Thanks for the write-up, great info. Have you done any other changes, such as plugs or thermostat?
Tune Comparison Unleashed vs Tuning by James
I just wanted to share my experience in difference of the tunes I got for my 2017 fusion sport. My car is bone stock, no changes other than the tune.
For anyone like me who knows nothing about cars, is not computer savvy, and just drives the car around town (not drag racing)- I still highly recommend tuning this car. The difference is night and day on a 93 tune, it is so much more fun to drive.
I got a 93 tune and an e30 tune from Unleashed with the sct X4 tuner. If I can do it anyone can. The e30 defintely pulls harder, especially above 50mph, but it's not the jump that stock to 93 is. It is noticeable and adds more fun for sure though. The mixing of 93 and e85 gas gets annoying, but it just depends on you if it's worth it.
I also have the 93 octane tune from Tuning by James, and just my 2cents I much prefer this tune. It's much smoother than the Unleashed tunes, smoother than stock even. The unleashed tunes I found to be a bit more aggressive/jerky than what I want for just daily driving a family car, and sometimes it just wasn't in the gear I wanted. The Unleashed shifting was too harsh for me, but it did make the paddle shifters usable if you're into that (I'm not).
That being said, I think the Unleashed with Torrie would be the way to go if you are drag racing and what to fine tune your performance. Torrie is wonderful, he gave me versions of the 93 and e30 with less aggressive/stock shifting behavior. They were equally smooth as stock, but did not feel as quick as the "regular" versions. I did not datalog and send anything back which I'm sure could have helped, I was just too lazy and I was curious to try another.
For daily driving Tuning by James is the way to go (to me). I dont know the numbers, but just on feel it seems to pull every bit as hard as unleashed in a more refined/smooth package better suited for daily driving. Transmission is just always where I want it.
Just stopwatch loosely timed 0-60 times seem to be high 4's for both 93 octane tunes. The unleashed e30 tune was probably more mid 4's, like I said these are just loose estimates. Stock I'd say was low 5's for comparison but really lost a step once you got above 40-50mph compared to any of the tunes.
I'll probably get an e30 tune from Tuning by James as well, but the 93 tune is excellent as is.
I've heart good things about Livernois, but have not tried them. So if you're new and wondering which tune to get, just one man's experience to help you choose.
All in all for someone with kids (need 4 doors) and on a budget that doesnt want to go luxury prices, this car is a steal. I thought about going Kia stinger gt, but for $15,000 less this car is a blast and the better value, especially tuned.
For anyone like me who knows nothing about cars, is not computer savvy, and just drives the car around town (not drag racing)- I still highly recommend tuning this car. The difference is night and day on a 93 tune, it is so much more fun to drive.
I got a 93 tune and an e30 tune from Unleashed with the sct X4 tuner. If I can do it anyone can. The e30 defintely pulls harder, especially above 50mph, but it's not the jump that stock to 93 is. It is noticeable and adds more fun for sure though. The mixing of 93 and e85 gas gets annoying, but it just depends on you if it's worth it.
I also have the 93 octane tune from Tuning by James, and just my 2cents I much prefer this tune. It's much smoother than the Unleashed tunes, smoother than stock even. The unleashed tunes I found to be a bit more aggressive/jerky than what I want for just daily driving a family car, and sometimes it just wasn't in the gear I wanted. The Unleashed shifting was too harsh for me, but it did make the paddle shifters usable if you're into that (I'm not).
That being said, I think the Unleashed with Torrie would be the way to go if you are drag racing and what to fine tune your performance. Torrie is wonderful, he gave me versions of the 93 and e30 with less aggressive/stock shifting behavior. They were equally smooth as stock, but did not feel as quick as the "regular" versions. I did not datalog and send anything back which I'm sure could have helped, I was just too lazy and I was curious to try another.
For daily driving Tuning by James is the way to go (to me). I dont know the numbers, but just on feel it seems to pull every bit as hard as unleashed in a more refined/smooth package better suited for daily driving. Transmission is just always where I want it.
Just stopwatch loosely timed 0-60 times seem to be high 4's for both 93 octane tunes. The unleashed e30 tune was probably more mid 4's, like I said these are just loose estimates. Stock I'd say was low 5's for comparison but really lost a step once you got above 40-50mph compared to any of the tunes.
I'll probably get an e30 tune from Tuning by James as well, but the 93 tune is excellent as is.
I've heart good things about Livernois, but have not tried them. So if you're new and wondering which tune to get, just one man's experience to help you choose.
