Ford Ecoboost tuning options

[gte]

It appears that the Ford Ecoboost tuning market is a bit of an oligopoly. I have zero interest in owning a car that I cannot tune and would like to explore all options before I get rid of the car.

It's a 2.3 Ecoboost in a Focus and from what I've gathered there are only a few options available. This is also my first ecoboost/torque management car, but I've tuned stand alones before. It doesn't appear that there are any HPT or SCT training classes to help shorten the learning curve either, I have heard that a few are coming.

Cobb
HPT
SCT
Dimsport Mygenius

Am I missing any other options besides Livernois (not interested)?

Cobb is out, because they don't allow anyone that isn't a protuner (9 to 5 automotive shop) to work with the software.

HPT - it seems their support for this engine/ecu is limited, as moving the values from a Cobb base tune to an HPT stock file (and using the compare feature to verify) had the car running terrible and not even idling well. There are no generic baseline files to tweak either. You also cannot share maps with HPT, which doesn't make sense to me but if they say you cannot, then I won't.

SCT - does not have a demo of the pro racer software for me to see the exposed features for the ECU to make sure I'm not going backwards with exposed tables, like it appears the HPT had me do. I don't believe there are any generic baseline files for this either. I do not know if you can share maps with this software either?



What other options are there? Is there a stand alone that I can use that can control the high pressure fuel pump and other features?

My list of wants/needs in order of importance are

1.) Can tune myself without dependence on anyone
2.) All tables exposed properly and thoroughly
3.) Training available to shorten my learning curve
4.) The ability to give my maps to others and have them load them into their vehicle
5.) Phone support
6.) Ease of use
7.) Cost


Thanks

[Bugasu]

HPT is perfectly capable of tuning a Focus RS. The tables you need are there, and well defined, and a few have already done so successfully.
You as well can give your maps to whomever you want and they can view them, save them to their interface, etc. Nothing is stopping you from sharing a map. As well, you can save others maps to your own car with a strategy swap (or if its the same strategy, just saving it to your VIN). It's pretty straightforward.

Generic base-line files? You mean like the stock tune? You should be able to read that from your vehicle. If you mean a tune that gets you out the door and running, that's what you create.

As for learning materials, there aren't many. The Ecoboost is one of the most complex ECUs to tune out there. Limits at every corner. You can't expect anyone to hold your hand through it all quite yet, as most had to stumble through it and figure it out, and may not even have a grasp of why their changes worked or not yet. I don't think you'll find any training material, as the tuners who really have it down pat are keeping it to themselves.

Also what kind of support are you looking for? They do support their software pretty well, and try to add things as they can, but they don't have 100 people working on it, just a handful. If you're looking for support on tuning, they may or may not be able to help. They support software, not your individual tuning style or technique. They're not there to give you a good base spark map, because that's your job.

You pretty much listed all the options short of writing your own software to tune and learning the Ecoboost on your own. The people of this forum try to help out when they can, and you'll find plenty of good information here that can help you get started on tuning, but you can't expect them to walk you through every step.

[gte]

Hi,

I will give you an example. I borrowed a friends HPT and looked at the features, for example a launch control RPM value and I do not see that? I emailed HPT support and they said they would add them if I had the address tables, but I do not have them. I also asked them about giving my maps to another person to use and they said not recommended. If it's as simple as a strategy swap/verification and vin edit, that's not too bad, do I do that through edit --> calibration details? I don't have my interface at work with me. I assume that would get me around the "validate checksum" error I've gotten? I spent a fair amount of time converting the Cobb basemap to an HPT file through the compare feature, but the car ran poorly at light throttle, so I didn't dare test it under load.

I was hoping for a tune that gets me running and then I could tweak that as I see fit and as I learn, similar to Cobb providing a base tune on their unit and protuners being able to give a custom tune, again this is my first Ford ecu so I understand there is a lot that I don't understand. The possibility of non email support and talking with a human would be something I would like. I'm not looking for tuning support, just up and running type of support. I got a write calibration error that I'm working with them on and email without phone is not very convenient.

I'm also not looking for hand holding, I don't expect to be walked through every step I would pay for that through a training class if I was. Tractix and EcuEdit is an option, but not a very time efficient option for me.

