Hi,
I just got and installed my superchip. '97 F150 4x4 S/C Long Beb 4.6L Auto LS 3.55

Installation was not to bad, I think the average Joe can install it with out problems. I removed the battery and the battery box to gain easier access to the 10mm wire harness bolt. You can see it without removing the battery, but its tight and I didn't know if I might drop the bolt and lose it.

Getting the computor out was easy. Cleaning the conectors could have better instruction. I wasn't sure if I was getting them clean enough, I used rubbing alchol. I then used the green scrubby thing they supply, but still wasn't sure they were clean enough so I took a small screw driver and lightly scratched the connectors to assure that there would be a good connection.

Everthing went back together nice, *Beware* When hooking the battery terminal back on, my alarm went off, scared the crap out me.

Started right up I had alittle (4 gal) of cheap premium gas left in the tank so off to the Texaco Station. Fill up of premium $1.53 $40 a tank....ouch! Reg is $1.25

I drove it around a bit, First thing I noticed was the shift points. WOT shifts are at 5000 rpms It was 4600 rpms. I could not tell a big difference in pep. I think its a little peppier but no huge difference. Now keep in mind I have only driven it for about 15 miles. Maybe the computor has to go though this relearn thing I have heard of on this board. Any one know how many miles it takes the computor to get its head straight again???

I will report back if I see any improvements and MPG

Darren

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97' F150 Lariet s/c long bed 4x4 4.6L auto...Super Chip on the way. More mods as $$ allow

 

I've had mine in for several months now and I still don't really notice a difference in "pep". I haven't been tracking my mileage, so I can't comment there. The only improvement I've felt with the chip is the shifting...

After you've had it in there a while, take it back out for a week or so and see if you miss it. I did that, and only noticed the shifting...

I think after reading all the other people talk about it, I was expecting too much. I was a little disappointed when I finally got the chip installed and working...

Good luck.

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keith@myf150.com
http://www.myf150.com
Rocky Mount, NC

1999 F-150 XLT Styleside, Black On Black, SuperCab, Short Bed, 4x4, ORP, 4.6L Auto, 3.55LS

Mods: DrawTite Class III Hitch, Smittybilt Outland Grill Guard/Brush Guards, KC Daylighters, Custom Dual Exhaust w/ Dual Flowmaster 40's-Straight Out The Back, Airaid FIPK, SuperChips Chip, Bug Deflector, Pace-Edwards Roll-Top Bed Cover

 

Darren Dude,

Congrats on your Superchip. I think there is a "relearn" process/time factor for the computer, but I've also read that leaving the battery disconnected 10 minutes or more forces the computer into a default mode, and when it's plugged back in, it "learns" its new conditions quickly. But I have no hard data either way.

I also think the contact cleaning instructions could be a bit more specific. I worried about going too far, only to find I had not removed enough of the shellac covering the contacts.

I noticed a significant difference in "pep" once my chip went in. Perhaps because it was the icing on the cake of my other two performance mods, an Airaid FIPK and a hi-flow muffler. A very annoying aspect of factory Ford programming is an obvious and maddening spark retard after each auto tranny upshift. With the Superchip, that's gone. The shifts are also more firm and often occur at higher revs.

I just filled up last night and I'm going to *try* and go easy on the accelerator for this tank (key word, "try") to see if my mpg has improved. I think it has, since I went further on this last tank of gas than before, even though I romped on it a few times to...ahem...."test" the chip.

------------------
Cam

'98 F-150 SC XLT, 4.6L, Bright Red, Red Spray-in Liner, Extang Soft Tonneau, Ford Bug Deflector, Airaid FIPK, Vortex "Cherry Bomb" Muffler, Chrome Exhaust Tip, Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks (and they *do* perform) Superchipped at last! (and WOW!)

Future Mods:
a)Limited slip
b)Running Boards

 

I tried yo find my computer on my 2000, the 10mm bolt and nut are not behind the battery, a harness connection is there gray in color.
Any comments please....

