Tuner Parts for Fords!

[EagleMark]

I don't have much experience with Ford EFI systems other than what my scan tool will tell me when looking for error codes and EFI type problems but wanted to put some information here for parts and software available like.

TunerPro V5 is an excellent tuner software tuning bin files, data logging and diagnosing regular error codes that will make the the Check Engine light come on. What is really great about this software is it can be used on any vehicle that has a definition file for it, to add to that it has the ability to write your own definition file.
http://www.tunerpro.net/

Parts for tuning including Real Time Tuning is all available at Moates.
http://www.moates.net/

[Six_Shooter]

More Ford Tuning Software and Hardware

EECAnalyzer http://www.eecanalyzer.net/
DP-Tuner http://www.dp-tuner.com/

[Lucky]

While I cut my teeth on a GM ECM and Tuner Pro I recently had the need to jump over to the dark side and do a Ford OBDII tune when I swapped the engine in my Mustang. The differences in logic and terminology gave me a hard time but once I got down to the fuel and timing tables things were fairly similar.

GM seems to start with a fresh piece of paper and design a unique computer and code for every model of every vehicle they make. Ford tends to just keep progressively updating and modifying one set of hardware and various families of code as they need to - or occasionally just for fun. My '96 OBDII tune still has support for every old tranny, pollution, injection and spark system Ford ran on EEC's. All the flags, switches and tables are still there - though I can't vouch for the board components. The FOX body guys usually use the last of the 90's EEC's knowing they have the most tuning options and support nearly all parts combos. Well supported Strategies.

In blue oval lingo a family of EEC's for a similar application/year is called a Strategy which probably has several different BIN files or tunes it can run. Ford assigns these letter designations or labels called Catchwords. The strategy is the basically the memory organizing instructions - what tables go where, what memory do the flags and switches get stored at, which bit of memory is what. The Bin files or tunes are the bits of data that make up the tables and set the switches etc.

The system for naming these strategies is a little more user friendly in the Ford universe. For example the last year of Mustangs to use OBDI EEC-IV hardware (95) used a CDAN2 strategy with many different BIN tunes. In 96 they went OBDII EEC-V hardware with the CDAN3 strategy, late in 96 came the CDAN4 strategy - but then they changed it up completely so don't get too comfy.

Even the Bin codes appeal to a certain logic; CDAN3 used codes like LLX1, LLX2 and when CDAN4 came along it would run codes LLX3, LLX4. Nice. Of course there are oddballs out there and chances are you will be trying to tune one of them. Not to worry.

As far as I have seen all Bins under the same strategy are interchangeable. Some of the strategies are even close enough to be interchangeable on the same hardware. Some of the hardware is interchangeable on the same strategy. It may take some homework but you can usually find an EEC that will handle both your chassis and your engine system that has some software support. That is a definition file for your strategy so you can tune it yourself.

For example, my Mustang. It used CDAN3 with an XZA1 tune - for which there was very little software support. CDAN4 was used longer and is more common/popular. Likely I could have ran CDAN4 strategies on my EEC but it was simpler to go to the wrecker and grab a CDAN4 EEC from a 97 stang (it used a GGL3 tune) and just plug it into my harness and away I went - everything worked just fine. I could have probably used one from a Crown Vic or an F150 or even the Cobra - anything running CDAN4 - I didn't know that then and there may be some niggling issues so make life simple and get the closest EEC you can find support for.

The most common pieces of hardware used to interact with the EEC are the twEECer (pronounced tweeker) and the QuarterHorse. I used the QH as it is a bit simpler, more versatile and faster. It will do everything except burn a chip. The software you use will likely be determined by the support you can find for the strategy you want to tune. I wound up with Bin Editor for tuning and EEC Analyzer for data logging for that reason. I miss Tuner Pro :(

[EagleMark]

Wow that's the most I have heard of the Ford systems!

Was this an applacation for the Ford Moderator position?

I changed you membership to registered user so there should be no need to approve your posts. That is the way it is supposed to be but looks like I have some work to do in the adminastration panel to make it right.

[Lucky]

Here is a spreadsheet file relating Ford codes to Application and EEC hardware. Maybe post it up in the Ford BIN section ?

http://eectuning.org/forums/download/file.php?id=583