I was thinking the other day about engine mods like cai, header, exhaust, etc. and was debating whether it would be better to install these after break in or during.

In the past I waited until after break in but then I got to thinking that maybe if the engine had these mods installed at the beginning of break in it would be used to them and maybe come out of break in better for it. Would it even make any difference?

What do you guys think?

 

It won't damage anything but you might be tempted to rev a lot more with the intake installed. Install them whenever you want but just try and use some self restraint during the break in period.

 

just wait.

all you have to do is drive around a bit.

 

I don't think it would make a difference. I would always reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery for a while after every engine performance mod.

While I don't think there would be any issues in modifying your car during the break in period, I would personally wait because I'd like to get familiar with my car and make sure that the car is running fine first before I start to mod it. If you started to mod your car immediately, and you run into some problems, it would be more difficult to determine if the car was having problems straight from the factory or if it was related to some part that you added.

 

You don't need to reset the ECU for our car.

 

i did it on mine anyway.

 

:troutslap

 

shouldn't this be a poll?

:troutslap

 

Done.

 

after break in.

 

it worked!

 

 

how can you not rev w/ a CAI, its too much for one man to resist w/ it installed. i vote wait.

 

Can I hear a AMEN to that?

 

hell yeah, dude just wait a bit. drive her around like it was said get used to how it feels driving around. youll notice little things that change on ure engine or car just driving.

i personally would break in the engine, get ure oil change and put some synth in there, (probably about 5k miles at this point). then start modding, youll notice some better power gains anyway on a broken in engine

 

I would definitely wait. You are gonna wanna rev if you get a CAI.

Also, one of the fun things about getting a new mod is too see how much of a difference it makes. If you put the CAI on right away you will have no idea how much of an improvement it was. During breaking you're not gonna be able to rev high to see what the car can really do. I would wait awhile and drive the car so that you have a solid base to compare with. 600 miles isn't all that many miles. You should definitely wait.

 

Doesn't really matter, though I would prefer to add mods after break in because with mods you tend to be more of a lead foot and it won't be great during break in period.

 

I would also wait.. but quick question.. During break-in, what is considered reving too high? I hit a tiny bit over 3000 rpms a few times because i was going uphill, I also try to stay below 3000 rpms as much as possible... I have about 520 miles on the odo.

 

Yeah...I would've waited until after break in anyway. I was just curious as to the possibility of the engine acclimating itself better with mods in place during break in, that's all.

Now if I can only sell my Si quickly so I can order the rims and tires I want, euro-r bodykit and mugen grill so it'll all be here by the time my car is delivered in about 8 weeks!! I'm getting CG/Ebony 6MT non-navi with A-spec. Now I know what my brother had to go through when he had to wait 4 months for his TL 6MT navi

 

tat's a long wait, sounds like u got a hella good plan over there, have u made up ur mind for the wheels?

 

18" Advan Kreuzer X with most likely some RE750's or Yokohama AVS ES100's.

The Advans are a little pricey but IMO one of the best looking rims on the TSX! And yes, I have a pretty specific plan for my car; I've had plenty of time to think about it

 

Why don't we?

 

The ECU adjusts automatically.

 

i did my breakin within 2 days of having the car and was going over 100 mph in it during the break in. I was testing the theory about running it hard to break it in. It worked just fine. =)

 

I broke my car in one week. Its not a long time to wait.

 

What Dan said. The ECU resetting when adding mods is a Internet myth that has been going on for so long, and it has to stop!

If people only stop and think about how things work and why, they will understand it a little better. We all have a general understanding that a CAI intake provides cooler air to the engine and therefore, more hp. The simple answer is the ECU will handle the changes of cold air accordingly based on the feedbacks from the various sensors. So why do you still need to reset it? Do you reset the ECU every morning before you drive just because the weather in the morning is 20 degrees cooler than yesterday afternoon when you drove home?

I must admit that I used to follow those myth until I started to learn about ECU and the internal programming and tuning, as well as using datalogging to see what actually happens.

 

Makes sense. But, wouldn't it still be a good idea to disconnect the battery if you're going to install certain mods like an intake which is connected to an air flow sensor? Or just for the sake of preventing the battery from draining from leaving the door or hood open, etc.?

 

One would disconnect the battery for many reasons including those you've mentioned, as well as preventing shorting out wires during certain electrical installations. But not because it will somehow make the car work better.

 

you should pm cmf, i bet he would sell you his wheels.