Yesterday I received & installed my Custom 9100 Micro Tuner.
Let me start by saying that the instructions were great and easy to follow and within 20 minutes I had loaded my custom “91 Octane Maximum Performance Tune”.
Like Mike, Anita, and everyone else on this forum had previously mentioned the installation was easy and straightforward, with the most difficult part for me being trying to figure out how to open the darn cover on the power distribution box so I could locate and pull the fuel pump fuse.

With the mods I currently have installed on my 2003 F150 Screw I thought this new tuner would be like the icing on the cake?
After driving my newly tuned truck around yesterday afternoon/evening on both surface streets and on the freeway, at both normal speeds and at times jumping on it for WOT here are my thoughts…

I did not notice any ‘seat of the pants acceleration’ compared to stock.
However, from a standing start the 1-2 up shift at WOT is nice & firm, with a very noticeable difference from stock.
On the freeway the shifts are very crisp and my truck really feels like it just wants to go!
Perhaps I may have expected a bit more performance with this new Micro Tuner but in all I am quite pleased and have no regret making this purchase.
If anything my Speedo is now properly calibrated for my larger tires and 4.56 gears and I may even gain some better gas mileage?

So a big THANK YOU to Mike, Anita, and Crystal at Troyer Performance for their excellent customer support and prompt service.
Also, thank you to all of you on this forum for sharing your knowledge\experiences.

-James

p.s. the below link is to my F150 online gallery.

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=2443

 

WOW, I can't believe you didn't notice an acceleration difference. Did you put 91 octane gas in your truck? Something just doesn't sound right.

 

Nope I really didn't notice that seat in the pants acceleration, but then again my truck always ran like a 'bat out of hell'!
Yes I fill her up with Chevron 91 octane all the time.
Don't get me wrong, I noticed an overall improvment with the new tune, it's just that I probably set my expectations too high...
Now I will just have to think about what's my next 'go-fast' mod?

 

drive it a month- then return to stock then post your thoughts!

 

a few tanks of gas and some adaptive learning time for the pcm. YOU WILL notice a difference. Drive it like you stole it!!!

01redscrew loaded the 1715 about a week & 1/2 ago and said the same thing right after installing it. maybe he can chime in on this one, PAT?

 

Thanks Guys for all your replies\comments.
I don’t really know too much about this ‘adaptive learning for the PCM’, so would any of you care to break it down for me in laymen’s terms?
In the meantime I will continue to fill her up with 91 octane and drive her like I stole her!!

 

the pcm has a base program installed from the factory. a/f ratios, timing and so forth are in the tables. the tuner takes these tables and adds certains commands to them generating a new table and as time goes along it uses more and more of the new table it's building each time you drive the truck. updated tables maybe more like it. based on input from the tuner, the base table and sensor inputs (O2, maf, throttle position, ect...) this new table is what the pcm begins to use more and more, hence adaptive learning. if your driving habits are heavy throttle, it gives more fuel and timing and harder shifting based on throttle position --so "drive it like you stole it". factoring the MORE heavies than light throttle, it alters the table toward heavy faster. as you step down on the peddle, the next line in the table is more a/f in anticipation of a continued heavy throttle position. also the transition to "open loop" is quicker. "open loop" gives the richest a/f ratios for the best performance, closed loop the best mileage.
there is more than one table the pcm uses to draw from, shifting will always be equal in all the tables because its based on throttle position and increased line pressure programmed by the tuner. thats why mike always say's "The best performance comes from 4-bank tuning". It effects more than just the engine.

drive it awhile, then unload the tuner and see what you have been experiencing or missing.

crisp throttle response, firm shifts and improved MPG, doesn't hunt for a gear, gets to overdrive and stays there on hills and good pulling power. step down a little and it doesn't downshift quite as easy as before are just a few I've noticed.

Hope this helps a little and maybe (for sure) mike can explain better if I blew it.
Randy

 

Watsonr is right! Drive it like you stole it on a tank. The computer needs time to learn your driving habits so "I dove it hard". Anytime I could get into it, I did. A bunch of WOT both from a stand still and while running down the road. Nothing like dropping into 2nd doing 75 and just walking away from someone. I figured up the milage after 1 tank and I only got 15.8, 16.9 normally driving in traffic and staying out of it. But like I said I was like a kid in a candy store and in it a lot. By the way I think I bent the speedo needle on the little peg at the bottom, guess I'll have to GPS it to see how fast it is going.
The only other mod I will do is put in a shift kit before I order the 9100 that way it it will shift like mad. Thanks Randy....

 

Watsonr, thank you for taking the time to explain that to me ~ that was pretty deep but you did a great job and now I have a somewhat better understanding of 'adaptive learning'.
With all the stop\go traffic here in Los Angeles\San Fernando Valley at times it can be difficult to jump on it for WOT, not to mention there seems to be cops everywhere just looking to pull someone over & issue a ticket.
Before I made my purchase of the 9100 tuner I had talked to Mike at Troyer about a possible FTVB upgrade in the future. Perhaps this may be my next mod?
I kinda of wanted to wait until after my trucks factory warranty expires though.
Thanks again guys.

 

Hi Mike,

I see you have been posting a couple of replies here on the forum.
I am digging the new Tuner, thanks again.
Would you please comment on the 'adaptive learning process'?

 

I agree with all the others, give a couple of weeks and you will notice a steady increas in power and mileage. I saw an increas of almost 2mpg a week after i installed my 9100.

 

Dropping into 2nd going 75 mph....

 

MrTude,

You can use the Search feature to retrieve and read any of literally hundreds of previous posts where adaptive strategy has been discussed - the icon to access the Search feature is in the upper right portion of your screen here.

Happy reading!

 

OK, I'll have to admit that is a little far fetched, what I ment was it dropped "2" into 3rd gear is more like it. Sorry about that PhAtNaV.

 

LOL, no problem, just wasn't sure if that sort of thing is... well.. good for your engine.. haha