Free WHP and mostly unknown computer tricks for 05+ Mustangs
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3rd Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 685
From: Chicago (South Loop)
Free WHP and mostly unknown computer tricks for 05+ Mustangs
OK, so the other day I ran into a friend who knows the 05+ Mustang inside and out. He has played around with the computer in our cars to no end, connecting and datalogging to his laptop constantly. Anyways, in the course of his experimenting, he found and confirmed the following procedures to gain some easy whp and performance without popping the hood. Best of all? They're free, and anyone can do them. OK, here goes:
1) This trick will give your car a lot firmer shifts if you have an auto, and wake up your car a bit if you're a manual. First step is disconnect the battery and let the car sit for 15 min or so, thereby resetting the computer and learning algorithm. Next, reconnect the battery. Get in the car, put your key in, and turn the key to the right almost all the way but do not start the car. Now, over the course of the next 10 seconds: for the first 5 seconds, slowly (and iI mean slowly) depress the gas pedal all the way to the floor. Now, during the next 5 seconds, slowly release the gas pedal until 10 seconds when the pedal should be fully released. Now in order for this to work, you must have your timing right - close won't do it (you must be within 1 second). What this does is reset the drive-by-wire mechanism, and resets the gas pedal so that if you have some lag when you floor it, now the power will be instant. The gas pedal will basically be much more responsive and power more instantaneous. This makes a much bigger difference in autos than manuals. This will work with 2005-2009 v6 and GTs and it probably (I'm not sure though) will work with custom tunes loaded.
2) This trick will give you about 15whp, give or take. After detaching the battery and letting it sit for 15 min, go ahead and reattach it. Get in your car, and turn the key almost all the way to the right - as far as you can without starting the car. Now, over the next 10 seconds, turn traction control off, then on, then off, then on...etc until you have turned it both off then on 9 times each (on must be the initial state, so if you have a tune that turns it off on startup, you can't do this procedure). After the 9th time, you *may* (not all cars do this for some reason) see either your T/C light in the dash or your T/C switch/button flash 1 or 3 times. After the flash (or if you don't see it, wait 1-2 seconds), turn the T/C off, then on, once more. What this does is set your computer programming into dev/test/aggressive mode - this was the mode used by the Ford engineers to test the limits of the engine and was originally designed to be the final programming. However, to cut back on gas requirements, and because this tune was too aggressive (!!!), this tune was dropped in favor of our current stock tune that is more gas friendly. If you do this mod, you won't notice a difference unless you have 91 or 93 octane in your tank, because otherwise it just reduces the power to the normal stock tune level if you are running regular 87 octane. However, if it detects 91 or 93 octane, it will bump up timing as much as it can safely resulting in a lot more whp. This may not work on 08/09 and probably works on 07. Def works on 05 and 06 v6/GT models. Oh, and if you're wondering why it doesn't come up on a list of included tunes on the ecu if you use a programmer? It's because it's made hidden in memory as part of the base/stock tune and therefore scanning/tuning devices only see the stock tune. I must warn you guys tho, that I don't think this will work if you have a custom tune since this tune is hidden inside of the stock one which you aren't running. Oh, and wanna hear something funny? I hear this tune, with a few mods for CAI, is the tune that the 2010 Mustang will run...how interesting...