------------------
DOGCAM
2000 F150 Lariat flareside 4X2
S/C
5.4, 3.55 Ls, Tow Pack, Captain
Chairs, White clearcoat/w
harvest gold & wedgewood blue accent,17"X8"
BFG T/As 275x60s on chrome wheels
Mods:K&N Filter, True duals
(Dynomax) with 3.5 chrome
tips out behind the rear
wheels
dog46cam@webtv.net
dogcam@myf150.com

 

dogcam,

Unless Ford has changed things since '98 (a distinct possibility), you should find a 10mm bolt dead center in the wiring harness that is attached to the firewall (outboard, exterior, what-have-you) side of the truck's computer. The rest of the computer projects horizontally into the passenger compartment adjacent to the passenger side foot well, on the right. It's up above the glove box and to the right, and is held in place by a plastic retainer clip.
Once you remove the 10mm bolt and wiring harness on the exterior end, the rest of the computer will be free once the interior plastic clip is removed. You can then pull it out and down toward you, and go on from there.

The computer box itself is silver in color and projects horizontally from the inside of the firewall. It will have a removable rectangular cover on its side about two inches long by one inch wide. The edge connector for the Superchip is located behind that cover. I pried mine off with my fingernails.

Hope this helps!

------------------
Cam

'98 F-150 SC XLT, 4.6L, Bright Red, Red Spray-in Liner, Extang Soft Tonneau, Ford Bug Deflector, Airaid FIPK, Vortex "Cherry Bomb" Muffler, Chrome Exhaust Tip, Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks (and they *do* perform) Superchipped at last! (and WOW!)

Future Mods:
a)Limited slip
b)Running Boards




[This message has been edited by Crazy C (edited 09-24-1999).]

 

conqsoft: did you try disconnecting the negative battery terminal for a while? I mean just noticing the shifting is wierd.. I noticed more of a grunt when i put the chip in.. and yes the shifting is perfect

------------------
Fred Folkerts Chicago IL
SuperChips Distributer
1997 Ford 150XLT Black/5.4 TRiTiON/4x4/Off Road Package/Winter Package
http://www.sportbikes.net/f150
1999 Kawasaki ZX9R
http://www.sportbikes.net

 

I will be honest at first I was really disappointed with my superchip. I disconnect my battery for about an hour just to make sure. I then installed the superchip and took her for a spin. i really didn't notice any difference. But I thought hey I got a 30 day warranty. But after a couple of days I started noticing a big improvement and now i am extremely satisfied with it.


98 nascar edition

superchip, K&N filter, modified airbox w/remove silencer, Dynomax super turbo, shift kit.

 

Dear Darren Dude,

Yes, you will have to go thru the "relearn" process, and it normally takes about 20-50 miles for the idle speed & quality, and then another 600-800 miles or so to complete the whole process. One thing we suggest is that you use it for a few weeks, and then take it out for a week, and thn put it back in. You'll notice the difference! Another point is that it can be sometimes a matter of expectations, and what the Superchip is doing is adding about a 10%-12% increase in peak hp., so it can't be expected to turn a 2-ton plus truck into a fire-breathing monster, especially if you don't have a high-quality premium gasoline in the tank!

It sounds to me like you're dealing with some relearn time here, and perhapos maybe a bit of a fuel issue, and 15 miles isn't near enough to gauge the effects. It's going to take few tanks to show you everything it's got, so to speak. I would advise running the tank down until the light comes on, and then fill up with good premium.

With regards to cleaning the contacts, I myself do not use the green Scoth-brite pad that they now include, I still prefer to do it manually, with a small straight-blade screwdriver. The conformal coating is clear, and using the pad doesn't lend itself to being able to see very well just how much of that coating is coming off. So I will probably always do that manually, so I can see it come off in shavings, or sometimes it rolls up into little "*****", but the point is, I can see it. I also tell everyone this when we take their order, so they'll know.

It's very easy to tell if you have damaged the contacts, as they copper contacts are protected first by a silver-colored coating, and then the conformal coating. So if you scrape and see silver shavings or flakes, stop! Even with some copper exposed, they will still work, but if you go so far as to damage the copper underneath the silver, which of course takes some real effort, then you could have a problem. Superchips can take care of this if that ever happens.

Good luck,

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 09-24-1999).]

 

Crazy C, I see what your talking about, I couldn't see to bolt, they have a Plastic cover over it.
I took it off and there is the 10MM bolt.....Thanks a bunch..



