Attn Tuner owners
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Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Columbus, OH
Attn Tuner owners
i was wondering, other than Mike's excellent customer service what makes a Superchip tuner better than a Hypertech tuner? i just saw that the price difference was around $100 and was wondering what kind of differences i could expect for that amount of money, cause my money is tight (although i like to shower my truck with gifts...or maybe because i like to) and i wouldn't mind spending the extra cash if it was a big difference in other places. thanks for the replies
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Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
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From: Virginia
Hi POD6,
Well, if you really want a factually correct answer to what you actually asked, you'll first need to realize that you can't get that information from "ordinary vehicle owners" (for lack of a better term, no offense to anyone!), simply because nobody who doesn't actually tune these trucks at a extremely high level and also tests the other manufacturer's products could actually answer that with factual information - only a qualified tuner would really know. Others can certainly provide anecdotal comments, if *that* is what you want, you can find that a lot easier & quicker by using the search feature to instantly retrieve any of the thousands of such posts already here - just FYI.
Additionally, the price difference in nowhere near what you quoted - that is only the manufacturer's MAP pricing (minimum advertised price) guideline that we have to use in advertising or on our web site for the "standard" Superchips products (like the 1715 Micro Tuner). - for pricing on things like the standard Superchips products, you'll need to call us for that, as then you get a much lower price. So there's a lot going on here you aren't aware of, and the only way to really get up to speed on all this is to call us.
By all means, please feel free to ask what others here think of our custom tunes, or about the *standard* Superchip products - they can give you anecdotal comments (but you'll get much better and immediate results by simply reading any of the thousands of posts already here, as opposed to waiting for others to come back and type out all over again what they've alt ready typed here - that's what the search feature is for). But they can't actually answer what you really asked.
I know, it probably sounds like I'm splitting hairs here, but you'll understand my point shortly, hang on.........
For that, I'll give you some brief info, and then you can call us if you want to actually go over this properly, as it's far too much to type it all out..............
One last comment before I get started - Now there *is* close to that kind of price difference between the cheap generic Hypertech product (it's not even code-specific) and one of our *custom* tune Micro Tuners, but you can't even begin to compare the two - that's like trying to compare a rainy day to bright sunshine. I'll go just a little bit into some basics about the inherent "difference," then you can call us for details to go over this properly.
It's a mistake to shop for performance tuning based on price - that only assures you of compromising the results and not getting nearly what you could have. And I think it's obvious from how you worded your question that you're *not* that kind of person, - you just want to know "what the heck could possibly be worth me paying significantly more for?"
Understood - and fair question, you bet!
If you want to compare Hypertech's generic tune to the "standard" Superchips 1715 Micro Tuner, then you can make that direct comparison - however, there's nowhere near the price difference you mentioned, as in reality it's almost nothing - just call us & you'll see that the 1715 is available for a lot less than what you see on our web site. The difference between those 2 products is the Hypertech is "generic," meaning 1 program is used for *all* similar vehicles, whereas the Superchips 1715 Micro Tuner has literally thousands of programs built into each one - a set of 3 different tunes for each and every different computer code! (PCM software revision, of which the F-150, like no other vehicle ever made, has hundreds of different codes each model year alone).
What that means is, you get larger power gains from the Superchip tuning, and they are far more consistent no matter what code your individual truck is. The Superchips tuning also delivery better driveability, and a *much* better automatic transmission calibration, for example - there are numerous posts here complaining of problems with Hypertech's automatic transmission calibration - though you will also find some people who are happy with that device, to be sure.
Now our *custom* tunes you can't get any cheaper than what you see on our web site - we do all that work in house, from scratch, and ego aside, we feel we do it better than anyone else. We've specialized in these F-150's longer than anyone else, for 12 years now - and to be a real world-class F-150 tuner, you *have* to specialize in them, as not only do they have more different PCM revisions than any other vehicle made, but they also do the same things many different ways in *identically* configured vehicles of the exact same model year - so you have to specialize in them to really be good at it, and *that* is what we are so well known for - even more so than our excellent customer service. More F-150 owner come to us for their tuning than go anywhere else because of this.
