From the moment the first 2024 Mustang rolled off a dealer lot, enthusiasts have clamored for the ability to tune the factory engine control unit. Alas, Ford decided to encrypt its modern software to keep the aftermarket out. That left owners of the latest Mustangs, as well as Broncos, Expeditions, F-150s, Rangers, Raptors, and more with limited options to increase power. However, HP Tuners recently opened the performance Pandora’s Box, allowing more pathways to increase performance.

“What made the Mustang popular was the fact that you can customize everything about it — from wheels to brakes to whatever, and then over the years, Ford has added those options to where it kind of cuts the aftermarket out,” Eric Brooks, Vehicle Engineer at HP Tuners, said. “…And the last thing they did was take away the ability to tune the damn thing…”

Last week, HP Tuners fired the shot heard around the Ford performance world by offering the read, edit, write, scan, log, and diagnose all Ford models with the MG1CS036 ECM, which controls a wide range of vehicles, including the 2024-2025 Ford Mustang GT and Dark Horse (5.0) 2021-2025 Ford Bronco (2.7), 2022-2025 Ford Bronco Raptor (3.0), 2022-2023 Ford Expedition (3.5), 2021-2023 Ford F-150 (2.7, 3.5, and 5.0), 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor R (5.2), and 2022-2025 Ford Ranger Raptor (3.0). (Photo Credit: PartsBox)

As a result, owners of the latest Mustangs and many other modern Fords repeatedly asked aftermarket tuning companies when they would offer the ability to flash custom calibrations. However, the process of reading and writing the factory ECUs has always been a challenge, but the latest roadblocks have been in place for years.

“So, the ECU is technically the same as the one that’s in the ’21 F-150. And we were able to get into those quickly, where we could bench read them. Pretty much everyone figured out how to do that right away. All the companies were in there right about the same time,” Brooks explained. “And then shortly thereafter, the ’21 F-150 comes out, the Broncos hit, and I bought a ’22 Bronco. The first thing you realized is that it’s the same ECU, but now it’s a little more secure than it was before. So Ford, or actually Bosch, has kind of followed this trend in tightening their security on the ECU.”

Horsepower Hacking

The process of unlocking these vehicle computers starts as soon as the aftermarket can get its hands on the latest hardware. In the case of many of the latest Fords, the process didn’t get too far beyond simply examining the programming.

“I previously mapped these Mustang ECUs probably two years ago when they first came out. I did a few of them and I shared them with the tuners and stuff, so everybody’s had a look at what’s going on in there, but with no ability to get past the security,” Brooks said.

The ability to flash a factory ECU with revised code is something enthusiasts have taken for granted. From the days of rudimentary EEC-IV tuning to the more advanced calibrations of modern vehicles, the work of making that happen is for those who know computer code as well as we know the sound of a Mustang exhaust.

“Even though it’s technically the same ECU, you would think, ‘Oh, it’s exactly the same,’ but there are different revisions of security in the software. HP Tuners has a team of talented engineers who spend 100 percent of their time trying to break into the latest ECU, so that we can tune them. The problem we faced with the new Fords is not a unique one to us. We recently we able to get into newer Bosch ECUs used in powersports, as well as some very secure GM ECUs, and everything we learn from solving one, usually gives us some inspiration to get into the next one. They all have different obstacles,” Brooks explained. “We might discover something on one, and then we’ll apply it to these other ECUs, and sometimes we have luck, and sometimes we don’t. Then we go back to the drawing board, rinse and repeat until you find something that works.”

One of the first vehicles with a Bosch MG1CS036 ECM calibrated by an aftermarket an aftermaket tuner was Steeda’s HPDE S650, known as the White Stallion. Tuned by Ken Bjonnes at Palm Beach Dyno, it picked 28 horsepower and 22 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels with the addition of the PBD custom 93-octane tune. The two companies subsequently tested the tuned S650 at Homestead Raceway to ensure the calibration was rock solid in the most demanding of environments.

Powersports Path

Think of the work like the hacking you see in spy thrillers. It involves circumventing complex encryption that is built to keep interlopers at bay. Taking on this level of security is not for the faint of heart. However, where the is a will, there is a way.

Eventually, a committed programmer can find a way to work around the roadblocks built into the factory code. HP Tuners won’t divulge the exact details of how the company’s engineers did it, but suffice it to say they got in and learned how to flash the PCM with a fresh calibration. It turns out that applying that same dedication to cracking the code on a powersports application may have just led to the breakthrough that set the Ford performance sphere abuzz.

Ford used sophisticated encryption to keep aftermarket tuners from overwriting the factory code in these vehicles. This roadblock kept enthusiasts from expanding the performance of their vehicles for years, but HP Tuners finally developed a way to read and write the code on these engine control modules. (Photo Credit: PartsBox)

“…We cracked into the Bosch ECU used in powersports applications recently, so we’re like, ‘It’s possible to get into.’ They’re not perfect. There are flaws in here. We can find them,” Brooks shared. “Now that we’re in, it’s good news because many cars are using similar ECUs.

Now that the door is wide open to custom calibrations, the possibilities are tantalizing, and it’s reassuring to know that HP Tuners is staying vigilant to keep those tunes flowing.

More To Come

“What keeps me busy day today are the updates. For this release, I got as many US-based Mustang files as I could, but Ford uses different files in, say, Europe, Australia, and other countries,” Brooks said. “Our support inbox is filling up, but that stuff has not been defined yet, so we will be working around the clock for the next several weeks.”

Brooks isn’t just focused on tweaking the factory calibrations; he also plans on opening up the possibilities of the only existing aftermarket calibrations as well, which is sure to yield even more impressive results from those already potent packages.

It wasn’t just Mustangs that benefited from this breakthrough, however. Robert Papini of Papini’s Garage was quick on the draw, tuning a Raptor R powered by the supercharged, 5.2-liter Carnivore engine. Already upgraded with a VMP Performance Apex Predator Lid, a VMP intercooler, a JLT cold-air intake, and a Griptec 2.7-inch pulley, this truck saw gains of 85.6 horsepower and 49.3 lb-ft of torque with Papini’s custom calibration. (Image Credit: Papini’s Garage)

“The Whipple files are big because nobody’s had tuning for them. The only option has been to buy a Whipple kit and use the Ford-supplied tune that goes with it,” he added. “I did not have an easy way to attain those files to have them ready beforehand, but since we can read the ECU, we’ll be able to pull them out and hopefully have those supported soon.”

With the know-how to read and write the modern ECUs, HP Tuners also plans to offer calibrations for several other vehicles in the future. So strap in, because a new era of Ford performance is unlocked, so enthusiasts are sure to keep pushing the latest Blue Oval machines into uncharted performance territory, and we are here for it.