What is the best way to program a 97 4.6L?

 

That's a rather hard to interpret question - if you mean what tuning will actually get you the best results, hands down that is our *custom* tuning.

There is no "best way to program" in the literal sense, there is only one way to flash the PCM, and that is thru the OBD-II port (well, if you sent your PCM in, we could flash it outside of the truck, but that is terribly inconvenient & not necessary).

Now if you mean is it better to use a traditional chip or use a tuner, then either one will give you the exact same results - most people prefer to use our hand-held tuners, as that way you have a quick & easy 10 minute plug-n-play installation, without ever even touching the PCM. Whereas with a chip, you have to take the PCM out of the vehicle, then remove the PCM's covers, clean the connector, then mount the chip and then reinstall the assembly back into the vehicle - not hard at all, but it's more work and takes longer.

Generally speaking, unless you're going to be spraying nitrous oxide (in which case you need to be able to change programs *instantly*), we recommend going the hand-held tuner route, with our custom tuning.

I hope that info helps, & please feel free to give us a cal at our number listed below to go over any of this in more detail.

 

Talk to someone with a vehicle the same year and engine as you that has a chip or tuner and see if they like it. Salesperson claims over the phone of a definate seat of the pants increase in power may not be what you experience. These custom tune electrical parts are non-refundable and very expensive. Ask for references from the salesperson of people that you could talk to that have purchased the item you're considering. Do your research through these references or check multiple forums just so you get a well balanced idea of people's experiences. I should've done these things before purchasing my SCT 6600.