Using Engineering Test Mode

[Mark S.]

You can use engineering test mode to adjust the average fuel economy bias (AFEB) number the computer uses to compute and display mileage. If your car is like mine, you may have noticed the displayed mileage is significantly different from actual. I've been manually tracking fuel economy since I purchased the vehicle in Nov 2021 (see this post). Here's a link to the tracking spreadsheet I use; you can see displayed fuel mileage is consistently higher. By adjusting the AFEB I hope to make the displayed mileage more accurate. Here's how to do it:

1. Hold the "OK" button on your steering wheel and start the car.
2. Hold the button until you see "Engineering Test Mode" in the center display (between speedo and tach), then release the "OK" button.
3. Press either of the up/down arrows until you see the AFE Bias page.
4. Press the "OK" button to enter edit mode, then use the up/down buttons to adjust the number.
5. When the number is set press the "OK" button to save it.
6. Shut off your car to exit engineering test mode.

NOTE: I am not a Ford technician, but I suspect there are other settings in this mode that if changed can impact the way your car operates. I would avoid dinking around with anything in there unless you know what you're doing. Obviously, any changes you make, including to the AEFB, are done at your own risk.​

To determine what AEFB number to use you must first hand-compute fuel mileage over several tanks. The owner's manual recommends at least three full tanks to average out all the possible variables. I would make sure you are using the vehicle for its typical mission while hand-computing over these three tanks, i.e. don't measure over a long highway trip unless that's what you typically use the car for. I would reset one of your trip meters on the first fill up, then do not reset it until the third fill up. Keep track of how much fuel you put in at each fill. After the third fill you should have the total miles driven along with the computer's estimated fuel mileage for that trip.

Once you've hand-computed your mileage you'll compare it to the computer's estimated mileage. Divide your actual mileage by the displayed mileage to get a correction factor. For example, my lifetime mileage (TOTALS tab on the spreadsheet linked above) is 26.62. My average indicated mileage is 27.3. If you divide 26.62 (actual mileage) by 27.3 (displayed mileage) you get . 975. This number means my actual mileage is 97.5% of displayed mileage.

When you first see the AFEB page it should be set to 1.000. You'll use the up/down arrow keys to change it to whatever number you get after your computations. I set mine to .975. I'll give a couple of tanks to adjust to the new AFEB number and report my results. Watch this space...

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[Econoline]

I’ve recorded my displayed mpg and actual mpg since new (fuelly.com), so I’m ready to apply a correction factor. Thanks for the info on how to do that.

 

[Meanderthal]

You can use engineering test mode to adjust the average fuel economy bias (AFEB) number the computer uses to compute and display mileage. If your car is like mine, you may have noticed the displayed mileage is significantly different from actual. I've been manually tracking fuel economy since I purchased the vehicle in Nov 2021 (see this post). Here's a link to the tracking spreadsheet I use; you can see displayed fuel mileage is consistently higher. By adjusting the AFEB I hope to make the displayed mileage more accurate. Here's how to do it:

1. Hold the "OK" button on your steering wheel and start the car.
2. Hold the button until you see "Engineering Test Mode" in the center display (between speedo and tach), then release the "OK" button.
3. Press either of the up/down arrows until you see the AFE Bias page.
4. Press the "OK" button to enter edit mode, then use the up/down buttons to adjust the number.
5. When the number is set press the "OK" button to save it.
6. Shut off your car to exit engineering test mode.

NOTE: I am not a Ford technician, but I suspect there are other settings in this mode that if changed can impact the way your car operates. I would avoid dinking around with anything in there unless you know what you're doing. Obviously, any changes you make, including to the AEFB, are done at your own risk.​

To determine what AEFB number to use you must first hand-compute fuel mileage over several tanks. The owner's manual recommends at least three full tanks to average out all the possible variables. I would make sure you are using the vehicle for its typical mission while hand-computing over these three tanks, i.e. don't measure over a long highway trip unless that's what you typically use the car for. I would reset one of your trip meters on the first fill up, then do not reset it until the third fill up. Keep track of how much fuel you put in at each fill. After the third fill you should have the total miles driven along with the computer's estimated fuel mileage for that trip.

Once you've hand-computed your mileage you'll compare it to the computer's estimated mileage. Divide your actual mileage by the displayed mileage to get a correction factor. For example, my lifetime mileage (TOTALS tab on the spreadsheet linked above) is 26.62. My average indicated mileage is 27.3. If you divide 26.62 (actual mileage) by 27.3 (displayed mileage) you get . 975. This number means my actual mileage is 97.5% of displayed mileage.

When you first see the AFEB page it should be set to 1.000. You'll use the up/down arrow keys to change it to whatever number you get after your computations. I set mine to .975. I'll give a couple of tanks to adjust to the new AFEB number and report my results. Watch this space...

Any chance you can adjust the tire diameter in this mode too?

 

[Dude]

Thank you Mark S … I knew there was a Diagnostics mode but I don’t know there was an engineering test mode. Do you have a link with more info? I was unable to find more info online.

