I put in an airaid at 500 miles and switched to Mobile 1 at the same time, noticible improvements. Installed the superchip at around 950 miles and am very pleased with the results, however the engine seems to be running rich as my exhaust pipe which was whitish coated inside, is now black sooted and has a black ring around the exterior of the pipe mouth.I am running chevron 93 octane, is this normal? Milage is averaging 17.5-18 mpg city and highway, but with only 1600 miles on it I know it will improve over time. So I am I running rich or is it just my ignorance as to what to see on my exhaust pipe?

 

gcnappa,

I have noticed similar black sooty deposits around my tailpipe when burning 93 octane! I have a Flip Chip, and don't notice it when running 87 octane. I know there are specific tuning mods in the 93 octane program in the superchip that aren't in the 87 octane program, but I don't know if the black soot is caused by the program or the 93 octane! My gas mileage is about the same no matter which position the chip is in, so it may actually be running richer, as I did expect to see mileage gains using the 93 octane position. I'm interested is seeing Mike's take on this as well, I've noticed this since installing the chip, but otherwise it works fine, so I just assumed this was normal.

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Paul...
99 F-150 XLT SC Sport, 4.6L, Auto, Captain Chairs, Class III Towing Package, 3.55 LS, Sliding Rear Window, White, 4X2, CD, Soft Factory Tonneau Cover, K&N Filter, WMS Velocity Tube, Line-X Spray on Bed Liner, Gibson Side Swept Cat Back System, Superchips Flip Chip, and the Original F150online Decal...

What more is there!

ptarnuzzer@ikon.com

 

Mine was black before the chip on 87, and after the chip on 93; no increase in mpg either.

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2000 F-150 XL,RC,LB,5.4,4R70W,3.55LS,
Class III tow/Payload #3/Convenience pkgs.,
4-wheel disc/ABS,Chestnut/Parchment 40/60,
Ford bedliner & gas/wheel/spare locks,
3" cold air box modification, Superchip,
Dynomax ultra-flow welded 3" cat-back,
3" exit Y-pipe, Hellwig rear anti-sway bar,
Rancho RS9000s.

 

Acually, you may be surporised to learn that you're running richer in the factory program than you are in the Superchip. These vehicles come from the factory too rich for best power at full-throttle, as there are no emissions standards to be met at full-throttle, and the vehicle doesn't take regular sensor input at full-throttle, its running strictlty off the look-up tables.

All of these Superchip programs are done setting the A/F ratios on the dyno in real-time, to assure it's neither too rich or too lean. One thing that is always consistent is that they're all way too rich for best power in the factory program, so they adjusted a bit, but it's a very small adjustment. Thew factory leaves some extra fuel in the program for sustained hard running, and we don't want to compromise that of course.
If you think yours are getting black in theipes, take a look at any Lightning, they *really accumulate theblack soot, as they are at 9.4:1 A/F from the factory, talk about to rich!

To direclty asnwer your question, no, the Superchip program is not richer than the factory programming. However, you can certainly see differences based on fuel forumlations as well, so that's one thing to consider.

If you were running "too rich", you wouldn't be getting the as mileage numbers you'e getting, regardless of the appearance of your tailpipe.

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