Well, I'm officially the first HPD Supercharged CR-Z out in the wild. Ironically, that gets me serial number 002, since the 001 kit was the one used on the development car at HPD. Looks like I'll be alone for a while longer too, since my experience has uncovered confusion within Honda as to when this kit was supposed to be ready. Short answer: not yet. In fact, I was told I'm not even supposed to have mine! :mellow:
EDIT: for those of you reading this who are doing your own installations, I've posted some installation tips that might help. Here's a direct link:
http://www.crzforum.com/forum/744833-post88.html
Got my kit (along with the HPD exhaust) from Paul at CHH. Received the big boxes in only a few days, no hint of trouble. I took inventory of the boxes (not closely enough, in hindsight), then began the install to be spread out over a week of evenings.
First problem was that the kit did not have a pre-paid shipping box for the ECU to go to HPD for reflash. No problem I thought, I'll just call HPD and get their address. That began a 2 day back and forth with them on the one hand saying they can't take it from me (dealerships only), then when I tried to have Paul send it in for me he couldn't get the address or shipping label either, then magically someone at HPD just said ok I could send it. So off it went.
As my install progressed I got to the point where I was to install a custom bracket for the SC traction fluid reservoir. Not in any of my boxes, so mild panic set in. I kept thinking: Could I have thrown it out by accident? .... I could have sworn I saw it a few days ago! ... This kept me up most of the night before I called Paul and also inquired with HPD directly about getting one out to me.
About then my ECU arrived for reflash at HPD headquarters and suddenly I was on the radar with the CR-Z development team. None other than Philip LaPointe (Chief Engineer on the HPD CR-Z dev team) contacted me to (1) congratulated me for being their first CR-Z SC customer and (2) to say he'd look into why I was missing parts. A day later I had my answer - The bracket doesn't exist yet, the kit should not have been released and I never should have received one.
Here's where Philip is my hero - he said I could wait a couple weeks for them to finish manufacturing of the brackets or he could send me one of the prototypes that they had left over from development testing. Guess which one I picked? :thumbsup:
Ok, I finish the install and everything looks good. Nothing left to do but start 'er up and feel the power! So I do the priming procedure on the SC and turn the key... and my stomach sinks. The car barely runs, check engine light flashes, message center flashing every warning imaginable - it's automotive doomsday. I read the codes in Dash Command a see a cylinder 3 misfire. Another 2 hours of tearing down what I had just built and I find the culprit: one of the high flow injectors I installed with the kit is stuck closed. A couple of hard whacks on my work bench frees it up, so back on goes the fuel rail and I'm 100% once again. And this time... it runs just fine.
I've only been around the block in it a couple times, and Rotrex says to give it about 60 miles to break in before really getting on it, so I'll follow up later with some driving impressions on boost. I will say that under normal driving my MPG is unchanged, which is great. The only minor issue I now have is that I seem to have developed a resonance buzz around 3200 rpm that I have to track down and fix. Oh, and anyone who tries to combine the HPD exhaust with a cat delete - don't! It is waaaay loud (and not in a good way), they definitely designed that exhaust with the contribution of the 2nd cat in mind.
Now some pics...
My dash placard:
My handiwork:
Custom die cut decal I had made just for the occasion:
Build summary:
EDIT: for those of you reading this who are doing your own installations, I've posted some installation tips that might help. Here's a direct link:
http://www.crzforum.com/forum/744833-post88.html
Got my kit (along with the HPD exhaust) from Paul at CHH. Received the big boxes in only a few days, no hint of trouble. I took inventory of the boxes (not closely enough, in hindsight), then began the install to be spread out over a week of evenings.
First problem was that the kit did not have a pre-paid shipping box for the ECU to go to HPD for reflash. No problem I thought, I'll just call HPD and get their address. That began a 2 day back and forth with them on the one hand saying they can't take it from me (dealerships only), then when I tried to have Paul send it in for me he couldn't get the address or shipping label either, then magically someone at HPD just said ok I could send it. So off it went.
As my install progressed I got to the point where I was to install a custom bracket for the SC traction fluid reservoir. Not in any of my boxes, so mild panic set in. I kept thinking: Could I have thrown it out by accident? .... I could have sworn I saw it a few days ago! ... This kept me up most of the night before I called Paul and also inquired with HPD directly about getting one out to me.
About then my ECU arrived for reflash at HPD headquarters and suddenly I was on the radar with the CR-Z development team. None other than Philip LaPointe (Chief Engineer on the HPD CR-Z dev team) contacted me to (1) congratulated me for being their first CR-Z SC customer and (2) to say he'd look into why I was missing parts. A day later I had my answer - The bracket doesn't exist yet, the kit should not have been released and I never should have received one.
Here's where Philip is my hero - he said I could wait a couple weeks for them to finish manufacturing of the brackets or he could send me one of the prototypes that they had left over from development testing. Guess which one I picked? :thumbsup:
Ok, I finish the install and everything looks good. Nothing left to do but start 'er up and feel the power! So I do the priming procedure on the SC and turn the key... and my stomach sinks. The car barely runs, check engine light flashes, message center flashing every warning imaginable - it's automotive doomsday. I read the codes in Dash Command a see a cylinder 3 misfire. Another 2 hours of tearing down what I had just built and I find the culprit: one of the high flow injectors I installed with the kit is stuck closed. A couple of hard whacks on my work bench frees it up, so back on goes the fuel rail and I'm 100% once again. And this time... it runs just fine.
I've only been around the block in it a couple times, and Rotrex says to give it about 60 miles to break in before really getting on it, so I'll follow up later with some driving impressions on boost. I will say that under normal driving my MPG is unchanged, which is great. The only minor issue I now have is that I seem to have developed a resonance buzz around 3200 rpm that I have to track down and fix. Oh, and anyone who tries to combine the HPD exhaust with a cat delete - don't! It is waaaay loud (and not in a good way), they definitely designed that exhaust with the contribution of the 2nd cat in mind.
Now some pics...
My dash placard:
My handiwork:
Custom die cut decal I had made just for the occasion:
Build summary:
- HPD Supercharger
- HPD Center Exit Exhaust with HPD Rear Diffuser
- HPD Sport Suspension
- T1R Blue Wide Angle Mirrors
- Android Tablet Display running DashCommand
- aFe High Flow Dry Air Intake Filter
- Shorai LFX21L6 LiFePo4 12v battery
- Replica Mugen Alloy Pedal Set
- White LED Interior Lights
- Center Brake Light Modulator
- Kosei K4R 17x7 Wheels
- Michelin Pilot Super Sport 215/45ZR-17 Tires
- FIC 5mm Hubcentric Wheel Spacers
- BLOX Racing Magnetic Oil and Transmission Drain Plugs