I have a 99 extended cab Lariat with the 4.6L and auto trans, KN filter and Magnaflow exhaust. I understand from friends that by changing the chip, I may be able to pick up a bit of mileage as well as change the way the transmission shifts. I tow a 3200# boat so I want to retain the tow capacity as well. Right now, after putting it into passing gear, it seems like it takes longer than normal to shift back to normal cruising RPM. Can you help me out with some specific product info?

Thanks, Rick

 

Hi Rick,

Welcome to F-150 Online!

The best thing to do is to spend some time reading all the tons of info that has already been posted here in extreme detail on all that. This is one of "the basics," meaning a simple question that gets asked virtually every time somebody new comes along here, so in those cases we refer you to reading the info already posted here, rather than typing it all out again and again and again..........

Spending your own time reading the boards is the first thing to do. You will also want to use the search feature (the icon is in the upper right portion of your screen here) so you can immediately look up exactly what you want to know. The search feature is your key to instantly unlocking all the info you could ever want here. In particular, there are a couple of guys, one who goes by the name of "Family Ride," the other goes by the name of "Conocoan," who have both written up excellent posts here on their experiences when towing and using the Superchips tuning, everything from seat of the pants observations to actual mpg results, etc., so make sure and read their posts.

You should also read up on each of the Superchips products that can be used on your vehicle, and you can do that over at our web site, at www.TroyerPerformance.com - click on Shop, then you'll see the Superchips section. Read up on our Part#'s 1100, 1300 & 1715, which are the single program Superchip, the 2-program Flip Chip and the Micro Tuner, respectively.

To get you some immediate info.............

Don't ever count on a performance chip to raise your fuel mileage enough to actually save you any money on gasoline, as that is virtually never going to happen. While the Superchips tuning does tend to raise the mpg by anywhere from about .7 mpg to as much as 3.5 mpg (average about 1.5 more mpg), you also have to use premium gasoline, and good quality premium at that, no cheap off-brand, no-names, and no Exxon, you need to use only the best quality fuels or you won't get the performance gains & mpg you could. So when using the Superchips tuning and the required premium gas, you can count on usually spending anywhere from about the same for gasoline as you spend right now using 87 octane, to spending $50-$100 more a year for gas.

Of course it's going to take much longer to upshift again after a downshift to pass someone, etc., when you are towing, that's true with *any* automatic transmission that is operating properly, especially any vehicle made in about the last 15-20 years that computer controls have been around. The motor has a much heavier load on it when towing, and it's not going to upshift until it senses that it can do so without slowing the vehicle down, especially right after you have demanded much more power by forcing a downshift with the throttle.

LOAD is key here, and that is the single most important aspect controlling shift points at less than full-throttle, LOAD. Shift points at less than full-throttle are based on extremely sophisticated algorithms that are vehicle speed & throttle position versus load based, to put it simply, thus the more throttle opening you use, and/or the higher the load on the motor, the higher the part-throttle upshift point will be (just as it should be), and it will be a bit higher right after you've forced a downshift with heavy throttle, or when towing uphill, etc. The bottom line is, don't ever expect to have the same shift points when towing as when not towing, as that isn't going to happen.

It doesn't hurt that vehicle in the least to allow the engine to turn the rpms it needs to in order to get up the hill, or to upshift with such an extreme load on a 4.6 F-150, so forget about worrying over the motor turning 4000 rpm, or 4700 rpm, etc. The engine is protected by a rev limiter, so you *can't* over-rev it under those conditions. The more load you put on that vehicle, the more you will have this symptom of a higher part-throttle upshift point.

It's very easy to add power to your vehicle, and optimizing the powertrain program is the place to start since it's the single best bang for the buck. Just don't expect it to work miracles when you have a tiny engine (4.6 = 281 Cu. In. & low torque) hauling around 4-5 tons, as happens when towing 3000+ lbs.

The Superchips tuning is going to be, in round numbers, about a 10% power gain, in addition to cleaning up the sloppy & slow shift characteristics and reducing slippage in the automatic transmission. It will also optimize the various delays & retards that hurt performance, especially the upshift & downshift delays that are part of Ford's soft-shift strategy.

There are other modifications you should look at as well when trying to improve both performance (including towing) and fuel mileage. To get started from where you are right now, I would do the Superchips tuning next, and then after that, I'd put a good intake kit on there (a drop-in K&N filter is worth maybe 4-5 HP, whereas a good intake kit like the Air Force One will get you 15 HP). Then I'd look at doing electric fans and underdrive pulleys, as those 2 mods nets you about 30 HP at the rear wheels, helps all the time at any throttle position or rpm, and also has the best potential for actually improving fuel mileage allowing you to spend less money for gas. The electric fans & underdrive pulleys are giving most people at least 1.5-2.0 more mpg, with some getting even higher gains.

I know this is a lot to digest, so please feel free to give us a call & we'll be happy to go over this with you in detail, our number is listed just below.

Good luck with your truck!