[NCDesmo]

I haven't been able to test drive a Sport (yet ) but wondered what types of gauges are available. Is there a boost gauge? If not has anyone used a OBD II type boost gauge to see how much boost it is building? If so, how much boost?

 

[Wildcat Birdie]

I haven't heard of anything yet, but it will probably be something that will show up eventually.

 

[twice]

On a side note, a good tuner makes more power through other means than just upping boost. My dynotuned SHO pulled a 12.527 @ 109.75 with just downpipes and that was with a . I am realistically thinking the Sport is capable of the same.[/QUOTE]

Considering a stock 5.0 at 430 hp is hard pressed to break 13........ gotta think that's a little optimistic I hate to say.

Sport so far is clocked at 14 for 1/4. Long way to go to get 12.5.

 

[Donjohnk]

If tuning the Sport is anything like the ST, timing, boost and fueling... ive seen 30-40 hp increase just adding e85 mix ratio


Have you guys ever tuned with e85? My Speed made great numbers running a 33% mix ratio.

 

[BOT_ROCKET]

If tuning the Sport is anything like the ST, timing, boost and fueling... ive seen 30-40 hp increase just adding e85 mix ratio


Have you guys ever tuned with e85? My Speed made great numbers running a 33% mix ratio.

The Sport isn't a flex fuel vehicle from the factory. Can fuel flexibility by tuned into a car or is there another factor that prevents us from using e85?

 

[drbob1]

The Sport isn't a flex fuel vehicle from the factory. Can fuel flexibility by tuned into a car or is there another factor that prevents us from using e85?

My understanding is that E85 is much more corrosive to plastics than gasoline, and therefore you can't run E85 in a car not spec'd for it...

 

[Kevin74]

My understanding is that E85 is much more corrosive to plastics than gasoline, and therefore you can't run E85 in a car not spec'd for it...

No you can't tune a car to run e85.

HOWEVER, what donjohnk is referring to is running a mixture of e85 and say 93. As you will see when filling up next time is the Sport is rated to have as much as 15% ethanol. E85 is as it's name implies 85% ethanol. I have not done this personally, but the idea is to get the octane as high as you can without causing damage to the car, and running a tune that takes advantage of said octane. It is done with great success in the Focus ST.

 

[elronino]

I'd like to see a tune (custom maybe) put together for some 100 octane race gas.... I do have access to a station that has it on the pump.

Would be fun if you were headed to the track/strip... or just want to blow some $$ tooling around.

 

[JaredC01]

So a bit more on-topic with the thread title... Has anyone looked into any way to mount an aftermarket gauge or two? I like the A-pillar's being out of the way, but at the same time, this car is a family sedan first and a sport's car second - I don't want to have a gauge pod on my A-pillar if I can avoid it.

I've considered making use of the cubby down below for a tablet and Torque, but apparently the numbers are a bit off. Anyone come up with any other ideas for where to mount a gauge or two?

 

[BOT_ROCKET]

I know that older cars with rubber fuel lines couldnt run alcohol because alcohol dries out the rubber lines and o rings, but i doubt there is much in a new car that is going to dry out from alcohol. I thought the limitation in new cars was simply whether or not they were built to adjust for the extra fuel needed.

 

[jayson]

So a bit more on-topic with the thread title... Has anyone looked into any way to mount an aftermarket gauge or two? I like the A-pillar's being out of the way, but at the same time, this car is a family sedan first and a sport's car second - I don't want to have a gauge pod on my A-pillar if I can avoid it.

I've considered making use of the cubby down below for a tablet and Torque, but apparently the numbers are a bit off. Anyone come up with any other ideas for where to mount a gauge or two?

I feel like a boost gauge should be something that can be programmed into the dash in time. The car already has a MAP sensor that it is reading from, its just a matter of someone doing some custom programming to add another display option for boost parameters.

 

[JaredC01]

I feel like a boost gauge should be something that can be programmed into the dash in time. The car already has a MAP sensor that it is reading from, its just a matter of someone doing some custom programming to add another display option for boost parameters.

If that can be done, it'll be awesome. I have a PolarFIS gauge on my VW that I'll be pulling off before I send the car back, it showed every parameter I could have ever wanted displayed, including boost. If someone can manage to find a way to add it to the Fusion, I would be incredibly happy. As it is, the only options I have on the right display are Phone and Enetertainment. Give me one for Gauges and I'm good!

