[3rdcoaST]

Got myself a 2018 ST2 a couple weeks ago and picked up an accessport for fear of there being a tune left on the car before PO traded it in. I will say changing to the stage zero the car has better driving mannerism so I may have been right. It came with MRT catback exhaust and I have a Cobb intake coming in but need a filter.
So my questions are do you have to touch the tune up like I did with my old gen1 speed3? It’s been like 5 years so I can’t remember what you had to go in and clean up but you would go in and adjust the afr and something else after driving it around for a while.
I also noticed that the old zoom zoom boom boosting in 5th or 6th still exists
I’ve been trying to collect everything I need before getting a professional tune as quickly as I can but I have a budget so it may take like a month or two. Would I be okay running a Cobb ots stage1 with the catback MRT and a Cobb intake?

 

[TurboGT]

Don't ever boost more than a couple psi in 5th and 6th unless you're well over 100mph. Do a search for LSPi, you'll knock a piston out of these engines very quickly.

Cobb tunes are very aggressive and also make it very easy to kill your engine on these cars. Don't run them.

Pick up an Intercooler. Then get an adapt-x or custom tune.

Intake gains nothing, catback gains nothing, downpipe is very small, un-noticeable gains. Intercooler is your meal ticket.

 

[3rdcoaST]

Alrighty sounds like a plan, intercooler, intercooler piping, and catless DP are what’s left on my parts list before I get a protune. Would it be safe to stay in the Stage 0 tune for the time being with just an intake and exhaust (stock DP). I don’t do spirited driving as of yet I’m waiting until I’ve installed all the parts and gotten tuned.

 

[TurboGT]

Don't bother with piping either. I have big turbo with stock piping, it isn't a limiting factor unlike people would lead you to believe. Just trying to save you some coin!

Yes it's fine to run stage 0 with those mods.

 

[3rdcoaST]

Ok ok I will keep all of that in mind and thanks for your help and knowledgeable input

 

[Sobro]

One great thing the Factory did was make this car breathe well. Intake, exhaust, and intercooler piping are well overdesigned, and the only things you need until you start heavily modifying are intercooler and high flow filter. Those items (and the filter is a debateable, but inexpensive, item) should always be the first mod.

 

[Smokin' Joe]

Congrats on the ST purchase & welcome! Make you you hit up the introductions thread with a pic or 2 😁

Yeah, @TurboGT has got you pretty well covered for getting started on this platform. FMIC 1st for sure.

Lots of decent tuners to choose from with well founded reputations here, so do some reading around the forum. This site is the mecca for all things Focus ST! Amazing community support here as well, so keep asking questions if you can't find what you need via search.

 

[3rdcoaST]

Whelp car had this crazy exhaust on it when I got her and I got the intake for $100 so I’m in it with those things now. Also certain things I like just for the aesthetics of it all, this is my first car that’s like brand new and I’ll have it for a looooong time it’s my “zippy dad car” so things like the intake and red intercooler piping I’ll still end up with because I’m sucker for that stuff lol and I finally have a car worth doing it too. I’m not ignoring the awesome info you guys have now bestowed upon me but more so letting you know about me. Y’all are really cool though I like this place

 

[Sobro]

Don't get "zippy" when the engine is cold. Make sure the oil temp gauge is off the peg before you hit any boost. Feed it the highest quality premium fuel you can get. Change spark plugs about every 10k miles. If you get hard start or misfires after a fill up replace the purge valve. Your car will last a long time of you treat it right.

 

[3rdcoaST]

Don't get "zippy" when the engine is cold. Make sure the oil temp gauge is off the peg before you hit any boost. Feed it the highest quality premium fuel you can get. Change spark plugs about every 10k miles. If you get hard start or misfires after a fill up replace the purge valve. Your car will last a long time of you treat it right.

You’re exactly right! Before I got the ST I was trying for a gen2 speed and was watching a YouTube channel “Carmaspeed” and he was building an ST so I saw about the oil temp thing which I wait until it’s fully warmed up to give it any real throttle. Good info on the purge valve definitely didn’t know that. I’m lucky to be close to one of the giant Buccees gas stations here in Texas so fuel is A1 👌🏼

 

[Ants_Slow_ST]

another good (and cheap) thing to get before tuning is some NGK 1 step colder spark plugs. They'll reduce temperatures in the combustion chamber and its just good to replace plugs on a motor u want to tune/modify