I have a 99 F-150 regular cab V6 manual and just need to know if the cost is worth it. Does the better gas mileage come close to making up for the extra 15 to 20 cents per gallon?

 

Hello 911.Welcome to the boards.
I am not the one to give you technecal data. I recently installed a Superchip in my '98 F150 with the 4.6. I can't say that I am getting better gas mileage. There is a tendancy to want to use the new found power. It hasn't got any worse. I believe that the performance gains make it a worth while expence. The throttle is more responsive. The power curve seems to have broadened. I have a manual transmission, so I didn't get to experiance firmer shifts.
I guess it would depend on how you drive. If you drive conservatively I believe you would get better gas mileage. You would also have a truck that will manuver very well in every day traffic situations. If you drive it harder your not going to see gas mileage improve. You will see the performance gains.
Based on my experiance with the Superchip I would highly rreccomend it.
These are my thoughts. Check out the rest and Im sure you will get your answer.

Tom.

 

I have the 5.4L and I can certainly say *YES* it has been well worth it for me. The 20 cents per gallon is a small price to pay for the Superchip.

I have not noticed much (if any) improved mileage...but like wittom said...I like to use the extra power.

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2000 F-150 XLT, 4x2, 5.4L Supercab, Superchip, Styleside, Black with silver two-tone, 3.55 rear, class III towing package with super engine cooling/auxiliary transmission cooling HD package, Heavy duty shocks, 4 wheel disk ABS, overhead console, sliding rear window, keyless entry, dark graphite interior, in dash CD, factory leather wrapped steering wheel, FORD bedliner, FORD black tubular cab steps, K&N air filter, mar-hyde rubberized undercoating, Modine climate filtration system, Bugflector II, Mobil 1 oil, build 7/2000

 

Hi 911,

The Superchip is *performance* chip, it is not going to make up for the entire price difference between regular and premium with a cost delta of 20 cents per gallon. At that delta, driving no more than 20K miles per year in a mix of city & highway driving, the average increase in fuel costs runs only about $150-$200 per year, a few bucks a week. So the increased fuel costs are actually pretty minimal, unless you're driving under extreme conditions, say, mostly stop & go city traffic, or doing mostly heavy towing, or hard "sprirted" driving etc., or if you try to get by with using "cheap" premium gas, for example, and end up with a premium gas of lower energy content than the regular gas that was previously being burned.

Now in your case, you have a manual transmission, which means you'll get more of the power gain from the Superchip to the real wheels, and better gas mileage than an automatic, due to manual transmissions generally taking half the power to turn compared to the same model with an automatic.

I think Tom's (wittom) post was very accurate in that you can either drive it harder enjoying the performance from the Superchip, *or* you can drive it conservatively and get a little bit better gas mileage. You won't be able to drive it like a hot-rod *and* get better mileage at the same time, is what I'm trying to say.

The people who report mileage gains from the Superchip in the V-8 automatic F-150's, get about 1.5-2.0 more mpg in true direct comparisons, all else being equal, from the reports given back to us. With a manual transmission and good quality gas, you might do a little better, most people who report back to us with manual-tranny F-150's get a bit more mileage gain compared to the automatics. Every one of our vehicles here at Performance Products has gained mileage as well from the Superchip, every vehicle we've owned here over the past decade has seen mileage gains from the Superchip, but then, most of the time those vehicles are driven pretty conservatively.

The potential increase in gas mileage from the Superchip for gas engines is merely a by-product of the increased spark advance used on part-throttle. Which is why the bottom line is, your mileage results will depend on 2 primary factors: how the vehicle is operated and the energy content of the premium fuel being burned compared to the energy content of the regular gas being used prior to the Superchip.

And for those who want more flexibility in what octane level of fuel they can run, we also offer the 2-program Superchip Flip Chip, which we can set up with one program for 87 and then our normal program for 92 octane gas. The power gain on 87 octane is going to be small, maybe 3-5 hp, and there would not be any mileage gain on 87, but this would give you more flexibility at the flip of the attached switch. That way you can run regular when you want, and the run it on premium when you want maximum power.

If you'd like to go over the details 911, please feel free to give us a call, and we'll be happy to go over everything with you, so you can give it some thought.

Best of luck with your truck,

------------------
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 04-16-2001).]

 

O.K. how can I tell who has the better premium gas if they are both 92 octane? What would be the increase of hp to the back wheels with the chip on my manual? Will it make a difference if I also install a K&N air filter? Is there any difference because of my truck's has 3.55 ratio. I guess the upcoming summer gas prices have me worried a bit. I only put on about 12,000 miles a year and drive mostly to work and back. I only punch it to pass the occasional slow poke but try to baby the truck mostly, my wife is another story. She has the 2000, 24 valve V6 Taurus and was wondering about the chip for her car. Sorry about all the questions, I just got the truck used with 12,000 miles and am itching to make improvements.

 

Hi 911,

First, don't worry about asking questions, that's what we're here for! That is also a very big part of what F-150 Online is here for, so we all have a place where we can get together and learn & share knowledge about our Fords.

Your first question is an *excellent* one, just how can we tell which fuels are the best in a given geographical area? The energy content will never be labeled on any pump, only the octane number. So about the best informal indicator we "laymen" can use to try and determine relative energy content, is to run 3-5 tanks of each different brand available in your local area, and carefully & accurately track the gas mileage every time you fill up. The fuel with the best mileage results, all else being equal, is generally the fuel with the highest energy content.

