anoop

Do you have more details about the updates that were applied? Only thing I have had applied was the TSB for the brake pedal response.

sonyfever

I did the same TSB, but in October. When did you do yours? I suspect the TSB also pulled in the latest ECU firmware in the HDS (diagnosis computer) database. Iny case, that should be version A88 (A8x is for non-Advance SH-AWD models). It is alao possible that the mechanic updated more stuffs than specified in the TSB. ..

I found A88 became available in Aug/Sep 2019 timeframe, judging by Hondata Flashpro Manager changelog and one of the TSB. The first version is A86, and the latest firmware version is A89. I know there exists A87, but cannot figure out when it was published.

So depending on when you did the TSB, yours might stay at A86 or move to A87.

sonyfever

With all that said, I don't have concrete proof that the ECU firmware on my car was indeed changed. The work order only said TSB 19-022 applied. But I feel changes completely unrelated to brake booster calibration change, and I checked the differences are not simply from ambient temperature or tire pressure.

Supposedly KTuner/FlasgPro are always based on the latest firmware version made available by Honda. I would like to see 19 owner who bought KTuner/FlashPro try the stock-equivalent "tune" first, and see if there is any difference, before going stage1/2.

Funz51

I am going to burn a ktuner for the first time this weekend on a 2019. Where do I find the current AXX version of the vehicle ECU? Do you have a menu selection I could try?

sonyfever

Open your hood and locate the ECU, the part number would be
37805-5YF-Axx. The first digit after A indicates SH-AWD/Advance, the last digit is firmware revision.
KTuner changelog has very limited info for RDX, so hard to know for sure which version KTuner flash would be based on.

I noticed lower piped-in engine noise, slightly firmer steering, much better balance (less understeer), and better throttle response (less low-speed damping).

Funz51

ahh, locate the ECU. looks like in the middle lower somewhere? is there a location description of the thing somewhere?

Burger Steak & Eggs

These two phrases are music to my ears. God bless you brother.

Wander

Hiding in plain sight, right in front of the battery and main engine compartment fuse box on driver's side. Big honking connectors on top, with grey clamps. Peek around the left side and down to see the label.

Funz51

nice.... thx!!

sonyfever

Thanks Wander for the detailed instructions. I found mine is A87, and my car was built in 11/2018.

Graphic-er

I bought a used 2019 White RDX A-spec last month. I notice the lag everyday now. Its not a Turbo lag as the RDX turbo is designed to build boost at low RPMs. It happens when you hard brake in to a turn and then accelerate out of it. Or when you just hard brake and jump right back on the gas. Definitely seems to be a downshifting lag as if the car doesn't know what gear to be in until you step back on the throttle. I have noticed that if you blip the downshift paddle and do a double down shift while breaking and before accelerating, it seems to fix this issue as you are actively giving the transmission input.

When I first noticed it I was making a left hand turn across traffic and genuinely thought I was about to broadsided by a truck. The delay can be about 1.5 - 2 secs. Coming from a 2012 WRX Manual and having full control over the car, this seems like an eternity to me and is very disappointing. I'm not sure how any engineer at Acura could find this acceptable when testing the car.

Not sure who one can contact about this and petition for a firmware update, but I would imagine its very fixable.

Other than this annoying feature, I am really enjoying the car. It feels every bit as fast and planted as my WRX did when I was just driving around having fun. The feeling is just much smoother and more refined compared to the WRX- which drove like a chained up beast. I will probably invest in a KTuner V2 so I can unleash a little more potential. And if we are stuck with this annoying lag, then anything that will help the car get up and go in traffic is definitely needed.

Funz51

You hit the nail on the head. Get a ktuner v1.2 or 2. What a difference. You will really enjoy, I just did a couple days ago. Can't wait to get back in the seat... No lag, 60 more ft lbs.... Have fun!

Wander

Please comment on the fuel economy impact, when you have some data.

Cuzz

I too am curious about the gas mileage under normal driving conditions. I must admit, I am very interested in the idea of tuning.

gooberman

I have an Audi A4. In the process of getting an RDX for the wife so I'm on here learning things. :-)

So we have a similar complaint on the A4. We do have a DCT so that part is different. It is a 2.0 turbo.

Taking away the DCT trying to figure out what gear to be in, there is a built in throttle lag. That sounds like the same thing here. I bet it's all about fuel economy forced on the the government.

For us switching into S mode takes it away and keeps the tranny in a higher gear so it can be shown that it's built in to the ECU. But S mode keeps us in a higher gear or two all the time and that can kill MPG.

Any way some reading can be done here. https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a4-...e-lag-2938803/

And some people have bought a pedal commander to fix it. They do make one for the RDX here. https://pedalcommander.com/products/...x~rk_base~qj_2

It shows being $299 for the RDX. and wires right in so it can be removed easily.

Anywho just some info for you frustrated guys....

Cuzz

Isn't a pedal commander the same thing as a tune?

