ZFG Racing Tune Review

[SugarMouth]

Yeah, I pulled over kinda on the side of a 4 lane. Hit start logging, waited for all this nonsense to happen, and when it was finally logging, I got out and did my run.

There is a noticeable lag from when you hit the start to data log, from when the gauge icons pop up, I couldn't guess why yours didn't work, but pull into a parking lot, hit data log and wait for the gauges to pop up. I don't know if that even addresses your issue though.

I found out I was not waiting long enough. New logs submitted, thanks for the insight.

 

[moto727]

No codes during any part of the tuning process

 

[Gadgtfreek]

I found out I was not waiting long enough. New logs submitted, thanks for the insight.

Only complaint about the app, and I put it in the first post. The logger takes way too long.

 

[Combatvet]

I need to ask ZFG to tone down the 1-2 WOT shift, I feel like it is going to cause problems later in the vehicles life. Far too aggressive, it's more like a track shift.

 

[Gadgtfreek]

On my ZFG tune, its a hard 1-2 only when you are in it drag race style. She will bark the tires lol.

 

[Combatvet]

On my ZFG tune, its a hard 1-2 only when you are in it drag race style. She will bark the tires lol.

In Sport mode it's more like a track shift, in Normal mode it's perfect for daily driving. I just don't want to shorten the life of the transmission on a '25.

 

[Combatvet]

This is how you do customer service:

Sales
1:39 PM (2 hours ago)

Combatvet,

Hope you had a wonderful holiday!
To address the shift concern, you can submit a tune request for Adam’s direct feedback. Please follow the instructions in the attached document before submitting your request to ensure that all bases are covered— it’s imperative that the transmission fluid is checked and correct, and that any “learned behaviors” are ruled out before addressing transmission concerns via tuning.

Shift firmness is typically aligned with the power your setup requires. Firmer, faster shifts help prevent excessive wear and component degradation, supporting transmission longevity. Softer/slower shifts allow more drag, which can accelerate wear.

As always, please let us know if you have any additional questions!
Warm regards,

Sales Team

 

[SugarMouth]

Just received Rev1 after I goofed up the data log and of course the holidays. New log will be sent in today for an update. I too do not want the shift overly harsh and wonder how long we should wait on adaptation before judging the firmness.

 

[Gadgtfreek]

It took mine a good two weeks to really settle in. Since I spend 100% of my time in Sport mode, there was definitely an adjustment period for my pedal input—how much I press it depending on RPM, turning, and what I want the car to do. I had to learn to be much lighter on the pedal, because even 20% throttle will make it move.


I tend to baby it most of the time; I just prefer how Sport mode holds a gear longer instead of rushing to the highest gear as quickly as possible. When I do give it some throttle, it’s usually on the highway or a four-lane road when I’m already rolling. The big shifts are really the 1–2 and 2–3 when you’re on the pedal. Normal mode feels pretty tame to me by comparison, especially in terms of shifting.


I’ll still get a couple of overly hard or slightly wonky shifts each week, but I’d say at least half of those are self-inflicted—either from getting on it for fun or doing something I know is going to confuse the 10R.

After a month, and well over 1k miles, I just dont see how you would hurt the transmission with this tune, unless you lived from red light to redlight daily in sport mode (hard shifts)

 

[SugarMouth]

I’ll still get a couple of overly hard or slightly wonky shifts each week, but I’d say at least half of those are self-inflicted—either from getting on it for fun or doing something I know is going to confuse the 10R.

Was this also the case with the tranny prior to the tune?

 

[Gadgtfreek]

I’ve owned one 6-speed, two 8-speeds, and this is my second 10-speed (F-150, two Edge STs, one Mustang, and now the Explorer). In my experience, the oddball shifts are pretty similar across them—at least with the 8- and 10-speeds. The 6-speed was different, but the 8-speeds can be quirky as well. The Mustang, especially in Sport mode, loved to slam shift, and that was the case even before tuning.


On the Explorer, the harder shifts are definitely more noticeable after the tune, but the “wonky” shifts existed both before and after. Overall, I actually think the shifting behavior improved with the tune. The biggest adjustment for me was realizing how much my right foot controls the transmission. Throttle input really dictates its shifting habits, and it will behave very differently depending on how much pedal you give it.

After I had the 10R80 stang tuned, I never used sport mode. I felt the slam shifts were just erratic and unnecessary, but they were that way before the tune. It was a FP tune where I upgraded the throttle body to a larger size, and it drove just fine in the normal mode. IMO, the ZFG tune is one of the best ive ever used top to bottom. I also think, since I drove it awhile before tuning, this 10R60 is a much smoother transmission than my 2021 10R80. I'd assume upgrades and they learned some over a few years.

 

[Combatvet]

I've come to understand that I will run it in Normal mode when I'm daily driving, and Sport mode when I want to get up on it. The sport mode shifts are definitely more aggressive, but so are the sounds especially from the FENFAB Intake. I'm digging the extra power, so no complaints so far. I get the NGK plug upgrade on the 5th, so I'm gonna datalog it again to ZFG once they're done

 

[Gadgtfreek]

I decided to run it in Normal mode on the way home from work today. Honestly, I think I like the shifting better, but it’s going to take some time to get used to after driving in Sport all the time—especially when it comes to pedal input.

I’m sure Normal is easier on everything overall, since you don’t get as much transmission braking from the downshifts. I did a couple of full sends, and once the throttle is down, the power is still there just like in Sport, but the shifts were definitely less aggressive.

I may drive it in Normal for a couple of weeks just to experiment. Right now, the pedal-to-power relationship feels a bit off to me, but that’s just a matter of retraining my foot.

Once I tuned the Edge ST and got used to it, I only used Sport mode for on-ramp merging and minor other things. Either way, I don't regret the tune.