Black_6spd

Just came back from Epic motoring in Hawthorne and still recovering from all the excitment of this morning. I wanted to share my impressions after driving in 1 hour of traffic and how my "reflash-while-you-wait" experience went.

Buying Experience
After reading some referrals here on AZ, I decided to give Kevin of Epic motors a call to set up an appointment for Friday. After leaving a message on his cell phone, we agreed on a time and he gave me directions to their shop about 10-12 miles from Hondata.

When Friday morning came, I was feeling a little anxious due to the fact that I'm a 30+ year-old Dad that doesn't have much time for myself. When I got to the shop, it pretty much was what I expected: Your typical tuner garage with Civics and Integras waiting for a K-series transplant. Kevin came out to greet me and we were ready to get Hondatified.

Of course, this wasn't the Acura dealer with complimentary coffee and big screen TV as expected -- its a tuner garage. However, I became a little irritated when I was asked to wait outside while Kevin ran a few errands. Hawthorne isn't exactly a place you want to go for a leisurely stroll. Luckily for me, Kevin's driver came back after only 30 minutes of waiting. As I got in my car, I immediately smelled the "burnt rubber" I usually smell after beating the shit out of my TSX. I guess he was "testing" the reflash.

Overall, I'm still satisfied with the price I paid and the time it was done in. I'd recommend Epic to those in SoCal. My only recommendation is to drop off the TSX and not wait at the shop. I was charged $600 out-the-door.

Driving Impressions
I pulled away from the shop and immediately noticed a more throaty intake sound and a touchier throttle. To my luck, I ended up behind a bunch of 18-wheelers and managed to get stopped by a train crossing. Finally, I was able to get some daylight on the 710 on-ramp where I floored her in 3rd gear. The 5000 RPM new VTEC point brought a grin to my face. The grin only got bigger when I shifted to 4th and landed back on the big cam.

Since my Injen intake is in SRI mode, the sound difference of the reflash is quite noticable. The RPMs climb much faster and its going to take some time to get used to shifing IN redline as opposed to before redline. Another thing: although I be imagining things, the DBW seems to lag a bit more, even with VSA off. It's most noticable between shifts.

Tsx536

Congrats on getting the reflash

Thanks for the writeup, you'll have to post more impressions when you've gotten a chance to do some more driving.

Also, don't forget to sign the Hondata Owners Unite thread!

TSX2345

I am going to Epic next week to get mine done. He charged you an even $600? Cash or Credit Card?

Black_6spd

Cash. Although he accepts credit card, he has to pass his fees on to you.

yadfgp

So that was $600.00 total? For everything? PArts and labor?

TSX2345

I figured it was cash. I will pay cash too to save some money. Every time I attempt to call and ask Kevin, there is no answer. So now that I know I can pay an even $600 cash

Black_6spd

From original post:

Tsx536

I don't think there are any parts and labor involved. Based on what Jlukja said in one his posts. If you go to Epic they just bring your car to Hondata and Hondata actually does the reflash without having to remove the ECU or immoblizer.

TSX2345

There is no parts costs involved, the ECU is already yours in the car. Hardly any labor. I am sure they just hook up the ECU to a computer or some device and let the device do its thing and its done! Simple as that

yadfgp

Right... I read that, what was included in that $600.00 though? Did you just bring your car in, just the car itself? I'm a little new to this whole reflashing process. I had read that you can send away your parts to someone who can flash it and then they send it back or whatever. And then you put it in yourself. Did you do this and then have THEM put it back in for you? Or did they reflash it for you and take care of everything for you? For that $600.00?

Ok cool! You guys got to my answer I was looking for before I could even post! Congrats BTW on your new toy!

yadfgp

So it sounds like the easiest way to get his done is take it to a shop near hondata and then they can just drive it over to them and have the reflash done there on the spot? I'm just looking for the most easiest way to get this done

TSX2345

Kevin @ Epic drives over to Hondata and it gets done on the spot. I wonder if Kevin will allow you to go with him. I'd like to see Doug's TSX

jlukja

Epic is the only hondata dealer I know of where you just drop your car off and it comes back hondatafied aprox. 30-60min. later. They are a short drive away from hondata so the ECU gets there along with the rest of your car (no uninstall/reinstall required).

Black_6sp, your post brought back memories. I too waited for Kevin to run a couple of errands. While waiting I watched a supercharged Civic getting tuned. It was pretty cool. And that last part about the I-710 on-ramp, that was me 3 months ago . I wonder for how many of us who went the Epic route was that the first opportunity to let the engine unwind and, for the first time, feel the full effect (and exhiliration) of a hondatafied K24.

Congrats.

InsuranceGuy

I had my ECU done on a GSR I once owned and enjoyed the hell out of it but.......... I had a hell of a time with the idle control. It was an ODB 3 I think or OBD 2, but my questions are these:

Did the price include the tuning or was any necessary?
Can the factory tell it has to be taken in for service?
Know anyone in Texas that is doing this now?

CGTSX2004

iTrader: (1)

Glad to see you're enjoying it. I am looking forward to getting my 06 hondata-fied in a few months.

