Ok guys! I have read 4 hours of messages regarding the shifting patterns of Ford transmissions. I have a 1997 Expedition with a 5.4 motor. I Have put the K&N Filter on it, My local exaust company installed a Flomaster single in/dual out muffler and pipes for me. After this I bought the Superchip for it. I am on my 3rd chip now. The first was great for a while. THen the perfomance went away. I could tell because I got no ping with low octane gas and the shifting went back to "lagging". The 2nd chip wouldnt allow the truck to start. The 3rd let the truck start but the shifting never changed. It still "lagged". So today, I bought the B&M electronic shifter piece. Well it works great shifting into 3rd and OD, but shifting into 2nd still laggs.
Is this a known problem????? Is there a way to eliminate this without having to open the pan up and install a shift kit?

I am open for suggestions on this guys.

Help me out!!!!!!!!

Thanks from Florida,

Stephen

 

Dear Stephen,

Welcome to F150online!

I'm sorry to hear you're having problems with your Superchip. I did want to make a couple of points. First, the performance of the Superchip cannot "drop off" over time, the lines of code do not change in the Superchip over time. As long as you use the proper fuel, which is 92 octane or higher premium gasoline, (at higher altitudes premium octane may only be 90-91, and that's fine only for higher altitudes) you will get the rated power gains. What happens is that you get *used* to it, it doesn't magically disappear, that simply cannot happen. The vehicle runs very smoothly with the Superchip, and it simply feels like the way the vehicle should have come from the factory. Hence, you get used to it. When you first install the Superchip, you notice the gains right away, and then over time, you get used to it. The Superchip cannot reduce it's power output as long as you use the correct fuel. Another point is that you cannot judge the Superchip by whether or not you get detonation using it with regular gasoline. Your vehicle uses a knock sensor system, and whenever the knock sensor detects detonation, it instructs the ECU to reduce spark advance up to the limit of it's ability. About half of these late-model Fords will *not* exhibit audible detonation using 87 octane fuel with the Superchip, as it's just within the adjustment range of the knock sensor system; and then roughly the other half of these vehicles *will* detonate with anything less than premium in the tank, there is that much variance in these systems from vehicle to vehicle. And of course the Superchip is designed to be used only with premium gasoline, so you shouldn't use anything other than premium gas with the Superchip installed.

You mentioned that your second chip wouldn't start the vehicle, so I wonder whether or not you ever had a really good connection between the Superchip module and the edge connector on the computer. If you do not remove enough of the clear conformal coating from the contacts on that connector, you can get anything from a no-start to erratic performance. Now of course I'm not there to see and experience what's actually going on, so I'm just trying to offer some input & suggestions here, hoping that you'll find them helpful. Just remember that the conformal coating, which is what you have to remove *after* you have removed the lithium grease from the connector, is very clear in color and appearance, so it can sometimes fool you into thinking you've removed enough of that material when you actually haven't.

With regards to the transmission shifting, you are exactly right, that B&M piece cannot change the factory program either, and here is what's going on in the factory program that makes the shift characteristics so sloppy: First, they use a shift delay signal, to elongate and soften the upshift. Next, they reduce engine power with a very stiff spark retard, both during and for the next 400 rpm after the upshift. Then finally, they do not use enough line pressure for a good quick upshift. The Superchip removes the shift delay, removes the spark retards, and then increases line pressure, so it addresses all 3 issues. This is another reason why I think you may have a connection-related problem with your Superchip, from it's erratic-sounding results. By the way, the reason Ford programs their transmissions to shift that way is to implement their "soft-shift strategy", which they have done to accommodate the female buyer, who they figured out a few years ago is buying more than 50% of all new vehicles sold in this country. Nice of them, eh?

The B&M unit splices into the ECU's wiring harness, and all it does is to spike the voltage signal to artificially increase line pressure, so it does only 1 of the 3 things that are needed to fix that sloppy shifting. A shift kit is the same in that all it will do is increase line pressure, it cannot remove the shift delay signal or the power-robbing spark retards, that can only be done thru programming. The B&M piece is great for the money, it's very inexpensive, costing only about $40 or so, but it can only do that one function.

There are a number of issues here, and what I would suggest is for you to give us a call if you get a chance, and I'll be happy to go over all this in detail with you, to see just what is going on with your Superchip installation.

Good luck,

------------------
Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Online Superchip ordering system:https://www.f150online.com/scpp/index.html



[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 02-14-2000).]