A week ago at an autocross it was brought to my attention that my car has a tune on the factory ECU. The giveaways are a smooth transition into VTEC and rapid fuel cutoff when I hit the limiter. Since I am in B Street which does not allow for a tune, I need to take it back to stock. My question is what is the best/most affordable way to do this? The only shop I know of locally in Indianapolis wants me to buy the Hondata unit for $695 which I understand is the normal price, but is that normal when getting a tune or does the shop typically have a unit on hand they will use?
Would I have any issues buying a second hand ECU and installing it instead of getting my current ECU reflashed?
Are there any reputable tuning shops closer to the Indianapolis area?

 

What model year do you have? None of these cars have a tuneable OEM ECU prior to 2006 models which can use the Hondata FlashPro. With FlashPro you simply load the stock tune into the engine (and save your "tuned" calibration). The unit stores 2 calibrations and you can swap in a matter of minutes.

If you don't have a 2006 or later you're probably not legal unless you can find a OEM ECU.

-- Chuck

 

It is a 2006 model. I know it is flashable but I've never used hondata and flash pro and was curious as to how easy it is to use.
If I install a used ecu from another car would I need to do anything other than plug it in?

 

The reason I ask is because a secondhand ecu is much cheaper than the flashpro.

 

Being as you have an '06+ you can go either way with a second ECU or a Hondata Flashpro. While a second ECU would cost less you would have to swap the ECU for each event or just leave the stock ECU in place.

I would try to get in touch with the PO and see if he still has the Flashpro being as it is locked to your car. Good luck.

 

Get a Flashpro, flash back to stock, and then sell it for a bit of a discount?

 

I thought about that too as an option but I need to have it done in a week and a half and don't want to stuck if the software is cumbersome and takes time to learn. So that's my hang up to that. The unknown.
If I did buy another ecu I would probably just leave it in there.

 

Move up in racing class and leave it alone.

 

Yep, move up a class and enjoy the added power you have now.

Unless you're willing to spend boatloads of money you'll never win competitive motorsports competitions. It' a lifestyle for the winners and middle of the pack is the best we weekend guys can hope for. Same for sailboat racing where the winners not only have talent but new sails at least once a season. For those of us racing for fun it's fine once we realize we're no going to be loading trophies in the car on the way home!

I don't remember how to extract the current calibration from the ECU but loading a stock calibration (included in the FlashPRO software) takes about 2 minutes once it's loaded in the FlashPRO itself where you can retain it (and one other). I just checked the standard calibration (it's on my PC) and VTEC is st 6000rpm.

-- Chuck

 

When changing ecu you need to have your keys coded which might be a bit cumbersome since you need to take it to a dealer.
I would definitely get Flashpro instead, should be pretty easy to sell without much loss if you really don't want to enjoy it's added benefits.