Gear Change and Mic Tuner
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Crain,
The Micro Tuner comes with a thorough installation manual that tells you how to do that, as well as all the other functions.
There is no device that is just automatically going be able to determine whatever gear ratio somebody installed and then go ahead and correct it automatically too, with no input from you - that's not how these kinds of things work.
But, it's still *very* simple....................
What happens is, during the Micro Tuner installation procedure (which takes all of 10 minutes), you'll get a message on the Micro Tuner's LCD screen when it comes time to do that particular function - it will ask you yes or no, do you want to go into the menu for tire size or gear ratio corrections? You say yes if you need to make changes there, and then you simply plug in the new gear ratio - that's it - very simple!
You can also go back in later on again too, after you've already installed the Micro Tuner, and make further changes in those areas again if need be - like if you install different gears later on, or change tire sizes again later on, etc. - you can go back in and correct the speedometer again later if you make more changes, etc.
The bottom line is, it's simple enough that anyone who can read can easily do it - it's actually kinda fun, you won't have any trouble with any kind of difficult procedure, etc. - it's just a simple matter of entering in your gear ratio if it has been changed from stock, that's all.
The Micro Tuner comes with a thorough installation manual that tells you how to do that, as well as all the other functions.
There is no device that is just automatically going be able to determine whatever gear ratio somebody installed and then go ahead and correct it automatically too, with no input from you - that's not how these kinds of things work.
But, it's still *very* simple....................
What happens is, during the Micro Tuner installation procedure (which takes all of 10 minutes), you'll get a message on the Micro Tuner's LCD screen when it comes time to do that particular function - it will ask you yes or no, do you want to go into the menu for tire size or gear ratio corrections? You say yes if you need to make changes there, and then you simply plug in the new gear ratio - that's it - very simple!
You can also go back in later on again too, after you've already installed the Micro Tuner, and make further changes in those areas again if need be - like if you install different gears later on, or change tire sizes again later on, etc. - you can go back in and correct the speedometer again later if you make more changes, etc.
The bottom line is, it's simple enough that anyone who can read can easily do it - it's actually kinda fun, you won't have any trouble with any kind of difficult procedure, etc. - it's just a simple matter of entering in your gear ratio if it has been changed from stock, that's all.
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
From: NC
Mike,
After Blue4x4 reply, I sent you an email because I tried to follow the manual twice and the options to 1) edit the tire height and 2) gear size do not come up on my 1715 max micro tuner as outlined in the manual.
Here's a copy of the email I sent you.
What am I not doing wrong? According to my tuner manual, I should be able to edit the gear option using the 1715 Max Micro Tuner. I go through the editing the custom options setting portion of the manual and the tuner takes me through the following questions regarding: manual trans (Y/N), Use SChips shift (Y/N), Speed Limiter (raise or stock), and then the options stop and yet the manual shows options for editing the tire option setting to correct the speedo which I know my truck requires the VSS gear, followed by set the tire height, and finally editing the gear size option setting which I want but the last three options do not come up. The last custom option my tuner shows is the speed limiter. I went through the steps twice and get the same reading. I had a set of 4:10 gears installed...going from 3:55 to 4:10s. How am I to make the adjustment for new gears when the option to do so will not come up on the turner.
What am I to do next?
After Blue4x4 reply, I sent you an email because I tried to follow the manual twice and the options to 1) edit the tire height and 2) gear size do not come up on my 1715 max micro tuner as outlined in the manual.
Here's a copy of the email I sent you.
What am I not doing wrong? According to my tuner manual, I should be able to edit the gear option using the 1715 Max Micro Tuner. I go through the editing the custom options setting portion of the manual and the tuner takes me through the following questions regarding: manual trans (Y/N), Use SChips shift (Y/N), Speed Limiter (raise or stock), and then the options stop and yet the manual shows options for editing the tire option setting to correct the speedo which I know my truck requires the VSS gear, followed by set the tire height, and finally editing the gear size option setting which I want but the last three options do not come up. The last custom option my tuner shows is the speed limiter. I went through the steps twice and get the same reading. I had a set of 4:10 gears installed...going from 3:55 to 4:10s. How am I to make the adjustment for new gears when the option to do so will not come up on the turner.
