Ive recently bought a 2018 accord sport with the 1.5t. Ive been looking into some mods and different things but ive been wondering what this engine and transmission can handle. Personally, i want to put a tune and new intake on it, but i don't know exactly what the clutch and transmission can handle. I know that this engine is somewhat the same as the newer civics, but again, i cant find all that information very easily. i would like to gets its power up to the 235-250 range for tq and hp but is that doable with its stock internals without going to crap in a year.
What kind of performance can the 2018 MT 1.5t handle?
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
Joined
·
1,596 Posts
1. Honda does sell a stock Accord with 252hp and 273 ft lb of torque. While the upcharge when you buy a new Accord is roughly $4000 between the 1.5t Sport or the 2.0t Sport, that difference is significantly reduced on the used market. A used 2018 Accord with the 2.0t engine is only a grand or two more than getting one with the 1.5t. Opting for that engine prevents you from having to deal with any warranty issues or worries about premature wear and tear on a 1.5t engine if you do modifications to it. It begs the question- if you wanted to drive an Accord with more than 235hp... why didn't you buy one that came that way?
2. Be aware that if you tune the engine and something does happen, you can't expect Honda to cover the cost of the repair under the 5yr/60k mile warranty. As soon as they realize that you've tuned the car, they will likely deny any warranty claims related to engine or transmission issues. There have been several threads that indicate that even if you return the ECU programming to stock, the dealer's computer can still see that you've modified the engine tuning, which will result in a denial of warranty coverage.
3. There are TONS of threads that have already answered the questions that you are asking... right here in the performance sub-forum. Just scroll down on Performance Sub-forum page and you'll see thread after thread that talks about different modifications.
4. Think of it this way... if Honda could have easily upgraded the HP and torque of the 1.5t engine to 235 while also ensuring the same level of reliability and durability... don't you think that they would have made every 1.5t Accord with those specs? Surely offering a base Accord with 235hp would increase sales... as it would be the most powerful base engine in the segment. (I don't think any competitors offer that much- but look it up to be sure).
In my opinion, if you want more power out of an Accord- sell your 1.5t and buy a used 2.0t and enjoy the fact that you won't void your warranty. If it's not possible, enjoy your 1.5t and put the money you would have spent on tuning in a bank account- and use it to upgrade to the engine that you actually want the next time you buy a car.
Normally i would tend to agree with you. In this situation buy the 1.5t was the best option because of the great deal I got on it. if the 2.0 was in that budget i would have jumped at the chance, but this was an engine with barely 25k and i knew the pervious owner. With those things in mind, a 2.0 wasn't really in the conversation.
The question still stands, does anybody know what this car can reliably handle?
The question still stands, does anybody know what this car can reliably handle?
Joined
·
659 Posts
I don't believe you're going to find a clear answer to that question, because most if not all who wanted that kind of power and MT went with the 2.0T. I can tell you just a tune and an intake won't get anywhere near the gains you're looking for.
Joined
·
3,039 Posts
Check the civic x forum, there more info there. It's all about how much $$$ you want to dump into it and how much reliability you want to retain.
Side track a bit here:
These Civic SI guys are pushing triple the boost pressure that I'm at for the same power figures even with big turbo. So I guess even for turbo motors, there no replacement for displacement.
Side track a bit here:
These Civic SI guys are pushing triple the boost pressure that I'm at for the same power figures even with big turbo. So I guess even for turbo motors, there no replacement for displacement.
Joined
·
1,596 Posts
What can that car reliably handle? 192hp and 192 ft lbs of torque. That's what Honda has tested and warrantied it for. You have to realize that you purchased a car with a 1.5 liter engine and a turbo. It's not designed by Honda to be fast. It's designed by Honda to be fuel efficient. Pushing a 1.5t engine by modifying the engine tuning is going to likely have an impact on your long-term reliability. That 1.5t is a tiny engine. It was designed by Honda to offer fuel economy... not quick 0-60 times.
You said that a 2.0t "wasn't in your budget". Is a replacement engine or transmission in your budget? You know what would be much more expensive than upgrading to a 2.0t? Blowing your engine and having a 3500lb glorified paperweight sitting in your driveway. You'd be amazed at how much Honda charges for for a new engine... despite it's tiny size. Rebuilding a blown engine isn't cheap either.
If you ignore logic and want to risk doing thousands of dollars of damage to your new investment, you can buy a Ktuner or Hondata and reprogram the ECU to give you more power- but it's probably not going to be the amount of power you want. By the way, the websites that sell those tuners have big disclaimers that basically say that if you screw up your car because of their product, they aren't responsible for the damage. That's never a good sign...
Save they money you would have spent on tuning, add to that savings each month, wait a few years, then trade in your 2018 for a 2020 with the 2.0t engine.
Joined
·
934 Posts
It can handle all of the performance.
You're definitely rolling the dice if you push more power than the engine is shipped with, but that doesn't mean it can't be perfectly reliable either.
Many Honda engines are regarded as overbuilt, and the L15B7 probably is as well. It shares so much with the bigger 2.0T engine. I would also check whether the tranny is the same as the bigger engine's.
I would check with a couple good Honda mechanics in your area and see what they think. I'm sure a bunch of kids screwed up their Hondas looking for more power and can give you good advice or talk you out of it.
Either way, good luck.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Many Honda engines are regarded as overbuilt, and the L15B7 probably is as well. It shares so much with the bigger 2.0T engine. I would also check whether the tranny is the same as the bigger engine's.
