I have a SuperChip in my Lightning, which I transfer to my 97 F150 when the L is stored for the winter.

AS you may know, the SC is also a code reader, and boy, did it come in handy just now. Although the SC is still in the Lightning, I used it to diagnose a miss in the 97 that started after the last rain we had. It returned a miss in cylinder #4, and after buying a new #4 cable and new plug, the miss was gone. I had replced the cables with Ford ones a year ago, but they have always been pretty touchy.

Anyway, being able to diagnose the exact cylinder that was missing sure saved me a lot of time and money because I didn't have to replace all the plugs and cables.

Remember this feature when considering the purchase of a SuperChip.

Jim

 

i think the reason everybody wants to kick your *** because of the good lookin lighting but i have a question for you...is the superchip programer worth the money, is it worth while. i have a 5.4 and i want some extra power. i also like you can read codes, hypertech does do that... i dont think anyway. i pull alot, horse trailers, 2 4-wheelers, and a 30 ft. pontoon, would this benefit me? thanks for your time.

 

I can't really speak to the 4.6l side of the SuperChip question because I really don't tow at all and I have one of the older units that has only the one program per truck. The newer MicroTuners have towing programs as well as performance programs, and reg/premium fuel options, as well. There are lots of threads here that testify to the improvements of the newer MIcroTuners.

On my 97 4.6l F150, the biggest benefit is the shifting: the stock truck is so s-l-o-w and slushy doing upshifts that it must hurt the trans and cost a lot of mileage. The Microtuner really makes it a different beast just because you can control the shift points and firmness. Beyond that, it may be somewhat faster, but it also doesn't "hunt" so much going up hills and grades. The overall driveability is sooooooooooooooooo much better.

On the Lightning, it's a different story: totally different truck! Not only are the upshifts like a kick in the a$$, but the whole truck seems to have much more power. Some A & B dyno comparisons on a 2002 L have netted a 29 hp increase in power.

I'm probably going to leave the program in the Lightning this winter because of high gas prices, but next season I may get one of the new MicroTuners.

Thanks for the compliment on the L: I love the truck in every way and take a lot of pride in keeping it immaculate and doing tastefull mods.

The "Kick my ***" song is hilarious!

Jim