What am I to do next?
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Crain,
OK - I'm sorry my friend, but this is where I have to draw the line on trying to help you here, as it's strictly against the rules of F-150 Online for any vendor to provide Tech Support here. I do try to help here when it's something simple and/or just one post, etc., but this has obviously gone beyond that. So at this point, you simply need to do as your Micro Tuner's manual tells you anytime you need help - which is to call the manufacturer.
Additionally, just so you'll know, because it takes hundreds of times longer to type something out than it takes to talk, we provide Tech Support *only* by phone or in person - not via the written word, so not in email, not on the Internet, etc.
One last point - (and I'm assuming your truck is a 1999 or newer model F-150, as the speedometer cannot be recalibrated in this manner until the 1999 model year in the F-150) - There are some PCM codes in these trucks in which you have to return the vehicle's tuning back to *stock* with the Micro Tuner before you can make those kinds of changes later on - there are some PCM codes that just have that characteristic. This is probably the case with your vehicle (and I'm just guessing here), from your description.
The bottom line is, at this point you need to just call the manufacturer directly for assistance, they'll be happy to help you with this.
Good luck & please do shoot us an email or something to let us know what the resolution was, OK? Thanks!
OK - I'm sorry my friend, but this is where I have to draw the line on trying to help you here, as it's strictly against the rules of F-150 Online for any vendor to provide Tech Support here. I do try to help here when it's something simple and/or just one post, etc., but this has obviously gone beyond that. So at this point, you simply need to do as your Micro Tuner's manual tells you anytime you need help - which is to call the manufacturer.
Additionally, just so you'll know, because it takes hundreds of times longer to type something out than it takes to talk, we provide Tech Support *only* by phone or in person - not via the written word, so not in email, not on the Internet, etc.
One last point - (and I'm assuming your truck is a 1999 or newer model F-150, as the speedometer cannot be recalibrated in this manner until the 1999 model year in the F-150) - There are some PCM codes in these trucks in which you have to return the vehicle's tuning back to *stock* with the Micro Tuner before you can make those kinds of changes later on - there are some PCM codes that just have that characteristic. This is probably the case with your vehicle (and I'm just guessing here), from your description.
The bottom line is, at this point you need to just call the manufacturer directly for assistance, they'll be happy to help you with this.
Good luck & please do shoot us an email or something to let us know what the resolution was, OK? Thanks!
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Hi Charles,
Ahhh.............. OK, I think I'm finally beginning to understand what's really going on here.............
Apparently you aren't aware that changing the gear ratio *also* alters the speedometer's calibration just like a tire size change does - remember, it doesn't matter whether it's a tire size change or a gear ratio change, either of those changes are going to affect the speedometer calibration, and are fixed only by proper recalibration of the speedometer. And you can't do that on the pre-1999 models via a Micro Tuner or a performance chip, as those functions aren't even in the PCM until the 1999 model year in the F-150 - so whether it's a tire size change or a gear ratio change doesn't matter in this regard - it's all the same thing, the speedometer calibration will change as a result and must be corrected by properly recalibrating the speedometer.
By the way, just in case you may not be aware of this, correcting the speedometer also automatically corrects the shift points in automatic transmission models too **when the shift points have been thrown off because of the speedo being improperly calibrated, like with a gear ratio change.** The system is VSS-dependent - so when you fix the speedometer's calibration, the transmission shifts at the correct time again, too, if it was thrown off by a speedo calibration being far enough off.
You will have to correct your 1998 truck's speedometer the old-fashioned way, the way it's been done for, gosh - I guess something like 50-70 years - which is by installing the correct speedometer gear in the tailshaft of the transmission. This is easy to do, it takes all of 10 minutes and costs less than $20 for the gear if you know how many teeth you need on the new speedo gear so you can order the right part and then install it yourself. However, since you are not familiar with this, I suggest just taking it to a speedometer calibration shop and let them do this for you - they can check actual speedo error and correct for the tire size change (if any) and for the gear ratio change too by installing the correct speedo gear. Or, if you can determine the number of teeth you need on the gear, you can just have your local Ford dealership order that gear (if it's not already in stock) and have them install it for you. There are any number of ways to do this, but the bottom line is, you have to recalibrate the speedometer using a conventional speedo gear, since it's a pre-1999 F-150 - and luckily that is pretty easy to do.
