Ford Racing ProCal Tune

jbailer said:

I doubt it will work on your tablet. The operating system is what is important and even if it is a Windows tablet, they run a different version of Windows than a PC (same as a phone). In that case, just be sure you bring a flash drive with you and get them to give you the tune file. Also have them write down the account information they used and password. Better yet, even if you don't download the software, at least go in and create the account and give them the information to use.

Yes you can get a portion of your money back for your extended warranty. What they don't make clear is that the warranty you pay for starts depreciating the minute you sign the paper. Lets say you bought a 7 yr 100k extended warranty for $2k. You would think that if you had 3/36 B-B from the factory for free as part of your purchase, the extended warranty should start depreciating at 3/36. That isn't the case though and if you wait until 3/36 to cancel it, you'll only get a little over half your money back (applied to principal). So if you think you want to cancel it, it's best to decide as quickly as you can and do it as it is doing nothing for you before 3/36 and is just depreciating.

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Thanks, figured it wouldn't work with the tablet. Great idea on taking a flash drive with me for the install though. Would of never thought of that. I'll have to go talk to the finance dept at the dealer I bought from and see what type of number they give me on the extended warranty refund. I figured they would pro rate it from the time of the purchase, so I'm not expecting full price.

I bought a set of plugs here from Adam back in November when I was kicking around the idea of buying a tune from him, but ultimately wussed out cause of my warranty fears. Would his plugs still be beneficial to run with the FP tune though?

Also as far as aftermarket IC, if you install one, and have to take the car in on a warranty issue, wouldn't it be as simple as reinstalling the factory IC before you take it in, or can they tell it was tampered with?

Mike-Honcho said:

Thanks, figured it wouldn't work with the tablet. Great idea on taking a flash drive with me for the install though. Would of never thought of that. I'll have to go talk to the finance dept at the dealer I bought from and see what type of number they give me on the extended warranty refund. I figured they would pro rate it from the time of the purchase, so I'm not expecting full price.

I bought a set of plugs here from Adam back in November when I was kicking around the idea of buying a tune from him, but ultimately wussed out cause of my warranty fears. Would his plugs still be beneficial to run with the FP tune though?

Also as far as aftermarket IC, if you install one, and have to take the car in on a warranty issue, wouldn't it be as simple as reinstalling the factory IC before you take it in, or can they tell it was tampered with?

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I had those same plugs and from my experience, I would say no. When your running the car cooler than the rating of the plug, they will get a carbon build up fairly quick and foul. FP did the tuning with the stock plugs and that's what they recommend. The only time I'd recommend going to a cooler plug is if you're really racing the car where you're beating on it hard most of the time. But if you're doing that and experienced, you're checking your plugs regularly anyways. You can tell by the visible condition of the plugs if you need to be running a cooler plug or not.

As for the FMIC, yes, you could always put your factory FMIC back in before taking it to the dealer. However as I mentioned above, changing the intercooler shouldn't be a concern for the dealer. It is improving the operational efficiency of the vehicle and if anything is safety for the engine by reducing the charge air temps. As I mentioned, this is always something better discussed ahead of time though. My dealer didn't care about the FMIC, intake or catback.

jbailer said:

I had those same plugs and from my experience, I would say no. When your running the car cooler than the rating of the plug, they will get a carbon build up fairly quick and foul. FP did the tuning with the stock plugs and that's what they recommend. The only time I'd recommend going to a cooler plug is if you're really racing the car where you're beating on it hard most of the time. But if you're doing that and experienced, you're checking your plugs regularly anyways. You can tell by the visible condition of the plugs if you need to be running a cooler plug or not.

As for the FMIC, yes, you could always put your factory FMIC back in before taking it to the dealer. However as I mentioned above, changing the intercooler shouldn't be a concern for the dealer. It is improving the operational efficiency of the vehicle and if anything is safety for the engine by reducing the charge air temps. As I mentioned, this is always something better discussed ahead of time though. My dealer didn't care about the FMIC, intake or catback.

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Got ya, again thanks for the info. Like I said I'm no racecar driver. I just like to drive a little spirited and aggressive when the environment and lack of local authorities allow. I just want the most out this car as it's my first sports car. I love it as is and am really happy with it a year in. Can't wait to see how much more I enjoy it with this tune. With that said I'm really leaning towards installing a aftermarket FMIC for the tune. What recommendations do you suggest for just getting the most of the car as a casual enthusiast? Also does it matter if I get the FMIC before or after the tune?

Mike-Honcho said:

Got ya, again thanks for the info. Like I said I'm no racecar driver. I just like to drive a little spirited and aggressive when the environment and lack of local authorities allow. I just want the most out this car as it's my first sports car. I love it as is and am really happy with it a year in. Can't wait to see how much more I enjoy it with this tune. With that said I'm really leaning towards installing a aftermarket FMIC for the tune. What recommendations do you suggest for just getting the most of the car as a casual enthusiast? Also does it matter if I get the FMIC before or after the tune?

