Mike I have a quick question. I have one of your superchips and have been very pleased with it. I also have a deal with my dealership where they do free oil changes as long as I have the truck.

My question for you is...Do I need to remove the chip anytime the truck is in the shop, even for an oil change?

I am taking my truck in tomorrow for its first service and would like to know as soon as possible. If I have to remove the chip for service do I need to disconnect the battery on reinstallation or just plug it back in.

THanks for any info.
Paul

 

Hi pgio,

Well, that is up to you. You're right in that for just an oil change, that doesn't have any affect having the Superchip in place, if that is all that is done. However, just as a precautionary measure, we always recommend removing it *anytime* you go in for service, just in case. Our suggestion is to remove it, ultimately this is up to you to decide for yourself.

And yes, you do need to do that procedure to clear the ECU (computer) anytime you install or remove the Superchip. In fact, the procedure to use when installing or removing the Superchip is mentioned on the first page of our additional Performance Products documentation.

We did just last week make a change in our docs, just include that information again in the section that talks about taking your vehicle in for service, so if yours doesn't mention that procedure to disconnect the battery under that section that talks about taking it in for service, just shoot us a quick email and let us know, and we'll email you back with an email attachment including those latest docs. The only difference is that this information is basically duplicated, and thus includes it not only on the first page, but also in that section that talks specifically about taking your vehicle in for service.

Good luck!

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

 

Very interesting statement on removing your chip before you take you vehicle into Ford for service. I feel that with the cost of repairs being sky-high a person should not install anything into his vehicle that would take a chance on voiding the warranty. After the warranty is up do what ever you like. Most V8's now are over 250hp and 300 to 350 lbs of torque. What is 20 or 30 more hp going to do for you in a pickup that 205hp won't. Just an opinion.

 

Great question.
Mike (anyone?) if you happen upon this thread again I have a question to add.
From what I've read and experianced the Superchip takes as much as 3000 miles to "load" the full program. My concern is that every 3000 miles I will be in for an oil change.(I go to the dealarship for oil changes while I'm in the warranty period. I've got the extended warranty) I think I understand why you suggest removing the chip before service. I've become accustomed to the performance of the Superchip.I don't know if it is worth (to me) waiting 100 to 3000 miles to reap the benifits again after an oil change. I haven't talked to my dealarship yet. I was thinking of sending a letter to Ford to get their take of computer chips. I would like to tell my dealership service department about the Superchip, I just don't wan't to deal with any "flak".Can you give any advice or opinion about this?
Anyone else got an opinion on this?
I figure the Superchip can't cause any any (direct) damage to any engine/transmission component, how would the dealership have any legitemite gripe about it!
Anyone?

Tom.

 

I am not the expert and maybe Mike can shed more light.

First, If you do the thing where you unhook the battery and drain the computer then install the chip and rehook up everything you get most the benefit right away.

I like the chip and can tell a difference most of it is in the shifting patterns and it is much better to drive.

As for the warranty. Their is legislation to avoid dealerships saying well you installed a chip and therefore the axle housing bent or some other obsurd thing like that. I cannot remember the name, but I am sure someone can tell you. I enjoy modifying my vehicle and many others do to. The dealership has to prove that the aftermarket part in question has caused the problem and then they do not have to fix it.

I beleive the reason for removal of the chip is because the chip can give a fault code. If the tech doesn't know the chip is there they may call to replace the computer.

These are my thoughts
Paul

 

Hi Guys

All good points here.

I use the schip flip-chip. For me there is a noticable difference when i switch from 87 to 92oct. Or 92 to 87.

I notice auto.tran shifting differently and some power gain. I dont drive my 99SC full time, but within 200 mi, maybe less, there is more increase in power. Been said that about 80% of gains right away & rest come in gradual. Seems like thats what i experience.

If you have a engine problem,(or whatever is feed into computer) and should a trouble code be thrown, then a scan should show that code. However with the chip you get a PO605 error, thats where the confusion may start? So, why not just take the chip out? A small inconvenience to perhaps eliminate a big hassle later?