If you do this yourself, you need to know exactly how far off the speedometer is at a given speed - we like to see how far it's off at 50 mph just because that makes the math easy for the customer. Once you know how far off the speedometer is at 50 mph (speedometer errors are *never* constant, they are percentage-based errors that grow larger the faster you go, so if it's off 4 mph @ 50 mph, it will be 8 mph off at 100 mph - thus it's an 8% error), then the other data you need to know is how many teeth are on your *current* speedometer gear - *then* you can do the math to determine how many teeth you need on the new gear to properly recalibrate the speedometer. It's not as hard as it sounds, and if you determine the error at 50 mph and give me the number of teeth on the present speedo gear, I can tell you how many teeth you'll need on the new gear. However, in reality you'll probably just want to have a speedo shop take care of all the details.
So there is an easy solution, you just have to do this a different way because your vehicle is a pre-1999.
Good luck!
Ahhh.............. OK, I think I'm finally beginning to understand what's really going on here.............
Apparently you aren't aware that changing the gear ratio *also* alters the speedometer's calibration just like a tire size change does - remember, it doesn't matter whether it's a tire size change or a gear ratio change, either of those changes are going to affect the speedometer calibration, and are fixed only by proper recalibration of the speedometer. And you can't do that on the pre-1999 models via a Micro Tuner or a performance chip, as those functions aren't even in the PCM until the 1999 model year in the F-150 - so whether it's a tire size change or a gear ratio change doesn't matter in this regard - it's all the same thing, the speedometer calibration will change as a result and must be corrected by properly recalibrating the speedometer.
By the way, just in case you may not be aware of this, correcting the speedometer also automatically corrects the shift points in automatic transmission models too **when the shift points have been thrown off because of the speedo being improperly calibrated, like with a gear ratio change.** The system is VSS-dependent - so when you fix the speedometer's calibration, the transmission shifts at the correct time again, too, if it was thrown off by a speedo calibration being far enough off.
You will have to correct your 1998 truck's speedometer the old-fashioned way, the way it's been done for, gosh - I guess something like 50-70 years - which is by installing the correct speedometer gear in the tailshaft of the transmission. This is easy to do, it takes all of 10 minutes and costs less than $20 for the gear if you know how many teeth you need on the new speedo gear so you can order the right part and then install it yourself. However, since you are not familiar with this, I suggest just taking it to a speedometer calibration shop and let them do this for you - they can check actual speedo error and correct for the tire size change (if any) and for the gear ratio change too by installing the correct speedo gear. Or, if you can determine the number of teeth you need on the gear, you can just have your local Ford dealership order that gear (if it's not already in stock) and have them install it for you. There are any number of ways to do this, but the bottom line is, you have to recalibrate the speedometer using a conventional speedo gear, since it's a pre-1999 F-150 - and luckily that is pretty easy to do.
If you do this yourself, you need to know exactly how far off the speedometer is at a given speed - we like to see how far it's off at 50 mph just because that makes the math easy for the customer. Once you know how far off the speedometer is at 50 mph (speedometer errors are *never* constant, they are percentage-based errors that grow larger the faster you go, so if it's off 4 mph @ 50 mph, it will be 8 mph off at 100 mph - thus it's an 8% error), then the other data you need to know is how many teeth are on your *current* speedometer gear - *then* you can do the math to determine how many teeth you need on the new gear to properly recalibrate the speedometer. It's not as hard as it sounds, and if you determine the error at 50 mph and give me the number of teeth on the present speedo gear, I can tell you how many teeth you'll need on the new gear. However, in reality you'll probably just want to have a speedo shop take care of all the details.
So there is an easy solution, you just have to do this a different way because your vehicle is a pre-1999.
Good luck!