XCAL 2 Real World Test...
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
Originally Posted by MHP
My 2004 5.4 3.73 pulls my boat up that grade no problem in fact I usually have to get out of the gas at the last sharp turn. Boat is not quite as heavy as yours, about 4500 lbs but the truck does great, even on trips to the river and back.
1,500 lbs trailer weight
35 hp (at least, I'm bone stock 03)
My 4x4 vs your 4x2
My 3.55 gears vs your 3.73's
So basically, you have a newer, more powerful, better geared, more efficient truck pulling a lighter trailer. I'm pretty sure my truck would pull your boat up that hill no problem too. Like I said, my trailer is too much for my truck. With 4.10's and a few mods, I expect I'll be pulling my boat up that hill pretty easily.
KC 10, I agree with others here, something is wrong if you are having trouble pulling 3,000 lbs with your truck. I wonder if that gibson exhaust is costing you some low end torque... What is it doing specifically? Also, are you including all the gear you are packing up in the bed, passengers, etc? I know when I'm heading out for a vacation, I've got quite a bit of weight in the bed.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,201
Likes: 0
From: Groton CT
Originally Posted by KC-10 FE
I would love to do just that but NOT A SINGLE Ford dealer within 50 miles of my house will touch it because:
1. I didn't buy if from them.
2. It isn't throwing a fault code.
3. I didn't buy it from them.
4. They say its perfectly normal to have the engine turning 3000rpm in 2nd gear to get up a 4% grade.
5. I didn't buy it from them.
6. I HAVE A SLIGHT ANGER MANAGEMENT PROBLEM.
1. I didn't buy if from them.
2. It isn't throwing a fault code.
3. I didn't buy it from them.
4. They say its perfectly normal to have the engine turning 3000rpm in 2nd gear to get up a 4% grade.
5. I didn't buy it from them.
6. I HAVE A SLIGHT ANGER MANAGEMENT PROBLEM.
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 10,390
Likes: 10
Hi.
Okay - back to some advice... how about an independent appraisal?
KC - is there a reputable dyno facility nearby? Dyno pulls are relatively inexpensive, and if you datalog with your Xcal2 at the session, you'd get a sense of what your truck is putting down under load. You'd also have the info required to send back to your Xcal2 tuner person, in the hopes that he can help resolve the issues and perhaps discover a root cause.
A Mustang dyno would be best, according to what I've read here. Your tuner person may even have knowledge of an appropriate facility in your area. Make sure they also measure driveline losses - might as well have a comprehensive set of data, if you are going to go through the trouble.
I do feel for you - I'd be P.O'd too if my truck did not perform as expected. This can't simply be a matter of manufacturing tolerances.
Good luck.
Cheers!
Cave Painter
Okay - back to some advice... how about an independent appraisal?
KC - is there a reputable dyno facility nearby? Dyno pulls are relatively inexpensive, and if you datalog with your Xcal2 at the session, you'd get a sense of what your truck is putting down under load. You'd also have the info required to send back to your Xcal2 tuner person, in the hopes that he can help resolve the issues and perhaps discover a root cause.
A Mustang dyno would be best, according to what I've read here. Your tuner person may even have knowledge of an appropriate facility in your area. Make sure they also measure driveline losses - might as well have a comprehensive set of data, if you are going to go through the trouble.
I do feel for you - I'd be P.O'd too if my truck did not perform as expected. This can't simply be a matter of manufacturing tolerances.
Good luck.
Cheers!
Cave Painter
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,867
Likes: 0
From: NH
Have you tried resetting the trucks computer? The reason I ask, and could be way off, is the other day I cleared some codes in my 2005 Ranger.
I recently got an Auto Enginuity OBDII software with the Ford enhanced software. While I was playing with it I saw some odd codes. Nothing that set the MIL light but figured I wanted to clear them anyway.
It has the 4.0 V6 and felt pretty peppy to begin with but to be honest ever since I cleared the codes out it feels noticeable stronger. I wasn’t expecting that after clearing the codes since none seemed to have anything to do with performance. One was about the 4x4 high sensor fault and 3 or 4 odd ball ones. Just to note none of them have came back.
Again I may be way off but at least for me, without having any thoughts of performance improvement resetting the trucks computer did seem to make it run better and feel stronger. It can’t hurt anything to give it a try.
I recently got an Auto Enginuity OBDII software with the Ford enhanced software. While I was playing with it I saw some odd codes. Nothing that set the MIL light but figured I wanted to clear them anyway.
It has the 4.0 V6 and felt pretty peppy to begin with but to be honest ever since I cleared the codes out it feels noticeable stronger. I wasn’t expecting that after clearing the codes since none seemed to have anything to do with performance. One was about the 4x4 high sensor fault and 3 or 4 odd ball ones. Just to note none of them have came back.
Again I may be way off but at least for me, without having any thoughts of performance improvement resetting the trucks computer did seem to make it run better and feel stronger. It can’t hurt anything to give it a try.
Former Sponsor
Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
Likes: 4
From: Virginia
Additionally, clearing the PCM only makes it feel stronger for a short period of time - adaptive goes right back to work immediately, and it won't be long before it's right back to where it was - there is no getting around that, unless you want to disconnect the battery every day - which isn't even remotely advisable. 
Just FYI -
Just FYI -