All in all for someone with kids (need 4 doors) and on a budget that doesnt want to go luxury prices, this car is a steal. I thought about going Kia stinger gt, but for $15,000 less this car is a blast and the better value, especially tuned.
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You also need to do a few WOT and part-WOT runs with each flashing of the tune to get the transmission to shift properly. The older 6F55s didn't seem to need to do this. So when working on the newer 6F55s, it was frustrating to not see any change in the trans tuning after each flash, and repeating the insanity until someone mentioned this to me.
Very nice comparison. For someone like myself having no idea what to expect goin in this is super helpful making a decision on tuning options.
Very Helpful information Thanks for taking the time to put this out here. I have a 2019 FFS a tune sounds nice but don't want to take a chance that a tune could void warranty. I am surprised a tune would as it is just a software upgrade but I think it does void your warranty for any engine related issues.I just wanted to share my experience in difference of the tunes I got for my 2017 fusion sport. My car is bone stock, no changes other than the tune.
For anyone like me who knows nothing about cars, is not computer savvy, and just drives the car around town (not drag racing)- I still highly recommend tuning this car. The difference is night and day on a 93 tune, it is so much more fun to drive.
I got a 93 tune and an e30 tune from Unleashed with the sct X4 tuner. If I can do it anyone can. The e30 defintely pulls harder, especially above 50mph, but it's not the jump that stock to 93 is. It is noticeable and adds more fun for sure though. The mixing of 93 and e85 gas gets annoying, but it just depends on you if it's worth it.
I also have the 93 octane tune from Tuning by James, and just my 2cents I much prefer this tune. It's much smoother than the Unleashed tunes, smoother than stock even. The unleashed tunes I found to be a bit more aggressive/jerky than what I want for just daily driving a family car, and sometimes it just wasn't in the gear I wanted. The Unleashed shifting was too harsh for me, but it did make the paddle shifters usable if you're into that (I'm not).
That being said, I think the Unleashed with Torrie would be the way to go if you are drag racing and what to fine tune your performance. Torrie is wonderful, he gave me versions of the 93 and e30 with less aggressive/stock shifting behavior. They were equally smooth as stock, but did not feel as quick as the "regular" versions. I did not datalog and send anything back which I'm sure could have helped, I was just too lazy and I was curious to try another.
For daily driving Tuning by James is the way to go (to me). I dont know the numbers, but just on feel it seems to pull every bit as hard as unleashed in a more refined/smooth package better suited for daily driving. Transmission is just always where I want it.
Just stopwatch loosely timed 0-60 times seem to be high 4's for both 93 octane tunes. The unleashed e30 tune was probably more mid 4's, like I said these are just loose estimates. Stock I'd say was low 5's for comparison but really lost a step once you got above 40-50mph compared to any of the tunes.
I'll probably get an e30 tune from Tuning by James as well, but the 93 tune is excellent as is.
I've heart good things about Livernois, but have not tried them. So if you're new and wondering which tune to get, just one man's experience to help you choose.
All in all for someone with kids (need 4 doors) and on a budget that doesnt want to go luxury prices, this car is a steal. I thought about going Kia stinger gt, but for $15,000 less this car is a blast and the better value, especially tuned.
Hi dtd. Essentially, this is the way it works (short version): If you modify the factory engine/transmission tuning, via a "tune" or any other manner and have engine/transmission trouble, Ford can/will deny warranty claims for any issue that can be related to the tune, even if only remotely.related.Very Helpful information Thanks for taking the time to put this out here. I have a 2019 FFS a tune sounds nice but don't want to take a chance that a tune could void warranty. I am surprised a tune would as it is just a software upgrade but I think it does void your warranty for any engine related issues.
"Tunes" and other programming modifications leave traces, even if you remove the tune before bring your vehicle in for service. Ford, like all manufacturers, will only warranty the vehicle as it came off the assembly line, and will look for those traces, especially in the case of a major engine/transmission warranty claim. And it does not matter what the Dealership or a Tech may tell you. Even if the Dealer Service Department says they don't care about tunes, Ford does. And Ford makes the final decison on Warranty repairs. And on major issues (and sometimes even minor ones) Ford will usually have the vehicle checked by their own Techs, for traces of alterations. After all, they want to know what failed and why, so it can be avoided in the future.
And contrary to what some believe, the auto manufacturer does not have to prove the modification directly lead to the problem to deny a warranty claim. If they decide to deny a warranty claim, we have little recourse, other than taking them to court. And if you read the Warranty agreement in the Warranty Guide, you will see that damage/issues caused by tunes and similar modifications are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.
