Any one else have this problem? I have a superchip and recently I began to loose power. It got very obvious after a while. I did the battery disconnect with lights on. This time left it for over an hour. After reconnect the power and performence was back...???
Also, just to mention it, I lost 5 to 10 percent gas milage with the chip. Has nothing to do with the Heavy foot syndrome since I have always had that condition.

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Black 1997 F-150 Supercab Flairside. 4.6L with Superchip, Jacobs DIS, K&N Generation II, Cat back Exhaust with Flowmaster 40 and MEG'S Stainless tip in front of rear wheel (nice rumble). 17" Off Road wheel pkg. Lots of body mods. 4 yrs old and still turns heads...and now paid for!!

 

I too noticed a power loss after around 600 miles with the chip in. However, my problem was my dad used my truck and filled up with regular gas... argh!

i like apples

 

WLF,

Is the power back now? Bad gas? Wrong octane?

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

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00 F-150 XLT SC Flairside 4x4 4.6 w/5spd 3.55LSD
Warn XD9000i, skid plates, Draw tite class III,
Rancho RSX Reflex shocks,
BFG 285/75 R16 MTs,
Borla Cat Back, Headman Headers,
Modified Air Cleaner Outlet Tube
and air box, Ported Throttle body,
Shortened MAF sensor tower,
K&N air filter,
Superchips

 

Hi guys,

The thing to remember here is that the performance of the Superchip itself cannot ever just decrease or fall off; it's programming cannot ever change on it's own, so that is a physical impossibility.

What can happen is that you just get used to it, as it's very smooth. You'll also want to remember that if you tend to drive the vehicle conservatively, Ford's adaptive strategy makes certain adjustments that can affect power a bit. This is why when guys take their vehicle to the drag strip on the weekend, after driving conservatively back and forth to work all week or for a number of weeks, they'll sometimes do a battery disconnect and turn the headlights on for a few minutes (we recommend 5 minutes), then turn the lights back off and re-connect the battery to clear the computer and start off with a clean slate again, so to speak. This can, in some cases, get another tenth or two in the 1/4 mile, and you can do the same thing just by giving it a few prolonged full-throttle bursts. It sounds like that could well be what's happened in this case.

Just remember, the programming inside that Superchip cannot ever change on it's own, so it cannot ever just stop delivering it's power gain unless it's not fed the proper quality & octane level of gasoline.

With regards to gas mileage, 2 basic factors are going to control that; how you drive the vehicle, and the actual energy content of the premium gas being burned. It is possible to use a premium gas that has a lower energy content than the regular gas that was previously being burned, but the vast majority of the time when someone sees any decrease in mileage after installing the Superchip, it's because they are in fact driving it harder and revving it out further, checking out and enjoying the new performance levels, and that's only human.

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 02-19-2001).]

 

I did seem to get some snap back after the disconnect. I HAVE been driving conservatively to try to conserve fuel.
I've read a couple of post lately in these boards addressing energy content of fuel. Here on the East coast we get the pleasure of oxiginated fuel. Perhaps that explains the decrease in milage since I installed just before the cold weather (and oxiginated fuel) kicked in. I have actually been driving more conservatively recently and still do not get the milage I did before the chip.
As far as it goes, I would not go back. My truck acts like a different vehicle with the chip and when I want to sh*t and get, well thats what I do....

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Black 1997 F-150 Supercab Flairside. 4.6L with Superchip, Jacobs DIS, K&N Generation II, Cat back Exhaust with Flowmaster 40 and MEG'S Stainless tip in front of rear wheel (nice rumble). 17" Off Road wheel pkg. Lots of body mods. 4 yrs old and still turns heads...and now paid for!!

 

I have been stuck in alot of traffic lately and noticed that my truck seemed a little slow. Add to that a dealer trip recently as well,and it was really doggy. Sat. night the truck sat for several hours with the batt. disconnected while installing an amp. When I was all done,the truck seemed to have all kinds of power. Nice!!
I'll be restetting the comp. on a monthly basis,if possible ,,,,,98


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98 F-150 4.6 Litre XLT2wd Ext. cab
Yokahama AVS/ST's
prarie tan/tan int.
K/N gen.II fipk
custom dual exh/gibson rectangle tips/rear exiting.
color matched snuglid
Superchip!!!
Westin nerfs blk .powdercoat
Clear front corners
Stillen Quad light air dam, sweet!!
Euro taillights
Cobra 75WXST cb w/weather alert
[b]Kenwood cd w/Radio Shack speakers,don't laugh it sounds pretty good
Viper alarm
On the way/wheels,tires, etc..etc.......
the monochromatic boogie is done,cool!.
Come see my new pictures@ www.my-f150.com

officialtomwaits.com
reverendhortonheat.com

WOW,what a cool site!

FENDER GUITARS ROCK!!!
Had to take the picture out,it was way too out of date,,,,98

 

Hi WLF,

Good informative post, it sounds like you're on the right track. I agree about the difference in mileage with reformulated gasolines, you'll definitely see a mileage drop when they are in use, thanks to their lower BTU content, most people see about an 8%-10% drop in mileage compared to summer fuel formulations.

It's all part of the Fed's air quality monitoring campaign, they divide each state up into numerous geographic regions, and monitor the air quality in each region. Any region not meeting "attainment" with the standards has a few options, the easiest of which is to mandate the use of reformulated, or "oxygenated" fuels. They will do that first in the winter, when motor vehiles pollute the most as it takes them longer to come up to operating temperature, and if that doesn't work, then they'll go to reformulated fuels year-round. If they fail to get their air quality up to snuff, the Fed's will shut off their highway funds.

Personally, I think using reformulated gasolines is a joke, as if you have to burn more fuel due to a lower energy content, then just what is the actual net effect? Seems like we'd end up polluting more instead of less, but that is of course just my "layman's musings" rather than anything based on fact. Time will tell..........

Those lower--energy gasolines will also make a bit less power as well, in addition to their effects on mileage.

Good luck!

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 02-21-2001).]

 

You know I had the opposite happened to me the last I filled up. The same gas station and pump, and all of the sudden I had a great MPG tank. I thought it was a fluke, so the next tank, the same. I always zero my speedo at fill up and notice my 1/2 tank mileage. You figure it out. I can only think of the gasoline. As for power, it was as usual.

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99 Expedition XLT,5.4L,4X4,3.73LS,285-75-16 KO'S9(old 17"AT/S),Airaid Intake,Superchip,Edlebrock shocks,Dynomax Super Turbo 3",Helwig Sway Arm,Polk speakers

 

Hi hdlouie,

Interesting post!

Sounds like what happened is that the next batch of fuel that was delivered to this station had a higher energy content than previously, if all else was equal. And that's perfectly natural, it can happen, as energy content is never exactly the same from one refinery run to the next, there are always some variances. They also could have changed their wholesale supplier, too.

More mileage is alwasy better than less, so it sounds like this was a positive change in your case!

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com
Performance Products F150Online Superchip ordering system: F150Online Superchip Ordering System
First National F-150 Online Rally Event Organizer

[This message has been edited by Superchips_Distributor (edited 02-21-2001).]

 

Yes, I thought it was interesting. Just filled up last night so I'll keep an eye on this on to.

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99 Expedition XLT,5.4L,4X4,3.73LS,285-75-16 KO'S9(old 17"AT/S),Airaid Intake,Superchip,Edlebrock shocks,Dynomax Super Turbo 3",Helwig Sway Arm,Polk speakers