------------------
DOGCAM
2000 F150 Lariat flareside 4X2
S/C
5.4, 3.55 Ls, Tow Pack, Captain
Chairs, White clearcoat/w
harvest gold & wedgewood blue accent,17"X8"
BFG T/As 275x60s on chrome wheels
Mods:K&N Filter, True duals
(Dynomax) with 3.5 chrome
tips out behind the rear
wheels
dog46cam@webtv.net
dogcam@myf150.com

 

It's me again. just went out and took a good look at where the nut and bolt hold on the computer.
I believe that the computer is fasten to the outside of the firewall, it's multi color wires hooking into a gray harness, with a black shrod (plastic) piece around the top... Anyone, is
this what the computer looks like under the dash??
Hey Mike C, please get me an answer.......OK
Take Care

------------------
DOGCAM
2000 F150 Lariat flareside 4X2
S/C
5.4, 3.55 Ls, Tow Pack, Captain
Chairs, White clearcoat/w
harvest gold & wedgewood blue accent,17"X8"
BFG T/As 275x60s on chrome wheels
Mods:K&N Filter, True duals
(Dynomax) with 3.5 chrome
tips out behind the rear
wheels
dog46cam@webtv.net
dogcam@myf150.com

 

I took my Lightning to the FME Dyno Day yesterday at Paul's High Performance in Jackson, MI. What a great event! Pulled a high of 355 hp and 440 lbs/ft with the Superchip. Paul said it would probably get higher torque numbers if he could pull from lower than ~3,200 RPM (done to avoid transmission kick-down).

------------------
'99 Black Lightning

 

Dear DHFerguson,

You made an excellent point, and that is that the vehicle needs to be "locked" in one gear from start to finish of each chassis dyno pull. At Superchips, they just program the vehicle, if need to be, to make the pulls in one gear, and they try to get it to stabilize at as low an rpm figure as possible, as does any dyno operator, of course. This is why most chassis dyno plots you see, the chart doesn't even start until 2000 rpm, and every once in awhile you'll see one go down to say, 1500 rpm or lower, but not often.

It's of course far easier with manual transmission vehicles. Some automatics will allow you to select "2", and have the vehicle start in second gear, and stay in 2nd gear, making it easier. You do the best you can with what you've got, as always.

Congrats on your dyno session!

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

 

UPDATE............
I now have 150 miles on the new chip. The only noticable gain I have seen is on the low end power. It seems I can maintain the speed cruising around town with less effort(less gas pedal) Thats a good thing. Secondly my gas milage seems to be inproving I still have nearly 3/4 of a tank and have put on 150 miles. 60/40 city/hwy.

Will post actual milage when I fill up. As a foot note, Don't expect a huge jump in performance. It is a mild gain but if the milage does increase I'll be happy. Plus at $235 its pretty cheap.

------------------
97' F150 Lariet s/c long bed 4x4 4.6L auto...SuperChip More mods as $$ allow.
Colorado Springs, CO

 

I put in the superchip today, and I can feel a difference right away, it takes off alot smoother, and has better low speed accel. imho.

I also removed the battery, and the battery box to get to the 10mm bolt. One thing that should be noted about the installation instructions is that my module, I could not remove the cover on the computer, it was not 2 screws... It had 6 little hex bolts and I didn't have one that was that small. It was very easy to clean the contacts with a small screwdriver for glasses and the install was pretty quick.

One thing to note, when I hooked up the battery after the install, the electric doors LOCKED! good thing I had the keys in my pocket...

When I put the computer back into the truck, it would not slide all the way back into the bracket, I used the little black fastener to hold it in place, but I think I will have to come up with something more secure, anyone else have this problem? I used duct tape on the chip which in hindsight, was a good idea since the bracket the computer slides back into appears to be pressing on the superchip itself now.

------------------
David
'99 F150 XLT SC, STYLESIDE
4X4 ORP 5.4L, AUTOMATIC,
139wb, Rhino, K&N,
BugGuard, RainGuards
Superchip

 

Just a note about the doors locking when you reconnect the battery. If your keys ARE in the car when it happens (guess how I know this), just disconnect and reconnect the battery. The doors will (thankfully) unlock.

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99 White Lightning, nothin new but the payments.