Folks -
As promised, a review of sorts:
Peter from Celtic Tuning arrived on time, introduced himself and explained what would happen. He plugged a laptop and a diagnostic port spoofer into the Civic's OBD connector which enabled the laptop to download and store the car's ECU file. The file was then sent via GPRS to Celtic's Cornish facility where it was modified and, in the space of 45 minutes or so, sent back. Picture below shows Celtic laptop and spoofer sucking off the standard map.
While we waited for the modified file to be returned, Peter shed more light on the matter of the learning ECU, confirming that the diesel Civic does indeed have one. Each car leaves the production line with the same software image in its Bosch ECU, but as the car is driven its ECU monitors the responses from the multiple sensors in the engine and it tweaks various parameters to achieve optimum results. This means a car that is, for example habitually thrashed, will have a different learned map compared to a car that is used as a towing hack. Manufacturing tolerances also result in engines that perform differently and this too is catered for by the adaptive ECU used by Honda. Celtic Tuning therefore treat each ECU file individually, examining the way the ECU has modified its behaviour and creating a re-map that is sensitive to the differences evident in each car. What you get back is a map profiled for your vehicle - not a one-size-fits all.
Having done his bit, Peter asked to be taken for a test-ride to establish, undoubtedly mainly for my benefit, that the re-map was acceptable. As I drove, he explained that the re-setting and re-mapping of the ECU meant it would be about 100 miles before it had learned its new settings and therefore gave of its best. Even so, it was immediately apparent that the re-map had made an already remarkably smooth engine even creamier. To start with I drove as I always do – in old git mode – using minimal throttle and changing up at 2.5k rpm. The engine felt more muscular and yet more refined at the same time. I think Peter was bracing himself for some heroic throttle application, but he got very little – I was more interested in whether the re-map had retained or enhanced the subtlety of the Honda loud pedal. It had.
Later, I took my business partner for a spin, mashing the pedal, when it was safe, to give the re-map a chance to speak for itself. The amount of urge made us both laugh. The shove is amusingly large and just extends way beyond the point where one would have wanted to change up a gear beforehand.
I have had three cars re-mapped in the last 10 years, once by Van Aaken, once by Superchips (never again) and once by AMD of Bicester, and the Celtic Tuning tweak stands with the best of them. It is a cannily crafted change to the Honda that accentuates and enhances the best points of the 2.2 diesel engine – its smoothness, civility and sheer grunt – without introducing any negatives. I fully expect the remap to enable the Civic to return even more mpg than it did before, since less throttle pedal is required to maintain an even speed.
I have still to cover the 100 or so miles that Celtic's Peter says is necessary to realise the full benefit of the re-map, but even now the gains are out of all proportion to the cost.
One or two members of this forum have asked whether they should go for the diesel or the petrol. Ask yourself: 140 bhp and 140 ft. lbs of torque (standard petrol Civic) or 185 bhp and 330 ft lbs (diesel Civic + Celtic tweak).
Can you feel the difference? As the late, great, Fluff Freeman used to say: 'Not 'arf.'
As promised, a review of sorts:
Peter from Celtic Tuning arrived on time, introduced himself and explained what would happen. He plugged a laptop and a diagnostic port spoofer into the Civic's OBD connector which enabled the laptop to download and store the car's ECU file. The file was then sent via GPRS to Celtic's Cornish facility where it was modified and, in the space of 45 minutes or so, sent back. Picture below shows Celtic laptop and spoofer sucking off the standard map.
While we waited for the modified file to be returned, Peter shed more light on the matter of the learning ECU, confirming that the diesel Civic does indeed have one. Each car leaves the production line with the same software image in its Bosch ECU, but as the car is driven its ECU monitors the responses from the multiple sensors in the engine and it tweaks various parameters to achieve optimum results. This means a car that is, for example habitually thrashed, will have a different learned map compared to a car that is used as a towing hack. Manufacturing tolerances also result in engines that perform differently and this too is catered for by the adaptive ECU used by Honda. Celtic Tuning therefore treat each ECU file individually, examining the way the ECU has modified its behaviour and creating a re-map that is sensitive to the differences evident in each car. What you get back is a map profiled for your vehicle - not a one-size-fits all.
Having done his bit, Peter asked to be taken for a test-ride to establish, undoubtedly mainly for my benefit, that the re-map was acceptable. As I drove, he explained that the re-setting and re-mapping of the ECU meant it would be about 100 miles before it had learned its new settings and therefore gave of its best. Even so, it was immediately apparent that the re-map had made an already remarkably smooth engine even creamier. To start with I drove as I always do – in old git mode – using minimal throttle and changing up at 2.5k rpm. The engine felt more muscular and yet more refined at the same time. I think Peter was bracing himself for some heroic throttle application, but he got very little – I was more interested in whether the re-map had retained or enhanced the subtlety of the Honda loud pedal. It had.
Later, I took my business partner for a spin, mashing the pedal, when it was safe, to give the re-map a chance to speak for itself. The amount of urge made us both laugh. The shove is amusingly large and just extends way beyond the point where one would have wanted to change up a gear beforehand.
I have had three cars re-mapped in the last 10 years, once by Van Aaken, once by Superchips (never again) and once by AMD of Bicester, and the Celtic Tuning tweak stands with the best of them. It is a cannily crafted change to the Honda that accentuates and enhances the best points of the 2.2 diesel engine – its smoothness, civility and sheer grunt – without introducing any negatives. I fully expect the remap to enable the Civic to return even more mpg than it did before, since less throttle pedal is required to maintain an even speed.
I have still to cover the 100 or so miles that Celtic's Peter says is necessary to realise the full benefit of the re-map, but even now the gains are out of all proportion to the cost.
One or two members of this forum have asked whether they should go for the diesel or the petrol. Ask yourself: 140 bhp and 140 ft. lbs of torque (standard petrol Civic) or 185 bhp and 330 ft lbs (diesel Civic + Celtic tweak).
Can you feel the difference? As the late, great, Fluff Freeman used to say: 'Not 'arf.'
The snag with the Superchips job is the price - and oddly the fact that they had to remove the ECU. If you can get the same thing done cheaper and without that hassle, then it has to be worth it.
