What Do I Need to Run Nitrous on My 2015 Mustang?

Nitrous oxide is a cheap and effective power adder for the power junkie on a budget. A good nitrous kit is a fraction of the cost of a supercharger, and when installed, tuned for, and used properly can be a very reliable way to add a massive amount of power to your car. What exactly is nitrous though? Nitrous is a gas that is stored under extreme pressures to become a liquid. This liquid is then injected into the intake tract of your car. Once the pressurized liquid hits the low pressure area of your intake, it instantly becomes a very cold gas. The low temperature of the nitrous lowers your intake temperatures, resulting in a power increase. This is just a secondary benefit to nitrous though! The primary reason nitrous adds so much power is because as the N2O molecule is heated, the oxygen molecules separate from the nitrogen. Because of this extra oxygen, you can add more fuel to the combustion chamber, giving you the massive power increases seen with nitrous!

No, they are not! There are multiple types of nitrous injection, the two most common being wet and dry systems. Safety wise, a wet system is the primary system to be utilized. A wet system sprays nitrous oxide into the intake manifold and mixes with the fuel. This is channeled into the combustion chamber. There are different amounts of nitrous that can be sprayed into the intake. This is a safer setup than a rival dry system and is much more common as a result.

We’ve all seen the movies where hitting the nitrous blows the car up or puts your manifold in danger, but the fact of the matter is that when installed correctly, nitrous is a very safe power adder. The integrity of a nitrous system is very much “you get what you pay for.” To successfully run a nitrous system on your car, there are several things you’ll need.

• Nitrous kit (which includes bottle, lines, mounting brackets, etc)
• Tuner (to make your ECU accomodate the sudden power gain safely)
• Window switch (so the system isn't being utilized unless you tell it to spray)
• Bottle heater (allows for the temperature to be regulated, also controls the pressure)
• Purge kit (this purges air from the line, allowing for consistent delivery)
• Blow down kit/pressure gauge (for the safety of the system)
• 1 range colder spark plugs, depending on shot size

These items, while made by most brands, can be unique in their installation and setup. This allows for similar, but different nitrous setups.

The nitrous kit is the meat and potatoes of the operation, and will come with the majority of the parts you need for installation. They are often basic kits and can be used on their own, but for maximum safety you should add the other listed items. A window switch works in conjunction with the throttle position switch in many nitrous kits. By installing a window switch and a TPS switch, you will make sure that your nitrous system only activates at wide open throttle, and within a certain RPM window. This prevents you from accidentally firing the nitrous system, causing backfires at low RPM.

On new S550 models, the ECU is so specific that any minor changes require a new tune. Since nitrous is a rather intense modification to the engine, spraying without a tune will result in engine failure. It is strongly recommended to get a dyno tune from a local shop that specializes in nitrous applications and/or 5.0 engines.

A bottle heater isn’t a requirement for a nitrous kit, but it will give you more consistent bottle pressures. Having more consistent bottle pressure will give you a better, and more consistent flow of nitrous to your engine.

This is also not a required item, but when used before spraying it will purge all the excess air from the lines, giving you fresh nitrous straight to the nozzle. Running a nitrous kit without a purge can lead to a slight delay before your nitrous activates. This delay would be caused by any air in the lines that hadn’t been purged prior to nitrous use.

A blow down tube is a safety requirement at most tracks, and is generally a good idea for any nitrous equipped car. It attaches to the bottle valve and has a small pressure cap inside of it. A hole is drilled in the floorpan of your car and the tube is routed outside the vehicle. If the bottle is over pressurized, the pressure cap inside the valve pops, and the nitrous is safely vented outside of the car.

When running a small shot, like a 25-75 shot there is no need to replace your spark plugs. When you start getting into larger jet sizes, like 100 or 125 shot, it’s a wise idea to replace your spark plugs with a spark plug that's one step colder. This will help prevent detonation by allowing the spark plug to shed heat faster. There is a lot of heat and pressure built up in the cylinder when using nitrous, so it’s important to use spark plugs that are up to the task.

With all of these items installed on your 2015 Mustang, you’ll be able to safely spray nitrous for a long time, enjoying the extra horsepower that comes with it. It’s always best to spend the money once and get all the proper parts to have a safe and proper set up. Fixing broken parts is almost always more expensive than buying the proper stuff to begin with!

While the aftermarket tune can have a large impact on reliability and power amounts, the setup itself does as well. Different jet sizes can impact the amount of nitrous being sprayed. As a result, the amount of power being created can vary. Power can range from 500 rwhp to 850 rwhp on the S550 5.0 Models. The decision of how much one wants to spray is the owner’s alone.

Nitrous oxide modifications, while moderately complex and difficult, can create vast amounts of power. This power is completely instant with no throttle lag. The only downside is refilling the bottle. However, on the S550 model Mustangs, refilling the bottle will be as often as refilling the gas tank from the amount of fun it provides. With a solid setup and a solid tune, the amount of power nitrous can provide is supreme.