Edmund's Supercharged Dark Horse 'broke'

[robvas]

https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/ford-mustang-dark-horse-track-day-problems-long-term-update.html

I don't think we are getting the whole story here.

I have had mis-gapped plugs on supercharged Mustangs before. You basically end up getting 'spark blowout', although that might not be actually whats going on on a semantic level, but you get a misfire past a certain cylinder pressure level (usually correlated with boost/RPM).

They dynoed it and all that shit, I'm surprised they didn't put a set of stock GT500 plugs in it (they are one heat range colder, it's what I have in my supercharged Coyote), and you mean to tell me nobody at any time noticed it breaking up/misfiring at high RPM etc? I don't think it was doing that before they broke it.

The cats melting down isn't uncommon.

3 months to get fixed? Also notice they had to reach out to Ford Performance to get the warranty work approved.

It's funny that they mentioned they used Octane booster but the Whipple warranty says:

d) THE USE OF NON-FORD APPROVED ACCESSORIES, SUCH AS, HEADERS, AIR INDUCTION, FUEL
ADDITIVES (IE. OCTANE BOOSTER), CAMSHAFTS, NITROUS OXIDE SYSTEMS, REAR END
MODIFICATIONS, AND OTHER AFTERMARKET PRODUCTS.

Also:

f) PARTICIPATING IN OR PREPARATION OF THE VEHICLE FOR RACING (ON A TRACK OR
OTHERWISE), FIRES, FLOOD, RIOTS, ACTS OF WAR OR TERRORISM, THEFT, VANDALISM,
NATURAL DISASTERS, AND ACTS OF GOD ARE NOT COVERED.

Now, here's one thing I found weird:

A week later, the Mustang's check engine light finally illuminated, and the Dark Horse went to the dealer — the same one that installed the supercharger.

However, back in the article when they had the supercharger installed:

After making some phone calls to various Ford dealers in the Los Angeles region — not everyone was willing to perform the installation — we brought our car up to Galpin Auto Sports in Van Nuys, California. We'd previously had our GT500 serviced up at Galpin Ford, so we knew the team would be quick and professional with the install. Plus, it gave me an opportunity to look at Galpin's extensive car collection, including some wild custom models that look closer to the Batmobile than anything you can buy on a dealer lot.

That's the Pimp My Ride shop, btw. So is that place in the same building as a dealership or what?

Hoping to see a re-dyno of the car soon.

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[Zig]

“Also: The engine was never making full power, …”

which makes their existing ‘results’ (udrag stats) even more interesting?

 

[robvas]

“Also: The engine was never making full power, …”

which makes their existing ‘results’ (udrag stats) even more interesting?

I really doubt it

Didn't seem too off for a California 91 octane stage 1 tune....also if the spark was breaking up you'd feel it...

 

[Zig]

I really doubt it

Didn't seem too off for a California 91 octane stage 1 tune....also if the spark was breaking up you'd feel it...

“…Which, now understanding the faulty spark plug situation, makes a ton of sense. However, this means that every time we tested, raced or drove this car, it was underpowered.

As painful as it is to say, this fact essentially invalidates most of the performance tests we've done. On the other hand, it's impressive to note that the Dark Horse won so many U-Drags races with one hand tied behind its back.

…”

 

[robvas]

“…Which, now understanding the faulty spark plug situation, makes a ton of sense. However, this means that every time we tested, raced or drove this car, it was underpowered.

As painful as it is to say, this fact essentially invalidates most of the performance tests we've done. On the other hand, it's impressive to note that the Dark Horse won so many U-Drags races with one hand tied behind its back.

…”

If the plugs weren't gapped right and it was misfiring they would have felt it and known something was wrong. It's very obvious when it happens.

It doesn't sound like it's doing it in the video and the dyno chart would be all choppy if it would have been misfiring.

 

[LouG]

They couldn't pick up on the miss? Where have the petrolheads all gone?
Which reminds me, there's a ton of entertainment in watching Youtube "experts" trying to find a miss.
Expert = X is the unknown factor, spurt is a big drip.

 

[Zig]

If the plugs weren't gapped right and it was misfiring they would have felt it and known something was wrong. It's very obvious when it happens.

It doesn't sound like it's doing it in the video and the dyno chart would be all choppy if it would have been misfiring.

I didn’t say it they did (in the article)

 

[robvas]

I didn’t say it they did (in the article)

Right, I'm just saying they're wrong. They don't know dick about these cars.

But I get it, these guys are automotive journalists, not basement-dwelling internet exports.

Basically what you can pull from this information is:

"Is the Whipple kit for the Mustang reliable?"

Maybe. Don't be surprised if you have issues if you beat on it.

"Can you take your Whipple Mustang on the race track?"

Probably not.

"How is the warranty on the Whipple kit?"

So-so. Is 3 months to replace the factory cats acceptable to you?

 

[Zig]

Right, I'm just saying they're wrong. They don't know dick about these cars.

But I get it, these guys are automotive journalists, not basement-dwelling internet exports.

Basically what you can pull from this information is:

"Is the Whipple kit for the Mustang reliable?"

Maybe. Don't be surprised if you have issues if you beat on it.

"Can you take your Whipple Mustang on the race track?"

Probably not.

"How is the warranty on the Whipple kit?"

So-so. Is 3 months to replace the factory cats acceptable to you?

Wasn’t there a hold / update for the whipple kit? Is this a bit more detail regarding the same (in mag rag format) ?

 

[robvas]

Wasn’t there a hold / update for the whipple kit? Is this a bit more detail regarding the same (in mag rag format) ?

Shouldn't be related in any way

Ford Motor Company is recalling select 2024-2025 Ford Mustang supercharger kits over an issue with unintended acceleration.

The defect: in affected vehicles, the powertrain control module (PCM) may experience a software error and disable functional safety features. Deactivated safety features can fail to prevent unintended acceleration or unintended vehicle movement.

 

[Zig]

Shouldn't be related in any way

Ford Motor Company is recalling select 2024-2025 Ford Mustang supercharger kits over an issue with unintended acceleration.

The defect: in affected vehicles, the powertrain control module (PCM) may experience a software error and disable functional safety features. Deactivated safety features can fail to prevent unintended acceleration or unintended vehicle movement.

I got my car back from having the drivers side cat replaced under warranty, just in time for winter.

has anyone done a before/after dyno with the new calibration from Whipple? Just curious how they're keeping the peak power the same if they took timing out of it, or adjusted the cat overtemp parameters.

 

[robvas]

Did any actually post any logs or tune screenshots? Had they pulled timing there would have been threads about it and plenty of complaints. Anybody who got the new tune said it was great and that was that.

also, I believe that is two different updates. One from Whipple one from Ford.

 

[smurfslayer]

So the cats melted, 02's were contaminated and plugs needed replaced.
Is all this related to the failed cats? It sure sounds like it could be.

 

[135Hoser]

Still getting rotten egg smells in my car. pretty sure another cat is on its way out.

 

[MAT1955]

From a family that built land and marine HP engines I shake my head at the antics of some of the dumbasses in posts. If you aren't a pro then FAFO.

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