I would check with a couple good Honda mechanics in your area and see what they think. I'm sure a bunch of kids screwed up their Hondas looking for more power and can give you good advice or talk you out of it.
Either way, good luck.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
2020 Sport 2.0T 6MT Still Night Pearl 5500 km. '07 Accord EX-L I4 Nav 5MT sold.
Joined
·
360 Posts
As much as I love the torque and power of my 2.0T, if you gave me a fun twisty road and a 1.5T with a stick, I bet it would be a blast. Goodness, I had a blast with my naturally-aspirated 2.4L I4 in my '07 and while it had a lot of displacement for a 4, it didn't have anywhere near the torque that the 1.5T has.
What's the saying, more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow? Find a road where your "slow" car (which really isn't that slow) feels fast.
What's the saying, more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow? Find a road where your "slow" car (which really isn't that slow) feels fast.
Or save your money for a project car. Have a reliable daily driver and a warrior for the weekend. Best of both worlds without the anxiety of destroying a new car.
Joined
·
1,596 Posts
The problem is that although they can say that their products are "safe", none of these companies will pay a single cent to you if your car ends up needing repairs as a result of their products. Some of them offer warranties on the product they sell, but they all have clear disclaimers that release them from liability if their product causes damage to your car.
Many of them also advertise that their products offer "up to" a certain performance level, the key word is "up to". Technically their product could add 1hp and still be correct according to their claims. Are their some that offer real performance benefits- yep. Are they worth the risk of damaging your car? Nope. As soon as you plug it in and reprogram the ECU, you likely will void your powertrain warranty. Honda will be able to blame almost any problem on the reprogramming.
Ultimately, there's not much regulation over these companies- so they can say almost anything that they want. The reputable ones- Hondata and Ktuner- are likely reliable because they are established companies- but even they have dislaimers on their website that indicate that you're on your own once you buy their product. Hondata, for example, has a return policy of three days. Their website also says that if you make the foolish mistake of trying to sue them (which according to their website, you pretty much can't), you will be responsible for any damages and court costs- including any and all legal fees they incur as a result of your lawsuit.
Ktuner's website also clearly states that their products are for "off road research and development testing only". Ktuner doesn't seem to offer any actual warranty at all on their products. On the bottom of their website, they indicate that issues will be handled "case by case". In other words, you have no guarantee that they will support their products. Good luck trying to get them to pay for any damage their product causes to your car.
Again- both websites make lots of performance claims- but they both clearly state that their products will deliver "up to" those claims. Hondata indicates that their Stage 1 product can provide up to a 20-25hp / 20 ft lb of torque increase. Their Stage 2 is advertised as providing up to a 11hp / 40-50 ft lb of torque increase. Their state 3 is advertised as offering up to a 45hp / 60 ft lb of torque increase. Their website shows a graph of which part of the RPM range will offer you the increases in power. With Ktuner, they advertise the following increases (all labeled as "up to"): Stage 1: 30hp/38 ft lb of torque. Stage 2: 55hp / 58 ft lb of torque. There are a few other options that can theoretically push your engine even further.
But at what cost to reliability? Is Honda's tiny 1.5t engine really designed to perform at those levels? Are the engine and transmission components going to continue to operate reliably at those performance numbers?
So I ask the question again to the original poster. You indicated that your budget wouldn't allow you to buy a 2.0t. Will your budget cover an expensive repair or the replacement of your engine or transmission if you push your car past its limits?
Yes 100%.
I probably should have written performance tuning - not just the companies that make products but the people who use various products and build/tweak cars for competition... Hondata put out a video awhile back showing that they exceeded the capabilities of a CVT but IIRC, didn't provide any specs/details, dunno if they have done the same for a MT...
have a 2020 1.5 6mt accord , i flashed it for stage 3 and from diff
i have a 2020 1.5 6mt accord
Hondata flash, Lightweight rims & Firehawk indy 500 performance summer tires. Stage 3 alone will get you 230-240 hp and 280-290 trq but it will deffinitly waer out your clutch. I take it around the mountains in new jersey and its deffinitly a fun car it weigh 200/300 pounds less then the 2.0 and has plenty of power with max boost, a aftermarket clutch & lightweight rims. If you are looking for performance your best bet is a clutch, stage 3, intercooler, downpipe/frontpipe. Air intake can wait. Ona sidenotei believe the 0w20 is to thin if your going to have fun with your car, i use 0w30 amsoil signature.
Joined
·
489 Posts
The answer to the thread's title is simply: "how deep are your pockets?". Everything is a balancing act - more performance can definitely impact reliability. If you can't afford to have the engine explode, then you can't afford to modify it. I'm not trying to be a jerk, its just that its not worth it if its going to put you in a bad spot financially if you're on the hook for major repairs.
If not, turn up the boost. The stock turbo can only build so much boost given its small size, and I highly doubt the motor would let go prematurely - but, as I said, it's the risk you'll take that it might.
If not, turn up the boost. The stock turbo can only build so much boost given its small size, and I highly doubt the motor would let go prematurely - but, as I said, it's the risk you'll take that it might.
Joined
·
1,502 Posts
DM the folks on YouTube that have performance mods on their 1.5 with MT to better gauge the engine-transmissions capabilities. A lot of the Civic owners are running solid engine mods without any issues. Just remember tuning-modding cars always comes with trade-offs -- just understand how far you're comfortable going with them.
1 - 20 of 25 Posts