Funz51

No it isn't. The pedal commander changes the signal from the throttle so the ECU sees a higher voltage.
try this:
"Have you tried the reset throttle map trick (push accelerator down with car off, keep it down while pressing start button without starting engine, turn off)? It works for me, it usually takes 1-2 weeks before the throttle map reverts to that anemic feeling when you floor it and nothing happens for a full second. I simply repeat this process, it works and it's free." - from the A4 forum which complains about the same things we do WRT the throttle.
I just read this going thru the links provided by gooberman. I have not tried this yet. I probably am not a good candidate cuz I just burned stage 2 ktune,,

BTW, I will report on the stage 2 burn soon, including MPG, butt-kick measurement, rpm hanging and general 'normal' driving experience (traffic and otherwise). So far, with only some tooling around and a few WOT's, I find it awesome. Not only the power increase, but the way it handles itself with normal launches from 0, 10, and 30 mph. Very well done so far.

ULEWZ

And if you could, a brief how to would be great.
Does the Ktune come with the tune, or is there something else to purchase?
Does the Ktune stay attached, or only long enough to complete the flash?

Thanks

Funz51

I was confused with the process also. I purchased the V1.2, so here is what I know.
1) buy the Ktuner V1.2 from a dealer. they are all the same price. I got mine from PRL Motosports. They have so far been very helpful and had minimum shipping, and have a good reputation AFAIK.
2) get a Windows laptop. I used a Mac with Parallels loaded, which essentially runs windows on a mac (very quickly BTW).
3) download the ktuner software, register, and follow some instructions . I looked up a couple youtube vids that were good. here is a one.

A laptop is required to get you going- to 1) register 2) download the staged burns 1 and 2 (updates) from the ktuner site to your laptop, and 3) burn the tune to your car . 4) optionally record data from your RDX. I flash in about 4-5 minutes. Ktune unit only stays attached while you burn.
Now, you can, and I did easily, 'upload' (load from the laptop to the Ktuner OBD unit) the stage1 ,2 and factory tunes. They will stay there, you can add a couple more custom tunes if you desire. These tunes are only used to upload into the vehicle via the tunerView android app. I have chosen, at this point, to just burn a tune with my laptop. it is easy. Also, I already have a couple apps for my IOS phone that works well in case I want to see car info.

The ktuner Tunerview app (they developed it) will cost you a few bucks and be used on an android tablet or phone. In order to use it, you keep the ktuner plugged in, and it transmits data via bluetooth to the tablet/phone app. and as I said, you can burn your saved tunes right from the app.

Hope I answered some of your ?'s

wavshrdr

For the KTuner, you will need it to download the tune from the Internet. Once it rewrites the software in your ECU you can remove it. The tune is stored in non-volatile flash memory so it is stored even the car is turned off. In the same place as the original factory tune. Think of it as updating your computer to new version of WIndows or a new macOS.

It stays there until you overwrite it with a new tune or put it back to the stock tune. The stock tune is saved during the initial install process and you can put it back any time.

wavshrdr

I would strongly encourage anyone doing any sort of tuning, to not use something like Parallels when using software originally written for Windows to allow it to run on a Mac. While it doesn't happen all the time, there is a chance that there can be an issue with the USB ports. If loading the tune doesn't go as planned (let's say a USB hiccup) then there is a very real chance that you will corrupt the tune in the ECU and the car won't run. Maybe you can recover or maybe you'll need to buy a new ECU and start over.

Please just borrow some friend who has a Window's laptop and use it to the load the tune. Make sure it doesn't go into sleep mode while loading the tune. Again this can be an issue. Anything this critical use the original platform (Windows) that the software was written on to load the tune. I once had to bail out a client when their engineer decided to use a Mac running Parallels to load a new version of software on the engine control system for a very large jet engine. They flew to the middle of nowhere at a huge cost to fix it.

What the engineer said was it worked before. It was a 200k mistake for them not to mention several days of downtime which cost them probably millions when this engine was offline.

Funz51

these days, Parallels looks really stable. Old versions were flaky. Also, do not use VIrtualBox as an emulator.. that WILL brick it. I tried that first and had a heck of a time with the USB ports being stable, and I know what I am doing.... POCrap since Oracle bought them... But, as you saw in my post, I suggested a Windows laptop, and still suggest it. If you do borrow someone else's laptop just to burn a tune, you can use another laptop later to reburn. You are not tied to one laptop.

Xuan

Do you guys also experience the delay on highway when you want to pass? It happens when I floor the accelerator at 50mph-ish, merging or passing. It does feel good when the power catches up, not fun with the delay at all.

Wander

I try not to wash windows if I don't have to, but modern Intel based Macs can boot into Windows natively and that's generally more stable than virtualization. There is a utility called BootCamp to setup a Windows partition on a Mac and allow it to boot natively into either MacOS or Windows, but I haven't used it in years.

As always, MAKE A BACKUP before you do anything like this. Make more than one if it's your primary computer.

anoop

Happens to me anytime I mash the gas pedal. There’s probably a trick to it or something like downshift manually so you don’t have to mash the pedal or perhaps switch to sport+. I haven’t tried any of those though.