There are some obvious brands to steer clear from, and those would be Exxon (clean burning but very low energy content), BP (high sulphur content, though they are now advertising formulation changes), and then any off-brand or "no-name" fuels.

There are a few brands that generally tend to have good energy content and excellent quality detergent addtives, and my favorites in those regards are: Texaco, Amoco, and to a lesser extent, Citgo. While there can always be exceptions, those brands, in that order, tend to do a good job in most places in the country, more often than not.

The maximum rated gains SAE Net at the flywheel from the Superchip for the 4.2 V-6 F-150 are 25 horsepower and 31 lbs./ft. of torque at sea level altitude. Manuals will take about half the power to turn them compared to automatics, so you'll get more of that power gain to the rear wheels compared to an identical vehicle with an automatic transmission. Nobody can honestly tell you exactly what you're going to gain at the rear wheels from *any* kind of modification, as that varies with altitude & fuel quality. In round numbers, figure that you're going to see about a 10%-12% increase in overall power from the Superchip, regardless of your altitude, on good quality premium gas.

The Superchip will work just fine with the more popular bolt-on mods, so things like a K&N air filter, an Airaid aiurbox elimination kit, or exhaust system changes do not cause any need to change anything in the program. You will only need custom programming if you do major mods, thigns like adding a supercharger, ported cylinder heads, camshaft changes, gear ratio changes, etc. And if you ever do anything like that in the future, the Superchip can always be updated with any changes needed, so your basic investment is protected.

I think that covers the questions asked here for you, and also, since you have a couple of vehicles you want information on the Superchip about, I would suggest giving us a quick phone call when you get a chance, and we'll be happy to go over all the details for both vehicles with you, so you'll know all the rated gains, details about each vehicle application, etc. Our phone number is just below, and we're open Monday thru Friday from 10 am to 7 pm, Eastern time. So if you'd like to call, we'll be more than happy to go over all of this and more with you.

------------------
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

 

Hi 911

I read all the threads here before i got chip. What will it actually do for you i dont know. But, it does work.

Enough has been said about different brands of gas. So, based on that, there is a difference in quality (energy content) etc.

I havent had a problem with gas yet, have used Chevron, Arco, and yes "Costco" which is a no-name, but cost less. Asked guy there what gas, he said right now Chevron, but??

I have flip chip "87/92oct. 99 250LD SC 4.6L AT 4X4 3.73ratio

Just came off 700 mi. trip, got 16.78mpg driving mostly 65-70 mph.(over mtn 8000'elev down to sea level) Cant say how much chip is helping on mpg, thats still to come. However, i am unhappy Because:

Now i have to decide do i run 92oct. all the time? Good luck. OT

 

Shudda said, using 87oct. on that 700mi trip

Very noticable difference when i switched from 92 to 87oct.

Now, what do i do?? Run 92 all the time. Think im coming down with a "superbug" or something. Good luck OT

 

I have a 4.2l v6 flareside regular cab F-150
and I was wondering if there is a chip that isn't to costly but still give me enough power?

 

Hi Old Timer,

Yes, once you get used to the power on the premium gas side, it's a noticeable difference when you drop back to the 87 octane side of the Flip Chip, as on regular gas the power gain is small, 3-5 horsepower at best. Sounds like you might be getting a case of the dreaded "Superfoot" disease.

------------------
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

 

Hi Will316,

Yes, there sure is, the Superchip, and this is an excellent thread to read about it, as it discusses both the single-program Superchip which requires the use of premium gas, as well as the 2-program Superchip Flip Chip, which can be configured to run on either regular or premium gas.

One thing to keep in mind is that in order to increase power via powertrain programming (meaning, a performance chip), the use of higher octane gasoline is requried, as the power gains on 87 octane are going to be very small.

If you'd like to go over all the various options & details, please feel free to give us a call, our contact info is just below for your convenience.

Good luck with your truck,

------------------
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

 

if i could reach through the computer and tell you to buy a superchip..i would, i drove granny-slow on my last tank to see what the gas mileage myth was all about..here's the facts, mileage increased from avg. 15.5 to 18.5! granted i guess running 92 helps but i gotta believe that superchip is doing its job in there too. i agree it is absolutely impossible to keep your foot off the floor because its awesome what the thing will do, but with the way gas prices are, i am gonna have to try and get 18.5 out of every tank. after thinking about this logically, it seems to me that if i pay 20 more cents per gallon for 92, then that is somewhere in the neighborhood of $4.00-5.00 more per tank, but if i am getting about 75 more miles out of a tank, then its so close it doesnt matter....it pays for itself. who cares about a couple of bucks...the advantages of the superchip are more important to me than this. simply put, if you drive fairly easy on the accelerator, your gas mileage is gonna make the chip worth your while.

------------------
God Bless and Keep Torquin'

 

Does a performance chip affect emissions? I live in Mass and the emissions here are very tough.

 

Hi Bullitt,

Very informative post, & glad to see you were able to pick up 3.0 mpg. It's just a by-product of the increased spark advance used on part-throttle as part of the Superchip's performance tuning for premium gas. Most people average getting about 1.5-2.0 more mpg, but driving it gingerly, as you described, can certainly result in larger mileage gains than average.

Excellent results!



------------------
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

 

Hi 2001,

If you will check your other thread where you asked that same question, you will see that we have responded to it there in detail, so please check your other thread for that answer on emissions.

In short, the Superchip is 50-state certified, so you're not going to have any increase in emissions from the Superchip.

------------------
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