First of all, I do not have a chip. I have read about them in this forum, and they seem to do a wonderful job. I would probably get one if I didn't have to remove it to see service, or read error codes.
Anyway, if a superchip can optimize the engine and shifting performance, then why the hell doesn't the engine an tranny come tuned as such from the factory? The you wouldn't need a chip.
I was just wondering about this.

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01' Supercrew Lariat Black
Gen-III
5.4L
4X4
Med. Parchment Interior
Leather Captain's Chairs
Moonroof
CD Changer
LSD
Factory Cab Steps
Bedliner
Bug Deflector
Slider
No Mods
No Tow Package

 

There are a number of reasons that it comes that way from the factory, but most notably, is reliability. If you can have a motor putting out X amount of hp with no reliability issues, or have it put out Y, but with failures and such, which would you choose? In the case of the car companies, it's obvious they'd go for the one with better reliability. Also, car companies are notorious for under-tuning a motor so that in following years, they can raise the output and use it as a marketing ploy, when the motor could have done it all along.

As far as trans shifting firmness goes, 99% of the population wants that nice, slushy, soft shifts, even if it means the trans won't last as long (which most don't know about).

Just my $.02

Bob

 

Hi DrJeffro,

Excellent question!

It's for several reasons, the most important of which is that performance chips generally require the use of premium gas, because in order to raise power significantly via powertrain programming, you have to re-tune the engine specifically for the use of premium gasoline. Doing that from the factory would cost Ford a lot of sales, as the F-150 is the world's #1 selling vehicle of any kind, for the 18th year in a row. They are purchased by fleet buyers in massive quantities, by construction companies, etc., so they're designed to be run on cheap gas and beat hard.

There are other smaller factors, such as the soft-shift strategies the automakers use on automatic transmission for female buyers,, along with other minor issues, but the octane required is the "biggie" in these vehicles with regards as to why the engines are tuned the way they are, and why we can make so much more power by re-tuning them for premium gas.

There hasn't been a vehicle made by the automakers that cannot be improved upon, and one thing Americans like is customizing & modifying their vehicles to make them perform & look as desired by each individual owner.

------------------
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 05-06-2001).]

 

Thanks for the responses. I'll still don't get it Mike. You also sell chips (flipchips?) that can be used for 87 octane too. This would go against the cheap fuel theory.
I understand that any engine can be modified and improved somewhat, but at some stage the improvements become negligible. It seems that these chips make noticeable differences on the factory engines.


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01' Supercrew Lariat Black
Gen-III
5.4L
4X4
Med. Parchment Interior
Leather Captain's Chairs
Moonroof
CD Changer
LSD
Factory Cab Steps
Bedliner
Bug Deflector
Slider
No Mods
No Tow Package

 

DrJeffro

If you read or reread all the old threads, i think they'll probably answer most of your questions.

Have a good one. OT

 

Why have chips? Because your are hungry for snack. Sorry I just couldn't help myself

 

Hi DR,

The fact that we offer a 2-program Flip Chip with *any* combination of 2 programs in no way negates what I told you, and doesn't change in the least why Ford tunes their truck engines the way they do. Ford tunes these truck engines for the use of "regular" 87 octane gasoline from the factory, because if they tuned them for a higher octane level, their sales would take an immediate nosedive, those are plain and simple facts that have been in place for *decades*.

I'll give you another one to chew on...........even the vehicles that Ford tunes for premium gas from the factory, which are only the high-performance engines, can all still benefit from sharper states of tune. Always have, always will, most likely. No automaker yet has ever built so much as 1 vehicle that it's owners didn't want to change, improve, or somehow modify to better suit the individual owner's wants & needs.

The automakers use different techniques to increase power from their engines when they choose to increase power. When they up power levels, they are generally doing things like redesigning cylinder heads, intake manifolds, etc., In other words, things *other* than their basic state of tune, so we always have a significant amount of room for improvement in just about anything they make, thanks to the various compromises they make. It's always been that way. And the single biggest compromise they make with regards to tuning their engines is tuning them for the use of 87 octane cheap gas.

The automakers simply have to make *huge* compromises that an ever-growing number of individual vehicle owners don't care to have present in their vehicles, so they modify them.

For example, one of the most aggravating things for these Ford truck owners are the extremely slow, prolonged, and downright sloppy shift characteristics of their automatic transmissions. They use shift delays on upshift and downshift, reduce engine power during and after upshifts and downshifts and numerous other things that all are detrimental to a quickly responding powertrain and satisfying driveability. This is all part of their "soft-shift" strategy that Ford (and every other automaker today) uses to make their vehicles quiet, and keep the driver from feeling and hearing the types of things that we enthusiasts want to hear & feel.

The F150 is not only the worlds largest-selling vehicle of any kind today, it is also, thanks to the compromises made by Ford, the single most frequently modified vehicle today. How's that for a contradiction?

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

 

Thanks Mike,

You got me feeling alot better about the situation. Especially the last note!
I think I will get a Superchip, after my warranty expires though.
It'd be really nice if they were compatible with the diagnostic check. Then we wouldn't have to worry about wandering mechanics messing around at the dealerships.
Heck, if they were compatible, maybe you could swing a deal with Ford and make the Superchip an engine option at purchase!
Thanks again for the info.

------------------
01' Supercrew Lariat Black
Gen-III
5.4L
4X4
Med. Parchment Interior
Leather Captain's Chairs
Moonroof
CD Changer
LSD
Factory Cab Steps
Bedliner
Bug Deflector
Slider
No Mods
No Tow Package

 

Hi DR,

Good, I'm glad that info helped.

Just so you'll know, your vehicle can still be scanned for error codes with the Superchip present, the Superchip does not interfere with that process, & the Superchip is not "incompatible" with diagnostic scans. It's just that you'll also get a "false" error code, P0605, anytime you have anything attached to that J3 connector while scanning, as per Ford's design. This simply lets the technician know that the computer's internal eprom chip has been turned off, that's all that code means. Now, some techs know about the operation of this circuit, but some don't, the ones that don't can sometiems think the computer has actually failed, which of course it hasn't, and they can verify that by starting the vehicle of course. *That* is why we suggest removing the Superchip prior to going in for service, not because it's "incompatible" with diagnostics or scanning for error codes, just so you'll know.

We leave our Superchips in place for every service appointment, because of who we are, as the National Distributor of this product line. We have the detailed knowledge of the operation of that circuit, so we can go in and train the techs that service our vehicles, and everything is fine. But for most people, it's easiest to just remove it prior to service, since it only takes maybe 30-60 seconds to do.

Best of luck with your truck, whatever you decide!

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