3) Third, and most of you know this, is to disable the seatbelt warning chime. Turn the key in the car to on, but don't start the car (like in the other steps). Then, buckle and unbuckle your seatbelt 9 times each over 10 seconds. Now the seatbelt light will blink in your dash, and after that, buckle and unbuckle once more. This will permanently get rid of your seatbelt chime. This procedure can also be repeated on the passenger side, but both cannot be done at the same time. You must do one side first, turn off the car, and then do the other after putting the key back to the on position without starting it. Then both seatbelt warning systems will be permanently disabled :-D
Just thought you'd guy's appreciate this...I've tried #1 and #3 and they both work, but I haven't tried #2 yet. All I can say is that these hidden features are great!!! Let me know what ya'll think of them after you try them :-)
1) This trick will give your car a lot firmer shifts if you have an auto, and wake up your car a bit if you're a manual. First step is disconnect the battery and let the car sit for 15 min or so, thereby resetting the computer and learning algorithm. Next, reconnect the battery. Get in the car, put your key in, and turn the key to the right almost all the way but do not start the car. Now, over the course of the next 10 seconds: for the first 5 seconds, slowly (and iI mean slowly) depress the gas pedal all the way to the floor. Now, during the next 5 seconds, slowly release the gas pedal until 10 seconds when the pedal should be fully released. Now in order for this to work, you must have your timing right - close won't do it (you must be within 1 second). What this does is reset the drive-by-wire mechanism, and resets the gas pedal so that if you have some lag when you floor it, now the power will be instant. The gas pedal will basically be much more responsive and power more instantaneous. This makes a much bigger difference in autos than manuals. This will work with 2005-2009 v6 and GTs and it probably (I'm not sure though) will work with custom tunes loaded.
2) This trick will give you about 15whp, give or take. After detaching the battery and letting it sit for 15 min, go ahead and reattach it. Get in your car, and turn the key almost all the way to the right - as far as you can without starting the car. Now, over the next 10 seconds, turn traction control off, then on, then off, then on...etc until you have turned it both off then on 9 times each (on must be the initial state, so if you have a tune that turns it off on startup, you can't do this procedure). After the 9th time, you *may* (not all cars do this for some reason) see either your T/C light in the dash or your T/C switch/button flash 1 or 3 times. After the flash (or if you don't see it, wait 1-2 seconds), turn the T/C off, then on, once more. What this does is set your computer programming into dev/test/aggressive mode - this was the mode used by the Ford engineers to test the limits of the engine and was originally designed to be the final programming. However, to cut back on gas requirements, and because this tune was too aggressive (!!!), this tune was dropped in favor of our current stock tune that is more gas friendly. If you do this mod, you won't notice a difference unless you have 91 or 93 octane in your tank, because otherwise it just reduces the power to the normal stock tune level if you are running regular 87 octane. However, if it detects 91 or 93 octane, it will bump up timing as much as it can safely resulting in a lot more whp. This may not work on 08/09 and probably works on 07. Def works on 05 and 06 v6/GT models. Oh, and if you're wondering why it doesn't come up on a list of included tunes on the ecu if you use a programmer? It's because it's made hidden in memory as part of the base/stock tune and therefore scanning/tuning devices only see the stock tune. I must warn you guys tho, that I don't think this will work if you have a custom tune since this tune is hidden inside of the stock one which you aren't running. Oh, and wanna hear something funny? I hear this tune, with a few mods for CAI, is the tune that the 2010 Mustang will run...how interesting...
3) Third, and most of you know this, is to disable the seatbelt warning chime. Turn the key in the car to on, but don't start the car (like in the other steps). Then, buckle and unbuckle your seatbelt 9 times each over 10 seconds. Now the seatbelt light will blink in your dash, and after that, buckle and unbuckle once more. This will permanently get rid of your seatbelt chime. This procedure can also be repeated on the passenger side, but both cannot be done at the same time. You must do one side first, turn off the car, and then do the other after putting the key back to the on position without starting it. Then both seatbelt warning systems will be permanently disabled :-D
Just thought you'd guy's appreciate this...I've tried #1 and #3 and they both work, but I haven't tried #2 yet. All I can say is that these hidden features are great!!! Let me know what ya'll think of them after you try them :-)
Last edited by imyy4u; Dec 10, 2008 at 11:05 PM.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,083
From: Buffalo, NY
2) sounds exactly like what ford is doing w/ the 2010 like you mentioned at the end. Basicly instead of burying this programing they are letting the addaptive learning work at high octane levels. What I wonder is if you were to do this tuning trick w/ an aftermarket intake if it would still throw a code. While I don't know the size off hand the bullitt intake in the 2010, it is larger then the stock airbox in a 2005-2009.
seatbelt chime
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Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 7,635
From: state of confusion