Black_6spd

1. No tuning needed. The ECU is "learning" constantly. I few hard runs should auto-tune her.
2. Yes. It throws all the usual codes.
3. http://www.hondata.com/dealers.html

Black_6spd

Kevin let me check out a civic with a supercharged K24 they were working on. Too bad it was only 70% done. He mentioned that it was a prototype that Comptech was working on.

CarbonGray Earl

Awesome, great writeup!! Don't you just love that 710?

Congrats - I think Im going to have to suggest a playdate for our wives and kids....and suggest that we have to go pick up food, in ummmm, Vegas or something.

spyguyTSX

could you elaborate on the lag of the DBW. thanks.

Black_6spd

After that on ramp on the 710, it was pothole / bump city. I might as well have went off roading.

I'll switch back over to CAI mode by the next time we hang out so we can find out where the new cutoff is.

Even with VSA off, I upshift and barely let go of the throttle. When I'm in the next gear, my foot is on the floor (WOT) and the darned DBW doesn't react immediately.

I'm pretty sure its simply the ECU learning. I keep you posted after several runs. I had experienced a similar lag when it was learning the new intake. Back then, the lag reduced after a few hard runs.

waTSX

Congrats on the reflash! It's definitely money well spent. Kevin took care of me too, mail-in style

Enjoy the new found performance!

Black_6spd

A little update on the reflash experience....

So far, its been exactly what I expected: power is more linear, more subtle vtec transition, and power arriving alot earlier. The only downside has been my significantly reduced mpg from vtec'ing.

To the other reflashed members: Are any of you able to land back on the large cam lobe during a 1-2 upshift? It seems that I haven't been able to achieve this. I could do it on all other upshifts except 1-2. Last night I went all the way to 7500 RPM and still no luck -- it landed at around 4800 rpm.

<--- Wishes that we had ITR-like gear ratios.

TSX2345

I am back from being reflashed. It was fun drive back!!! Luckily, while I was at Epic Doug from Hondata was there messing around on a dyno. I saw the HyTech!

Tsx536

That's awesome man! Congrats

So how did the Hytech setup look? Does Doug have Header, CAT , Exhaust?
Did you ask Doug what kind of hp/tq gains you get with the Hytech setup?

TSX2345

The HyTech looked awesome, it is not even obvious that its a tuner exhaust. No shiny muffler, just the tips were. The HyTech Doug has versus ones that are being made for the rest of use will be different, not sure what the differences are but John said there is an updated one.

Actually, he was playing with some Hybrid ECU from what I gatherd, he was showing some folks some things, so I did not interupt I just watched in awe. My wait was much enjoyed

Black_6spd

Too bad you didn't take pics!

Congrats on the '05 reflash club! Looks like me and you are the only AZers that are Hondatified for 2005...

Let me know if you're able to land vtec from a 1-2 shift. I'm sure not. Even when I rev her close to 7600 RPMs, it seems I miss the mark by 200 RPM (4800 RPM = no vtec). I'll try again on the way home. Not to worry -- my Mobil 1 has been holding up fine with all the vtec'ing -- no burning off (yet).

TSX2345

I did take pics with my camera phone, but they are crap. The exhaust note was nice too. I am 05 Reflash #2! LOL

Tsx536

Post impressions of the reflash when you get a chance. Do you have any other mods?

TSX2345

Hmmm sig does not show up

TSX2345

-Comptech Rear Sway Bar
-Metal Shifter Bushings
-Neuspeed Short Shifter
-AEM Intake
-Oil Catch Can
-Throttle Body Coolant By-pass
-JDM Pedals
-Debadged
-Hondata

Black_6spd

The street they are located on didn't have a street sign, right? Hope my warning helped when making that final turn into Quay St.

TSX2345

Correct. No Sign. Thank you BTW

jlukja

Your sig only shows if you are a thread starter or if you check the "show signature" box and only when using advanced respond.

TSX2345

Thank you!

ComptechTSX

just got my reflash back for my 05' . I'd say the car feels stronger in 5th gear, passing on the highway is much easier. 1st gear feels about the same, but 2nd gear feels stronger on the bottom end of the RPM band, surprisingly. All in all, i love it , and it was worth every penny. Even the $80 round trip ticket from Atlanta, and back

PearlWhite05

Hi, I was wondering how are the reflashes now? I have a 05 6MT too and am considering it.
Any down side to the Reflash besides higher fuel consumption? or Any problems occuring to the present day?

thanks

Black_6spd

No problems whatsover. I'll guess I'll truly find out if Hondata retained the '05 ecu functionality after I get smogged next year. I hope it sends my VIN ok.

Where did you get "higher fuel consumption?" Mine hasn't changed one bit despite me driving to redline on a daily basis.

TSX2345

No down side, only up! LOL Only problem I find is that I want my commute to and from work longer cause after you get reflashed you will want to drive more often and redline more often

tekn0mage

hehe welcome to the club been a lonely one for a long time. Nice to see other 05'ers showing up!

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21592


I got the 04 ECU put in my 05 TSX. I believe I was the first 05'er to get the reflash. Doug at Hondata found out that the 05 ECU needed some tweaking when he went to flash my ECU. Sucks that I had to be the guinea pig but it did work fine.

Me *heart* Hondata.

Alin10123

If you redlined in the first place before the reflash, i dont see why you would have more fuel consumption after the reflash. lol