Customer Testimonials - Honda

Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 138bhp
Honda Accord 2.2 CDTi 138bhp
Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 138bhp
Honda CR-v 2.2 CDTi 138bhp
Honda CRV Mk3 2.2 CDTi 138bhp
Honda Accord 2.2 iDTEC 148bhp

Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 138bhp

Celtic tuning came yesterday, downloaded the car's map via the ODB port, emailed it (using my flat's wireless link from the car park, very swish!) to their base, got it back with a tweaked map a bitlater, then re-uploaded it and we were off.

Understanding is that the solenoid to control boost pressure, where it comes in, how it ramps, and the fuelling map is tweaked to give an overall high power rating, but on driving it the key thing you notice is torque. I'll expand on this...

Firstly, I'll steer away from fanboy-ism and not 'go off in my shorts', to say that the overall difference is not dramatic, it is moderate at best and I reckon a dyno would show that the time window where the curve hits peak is narrower than you'd imagine. This car is a heavy car and so therefore an estimated hike of 50bhp will not give you the feeling of a 38% power increase in the same way it would in a lighter car. (As a good reference point; I used to drive the latest shape Celica. They came in two flavours; a 140bhp model and a 190bhp model. It was only when you learnt how to deploy the power was the difference that noticeable, otherwise it was subtle at best). I think the 190bhp figure though is a touch optimistic and certainly that is a best case scenario.

However, the driving characteristics are altered, and as far as I can tell, pretty much all for the better. It's not 'snarling to get off at the lights' - the gearing on this car is still low down enough that additional power in first gear is fairly unusable (unless towing a caravan up a 1in3) but when you deploy power in the midrange - say, when accelerating out of a corner or coming up an motorway on-ramp - the 'push back into the chair' factor is much increased. Additionally, the usable power at the top end seems to have been improved, which means you are much more aware of the rev bracket as the typical 'drop off' of the un-modified 2.2 (which gives you a clear idea when to change up, both in engine note and feel) doesn't appear and you can easily hit the limiter.

Better still, flat spots are almost completely eliminated, the turbo lag (which theoretically should still be quite noticeable as you are more dependant on the cut-in point for the deployment in power) actually is smoothed out and made more predictable and the throttle response is *dramatically* better - so much so that the car is almost completely changed dynamically in fast corners; you have to learn to accelerate out with slightly more precision as burying the throttle will cause the TC to flash out. Impressive stuff.

Thankfully, it's also very easy to live with. The engine note - sometimes whinier and more strained with chipped petrol turbos (that are made to run leaner and therefore increasing their chance of detonation) is not made any more harsh or tinny; and the increase turbo 'whisp' is barely audible. And initial monitoring of the fuel consumption shows it is spot-on identical with what it was before on cruising; though that said, if you cruise at a rev speed that is within the reduced turbo cut-in point, expect a drop.

In summary, this engine clearly had this level of power contingency in it and all you are doing with this remap is unlocking an engineering capability it always had, and may well have in future Civic models. I'm still a touch dubious on the figures - I think a Dyno would bear me out on this - but as someone who is a hardcore modifier with my two other cars (a retro-ride 1975 Celica being prepped for a planned turbo engine swap, and a 400bhp Supercharged 350Z) there's just no argument for not getting it done. You simply will not get an easier and less stress-free bang-for-buck engine upgrade.

Honda Accord 2.2 CDTi 138bhp

My Honda Accord i CTDi EX was 140 (138) brake and for a large car was reasonably quick. Having had the upgrade software it feels like another car altogether. Now with 192 brake it goes like a rocket.

The time in each gear is longer with a more smooth steady pull in each range. Honda gears are always a little high with first being almost like a crawler (as in HGV's). 1st is now much more user friendly.

Overtaking was quite good before the upgrade, usually requiring a change to the next in the process. Now you just hit the floor and away you go. For a more spirited drive just drop a gear and your off like a rocket leaving the BMW bullies wondering what happened and feeling rather inadequate.

Fuel consumption doesn’t seem to have changed but I will be keeping track of it over a longer period to get a better picture. The young lad that came to apply the upgrade was pleasant and efficient with the whole process taking about an hour plus a "test drive" to ensure all was well.

To sum up: The �375 was money well spent; the service was good and the improvement great.

If any one is considering having their car "chipped" give CT a bell and get it done pronto - you won't regret it.

Tim

Honda Civic 2.2 CDTi 138bhp

As promised, Celtic tuning visited my home at the arranged date and time, and within an hour and a half had completed the ECU remap, which should take the 2.2 diesel from around 140 to 192 bhp. All the work was done by simply plugging in a laptop to the OBD port.

The difference is amazing, the car runs smoother, is quieter at idle, it revs sweeter up to the limiter, and now has rocket ship pace to go along with those rocket ship looks.

Economy has been improved when running along at steady motorway speeds.

All in all, a very worthwhile upgrade that makes the 2.2 Type S a real alternative to a Type R, but with the benefits of a smoother ride and 45 mpg.

Super service from Celtic.

Martyn Whiteley

Honda CR-v 2.2 CDTi 138bhp

I recently arranged an engine remap on my new Honda CR-V 2.2 i-CTDi. The booking and fitting was a breeze, Graham arrived on time at my home and the work was completed including a before and after Test Drive within an hour and a half. Graham was very knowledgeable and answered any questions I raised.

Although the car was not fully run in the transformation was remarkable. The increase in torque was so much better in all the gears and the delivery was smooth and seamless. Even on tick over there was a noticeable improvement in the engine smoothness.

I have not been able to assess any benefits in economy as yet due to the newness of the vehicle but my expectation is that I will see an improvement.

Overall I am thrilled with the result and the car is just so much more flexible even though the Honda diesel is a great engine to start with.

I think it fair to say I was amazed at the change and all done by a company who were both efficient and helpful at every stage. I would highly recommend their service.

Brian

Honda CRV Mk3 2.2 CDTi 138bhp

Celtic Tuning carried out a remap of my 2005 C-RV diesel in Feb 11. I'm astonished in the improvements. The car has covered 97,000 miles, and now feels like it has just come off the production line, only with much more power, torque and so much smoother. The car is so responsive to the throttle, and when I drive normally, I'm averaging 38mpg around town, 45mpg on a run, but I now have the extra power and torque when needed. The engineer was brilliant and very knowledgeable, explained everything when I asked him what the process was. I can only say that if you’re thinking of a remap, then stop thinking and ring Celtic Tuning.

Terry.

Honda Accord 2.2 iDTEC 148bhp

Celtic – Once again another flawless re-map. After having my IDTEC Auto Accord re-mapped at your workshop earlier in the year, I had to call for your assistance following a recent safety recall on the IDTEC engine resulting in Honda re-flashing the vehicle back to standard.

Scott arrived bang on time as promised and swiftly got on with the work at the hotel where I was staying overnight. Overall the work took around 1 hour 45 to complete and on the test drive the vehicle was back to its former glory with the smooth but punchy power delivery right up to the red line. For me it’s back to driving using the steering wheel paddles as this re-map makes the car that more enjoyable to drive! Once again thank you for your help and assistance.

See you all in a couple of years when I swap this motor out.

With Kind Regards, Jay.

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