In general it appears that boost is mainly controlled through Wastegate duty cycle under torque management, while tweaking a few values such as outlet pressure, max pressure and max pressure vs turbo airflow. It looks like fuel is controlled through WOT Lambda and spark is controlled through Borderline Spark and Cylinder Pressure limit and then there are a few torque limitation tables to adjust. I would bet being new to the Ford ecu, that's oversimplified or plain incorrect though.

[Blown383]

Unless you swap turbos, you probably never have to touch the wastegate tables. Ecoboost tuning isn't super difficult, it is just a matter of understanding how the system works. Very basically, you command a torque, the ecu calculates how much boost, throttle and timing it will need to attain it. It then calculates a proper WGDC to hit that boost. There are then a number of safeguards that keep it all in check. Combustion stability, LSPI, Load Limits, tip-in limits, airflow limits, compressor and temp limits, drivetrain torque limits. Ford really considered a million possibilities when they designed the powertrain. The nice thing about newer Ford ECUs in general is they run at borderline knock. The system will automatically advance timing if no knock is detected and run at the threshold of knock. Plus, the Tri-Core ECUs have wideband controlled closed loop fueling. No wideband needed in the tailpipe. The hard part is actually dialing in the speed density tables for proper fueling. There are some tricks that have been described here on the forums but there are no "100% right" ways to do it yet. Luckily, the knock and fueling strategies on these ECUs are very responsive and work extremely well. Always start with a base tune pulled from your car and make small changes at first. Copying everything from another tune is a no-no. Every car is different, especially when the are modified. Almost everything you need to know about tuning one is here on the forums. There are several guides that are good starting points that cover a lot of the basics. Just remember, all the limits were there for a reason and on a direct injected car, LSPI is a major possibility. Don't get greedy and have fun tuning away!

[Bugasu]

For "launch" control I'd recommend either using the built in on the vehicle, or the neutral cut. That's the norm. Located here:


To use another one, save, write, re-read (this will pull it down under your VIN) and you're good to go.
Validate Checksum errors are because your file has incorrect checksums as determined by HPT. Usually, this means that they simply haven't made a definition for your strategy yet, in which case you can send your file to support to get it added (usually takes 1 or 2 days). As well, if you read a file from Cobb, you will get those validate checksum errors as they modify the strategies for part of their flashing routines, and so are "invalid" in a sense to HPT.

Your ideas aren't off base. Spark and fuel are straight forward. There's three things being managed at a high level. Air, Fuel, and Spark. The air path is the most complex. Simplified down it goes like this:
Driver Requested Torque > Torque Limit/Reduciton > Torque-to-Load > Load Limit / Reduction > Load-to-Desired-MAP/TIP > Desired TIP to WGDC

Typically, the sections you need to mess with are 1, 2 and 4. TTL if you start requesting more than the table has available. Load to Desired MAP is the VE, which if you start making modifications to how the manifold to cylinder breathes (not simple stuff like intakes, but true head type modification), you may need to. Desired TIP to WGDC is pretty robust. For the most part, it pays to monitor the WGDC and see if you're hitting your target. If you aren't, raise it. If you are, lower it. You may have to monitor a few things to dial that in.

That's probably as simple as I can make it. The main problem you'll see is there are a huge amount of limits and reductions applied. You have to think about how to sensibly raise those (or take the route of removing them entirely, which I don't recommend just from a safety standpoint, but its a quick solution).

Fuel path takes the air you have, your desired lambda, and actuates it to achieve this. You may have to adjust pump pressures when you get to the limits, but for the most part its straightforward.
Spark path is LCD. Lowest spark value that comes out of all the subsystems. MBT, Borderline, PreIgn, Cylinder Pressure, etc.

On a stock vehicle you shouldn't have to adjust the idle system at all unless you want to change idle RPM. It should just idle. Idle completely changes up everything. Torque requests come from the Idle Speed Controller. Spark from ISC as well. Its a can of worms that if you don't have to open it, you shouldn't.

That's about as basic as it can be boiled down to I'd say. As to whether Tactrix and EcuEdit is an option, it could be, but you'll find the biggest issue is the checksums. You can define all the tables you want, but as soon as you modify them you have 16+ checksums to fix to allow the ECU to actually run, or it'll just get stuck in a reboot mode.

[gte]

Thank you both for replying.

