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Ten things we learned from Ford’s Dealer Source Book for the S550

By Steve Turner

In the last several days information about the 2015 Mustang raced around the Internet. Much of that information came unofficially from official sources. In other words, information meant to train dealers became fodder for enthusiasts.

In fact, versions of the 2015 Mustang Dealer Source guide have made the rounds lately. Thanks to a post from one of our members, we were able to page through the entire source guide. For those tuned into the latest Mustang, there wasn’t much new information. But, even students of the sport like your author picked up a few things from this 57-page novella.

Here are 10 things we learned along the way…

1 To Be Determined: Yeah. Don’t get too excited. This tome does not reveal the horsepower and torque figures for any of the available powertrain combos. Ford obviously knows these materials will leak out, and they want to be in control of how and when the numbers are revealed.

2. Boost Rating: We are still kicking ourselves for not filming the boost gauge during our Ecoboost ride. However, despite seeing nearly 18 pounds of boost on the gauge, we know that either the gauge is optimistic, or the pre-production car was tuned up a little. That’s because the 2.3-liter Ecoboost is officially inhaling 15 psi.

3. Mid-Lock Magic: We have long known that the updated Coyote engine would borrow a lot from the RoadRunner engine in the dearly departed Boss 302. One detail we glossed over is the Mid-Lock cam phaser. According to the guide, “Mid-lock phasers for variable intake camshaft timing allow for a greater range of travel, enabling increased control of airflow for enhanced efficiency and emissions.” It will be interesting to see how these phasers and the new Charge Motion Control Valves change the Coyote’s personality.

4. Manual Transformation: The six-speed manual is receiving several interesting upgrades, including a shorter first gear, a taller final drive, quieter gears, and a heavily revised shifter. The shorter first will hasten your launch, while the taller final drive will improve mileage. Meanwhile the shifter gets a shorter throw and internal stops, which should greatly improve its feel.

5. Line Locked: There are three steps to using the line lock. You can initiate it, engage it, and turn it off. The cool thing is you can initiate it and drive up to the starting line from the pits because, once initiated, it is ready to engage until 25 mph. Exceed that speed and it’s turned off.

6: Out of Control: The 2015s feature the familiar Track Apps. However, there is an interesting warning in the Source Book that indicates launch control might not work with mods. “Launch control is engineered to be used with the original equipment provided on Mustang,” says the Source Book. “Any modifications to the vehicle may affect feature function or performance.”

7. Advanced Intervals: Yes modern 5.0-liter engines carry around a lot of oil in their pans, but you might not need to replace that 8 quarts as often as you think. Thanks to the 2015’s Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor you will know when to change the oil based on the car’s operating conditions. Assuming you are not doing a lot of short-distance driving or operating in extreme conditions you could go for up to a year or 10,000 miles before it prompts a change (though we know you will never wait that long!).

8. Passing the Test: Speaking of extreme conditions, the Source Book goes out of its way to stress the durability of the 2.3-liter engines. It calls out the kind of testing we know that had done on the 5.0 liter engines, including running at peak power for hundreds of hours and swinging the air temps in the dyno room from -40 to 110 degrees. Let’s hope that means they are ready for lots of modding!

9. Under Pressure: OK, we knew about this one, but you might have missed it. A first for the company, Ford equipped the 2015 Mustang with individual Tire Pressure Monitoring System sensors. This might not seem that exciting until you think about the possibility of adjusting your tire pressure at the track without need for a gauge…

10. Quick Charge: It’s not the kind of performance you might think of at first, but given how much we love our phones, it is worth noting that the 2015 Mustang wears two 2.1-amp USB ports. That rating is significant because it is said to charge your devices almost as briskly as a household plug.

What’s the most interesting thing you learned from the Dealer Source Book?

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