Not an Si but....

Enigma346

Well-Known Member
225
78
Virginia Beach, VA
Vehicle Model
Civic Si
Body Style
Coupe
I know my car isn't an Si. It's just simple 2013 Honda Civic EX Sedan. But with that being said, I still want more power out of it. Any suggestions on what I could do in order to get more power on this non Si? Or would it be better to just go all show and no go?
 
its really hard to get any extra power out of the R18 engine. The only thing I can think of is the new catted downpipe from RV6 for a tiny HP increase. It's still in testing though, but will be available soon

Your best bet is to mod the car for better handling to make it feel faster around turns. 22mm rear sway bar from Progress is a good start and really improves driving feel on the non Si's

Lightweight rims will also increase acceleration noticeably
 
its really hard to get any extra power out of the R18 engine. The only thing I can think of is the new catted downpipe from RV6 for a tiny HP increase. It's still in testing though, but will be available soon

Your best bet is to mod the car for better handling to make it feel faster around turns. 22mm rear sway bar from Progress is a good start and really improves driving feel on the non Si's

Lightweight rims will also increase acceleration noticeably

Thanks for the quick response. Kind of sad I can't get much out of it, but it is to be expected I guess. I'll go the route you said with the sway bar and such to make the car handle better. Maybe in a few years I'll keep this one still and just get an SI as well :)
 
Thanks for the quick response. Kind of sad I can't get much out of it, but it is to be expected I guess. I'll go the route you said with the sway bar and such to make the car handle better. Maybe in a few years I'll keep this one still and just get an SI as well :)
Yea the good thing about these cars is the engine just goes and goes. I'm gonna keep mine til it explodes (hopin at least 5 more years)

Is yours auto or manual?
 
Yea the good thing about these cars is the engine just goes and goes. I'm gonna keep mine til it explodes (hopin at least 5 more years)

Is yours auto or manual?
Auto. Another reason I want another model. I want a Manual transmission. For now, this is my baby though. But yes, that is the reason I go Honda in general. Their motors just keep going and going.
 
For my 2014 LX, I added a catback, a CAI and a base tune with a flashpro and its A LOT more peppier...I blow my brother (with a 2015 5-speed LX) out of the water and i'd say for performance mods i've only spent about a grand
 
I was about to say the si isn't great with engine mods unless you get flashpro & a custom tune. A custom tune with some aftermarket upgrades on the r18 will yield some gains. Just don't expect anything crazy.
 
Wasnt looking for anything huge. I just wanted some more pep when I hit the peddle from a stand still. Accel is kind of low unless I drop to 1st and shift as needed on the automatic
 
Yea, you won't see much gains but as soon as i put the base tune on(i can't wait to have it professionally tuned) throttle response improved greatly..the R18 stock is really just a gas sipper and the tune makes it run rich...too rich actually it will throw a code where bank 1 system is too rich. But i have a manual so i can stay in the power band for longer, i know @Twitch also has an R18 and auto maybe he can chime in with the auto power and shifting and whatnot
 
Yea, you won't see much gains but as soon as i put the base tune on(i can't wait to have it professionally tuned) throttle response improved greatly..the R18 stock is really just a gas sipper and the tune makes it run rich...too rich actually it will throw a code where bank 1 system is too rich. But i have a manual so i can stay in the power band for longer, i know @Twitch also has an R18 and auto maybe he can chime in with the auto power and shifting and whatnot
Thank you @Jake LXer
 
Like everyone said the R18 is just not a fast engine. Start with handling, rear sway bar, coils/springs, better wheels and tires. Tune the car to your driving style. You'll never beat someone in a straight line, but you can really carve some corners.

For power you need a tune from Vit. CAI, and exhaust made no change without a tune that i noticed other than noise. The tune was very noticeable though. I had the CAI and exhaust installed when i had the tune so I'm not sure how much impact they had individually.

RV6 down pipe is sitting in my trunk and should go in Saturday as long as the weather holds. That will also be tuned by Vit and i will let everyone know what i find out.

Don't let anyone discourage you with an auto. You need to beat on the car a bit for it to learn aggressive driving habits. Right now it tries to change gears as quickly as possible and be efficient. Once it learns your habits its a different animal. The tune also helps stay in the power band. I can rev to 7k before it will change gears if i am driving hard.

Consider a trans cooler for the auto. Nix has a great DIY on here and i put one on my car as well. I don't have any empirical evidence of it prolonging the life of my trans, but it helps me sleep better when i rev to 7k.
 
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Thank you @Twitch for the information. I will certainly go the path of handling first then maybe move onto a CAI and exhaust with a tune. I went to a Vit tuning page and saw it was done as an eTune? Is this right or is there somewhere else I should go?
 
After I put what mods on should I do it? Like if I got a CAI without a down pipe or new exhaust, should I get a Vit? Also, should I just get a catback with the downpipe? Not exactly sure about exhaust systems.
 
Most people will tell you a CAI and catback does nothing. There's not that many options out for power mods so it makes choosing easier. I would start with a down pipe and tune. No reason to run mods without a tune as you'll probably get negative gains. If you want a louder exhaust go for a catback. I don't think there are full systems for our cars yet.
 
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