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Top 5 Mods for a Sport

2015TuxedoSport

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December 2, 2017
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City, State
Houston, Texas
Year, Model & Trim Level
2015, Explorer Sport
I just purchased a 2015 Explorer Sport, Tuxedo Black - AND I LOVE IT!

I bought WeatherTech Mats, SunShade, FOB Protector & a booster seat protector due to my 5 year olds messes.

I'm thinking about Caliper Covers and wanted a few thoughts on whether Red or Black look cleaner in your opinion?

Also, I don't know exactly what performance mods will void the warranty but I want to do whatever I can without doing so.

Any Suggestions will help. Thanks in advance.
 



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I would paint the calipers instead of covers. Leave that kind of stuff to the Honda boyz. Covers just look soooooo lame.

Intake, tune, exhaust, lowering springs, interior/exterior leds. Any performance mods have the chance to void warranty obviously. That’s the chance anyone takes when they mod.
 






........Also, I don't know exactly what performance mods will void the warranty but I want to do whatever I can without doing so.

Any Suggestions will help. Thanks in advance.
Read your vehicle's Warranty Guide and it will pretty much cover your question.

Peter
 






I would paint the calipers instead of covers. Leave that kind of stuff to the Honda boyz. Covers just look soooooo lame.

Intake, tune, exhaust, lowering springs, interior/exterior leds. Any performance mods have the chance to void warranty obviously. That’s the chance anyone takes when they mod.

Appreciate the feedback and I hear you on the Honda boyz. Good call. Not too sure of where I can have them painted but I will find out. Any suggestions on intake and tuner?
 












Paint the calipers black they look good, covers look cheap.

Anything can void the warranty but remember before they can void the warranty they have to prove the mod was the reason for the issue.

Most, NOT ALL, get a tune and maybe a CAI in order to get the best bang for the buck.

Do lots of reading on here, many have shared their honest experiences with other modifications, some good, some not so good.
 






My first 5 basic mods were:

1. Window Tint
2. All Weather Floor and Cargo Mats (oem)
3. Splash Guards (oem)
4. Rear Power Seat Control Panel Cover (ebay non oem)
5. Rear License Plate LED replacement bulbs

My next mods are performance mods
intake, ecu flash (livernois), 3 bar map, thermostat, spark plugs, etc...
 






1. Window Tint
2. All Weather Husky Floor & Cargo Mats
3. Livernois Tune 93
4. Dash Cam E-Prance 0806 (Hardwire)
5. 3-M Clear Film on the rear bumper sill, door sills, and front.
6. Painted black calipers front and back.
 






Hello there!
My mods were/are,
1. Tint (if tint is considered a mod)
2. Weathertech mats (same)
3. Livernois motorsports 93 tune/ airaid cai/ 3bar map/ thermostat.
4. Lowering springs
5. Livernois/corsa full exhaust.

I definitely recommend LMS for your performance needs, although there’s some other very good tuners out there.

The only thing that probably will not void your warranty is the cold air intake and superficial mods like tint, paint, etc. Everything else will void the warranty depending the category you modify. For example if you lower your vehicle, it may void your suspension and steering warranty but you’ll still have cover on engine, Trans, and everything else.
 






I just purchased a 2015 Explorer Sport, Tuxedo Black - AND I LOVE IT!
I bought WeatherTech Mats, SunShade, FOB Protector & a booster seat protector due to my 5 year olds messes.

I'm thinking about Caliper Covers and wanted a few thoughts on whether Red or Black look cleaner in your opinion?

Also, I don't know exactly what performance mods will void the warranty but I want to do whatever I can without doing so.

Any Suggestions will help. Thanks in advance.
I installed a DiabloSport Trinity T1000 tuner on my 2015 sport. Great performance Improvement overall, added a lot of torque a lot more horsepower and really changed up the shifting. It was very noticeable. I've had it on the vehicle for 3 years and no issues at the dealer. The worst was when I took it in for something with the computer my service guy asked me to detune it so he could cover things without it being an issue. It only takes a few minutes to do that, so if I ever brought it in for anything like that I would simply detune it and then retune it afterwards. I'm about to buy a 2017 Explorer Sport and will install the DiabloSport T1000 on this one assuming it fits appropriately. I still have to call the manufacturer and double-check. I also installed a K&N air filter which was another good Improvement. Tinted windows of course. Enjoy your sport!
 






This is not mine, and I don't know if they are painted or covers....

IMG_20170624_091810.jpg
 






Performance mods...
The single biggest bang-for-the-buck mod is a tune. Add a 3-bar MAP and t-stat for a few more ponies. After that, intake and exhaust will squeeze a little bit more out, plus make it sound more beastly.

Caliper covers vs. paint is a personal preference matter. IMO, the stock calipers are ugly in shape and finish, no matter what color you paint them. I went with MGP covers ( red with black "EXPLORER" lettering - without the fake bolt heads), and still love them 9 months later. They look great (IMO), and are super easy to keep clean. I have not yet seen a set of painted calipers on an Ex that I like the look of. As I said, it's personal preference.
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Some people have argued that the covers reduce braking performance due to excess heat. However, it's an assumption, and not one person I've seen make that argument has been able to back those claims up with factual information, or have any personal experience with the product. In my own experience, and discussing the issue with other MGP cover users, not one of us has noticed ANY reduction in braking performance, or any signs of other heat-related brake issues.
 