How can I determine which of these mapped points determines and interacts with what? And how they interact with each other or other tables?




@Bugasu, are you saying to save it as a local hpt file, write another vehicles tune to my ecu and then read it in? I may have misunderstood, but I was under the impression that this is what HPT warns against doing as it could brick the ecu? Since ecu bricking is a possibility, I wanted to confirm I understood correct.

For "launch" control I'd recommend either using the built in on the vehicle, or the neutral cut. That's the norm. Located here:


To use another one, save, write, re-read (this will pull it down under your VIN) and you're good to go.
Validate Checksum errors are because your file has incorrect checksums as determined by HPT. Usually, this means that they simply haven't made a definition for your strategy yet, in which case you can send your file to support to get it added (usually takes 1 or 2 days). As well, if you read a file from Cobb, you will get those validate checksum errors as they modify the strategies for part of their flashing routines, and so are "invalid" in a sense to HPT.

Your ideas aren't off base. Spark and fuel are straight forward. There's three things being managed at a high level. Air, Fuel, and Spark. The air path is the most complex. Simplified down it goes like this:
Driver Requested Torque > Torque Limit/Reduciton > Torque-to-Load > Load Limit / Reduction > Load-to-Desired-MAP/TIP > Desired TIP to WGDC

Typically, the sections you need to mess with are 1, 2 and 4. TTL if you start requesting more than the table has available. Load to Desired MAP is the VE, which if you start making modifications to how the manifold to cylinder breathes (not simple stuff like intakes, but true head type modification), you may need to. Desired TIP to WGDC is pretty robust. For the most part, it pays to monitor the WGDC and see if you're hitting your target. If you aren't, raise it. If you are, lower it. You may have to monitor a few things to dial that in.

That's probably as simple as I can make it. The main problem you'll see is there are a huge amount of limits and reductions applied. You have to think about how to sensibly raise those (or take the route of removing them entirely, which I don't recommend just from a safety standpoint, but its a quick solution).

Fuel path takes the air you have, your desired lambda, and actuates it to achieve this. You may have to adjust pump pressures when you get to the limits, but for the most part its straightforward.
Spark path is LCD. Lowest spark value that comes out of all the subsystems. MBT, Borderline, PreIgn, Cylinder Pressure, etc.

On a stock vehicle you shouldn't have to adjust the idle system at all unless you want to change idle RPM. It should just idle. Idle completely changes up everything. Torque requests come from the Idle Speed Controller. Spark from ISC as well. Its a can of worms that if you don't have to open it, you shouldn't.

That's about as basic as it can be boiled down to I'd say. As to whether Tactrix and EcuEdit is an option, it could be, but you'll find the biggest issue is the checksums. You can define all the tables you want, but as soon as you modify them you have 16+ checksums to fix to allow the ECU to actually run, or it'll just get stuck in a reboot mode.

Unless you swap turbos, you probably never have to touch the wastegate tables. Ecoboost tuning isn't super difficult, it is just a matter of understanding how the system works. Very basically, you command a torque, the ecu calculates how much boost, throttle and timing it will need to attain it. It then calculates a proper WGDC to hit that boost. There are then a number of safeguards that keep it all in check. Combustion stability, LSPI, Load Limits, tip-in limits, airflow limits, compressor and temp limits, drivetrain torque limits. Ford really considered a million possibilities when they designed the powertrain. The nice thing about newer Ford ECUs in general is they run at borderline knock. The system will automatically advance timing if no knock is detected and run at the threshold of knock. Plus, the Tri-Core ECUs have wideband controlled closed loop fueling. No wideband needed in the tailpipe. The hard part is actually dialing in the speed density tables for proper fueling. There are some tricks that have been described here on the forums but there are no "100% right" ways to do it yet. Luckily, the knock and fueling strategies on these ECUs are very responsive and work extremely well. Always start with a base tune pulled from your car and make small changes at first. Copying everything from another tune is a no-no. Every car is different, especially when the are modified. Almost everything you need to know about tuning one is here on the forums. There are several guides that are good starting points that cover a lot of the basics. Just remember, all the limits were there for a reason and on a direct injected car, LSPI is a major possibility. Don't get greedy and have fun tuning away!

[metroplex]

You shouldn't have to touch the torque or inverse torque tables. You also do not have to change the WGDC tables. I kept my spark tables stock as well, but the SHO runs more advanced spark at WOT than the other EcoBoost vehicles in a factory tune.