Diagnostics:
1. Ignition OFF.
2. Simultaneously press and hold the right side steering wheel OK button and press Ignition ON once. (Accessory mode)
NOTE: It may take up to 20 seconds for the system to enter diagnostics mode.
Scroll through the options on the cluster display (includes battery voltage, coolant temp, etc.). Will only show while keyed on in Accessory mode.
3. To exit the diagnostics, press the on/off button.

 

[V8 Yankee]

Good info, thnx. I've been tracking longterm milage for over 13k. I found the actual number and the ECU avg converged to about +/- 1% at around 3k. Now I'll use the eng. mode to fine tune the ECU. Good to know about the tire settings too, thnx.

 

[Mark S.]

Any chance you can adjust the tire diameter in this mode too?

I took my own advice and stayed away from all the other screens in there other than the AFEB page.

 

[Mark S.]

Thank you Mark S … I knew there was a Diagnostics mode but I don’t know there was an engineering test mode. Do you have a link with more info? I was unable to find more info online.

The only link I have is to a post over at the Mustang forum I used to frequent. I saved it years ago and saw it when I was cleaning out my browser bookmarks. There's nothing there other than how to get into engineering test mode.

 

[V8 Yankee]

I took my own advice and stayed away from all the other screens in there other than the AFEB page.

Good if you can restrain yourself. I Gotta see!

 

[Mark S.]

Good if you can restrain yourself. I Gotta see!

Oh, I looked through them, I just didn't futz with them.

 

[ScareCrow]

This showed up on "The Drive" site.

Ford Maverick Owners Find Secret ‘Konami Code’ To Hack Into Truck’s Gauge Cluster

 

[Escape2Bronco]

Any chance you can adjust the tire diameter in this mode too?

According to the Maverick site post, tire size can be adjusted in this mode.

 

[Dude]

Mark S … in all your years of owning Fords and use of Engineering Test Mode, have you ever seen that use of this Mode can cause the FordPass App to display various messages in the Apps Message Center? Happened for me while the Engineering Test Mode was enabled and I was driving for about 45 minutes. No DTCs were displayed as I cycled thru the various displayed items and the FordPass App on the main screen showed Vehicle Status No Alerts. But I received the following 4 messages posted in the Apps Message Center which I noticed a day later.

I thought that the reason might have been camping out on the Engineering Test Mode screen that shows all the dash icons and colors maybe causes test messages to be seen in the App Message Center? The date and time of these messages corresponds to when I was in the Engineering Test Mode.

 

[Mark S.]

Mark S … in all your years of owning Fords and use of Engineering Test Mode, have you ever seen that use of this Mode can cause the FordPass App to display various messages in the Apps Message Center?

Curious! No, this has never happened to me. That said, I've never driven with the vehicle set to engineering test mode.

 

[Dude]

Curious! No, this has never happened to me. That said, I've never driven with the vehicle set to engineering test mode.

Another thing for you to try someday

 

[Sdsret2015]

You can use engineering test mode to adjust the average fuel economy bias (AFEB) number the computer uses to compute and display mileage. If your car is like mine, you may have noticed the displayed mileage is significantly different from actual. I've been manually tracking fuel economy since I purchased the vehicle in Nov 2021 (see this post). Here's a link to the tracking spreadsheet I use; you can see displayed fuel mileage is consistently higher. By adjusting the AFEB I hope to make the displayed mileage more accurate. Here's how to do it:

1. Hold the "OK" button on your steering wheel and start the car.
2. Hold the button until you see "Engineering Test Mode" in the center display (between speedo and tach), then release the "OK" button.
3. Press either of the up/down arrows until you see the AFE Bias page.
4. Press the "OK" button to enter edit mode, then use the up/down buttons to adjust the number.
5. When the number is set press the "OK" button to save it.
6. Shut off your car to exit engineering test mode.

NOTE: I am not a Ford technician, but I suspect there are other settings in this mode that if changed can impact the way your car operates. I would avoid dinking around with anything in there unless you know what you're doing. Obviously, any changes you make, including to the AEFB, are done at your own risk.​

To determine what AEFB number to use you must first hand-compute fuel mileage over several tanks. The owner's manual recommends at least three full tanks to average out all the possible variables. I would make sure you are using the vehicle for its typical mission while hand-computing over these three tanks, i.e. don't measure over a long highway trip unless that's what you typically use the car for. I would reset one of your trip meters on the first fill up, then do not reset it until the third fill up. Keep track of how much fuel you put in at each fill. After the third fill you should have the total miles driven along with the computer's estimated fuel mileage for that trip.

Once you've hand-computed your mileage you'll compare it to the computer's estimated mileage. Divide your actual mileage by the displayed mileage to get a correction factor. For example, my lifetime mileage (TOTALS tab on the spreadsheet linked above) is 26.62. My average indicated mileage is 27.3. If you divide 26.62 (actual mileage) by 27.3 (displayed mileage) you get . 975. This number means my actual mileage is 97.5% of displayed mileage.

When you first see the AFEB page it should be set to 1.000. You'll use the up/down arrow keys to change it to whatever number you get after your computations. I set mine to .975. I'll give a couple of tanks to adjust to the new AFEB number and report my results. Watch this space...

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