Does this mean Ford will catch every instance of tuning when there are warranty claims on a tuned vehicle? No. In fact, they may even catch only a minority (no statistics are published about this). But they will check, especially on major warranty issues.
My advice/opinion: If you care about your 3 year/36,000 mile New Car Warranty and 5 year/60,000 mile Powertrain Warranty, do not alter the PCM/ECM/TCM programming until those warranties have expired.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
bbf250, I kind of figured this I think I have seen it before appreciate the answer. To bad Ford did not offer a High Performance option as they do with the 2.3 ecoboost Mustang. You can get High out put motor and upgraded handling. That High Perfomance motor is supposed to move that Mustang to mid 4's 0-60. I even heard Ford may make a mustang sedan.Hi dtd. Essentially, this is the way it works (short version): If you modify the factory engine/transmission tuning, via a "tune" or any other manner and have engine/transmission trouble, Ford can/will deny warranty claims for any related issue.
"Tunes" and other programming modifications leave traces, even if you remove the tune before bring your vehicle in for service. Ford, like all manufacturers, only warranty the vehicle as it came off the assembly line, and will look for those traces, especially in the case of a major warranty claim. And it does not matter what the Dealership or a Tech may tel you. Even if they don't care, Ford does. And on major issues, Ford will usually have the vehicle checked by their own Techs, for traces of alterations. After all, they want to know what failed and why, so it can be avoided in the future.
And contrary to what some believe, the auto manufacturer does not have to prove the modification directly lead to the problem to deny a warranty claim. If they decide to deny a warranty claim, we have little recourse, other than taking them to court. And if you read the Warranty agreement in the Warranty Guide, you will see that damage/issues caused by tunes and similar modifications are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.
Does this mean Ford will catch every instance of tuning when there are warranty claims on a tuned vehicle? No. In fact, they may even catch only a minority (no statistics are published about this). But they will check, especially on major warranty issues.
My advice/opinion: If you care about your 3 year/36,000 mile New Car Warranty and 5 year/60,000 mile Powertrain Warranty, do not alter the PCM/ECM/TCM programming until those warranties have expired.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Oh I hope so!!!! That could, if they do it right, be a legitimate replacement for the FFS. Maybe.bbf250, I kind of figured this I think I have seen it before appreciate the answer. To bad Ford did not offer a High Performance option as they do with the 2.3 ecoboost Mustang. You can get High out put motor and upgraded handling. That High Perfomance motor is supposed to move that Mustang to mid 4's 0-60. I even heard Ford may make a mustang sedan.
I hope they make it, but enough with calling a non-mustang, a mustang.Oh I hope so!!!! That could, if they do it right, be a legitimate replacement for the FFS. Maybe.
Leave that name alone, call it something else. (how about Fusion)
The Ford Falcon sold so well it was discontinued. I doubt we'll see any Ford cars other than the Mustang for quite awhile.
They don't have to prove it, but it does have to be reasonable to think it contributed. A blown heater fan isn't likely to have been caused by a tune, so you'd have a pretty good case if they tried to deny that. Otherwise what is the point of the Magnuson-Moss Act?And contrary to what some believe, the auto manufacturer does not have to prove the modification directly lead to the problem to deny a warranty claim. If they decide to deny a warranty claim, we have little recourse, other than taking them to court. And if you read the Warranty agreement in the Warranty Guide, you will see that damage/issues caused by tunes and similar modifications are specifically excluded from warranty coverage.
Hi B_R. No harm in you mentioning that. However, we were not discussing blown heater fans, power windows, audio systems etc.They don't have to prove it, but it does have to be reasonable to think it contributed. A blown heater fan isn't likely to have been caused by a tune, so you'd have a pretty good case if they tried to deny that. Otherwise what is the point of the Magnuson-Moss Act?
I thought it was obvious we are discussing engine/transmission/powertrain issues only, when my reply clearly stated, "...for any issue that can be related to the tune, even if only remotely related" (my added bold and underline). And that Ford "...will look for those traces, especially in the case of a major engine/transmission warranty claim." And, that if you care about your warranty, "...do not alter the PCM/ECM/TCM programming until those warranties have expired." etc.
But again, no harm in mentioning it, if you felt all of that was not clear.