 

[falkin42]

In my mind the whole point of a digital instrument cluster is so that I can have the exact gauges I want. I don't need a huge tach on an automatic, but I'd prefer to have things like oil temperature and/or pressure as gauges rather than just as a warning light. Customization.

 

[Donjohnk]

The Sport isn't a flex fuel vehicle from the factory. Can fuel flexibility by tuned into a car or is there another factor that prevents us from using e85?

any car can be tuned with E85. I know in the mazdaspeed community almost every car being tuned by proper people are making great #'s.
I dyno'd 275 hp on 93 octane, i used a 33% 3/9 mixture of E85 and made 310 WHP 340 Trq.

 

[BOT_ROCKET]

any car can be tuned with E85. I know in the mazdaspeed community almost every car being tuned by proper people are making great #'s.
I dyno'd 275 hp on 93 octane, i used a 33% 3/9 mixture of E85 and made 310 WHP 340 Trq.

thats not what i meant. i know the potential e85 has to make power. i was inquiring about the reason the Sport isnt rated for higher than 15% alcohol. I thought it might be a matter of tuning the fuel delivery for the additional fuel, upgrading the injectors, or if there are in fact parts in the system that will be damaged by alcohol.

 

[Donjohnk]

thats not what i meant. i know the potential e85 has to make power. i was inquiring about the reason the Sport isnt rated for higher than 15% alcohol. I thought it might be a matter of tuning the fuel delivery the additional fuel, upgrading the injectors, or if there are in fact parts in the system that will be damaged by alcohol.

i gotcha. From what people told me and my tuner told me there wont be any issues with it at the % i was using.

 

[Kevin74]

My 93 Octane is "up to 10%" alcohol. I have no choice. If I could get 93 @ 0% I would run that.

I was thinking about this, because if our normal fuel is up to 10% ethanol that only gives us 5% more ethanol to play with if we want to stay within Ford's guidelines so to speak. Not sure that would allow a mixture of e85 high enough to warrant bothering with it in the first place. (e85 being 100-105 octane depending on season/location)

The guy that sold me my Sport drove a FoSt with a tune for e85 mixture. He said he would just put in 2 gallons for every tank of gas.

Maybe with a few upgrades we could get around the e15 max issue, but not knowing where exactly the issues are makes this difficult. It is possible the limit is purely due to the ecu calibration (resolved with tune) or could more serious such as hardware failure.

Thoughts?

 

[BOT_ROCKET]

I mathed it out, an 3 gallons of 85% alcohol with 12 gallons of gas puts you at 17%, assuming i mathed it right. Assuming you are getting 85% in your e85 and it has the full 105 octane its supposed to, you're only getting about 3 octaves (thats the word im using and there's nothing you can do about it) when mixed with 91 proof.

Thats making assumptions tho. The reality of e85 is that its rarely 85% corn. Apparently tests have shown 55-75% and 94-96 octane to be more common.

Im planning to get the most out of 91 proof I can and call it good.

 

[a351must2]

There are no sensors that will give you accurate boost readings. All methods of measuring ie: Torque Pro, etc. are calculated by reading a number of sensors and computing. The only way to get a true boost read is by tapping the charge pipe. Like in between the IC and TB. Or, maybe the right vac line. One thing programs like Torque will do, is tell you about how much more boost you tune is giving you. One more thing. You will be boosting more or less depending on the ambient temps.

The MAP sensor absolutely will give you an accurate boost reading, even in the Torque app. MAP = Manifold Absolute Pressure and is a primary input for calculating injector duty cycle based on the air pressure in the intake manifold...it has to be accurate for the EFI to accurately calculate fuel requirements.


Boost changing with ambient temp also may or may not be true depending on the type of boost controller. I've never noticed variation on my older turbo cars though and they always had manual boost controllers. Electronic boost control lets you choose a desired psi and the computer will try to maintain that psi based off the MAP readings.

 

[NCDesmo]

Wow, this has all been enlightening!

This came about from the need that when my beautiful significant other asks why my otherwise sensible looking car costs so much I can say "see that gauge? .....", and from my WRX inclined offspring wondering how much.

I am a little disappointed that there isn't the option to add some kind of gauge, blinking lights, spinning arrows or foghorn alert announcing the impending jump to warp. You know, for the kiddies to enjoy.