I dont see why you would take chip out for an oil change. I dont think person doing oil change is gonna hook up and scan (OBDII)

Just have to reason thru. Lots of info here. And beaware of risks involved with ALL mods. Choose whats right for you. I know, im still under warranty, but man, i like what the chip does!

BTW- This is a public forum, anyone can read this stuff. Maybe even FORD does?

Good luck. OT

 

Old Timer, I agree on the oil change thing except that my oil changes were part of the deal when I bought the truck. I got free oil changes as long as I own the truck. So it is a dealer deal and the dealer will be doing the service, so who knows if the tech doing the oil change might do a scan to see if there are any trouble codes and maybe something the dealer might be able to make a few bucks on. Anyway my point is if the dealer is doing the service than it might get scanned and a trouble code could cause more problems in the hands of a tech who doesn't know about the chip.

Paul

 

Hi Wittom,

You apparently may have some misconceptions here, we've never said, nor does it take anything like 3000 miles for the Superchip to take effect.

As long as you install it properly, you're going to feel it's effects very quickly, in fact, you'll get about 75%-80% of what the Superchip is going to ultimately do very quickly, provided you clear the computer properly after the installation, as we cover in our Performance Products documentation. Then that last 20% or so will come in gradually, as you accumulate the next 350-500 miles, as the ECU does it's adjustments.

In fact, if you install it correctly ( in this sense, meaning clearing the ECU as we describe), you're going to have 75%-80% of what it will ultimately do basically right away, at least within 20 miles or so. What we do after an installation is to take the vehicle out and do 20 miles of varied driving, including 2 or 3 full-throttle bursts long enough to do the 1-2 and the 2-3 upshift at full-throttle in the automatics, and a similar period of time for the manuals. It's very easy to see that it's working basically right away by doing that.

Perhaps it would do some good to remember that once the Superchip is installed, the factory eprom chip is automatically and immediately turned off, so the only way the vehicle will even run is from the Superchip being present and communicating properly with the computer. It's physically impossible for it to take thousands of miles for the Superchip to work it's magic; though it's entirely possible that as the ECU continues to do it's on-going adaptive strategy adjustments, the vehicle can feel stronger after more miles have been accumulated, that's just Ford's adaptive strategy doing it's thing. that has been commented on by a number of people, so perhaps that might be what you've experienced, I don't know.

Worst case scenario, if you do not clear the computer properly after installing the Superchip, to clear the rest of the factory program from the microprocessor, it only takes a few days of driving, 350-500 miles, for that Superchip program to go to work after basically overwriting the previous program sitting there in the microprocessor's data path. The bottom line is that there is no way it's ever going to take thousands of miles for the Superchip to actually "take effect".

I went back and edited this post a bit just to clarify a couple of things, hopefully.

Tom, if you have any questions about this, or would perhaps like to discuss anything you're experiencing along those lines, please feel free to give us a shout, ok?
------------------
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 05-03-2001).]

 

Hi Dennis,

The Superchip wil certainly give you more power to tow your load with, but the basic reason you have such a low tow rating compared to other Ford trucks is simply because you have a clutch. If you had an automatic transmission, your tow rating would be significantly higher. But because you have a clutch, Ford has to lower that rating because the clutch will not stand up to 5000-7000 lbs. being towed without failing prematurely, that's what Ford is thinking.

So yes, the Superchip will give you more horsepower and torque, that is why many people buy them to help towing, etc. It's just not going to officially raise your rated towing capacity as determined by Ford.

Please feel free to give us a call if you'd like to go over this in more detail, etc., & 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

 

Ok, so mabey it's not 3000 miles. I thought I'd read a post where it was said that it can take as much as 3000 miles. I'd forgot about the Ford adaptive strategy.
The Superchip gave noticeable gains right away for me. It seems to still be progerssing. I guess that would be the adaptive strategy.
Sorry Mike. I didn't do enough homework before I posted.
So I shouldn't bring up the chip to the dealership service department? I tend to think that most people will be reasonable. I also tend to give some people too much credit.
Mike, I'm sure you already know, I have faith in you, Performance Products and Superchips. My "questions" are in no way ment to deter folks from purchasing a Superchip. As you have seen I wholeheartedly endorse them!
Again, thanks Mike!

