I am still think about getting a programmer but came across a thread way at the end here. It was asking about multiple vehicles using the same programmer and Mike mentioned about the program going back to stock. Would I have to leave the programmer hooked up all the time for it to work??? I know this sounds like a dumb question. But like I said, that thread left me a little confuzed or maybe I should say a little more confused. Please forgive me but it's the "old school" thing again. What would keep someone from using the same programmer on multiple vehicles.? I don't know anything about them at all. I like the varible adjustments that a programmer would allow, but is a chip just as good.?? Will you computer good back to stock if your battery goes dead.? I just need a little more information. My funds are always tight and I want to be informed before I make a decision. Any responses are appreciated. Thank you.

 

The tuner is vehicle specific if it is a custom tuner such as the 9100.

Once you use your Tuner on one vehicle the Tuner becomes "VIN locked" to that vehicle.

To use it on another vehicle you would have to send it back to you supplier to have it unlocked.

The VIN lock may be true of all of the tuners.

 

Skip,

Lets see if I can make this really muddy for you, (or maybe it will help)

Think of the Superchips programmer (like the 1715) as a tool! You plug it into your data port on the vehicle's computer and load the program and change the features you want, then unplug it and put it away for future use. Now your vehicle is using the Superchips program and will until you plug in again and change it.
It will stay there as long as you wish, unhooking the battery will not remove it! IMPORTANT! if you take your vehicle into the dealer for service and for whatever reason the shop plugs there eguipment up to your computer and reprogram it, wham-0 the Superchip program will be gone. And your programmer that you put away for future use will be usless to you. That is because the features were loaded to your vehicle and the dealer just sent them to never-never land when he reprogrammed your truck.

So any time you take your truck in for service, that they may think about reprogramming your computer it's a good idea to pull out your Superchip programmer and reload you stock Ford program and then when your truck comes back from the dealer you can put the Superchip program back into it.

The Superchip program can only be "Used in ONE truck at time" but can be installed into and remove from a truck any number of times, and can be used on any number of trucks, but only one at a time.

Now a Superchips "chip"(like the sct6600) is a circuit board with a chip on it that is programmed by a person like "Mike Troyer" just for your vehicle's stock computer code. It is physically installed on the your vehicles computer board (and over rides the stock Ford program) and stays there until you, some day want to remove it. Then your stock Ford prgram takes back over control of your computer.

I know I got a little long.
If I can help (or confuse) you more just ask.

Merry Christmas
Gene

Sorry I quess I didn't address your question about which are better. Most of the programmers (1715 ) have a feature built into them that allows you to read trouble codes that your computer can set. Neat feature, and also you can use it on a large number of vehicles and engines models.

The chip (sct6600) is tuned to your vehicle's computer code(that you supply to the vendor (like TROYER PERFORMANCE) and will only work on a vehicle with that code.

The chip is programmed by (Troyer's) and can be more aggressive, hence get more power. But you lose the built in feature of the code reader.

And then there is the model like the 9100 that "rgerlofs" talked about. It sort-of combines the two. It's a "programmed by Troyer" tuner you use though you data port, and I believe still has you trouble code reader.

Call Preformance Products on the phone, they will gladly answer all your questions, with a smile (if you could see over the phone).
And they can talk pricing over the phone something they can't do online.

 

Hi Skip,

Thanks for dropping by! There's no such thing as a dumb question, only a dumb answer - of course you need to be properly informed before plunking down your hard-earned money, you bet!

Your questions have basically already been answered by the responses here, but just to give you a little basic info.....

1.) You remove the tuner once you use it - so no, it does not stay connected, you use it and then store it - nice & neat. Now a chip is different, it *stays* connected to the PCM unless you need to remove it to go back to the stock factory tune.

2.) No, you will not lose your program/tuning if the battery goes dead - these instructions are not stored in volatile memory like RAM, it's stored in an EEPROM (ROM) chip - so once it's flashed (programmed), it can sit on a shelf with no power for years, and the program will still be there. Think of it just like the BIOS chip in your PC, or like the hard drive on your PC - as opposed to the RAM in your PC.

3.) With *any* of the flash devices (Micro Tuner, Xcalibrator, etc.), they can be used on ONE vehicle at a time - you have to have the ability to return back to the stock program, and each tuner can store only 1 factory program. So each tuner becomes VIN-locked to the specific vehicle it was first installed on.

Now with the "standard" Superchips Micro Tuner, which would be our Part# 1715 for your 2001 vehicle, once you return the vehicle back to it's stock tuning, you can then use that 1715 on another 1996-2003 F-150 - and you can do *that* an unlimited number of times. However, to get the best results (by far), you'll want to go with our *custom* tuning, as that will get you 50% larger power & performance gains over what the 1715 will deliver. Now in *those* devices (like our Part# 9100 & 9300), we can reprogram them for use on another vehicle.

4.) There is NO difference in terms of power or performance gains between a traditional "chip" and the newer type flash devices (like our Micro Tuner or the Xcalibrator) - the difference is primarily that you have a much quicker & easier installation using a tuner as compared to a chip, and that there are no limitations with regard to diagnostics & datalogging as there can be when a chip is installed with some scan tools - but either one will provide the same power & performance gains with our tuning.

Here's a link to our tuning products on our web site - now what you will want to read up on specifically are our Part# 9100 (3-program custom Micro Tuner), our Part# 9300 (3-program custom Xcalibrator), and then our Part# SCT6600 (4-program custom chip). You will see some other tuning products there too, but those 3 part#'s I listed are the ones that we can load our custom tuning into, so you get the best results. Here's the link: http://www.troyerperformance.com/cgi...chips%3BFoMoCo

Please feel free to give us a call at our number listed below to go over any of this in more detail, etc., we'll be happy to help.

Best of luck whatever you decide, & Merry Christmas!

 

Maybe I can also help.

Ran the SuperShip 2 program chip for 2 years with out and major problems. Have since gone to the SCT, and will never go back!
Besides being able to pull any codes from any Ford vehicles, you don't have any communation problems, such as a bad connection.
Also being able to hold 3 tunes is a plus. And there is no evidence of computer tampering, if you have warranty concerns.

The only drawback, if you will, is the time it takes to switch tunes. But I can live with that!