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When I got my FMIC, I had completely different plans. Coming from an S197 where I doubled the factory HP and ran the piss out of it for quite a while with no issues, I hoped to do the same with this car. With the FMIC being the weakest link I upgraded that first. It makes no difference if you upgrade it before or after. I went right to a BIG FMIC and did it very early on. Having it to do over, I think I would just get what I call a stick FMIC, one with the factory shape, mounts in the factory location rather than the big monster FMIC I got that blocks half of the radiator. I haven't really followed the market for FMICs since I bought my ATM FMIC so I probably wouldn't be a good one to make a recommendation. From what I've seen though, EVERY aftermarket FMIC was better than stock which is just really bad.

I probably drive a lot like you. I will never race the car, especially not on the street. Most of the time I drive normal although probably a little faster than most and probably take off a bit quicker. When I get off on a back road that I know and the conditions are right, I let her rip. I have a long list of Steeda suspension mods I've done to the car that is almost exactly what Steeda has done with their ecoboost race car. To me the suspension mods are way better than the power improvement. The car already has a fair amount of power from the factory. The tune just makes it that much better by filling in the power on the top end where it was dead and improving the shifting.

Joe, where can I find some info on your suspension mods? Thanks in advance!

Kennyg said:

Joe, where can I find some info on your suspension mods? Thanks in advance!

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Just check the suspension section of the Steeda online store. Pretty sure he's installed all of it!!

:cheers:

Damn, dude at the FP approved dealership quoted me 4 hour labor for the CAI and Tune. That sound right to anyone else? Figured maybe 2 hours tops.

Just had mine installed by the dealership, it took approximately 2 hours to complete. I called two separate dealers and they both quoted me 2 hours for installation...

Your dealer is trying to shaft you. You could do the entire thing yourself in 1 hour if you've done a CAI/Tune before (provided your Tuner is up to date etc)

Kennyg said:

Joe, where can I find some info on your suspension mods? Thanks in advance!

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Steeda Progressive Springs
Steeda Billet Rear Spring Spacers 1/8"
Steeda Fixed Valve Pro Action Shocks + Struts
Steeda Billet Aluminum Shock Mounts
Steeda Adjustable Bumpstop Kit
Steeda Front + Rear Sway Bars w/Billet Mounts
Steeda S550 Mustang Adjustable Swaybar Endlinks
Steeda Extreme G-Trac K-Member Brace
Steeda IRS Subframe Bushing Support System
Steeda Urethane Differential Mount Bushing System (red)
Steeda IRS Subframe Braces
Steeda IRS Subframe Alignment Kit
Steeda Billet Aluminum Vertical Links
Steeda Adjustable Rear Toe Links
Steeda Bumpsteer Kit
Steeda Ultralite Chassis Jacking Rails
Ford Performance Strut Bar
Ford Performance Knuckle to Toe Link Bearing

Mike-Honcho said:

Damn, dude at the FP approved dealership quoted me 4 hour labor for the CAI and Tune. That sound right to anyone else? Figured maybe 2 hours tops.

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LOL WAY too much! Installing the intake took me about 35 minutes. Flashing the tune took almost 16 minutes exactly.

To me it sounds like they have no idea how to do it so they are just throwing that out there to get you to fund their learning.

Mike-Honcho said:

Damn, dude at the FP approved dealership quoted me 4 hour labor for the CAI and Tune. That sound right to anyone else? Figured maybe 2 hours tops.

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2 hours for all of it is reasonable. You might want to see if they are ok with you installing the intake yourself, it's very easy. Another recommendation is print out the installation instructions so they can see what is involved. It will take them a little longer because since you don't have a laptop, they will need to download and install the software and download the tune. Others had that done before they went in. I could see them charging 1 hour for the intake (will take a little less I'm sure). Then another hour for the tune and counting download time plus reading and interpreting, it will probably take about that long.

Damn, I guess I will have to look around more. I thought that sounded pretty inflated. Unforutantely I don't have the garage or skills to do it, plus I don't want any issues with the warranty.

Need some help/advise!

I ordered a FP Calibration Kit for my EcoBoost and will hopefully receive it on Monday. If I understand the FP warranty terms right the installation has to be done by an authorized FP dealership or by an ASE certified technician.

Questions:

1. Where can I find out if my local Ford dealership is an "authorized FP dealer"?
2. Is it possible to get it installed from an ASE certified technician for free (because he is a friend) and get a confirmation letter to keep the warranty?

Thanks in advance!