Tom

 

Tom, go read my thread to see what can happen if you take your truck in with the chip installed. The tried to void my entire vehicle warranty and put in a new computer at my expense. I had to tell the mechanic how to get it started again, he was sure it was a bad PCM. If I had been up to speed on the documentation and why you should remove the chip ( as Mike Troyer so patiently explained to me today), it would have been out of there, no question. It is up to you but after what I have been through (and still have to go through), I would pull that baby, no doubt.

Mike (africanhut)

 

Mike
I have a 1999 f250 4x4 ext.cab with a 4.6L and a 5 speed and the manual says that I can only pull a 2700 lb trailer - that seem really light for a full size truck even if I do have a small engine (I used to pull twice that with a 4 banger ranger)my question is if I put in a chip would it help with my towing limit (how much) or just my preformance...I dont want to but too much camper and then be stuck

Thanks
Dennis

[This message has been edited by DennisOdom (edited 05-02-2001).]

 

Hi Tom,

Sure, no problem, we understand where you're coming from, so please don't worry about that, you post whatever you feel is appropriate to post!

In fact, I went back and edited my response just a bit to hopefully clarify just a bit better. I perhaps should also point out that when I make a response like that, where I'm saying "you", I really don't mean *you* personally, I'm referring to anyone doing this.

With regards as to whether or not to bring up a chip to a service department, that is entirely up to you. One of the reasons we suggest that you don't, and instead to simply remove it prior to service, is so that you're not subjected to someone trying to blame the Superchip for problems that have nothing to do with it, that the Superchip couldn't possilby have anything to do with, as that unfortunately happens at some dealerships. An *excellent* example is what just happened with "africanhut"! It makers my blood boil to see people treated that way, your best bet is to use common sense, and just not give them the opportunity.

For example, let's say you have a problem, where the vehicle starts acting up, the engine isn't running right, or something is going on with the motor in some way. Usually we suggest first removing the Superchip, just to see if the symptoms continue to happen without the Superchip. That way, you know very quickly whether it's potentially related to the Superchip in some way or not, so once that has been established and you know the Superchip isn't causing whatever symptom, then there's no sense to complicate matters further at a dealership by bringing up the fact that you use an aftermarket performance chip. It's simple common sense.

If someone has symptoms that go away and never reoccur with the Superchip removed, then they should immediately contact *us*, and we check it out, it's not a matter for a dealer.

So either way, the smart thing to do is to simply remove it prior to service, and let your dealership's service department do what they're supposed to do if the vehicle isn't running right, proper diagnosis to determine just what the problem *really* is. I too, choose to believe that most service departments are honest and will treat you right, but there will always be some that just aren't quite so pleasureable to deal with, such is life, apparently.

Have fun,

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

 

Yes, I can be a bit stubborn, but now I completely understand why we are advised to remove the chip befor service. And I will.

Tom

 

Superchip saved the day.

I took out the chip and had the dealership do the first service on my truck. The only reason I am taking my truck to the dealership for service is because when I bought the truck they gave me free oil changes for as long as I own the truck.

Anyway took out the chip a simple 30 second thing to do and took the truck in. I picked it up yesterday and was supposed to leave today on vacation. Well I live in wyoming and we had a storm, they called it a blizzard not too much snow, however the winds were steady at 45- 50 mph and gust up to 70. So I was stuck here and since I had not had time to do it yet I reinstalled my chip. Well luckily I disconnected the battery because sitting on top of the battery was my oil fill cap. The dumbass tech forgot to put it back on. Thank god because I would have been traveling about 1000 miles today. Luckily no oil was missing and I will be traveling tommorow.

I think the superchip could have saved me some major headaches. Just thought I would share and suggest everyone check out your truck after the service department works on it.

Paul