Hello. We just bought a '15 Explorer Sport. It seems that we can get better acceleration without using wide open throttle in Drive. This changes slightly when using the paddle shifters, in any case not revving over 5500. I know it's a torquey engine, but was wondering if we may be experiencing an issue. I haven't timed an 1/8 or 1/4 mile, it's just how it feels when we accelerate. Any insight would be appreciated.

Welcome to the community, RockyMtn, congrats on the '15 XSport   I am sure our members will chime in soon, but there is a possibility that what you are seeing is the OEM transmission logic at work.  A bit "sloppy" by design.  Usually, a tune spruces things right up.  5500 rpms rev limit sounds about right for a stock engine, 6000-6200 rpms for a tuned engine.  "Sand Mode" (if they still have it) helps you get going faster, but not sure how it helps down the line.

We also need plenty of pix to determine if you picked one of the "slower" colors FMC has to offer

Welcome.  My '14 E Sport was decidedly lackluster in performance the first few days I drove it, I think I started a thread similar to yours asking where the power was   It did get a bit more spry with the adaptive nature of the engine/trans presumably because I am a heavyfoot driver.  But what it really needed for true night and day difference was the tune. AI went with LMS because I thought they were the only players in the tune game but there are at least 4-5 reputable companies creating smiles on EcoBoost driver's faces

Have you tried disconnecting the battery for 15 min or so?  Also there is the accelerator pedal reset procedure that might help... Posted here somewhere I believe.

Thanks for the feedback everyone! This bad boy has about 4000 miles on it, will a tune void my factory warranty?

Bottom line on the tune is... Yes it will void your warranty if the issue is pressed. However, a good dealer/service department has allowed me to avoid the issue for 2 year so far. I do flash back to stock and replace the 2BAR MAP for any dealer visits (15 min tops).
Ultimately it is the price paid to play.  Most dealers can tell if the OBDII has been accessed and when, but to find out what was done... (it could just have been a diagnostic read at home or AutoZone, etc)... requires more sophisticated software, which FMC has of course.  Also, they should not be able to void the entire warranty...just powertrain. If you pressed the issue, the presence of a tune alone can only void the warranty, by rule of law, by showing that any failure was due to the tune... That said, FMC has a large group of lawyers on retainers and litigation is truly the spot of kings...see the bottom line above.

Personal feelings... IMHO: Tuning is the way to go and worth potential grief as long as you stay with one of the two experience tuners.... not that others can't do it... but several years tuning the same car I have without blowing up and engine and using shop owned SHOs speaks volumes to me. If you tune you'll never look back!

Quote from: RockyMtnEcoBoost on August 15, 2015, 01:04:05 PM
Thanks for the feedback everyone! This bad boy has about 4000 miles on it, will a tune void my factory warranty?

As above.  A reputable tuning company is a must.  Return to stock tune when taking in to service.  After service, check for updates in strategy, and if you see that the dealer has upodated, have your tuner also update the tune prior to reinstallation.

Agreed with the others... Just tune it, and don't look back. You won't regret it. Stock is disappointing compared to tuned. It's that much better.

Welcome to the board from the crew here at Livernois Motorsports!

As others have mentioned here, the truck will gradually learn the way you drive.  I have noticed also that they pick up performance and fuel economy typically when stock as they are driven more.  A tune would make you really appreciate the twin turbo v6 that is under the hood of that beast though, no doubt about it.  Our initial response from most customers is something similar to "this is the way it should have performed from the factory".

Feel free to give us a shout if there is anything we can do to help you wake up that new ExSport.

With a tune you barely press the gas anymore  in day to day driving including merging. If your not into doing shorter intervals on your fluids throughout then tuning your ride probably isn't for you. I recommend dataloging through torque before you tune it.

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I took the X to Bandimere, Denver drag strip, for test and tune night. Ran a best 15.3 with a full tank of gas and the wife in the passenger seat. Sand mode made the 2nd pass .3 slower with a .4 improvement in RT. I now have a K&N cold air intake installed and can feel a difference. I will keep you posted on my times this Wednesday night. There were a couple guys there with Taurus SHOs running mid 13s at 5800' elevation! That's pretty impressive for up here in the clouds!

Those guys are on here, panther just posted up a Bandi thread.  They are all tuned.

You'll be in the low 14's with just a tune at mile high.

Hey welcome to the forum.  It was nice to meet you and your wife up at the track. What octane fuel did you have in the car?  Did you catch what the silver explorer sport did for time? He said he fill up with race gas.

what is the strategy code and where do I get it when looking to get a tune?


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Quote from: USMCSHO341 on August 23, 2015, 11:22:29 AM
what is the strategy code and where do I get it when looking to get a tune?


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The tuner hardware itself will be able to retrieve the SC even without a tune to load.  Your tuner will want this code so he can then build you a tune that will match. It is primarily important when you flash back to stock for dealer visits and after each visit needs to be checked to see if they updated your ECU ... Think of it as a software version number.