Hypertech gives you a "generic" tune - they aren't made for your specific individual vehicle at all, whereas *every* Superchips product is individual vehicle code-specific. Hypertech's tuning has been compromised to be able to run on all *similar* trucks, it's not done the way Ford Motor Company does it from the factory or the way *we* do it, which is for each individual vehicle's exact PCM software revision - and that makes all the difference in the actual results. There's simply no comparison between an individual vehicle code-specific tune and a generic, one-for-all type of tune.
The F-150 has more different PCM revisions than any other vehicle ever made - sure, it's "just" pickup truck, but one that has a very unique characteristic no other vehicle has - not Mercedes, not Ferrari, not Porsche, not GM trucks, not Dodge trucks, and so on, etc. And that is, this issue of having so many different PCM codes each and every model year - and the way different things are done even in the exact same identically configured F-150 can be 20 different ways over the course of just a few months of product runs in one model year - this is why F-150 tuning isn't like tuning Mustangs, or Camaros, or GM trucks, or Mopar trucks, etc., etc. - no other vehicle presents such challenges as the F-150 - this is why we specialize in them, and those in the know come to us for their tuning.
With that Hypertech device, in a 5.4 V8 on their premium gas tuning, if you install their required abnormally low temperature thermostat (don't forget about that, sometimes you don't find out about that until after you buy it) you will be lucky to get a 12-15 HP gain at the rear wheels - in our testing, we have never seen more than 12 HP, and in a number of cases, even less. It won't be anything like the 45 HP shown in their banner ad here, as that was actually done on an F-250 that was almost 30 HP BELOW it's factory stock power rating, making less than 170 HP at the rear wheels due to a problem of not being able to get into open loop, and thus couldn't make it's normal 190-195 HP at the rear wheels in bone-stock trim.
With the Superchips 1715 Micro Tuner, you will generally get 20 HP gains on the same engine - and with our *custom* tuning, with the 5.4 V8 we can get as much as 30+ HP gains (or more, depending on just how bad the factory code is).
(The power gains for both on the 4.6 V8 are just a little bit less - the bigger the engine, the bigger the HP gain, though the percentage of increase in power is basically the same regardless of engine size.)
This is just a real "quick & dirty" overview, as I said at the top it's really too much to get into in proper detail here - if you'd like to give us a call to get the actual pricing of the 1715 Micro Tuner and then also go over just exactly what we can do in *addition* to that with our custom tunes, just give us a call at our number listed below & we'll be happy to go over the details with you, so you can make a decision being fully informed.
Best of luck whatever you decide!
Well, if you really want a factually correct answer to what you actually asked, you'll first need to realize that you can't get that information from "ordinary vehicle owners" (for lack of a better term, no offense to anyone!), simply because nobody who doesn't actually tune these trucks at a extremely high level and also tests the other manufacturer's products could actually answer that with factual information - only a qualified tuner would really know. Others can certainly provide anecdotal comments, if *that* is what you want, you can find that a lot easier & quicker by using the search feature to instantly retrieve any of the thousands of such posts already here - just FYI.
Additionally, the price difference in nowhere near what you quoted - that is only the manufacturer's MAP pricing (minimum advertised price) guideline that we have to use in advertising or on our web site for the "standard" Superchips products (like the 1715 Micro Tuner). - for pricing on things like the standard Superchips products, you'll need to call us for that, as then you get a much lower price. So there's a lot going on here you aren't aware of, and the only way to really get up to speed on all this is to call us.
By all means, please feel free to ask what others here think of our custom tunes, or about the *standard* Superchip products - they can give you anecdotal comments (but you'll get much better and immediate results by simply reading any of the thousands of posts already here, as opposed to waiting for others to come back and type out all over again what they've alt ready typed here - that's what the search feature is for). But they can't actually answer what you really asked.
I know, it probably sounds like I'm splitting hairs here, but you'll understand my point shortly, hang on.........
For that, I'll give you some brief info, and then you can call us if you want to actually go over this properly, as it's far too much to type it all out..............
One last comment before I get started - Now there *is* close to that kind of price difference between the cheap generic Hypertech product (it's not even code-specific) and one of our *custom* tune Micro Tuners, but you can't even begin to compare the two - that's like trying to compare a rainy day to bright sunshine. I'll go just a little bit into some basics about the inherent "difference," then you can call us for details to go over this properly.
