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Tech: 2015 Mustang Fuel Pump Booster

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By EditorTurner

Tech: 2015 Mustang Fuel Pump Booster

Fuel the Fire

Lethal Performance boosts the fuel flow of its S550 with a JMS FuelMax

By Steve Turner
Photos courtesy of Lethal Performance

Making power in a modern Mustang is the easy part. Supporting that power can be a challenge. However, when it comes to enhancing the output of the fuel system in the 2015 Mustang, there is an easy way to get the job done—a fuel pump voltage booster.

“The FuelMAX for 2015 Mustang is capable of supporting over 1,000 horsepower with a stock fuel pump,” Brad said. It boosts the output of the pump by up to 85 percent via increasing the voltage fed to the pump. It not only boost the pump voltage when activated, but it also stabilizes the pump voltage at 14.4 volts all the time, which will eliminate any irregularities in fuel flow, should your electrical system be stressed.
“The FuelMAX for 2015 Mustang is capable of supporting over 1,000 horsepower with a stock fuel pump,” Brad Grissom, of JMS Chip & Performance, said. It boosts the output of the pump by up to 85 percent via increasing the voltage fed to the pump. It not only increases the pump voltage when activated, but it also stabilizes the pump voltage at 14.4 volts all the time, which will eliminate any irregularities in fuel flow, should your electrical system be stressed.

Knowing that big power was on the horizon from a progression of bolt-on hardware, nitrous injection, and, eventually, Whipple supercharging, Lethal Performance opted to maximize the factory fuel system with one of these units.

“The greatest advantage is, you can install supercharger or turbocharger systems and utilize the OEM fuel pump, eliminating the need to purchase costly multi-pump aftermarket fuel systems,” Brad Grissom of JMS Chip & Performance explained. “Aftermarket fuel systems can not only be costly, but also labor intensive to install. FuelMAX increases fuel pump output by as much as 85-percent, and requires considerably less labor and additional parts cost.”

Like many products, the early fuel pump boosters necessitated lots of wiring work, like cutting, splicing, and soldering. However, thanks to the new Plug & Play FuelMax Fuel Pump Voltage Boost (PN PM-2000-PPM15; $459) from JMS Chip & Performance, it doesn’t get much easier to install one of these units and ramp up your fuel pump’s output.

One reason the install is easier, is because the FuelMax is activated by the accelerator pedal.

The JMS FuelMax kit is complete with all you need to install the unit, including the plug-and-play harness and even the zip ties to secure the harness along its path.
The JMS FuelMax kit is complete with all you need to install the unit, including the plug-and-play harness and even the zip ties to secure the harness along its path.

“The accelerator pedal activation method is really the wave of the future for voltage boosters. This new method of activation reduces the installation time considerably, and provides an accurate and reliable method of controlling voltage increase,” Brad explained. “Voltage boosters are most commonly activated by a Hobbs switch, 0-5 volt signal, common ground, or boost pressure. This common method relies on other components and switches installed under the hood at the intake manifold. Activation via the accelerator pedal eliminates the need to run wiring harnesses through the firewall and install other components for safe and reliable operation.”

When the JMS FuelMax is engaged, it boosts the output enough to support up to 1,000 horsepower if you have the proper injectors installed. However, it doesn’t just instantly spike the voltage. You can set it for the desired amount of voltage boost and have it ramp in at the rate you desire.

Then you can unplug the factory harness from the Fuel Pump Driver Module, which is under the rear seat on the driver side. These connectors tap the FuelMax wiring between the factory harness and FPDM.
Then you can unplug the factory harness from the Fuel Pump Driver Module, which is located under the rear seat on the driver side. These connectors tap the FuelMax wiring between the factory harness and FPDM.

“Other notable features are the ability to adjust the voltage ramp-in, ramp-out rate, and the amount of maximum voltage output. The built-in memory allows you to save the settings. Controlling voltage ramp-in and ramp-out rates is very important because it allows you to eliminate fuel spikes at the moment of activation or deactivation, which eliminates headaches when tuning and provides smooth and consistent fuel delivery,” Brad added. “Maximum voltage output is adjustable to allow only the voltage increase required for your horsepower level and fuel delivery requirements. The auto-save feature allows all of your settings to be saved to eliminate the potential of dangerous accidental changes by careless user.”

As we said, the JMS FuelMax for the 2015 Mustang offers a plug-and-play installation. That is thanks the harness provided in the kit. It plugs right in between the factory connectors and harnesses. However, to clarify the install for you, we followed along as the crew at Power by the Hour in Boynton Beach, Florida, added this unit to Lethal’s S550.

Find a factory ground that you can piggyback the FuelMax ground connector on. Just remove the factory bolt and install the pre-terminated ground wire.
Find a factory ground that you can piggyback the FuelMax ground connector on. Just remove the factory bolt and install the ground wire.
Route the harness up the driver side of the car behind the panels, under the door sill plate, and up to the accelerator pedal. Just like the FPDM harness, the accelerator pedal harness plugs in between the stock harness and the pedal.
Route the harness up the driver side of the car behind the panels, under the door sill plate, and up to the accelerator pedal. Just like the FPDM harness, the accelerator pedal harness plugs in between the stock harness and the pedal.
Route the remainder of the harness to the spot where you want to mount the FuelMax box. Once you pick a spot, you can plug in the harness to make sure it will reach.
Route the remainder of the harness to the spot where you want to mount the FuelMax box. Once you pick a spot, you can plug in the harness to make sure it will reach.
Since the Lethal Performance Mustang isn’t carrying the optional spare tire, Power by the Hour decided to mount the box to the side of the spare tire well. After marking the well, and ensuring there were no potential conflicts on the outside of the well, they drilled the mounting holes, and secured the box. The FuelMax has a green LED on the box, and it blinks to let you know when it is boosting the pump voltage.
Since the Lethal Performance Mustang isn’t carrying the optional spare tire, Power by the Hour decided to mount the box to the side of the spare tire well. After marking the well, and ensuring there were no potential conflicts on the outside of the well, they drilled the mounting holes, and secured the box. The FuelMax has a green LED on the box, and it blinks to let you know when it is boosting the pump voltage, so you’ll know if it’s properly installed.

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