[Bugasu]

Thank you both for replying.

How can I determine which of these mapped points determines and interacts with what? And how they interact with each other or other tables?




@Bugasu, are you saying to save it as a local hpt file, write another vehicles tune to my ecu and then read it in? I may have misunderstood, but I was under the impression that this is what HPT warns against doing as it could brick the ecu? Since ecu bricking is a possibility, I wanted to confirm I understood correct.

The different mapped points are listed in the VCT section. They're weighted based on how close you are to an individual point, and also how close they are to a "segment" between two points.
This info is here:


This will show you the cam positions for the different points, and whether certain points or line segments will be "snapped" to. This means simply that when you're close to those points it will more strongly weight them essentially.

To actually see which one you're running, there are Mapped Point Weights in the scanner to monitor.

[gte]

So I do not see a mapped points configuration for any tab but the Variable Camshaft section. I understand the value blending vs snapping to with different weight for the database values, but I don't see a Mapped Points section in any other tab outside of the variable camshaft tab even though Spark and Torque Management both have mapped points. Is this Mapped Points the variable camshaft section global for all tabs? Is there not a way to know which mapped points tables the ecu is using for any of the tabs, besides logging? Is there a theoretical explanation as to why the ECU would use certain mapped points, but not others?

The different mapped points are listed in the VCT section. They're weighted based on how close you are to an individual point, and also how close they are to a "segment" between two points.
This info is here:


This will show you the cam positions for the different points, and whether certain points or line segments will be "snapped" to. This means simply that when you're close to those points it will more strongly weight them essentially.

To actually see which one you're running, there are Mapped Point Weights in the scanner to monitor.

[Trent_Petersen]

So I do not see a mapped points configuration for any tab but the Variable Camshaft section. I understand the value blending vs snapping to with different weight for the database values, but I don't see a Mapped Points section in any other tab outside of the variable camshaft tab even though Spark and Torque Management both have mapped points. Is this Mapped Points the variable camshaft section global for all tabs? Is there not a way to know which mapped points tables the ecu is using for any of the tabs, besides logging? Is there a theoretical explanation as to why the ECU would use certain mapped points, but not others?

Mapped points are global, since ignition timing needs to change as cam timing changes, and engine output changes with cam timing changes. The the screen shot, the "Distance Tables" are used to determine what points are used when.

[gte]

So does this mean I'm using all mapped points but Optimum? Optimum does not have values in some tabs, but does have values in other tabs.

So the mapped points table enables or disabled the point table globally, which in turn if enabled, the ecu will reference the different driving scenario tables and depending on which driving scenario it is using, the reference the mapped points table for the driving scenario makes sure it is globally enabled and then it will use the weighted value number (for example 1.2) and blends mapped point 1 and 2 together, something like 80% of mapped point 1 for that driving scenario (assuming it is enabled) and 20% of mapped point 2 for that driving scenario (assuming it is enabled)?

Somehow the snap to point and snap to line play into it, as well as the other mapped point tables, but I haven't wrapped my head around that yet. Some how lambda, iat and ect modifiers come in to play also?

So I think this was explained earlier, but I'm going to try and word it myself

Distance table is chosen based on driver torque commanded (for example best drivability) --> based on x/y of rpm and load a weighted value referencing a mapped point table is chosen --> mapped point is checked for enablement and if enabled --> mapped point table(s) are chosen/blended based on the x/y of rpm in that table. What is that, 5 dimensional, 6 dimensional? Why do you need an rpm/load for the mapped point, that seems redundant?


Am I understanding this correctly? (I hope?) If so, this is finally starting to make sense. It's like a histogram inside of a histogram.

[Blown383]

Your pretty close. Try not to overthink it. I always say this to my business partner. Just log the car and observe how it works. Once you start logging it, it all makes much more sense.

[gte]

Ok, can you recommend parameters to log? That would help me with my other thread/question as well. Thanks

Your pretty close. Try not to overthink it. I always say this to my business partner. Just log the car and observe how it works. Once you start logging it, it all makes much more sense.

[gte]

Does anyone know how to enable flat foot shifting? I'm looking in engine-->airflow-->electronic throttle and I do not see anything obvious?