It's a mistake to shop for performance tuning based on price - that only assures you of compromising the results and not getting nearly what you could have. And I think it's obvious from how you worded your question that you're *not* that kind of person, - you just want to know "what the heck could possibly be worth me paying significantly more for?"
Understood - and fair question, you bet!
If you want to compare Hypertech's generic tune to the "standard" Superchips 1715 Micro Tuner, then you can make that direct comparison - however, there's nowhere near the price difference you mentioned, as in reality it's almost nothing - just call us & you'll see that the 1715 is available for a lot less than what you see on our web site. The difference between those 2 products is the Hypertech is "generic," meaning 1 program is used for *all* similar vehicles, whereas the Superchips 1715 Micro Tuner has literally thousands of programs built into each one - a set of 3 different tunes for each and every different computer code! (PCM software revision, of which the F-150, like no other vehicle ever made, has hundreds of different codes each model year alone).
What that means is, you get larger power gains from the Superchip tuning, and they are far more consistent no matter what code your individual truck is. The Superchips tuning also delivery better driveability, and a *much* better automatic transmission calibration, for example - there are numerous posts here complaining of problems with Hypertech's automatic transmission calibration - though you will also find some people who are happy with that device, to be sure.
Now our *custom* tunes you can't get any cheaper than what you see on our web site - we do all that work in house, from scratch, and ego aside, we feel we do it better than anyone else. We've specialized in these F-150's longer than anyone else, for 12 years now - and to be a real world-class F-150 tuner, you *have* to specialize in them, as not only do they have more different PCM revisions than any other vehicle made, but they also do the same things many different ways in *identically* configured vehicles of the exact same model year - so you have to specialize in them to really be good at it, and *that* is what we are so well known for - even more so than our excellent customer service. More F-150 owner come to us for their tuning than go anywhere else because of this.
Hypertech gives you a "generic" tune - they aren't made for your specific individual vehicle at all, whereas *every* Superchips product is individual vehicle code-specific. Hypertech's tuning has been compromised to be able to run on all *similar* trucks, it's not done the way Ford Motor Company does it from the factory or the way *we* do it, which is for each individual vehicle's exact PCM software revision - and that makes all the difference in the actual results. There's simply no comparison between an individual vehicle code-specific tune and a generic, one-for-all type of tune.
The F-150 has more different PCM revisions than any other vehicle ever made - sure, it's "just" pickup truck, but one that has a very unique characteristic no other vehicle has - not Mercedes, not Ferrari, not Porsche, not GM trucks, not Dodge trucks, and so on, etc. And that is, this issue of having so many different PCM codes each and every model year - and the way different things are done even in the exact same identically configured F-150 can be 20 different ways over the course of just a few months of product runs in one model year - this is why F-150 tuning isn't like tuning Mustangs, or Camaros, or GM trucks, or Mopar trucks, etc., etc. - no other vehicle presents such challenges as the F-150 - this is why we specialize in them, and those in the know come to us for their tuning.
With that Hypertech device, in a 5.4 V8 on their premium gas tuning, if you install their required abnormally low temperature thermostat (don't forget about that, sometimes you don't find out about that until after you buy it) you will be lucky to get a 12-15 HP gain at the rear wheels - in our testing, we have never seen more than 12 HP, and in a number of cases, even less. It won't be anything like the 45 HP shown in their banner ad here, as that was actually done on an F-250 that was almost 30 HP BELOW it's factory stock power rating, making less than 170 HP at the rear wheels due to a problem of not being able to get into open loop, and thus couldn't make it's normal 190-195 HP at the rear wheels in bone-stock trim.
With the Superchips 1715 Micro Tuner, you will generally get 20 HP gains on the same engine - and with our *custom* tuning, with the 5.4 V8 we can get as much as 30+ HP gains (or more, depending on just how bad the factory code is).
(The power gains for both on the 4.6 V8 are just a little bit less - the bigger the engine, the bigger the HP gain, though the percentage of increase in power is basically the same regardless of engine size.)
This is just a real "quick & dirty" overview, as I said at the top it's really too much to get into in proper detail here - if you'd like to give us a call to get the actual pricing of the 1715 Micro Tuner and then also go over just exactly what we can do in *addition* to that with our custom tunes, just give us a call at our number listed below & we'll be happy to go over the details with you, so you can make a decision being fully informed.
Best of luck whatever you decide!