To each their own on caliper covers. No one will ever convince me that caliper covers look good. Just a fake fixed caliper look.
 












To each their own on caliper covers. No one will ever convince me that caliper covers look good. Just a fake fixed caliper look.

Could not agree more.. Caliper covers look like a completely cheap attempt at appearing to have a BBK. I personally akin it to wearing a fake Rolex, not a nicely made Chinese model with swiss internals, but one of those quartz models you pick up in Mexico for $20. If you want the look of full calipers get a BBK and paint them, other than that just leave the calipers alone. Stock calipers look better than painted stock calipers and look a heck of a lot better than cheap caliper covers.

So as to not continue to derail:

1) Full tint (this is always mod number 1, always always)
1.5) Radar installation (I don't consider this a mod even though I did have to dremel the mirror cover for the tap, however once the car is back from tint it always gets a radar for me)
2) LED conversion (always mod number 2 on any car, always always)
3/4) Really depends on route you want to take, performance vs appearance, you've knocked out the cheaper stuff so as you choose your next road you'd want to go with wheels for appearance and tune/intake/thermostat/MAP/plugs for performance
5) At this point it's up to you, you've completed the smaller items, other than maybe some aesthetic changes you'd like such as wrapping some trim pieces or whatever, so now is when you decide how you want to spend your next few thousand... full turbo back (if you haven't done DP already)? fuel management? upgraded turbos? FMIC if you're feeling frisky? BBK :D? doing something about Ford's joke of premium sound?
 






BBK? DP? :dunno:
 







Big Brake Kit (oversized/higher pot calipers and rotors)
Down Pipe (first pipe in the exhaust gas flow connected directly to the turbo)

Honestly though, disregard most of what I said in 3 - 5 as my reading comprehension could use just a little work. You did specifically mention no warranty voids so...

3) Tune
4) Wheels
5) Whatever pleases you :)

These are general guidelines when doing basic mods on any vehicle, grab the smaller items first, add a little power, dress up the wheels and tires, and then do other things little by little that you think would look good on your car. Coolest part of modding is that you make the vehicle specifically yours!
 






Big Brake Kit (oversized/higher pot calipers and rotors)
Down Pipe (first pipe in the exhaust gas flow connected directly to the turbo)

Honestly though, disregard most of what I said in 3 - 5 as my reading comprehension could use just a little work. You did specifically mention no warranty voids so...

3) Tune
4) Wheels
5) Whatever pleases you :)

These are general guidelines when doing basic mods on any vehicle, grab the smaller items first, add a little power, dress up the wheels and tires, and then do other things little by little that you think would look good on your car. Coolest part of modding is that you make the vehicle specifically yours!
Thank you. Any changes such as tunes and over/under sized wheels could potentially affect the warranty. If a part/item or system failed and the reason was traced back to a modification done after the Explorer has left the factory, that part would not be covered. It is all mentioned in the Warranty Brochure that came with the vehicle.

Peter
 






Thank you. Any changes such as tunes and over/under sized wheels could potentially affect the warranty. If a part/item or system failed and the reason was traced back to a modification done after the Explorer has left the factory, that part would not be covered. It is all mentioned in the Warranty Brochure that came with the vehicle.

Peter

Tune is plug and play and you can always flash back to stock before taking into the dealership. A modest tune will not cause an item to wear out any faster during the warranty period unless it was already defective (and in that case it is a win/win). I've put wheels on every car I've ever owned and never ever had a dealership say anything about wheels and tires, even when I had all 4 shocks go out on an Escalade.

My personal opinion on these vehicles is not to go over size on the wheels anyway, 20's look good in the wheel well even at stock ride height.

On a side note, I'm not sure if Canadian laws/rules are different, but the only time I've ever voided a factory warranty was when I went FI on a BMW M3, and that's not even a factor here since these vehicles come turbo from the factory. My most recent dealership experience (fixing the high pitched sound from the AC inverter) had the service adviser and a tech I was working with comment on my LED blinker conversion with resistors, of which they couldn't care less about even though they were doing an electrical repair. It's harder to void a warranty than you think. :)
 



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If you want the look of full calipers get a BBK and paint them...

Part of the challenge with your advice is that no one currently offers an after-market BBK package for our vehicles. The package from Powerstop is more of a lateral move than an upgrade, and the appearance is pretty much a match for stock. Sure, you could get one of the high-performance brake companies to put together something for you, and custom-fabricate some brackets to make them fit, but you'll also be burning many thousands of dollars to upgrade brakes that already do a damn fine job for most of us (the only difference between the consumer-model brakes and the pursuit-rated brakes in the PIU is the pads). You might also have to get new wheels or add spacers to get the clearances you need to make things fit (this was one of the issues for someone on the 5th Gen FB page experimenting with fitting 4-piston Mustang calipers to his Ex).

Personally, I'm not trying to fool anyone that I have a BBK, which is why I special-ordered my covers without the fake bolt-heads. The MGP covers are barely larger than the stock calipers, anyway. I just find the clean, smooth appearance of covers - with a nice accent-color pop behind the openness of 20" wheels - to be way more attractive than stock.

Stock, painted, or covers - do what you want. Your car. Your rules.
 






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