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The Focus is one of the most common cars through our workshop, and one where the headline power figure is the most misleading thing about it. On several versions the peak number moves far less than the torque does, and torque low in the rev range is what you actually feel on the road. This page covers the ST, the RS, the EcoBoost petrols and the diesels, along with the practical question that decides how the job gets done on a newer car: whether its ECU can be read through the OBD port at all.
Ford Focus Tuning and ECU Remapping
ST, RS, EcoBoost and TDCi
The Focus is one of the most common cars we see, and one where the headline number is the most misleading. If you take one thing from this page, take this: on several Focus models the power figure barely moves, while the torque figure moves a lot – and torque is what you actually feel.
Look at the torque column
Typical Stage 1 figures. Yours is confirmed on our own dyno before and after.
| Model | Standard | Stage 1 | Power gain | Torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST 2.0 EcoBoost | 250PS | 260PS | +10 | 340 → 440Nm (+100) |
| ST 2.0 TDCi | 185PS | 215PS | +30 | 400 → 450Nm |
| ST 2.3 EcoBoost (2019 on) | 280PS | 300PS | +20 | 420 → 480Nm |
| RS 2.3 EcoBoost | 350PS | 370PS | +20 | 440 → 530Nm |
| 1.5 EcoBoost 182 | 182PS | 190PS | +8 | 240 → 340Nm (+100) |
| 1.5 EcoBoost 150 | 150PS | 190PS | +40 | 240 → 300Nm |
| 1.0 EcoBoost 125 | 125PS | 145PS | +20 | 200 → 240Nm |
| 2.0 TDCi 150 | 150PS | 195PS | +45 | 370 → 440Nm |
| 1.5 EcoBlue 120 | 120PS | 150PS | +30 | 300 → 360Nm |
Why the ST only gains 10PS
The 2.0 EcoBoost ST is already close to what its turbo and fuelling will sensibly give at peak. What it is not close to is what it can hold in the mid-range, which is why the torque figure climbs by 100Nm. In the car that is felt as a much stronger pull from about 2,000rpm – the part of the rev range you actually drive in – rather than a bigger number at the top end you rarely visit.
If a tuner quotes you a large peak power gain for a standard ST, ask them where it is coming from. On stock hardware, it is not.
The diesels are the opposite
The 2.0 TDCi at 150PS goes to 195PS with 70Nm more – a genuine change in both. The TDCi and EcoBlue engines have more headroom in standard form because they were tuned conservatively for emissions and fleet economy rather than for feel.
The newer diesels are locked
The 1.5 and 2.0 EcoBlue Focus uses Bosch MD1CS003 and MD1CS005, and the 2019-on 2.3 ST uses Bosch MG1CS017. These are locked from the factory and cannot simply be read through the OBD port, which is why some workshops will tell you a newer Focus “can’t be done”. It can – it needs the right method, either a bench read or an unlock first.
Older cars are more straightforward: Bosch MED17.0, MED17.0.1 and MED17.2 on the EcoBoost petrols, Delphi DCM6.1 and Siemens/Continental EMS2511 and SID803A across the diesels. We confirm which unit you have from your registration before you commit to anything.
Related
- Ford tuning – all models
- Transit Custom and Ranger tuning
- Ford servicing in Maidstone
- Performance parts and exhausts
How we do it
Every car is mapped and then verified on our own 2000bhp Mustang 4WD linked dyno at our workshop in Maidstone, Kent, with 30 years’ trade experience and 2,200+ reviews behind us. Send us your registration and we will tell you which engine and ECU you have, and what is realistic for it.
Questions we get asked
I was told my newer Focus cannot be remapped. Is that right?
No. The 1.5 and 2.0 EcoBlue diesels use Bosch MD1CS003 and MD1CS005, and the 2019 on 2.3 ST uses Bosch MG1CS017. These are locked from the factory and cannot simply be read through the OBD port, which is where that answer comes from. They can be done, but it needs the right method, either a bench read or an unlock first.
Which ECU does my Focus have?
We confirm it from your registration before you commit to anything. The older EcoBoost petrols generally run Bosch MED17.0, MED17.0.1 or MED17.2, and the older diesels Delphi DCM6.1 or Siemens EMS2511 and SID803A.
Why does the torque figure matter more than the power figure?
Because the mid range is where you drive. On the turbo petrol Focus models the peak power is already close to what the standard turbo and fuelling will sensibly give, while there is far more room in what the engine can hold from around 2,000rpm. That is felt as a much stronger pull in normal driving rather than a bigger number at the top end you rarely reach.
