it's made for the 6MT set up .. it still put out some good numbers for the AT .. ~ :ben:
and also i heard that Hondata wasn't gonna make a Kpro for TSX when they was gonna release the reflash .. ~ but i donno if it's changed now .. ~

but seems Jackson Racing is making the S/C and Toda is coming out with some engone kit for TSX .. ~ there r much to be excepted ..