Tuning a Mustang

Tuning a mustang can be simple or complex. There are a few ways to tune a mustang. The common way is through the use of a hand held tuner. The other way is by tossing the car on the dyno and testing tunes to get the maximum power and efficiency.
First, the hand held tuner. The typical mustang tuner is going to come with a few programs on it. Typically you get an 87 octane, 91 octane, and 93 octane tunes. Each tune has been dyno tested on a dynamometer which measures horse power and torque throughout the entire rpm ranges, so you can see the mustangs torque curves. The tuners also allow for speedometer recalibration for those who go to larger or different sized tires, or even for different axel ratios. They also read and clear DTC's (diagnostic trouble codes) or check engine lights. Typical gains on a diablosport predator mustang tuner are about 20 horse power. Most mustang tuners come with extra tunes for the people that have added an air intake or an exhaust system. Diablosport doesn't batch test their tuners when they make them either, they are all tested individually to ensure the best quality possible.

Second, you have the dyno tunes. Now remember, we mentioned that most mustang tuners were tested on a dyno before they are made for the masses. One thing that must be kept in mind here is that even though you might have ten of the same car that were produced on the same production line, the same day, they all seem to act just a little different. The tunes created on a dyno with the mustang that is being worked on are made specifically for that mustang and can generate slightly higher gains, but in most cases we're only talking about a few horse power. Tuning the mustang either way will also improve engine efficiency and improve fuel economy one to two miles per gallon, and sometimes even a rare three mpg. This is great for the weekend warriors that use their mustang to commute during the week, where they will have the maximum fuel economy, and then on the weekends they will have the maximum power.

Our preference here is the hand held tuner, because it gives the end user the ability to make the changes themselves. For example, you can tune your stock mustang and gain some really good power. You can then add a cold air intake, and alter the tune, and add an exhaust, and alter the tune. You can even add a supercharger or turbocharger system which require the use of a tuner to make the engine even run at all once the the forced induction system of your choice has been added. You also have the ability to get in touch with the manufacturer of the tuner. Diablosport for example, can create custom tunes for whatever someone is wanting to do to their mustang. You can see how four or five trips to the dyno guy for each time you add a part after having saved up for it, can get expensive. If all the parts that are ever going to be added to the mustang are all done at the same time, then the dyno tune is going to be the most accurate and produce the most power. If parts are going to be added over time, and for me, I'm always looking for the next mod for my mustang, then the tuner is the best way to go.