Rmsanger

I think we need to do a better job specifically describing the problem and our experiences. When people refer to turbo lag it is more the uneven distribution of tq/hp through the rpm range associated with turbo spool. Historically vehicles with single larger turbos that are tuned for peak hp/tq they will have dead spots in the power band where the low rpms or mid rpms will feel like a much slower car then the turbos kick in and punch you in the stomach.

The issue here or at least that I experienced on 3 different RDX test drives is the delay of any power upon initial application of the gas pedal. It happened after a cold start and warmed up just driving around the city under 40 mph. When getting to a traffic light or in a a suicide lane and you want to turn left against traffic to either make a U turn or an adjoining road I would hit the gas pedal it and would be almost 2 Mississippi’s before you would get response. When you have small windows that you can turn against traffic on a 2-3 lane road this is extremely frustrating, dangerous, inspires a lack of confidence.

The issue wasn’t in 0-60 times or 5-60 times or passing on the interstate or straight line speed. It was the initial response to the application of gas/throttle that was beyond frustrating; at least in my experience.

Funz51

The Ktuner stage one and two solves 90% of that throttle delay/ 'maybe turbo spool' issues. I have tried both stages. I detect just a little lag sometimes. you have to 'listen' for it. I consider it gone. So starting from a stand, starting from 5 mph, punching from a suicide lane or behind a slow poke on expressway, all feel confident and smooth. I had that delay all the time in the past. My cabin is now full of smiles instead of cussing... and as far as I can see, there is no impact on MPG. I got 33 mpg on a conservative 10 minute drive on expressway this morning at 70 mph. If I keep my foot off the gas, which is hard to do when you first get a tune BTW, I got the same or better mpg than I did with factory, 22-24mpg.
The shifts feel tighter, the throttle responds faster, and 'smarter', if that makes sense.

Funz51

yes, tap the right shift lever just before you mash, or tap the gas pedal just before you mash, it helped me...

anoop

Did you mean left one? The right one would be shifting up.

Funz51

I mean the right. I find you just want to 'get the attention' of the tranny. if you hit the left, it will downshift and stay for a few seconds, unless you want that to happen.

anoop

Hmm...I would have thought downshifting would work better for improving throttle response.

Funz51

its not the fact that you are changing anything... you are telling the tranny to 'respond' in some way. its just an input to a computer with software. you are giving it an input, whether it is programmed to respond, it does not matter, you just want to get it out of its 'looking' cycle and get it's attention. The 'input' appears to get it out of its 'delay' loop and then shifts or responds properly. If you can, try it, and see if it helps.

also try this:
car off, mash the accelerator to the ground and hold it there. hit your start button twice to turn on, sit a couple seconds and turn off the car. Then foot off the accelerator. Start car normally. See if that helps.

russianDude

Why wouldn't acura update ECU software to help with hesitation issue?
Is it because its not a software issue? If its a simple
update, I am sure we would have seen a TSB by this time

Funz51

We all have been asking that question for a year. Maybe its the required gov't requirement, or something else. They could just buy a ktuner or hondata software, look at the map, and adjust accordingly and conservatively. Its nothing proprietary.

russianDude

Do we know that hondata/ktuner remove Acceleration hesitation issue?
I only saw one person saying that its 90% gone. Is it really
gone?

Funz51

see this Post : "Hondata vs. KTuner?"
We talk some about it.

gooberman

I think it's all about the MPG.

Governments are forcing it on manufactures and also buyer pressure to get a car that has good MPG.

One way of helping the numbers is to build in a "lag" so it doesn't ruin said numbers. Just like the stupid auto stop/start.

JB in AZ

I drove my wife's '15 Ford Escape Titanium FWD with 1.6L Turbo and 6 speed auto last night, after not having driven it in some time. It seemed to have much more "tip-in" (I think that is what it is called) than the RDX. It could just be a different throttle setting, as it does have much less torque and horse power, but less pedal for what seemed like better initial response. Getting up to speed on freeway was obviously much slower than the RDX. From a dead stop, or the scenario that has been mentioned here, no lag, or hesitation. I was again impressed, and remember why we bought it almost 5 years ago.

Memory seats, hands free tailgate, but no ventilated seats or Android Auto........Oh yeah........

And it is a Ford...But, it has been very reliable...

Perhaps I don't drive under the conditions that have been cited here...so I can't say I have experienced the hesitation on my RDX...

wavshrdr

The initial slowness is still there tuned. Easy way to prove that, is brake torque it while stopped and see if you get any boost. The same thing limiting that behavior is likely the same nanny keeping it from having full torque to the tranny.

As for improvement, don't just rely on the butt dyno. Go slap some timing gear on it and see how it runs yourself. Yes, the tuned car is quicker to 60 but 0-5 mph it is the same as stock.

Funz51

I disagree on the latter. The launch is much better in stage 2. The former needs a test, which I am getting to. I retuned to stage 1 to get some time on the drivability. Then I will go back to bone stock, then back to stage 2. Taking notes along the way.

it isn't the boost that delays it. It could easily put it in gear faster.

...opinion...