And while on the general subject of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: It does not offer near the amount of legal protection that many mistakenly think it does. For example, if we tint our side windows and later have trouble with the power windows, an auto manufacturer can deny a warranty claim for that power window, claiming the tint affected the fit of the window, added stress that lead to the motor failure etc (it has happened). If we modify the audio system, then an auto manufacturer can deny any warranty claims not only for the audio system, but also for the infotainment system that almost all new cars have nowadays (i.e SYNC), since the systems are all heavily interconnected.
And to make it clear...I am not saying these things will definitely happen if we modify our cars. I am only stating that warranty claim denials can happen and actually have happened in examples of every case I have mentioned.
So the information is not meant to tell anyone what to do with their own vehicles, it is only meant to warn my fellow vehicle owners who care about warranty coverage to think about the ramifications first, then make an informed decision.
Hope that makes my first reply more understandable. Good luck..
I must've skimmed too quickly and missed the "related to the tune" part of your reply. My bad.Hi B_R. No harm in you mentioning that. However, we were not discussing blown heater fans, power windows, audio systems etc.
I thought it was obvious we are discussing engine/transmission/powertrain issues only, when my reply clearly stated, "...for any issue that can be related to the tune, even if only remotely related" (my added bold and underline). And that Ford "...will look for those traces, especially in the case of a major engine/transmission warranty claim." And, that if you care about your warranty, "...do not alter the PCM/ECM/TCM programming until those warranties have expired." etc.
But again, no harm in mentioning it, if you felt all of that was not clear.
And while on the general subject of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act: It does not offer near the amount of legal protection that many mistakenly think it does. For example, if we tint our side windows and later have trouble with the power windows, an auto manufacturer can deny a warranty claim for that power window, claiming the tint affected the fit of the window, added stress that lead to the motor failure etc (it has happened). If we modify the audio system, then an auto manufacturer can deny any warranty claims not only for the audio system, but also for the infotainment system that almost all new cars have nowadays (i.e SYNC), since the systems are all heavily interconnected.
And to make it clear...I am not saying these things will definitely happen if we modify our cars. I am only stating that warranty claim denials can happen and actually have happened in examples of every case I have mentioned.
So the information is not meant to tell anyone what to do with their own vehicles, it is only meant to warn my fellow vehicle owners who care about warranty coverage to think about the ramifications first, then make an informed decision.
Hope that makes my first reply more understandable. Good luck..
Hi B_R. No harm done. The discussion actually helps to provide more information for everyone.I must've skimmed too quickly and missed the "related to the tune" part of your reply. My bad.
Good luck.
I'd love to add something beneficial...but I dont have a tuner. Anyone have one they would like to get rid of? Old is fine...dont really care.
Thanks a million for sharing your experience. Huge help for someone who is the same boat, in that I don't know jack about car tuning, though would love to dabble in it. Granted this thread has been quite for some time now, but what is the difference between the 93 and e30 tunes (for the tuning by James)? Didn't find too much online, but I was probably looking in the wrong spots.
Also, I'm assuming this is where people purchase it from? Or other sites?: SCT "Tuning by James" Tune
Also, I'm assuming this is where people purchase it from? Or other sites?: SCT "Tuning by James" Tune
I know it's not on the list, but:
HP Tuners if you really want to know what's going on, and learn how it all works. If you don't, then I've heard good things about both Unleashed and Tuning by James. But if you want to really get into it, HP Tuners is the way to go.
HP Tuners if you really want to know what's going on, and learn how it all works. If you don't, then I've heard good things about both Unleashed and Tuning by James. But if you want to really get into it, HP Tuners is the way to go.
I'm not sure I understand the question. One is for 93 pump gas, the other is for E30 mix...what is the difference between the 93 and e30 tunes
I'm in the middle. I want t know what all the tuning parameters are, but I don't want to chance changing them over my current unleashed tuneI know it's not on the list, but:
HP Tuners if you really want to know what's going on, and learn how it all works. If you don't, then I've heard good things about both Unleashed and Tuning by James. But if you want to really get into it, HP Tuners is the way to go.
(which is about as far as I want to push my DD). I do want to heavily mess with tran's tuning and maybe some nannies meant to
protect trans.
If it helps any, you can directly specify exactly what boost level, for example, you're comfortable with. That way you don't go over what your comfort zone is. On the other hand, you're very unlikely to ever see your current tune to use it as a reference, since the pro tuners always lock their tunes. I feel more comfortable with HP Tuners though because with a locked tune, you don't know what they're doing to your car.I'm in the middle. I want t know what all the tuning parameters are, but I don't want to chance changing them over my current unleashed tune
(which is about as far as I want to push my DD). I do want to heavily mess with tran's tuning and maybe some nannies meant to
protect trans.
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