Since I didn't get my papers faxed in until the middle of Novemeber I didn't want to call and distract Mike from his work (especially filling tuner orders). I figured there are enough of you out there to answer my simple questions.

1. Is 3 the max amount of tunes you can get into an Xcal 2? I REALLY could use a fourth tune.

2. When you change from 87 octane to 93 octane how low do you need to run your tank of 87 down before you can feel confident that you have enough 93?

Thanks and happy holidays
Bruce

 

Hi Blyoth;

Well, since I'm not actively engaged in chowing down on turkey, I'll jump in...

1. 3 custom tunes is the maximum. The 6600 can hold 4. This does not include storing the 'stock' tune, on either unit.

2. Ideally, as empty as you can manage it - at least until the 'Low fuel' light comes on. You want to avoid dilution as much as possible. No mixing 1/4 87 to 3/4 93 & stuff.

Cheers
Grog

 

Hi Bruce!

First - yes, 3 custom tunes is what your XCalibrator 2 will arrive with, & that is plenty for just about any realistic uses - to give you an idea, we run what are basically race cars (well, trucks) on the track and on the street with fewer programs! You've only got 1 program right now, and it's the stock factory tune - so having 3 more is going to give you far more flexibility and a total of 4 tunes, I guess is one way to look at it.

Second - the 6600 that MGD mentioned in his post is a "traditional" performance chip, not a hand-held tuner, and those chips cannot be used on your vehicle - they are for FoMoCo vehicles with EEC-V PCM's (generally 1987-2004 with EEC-IV or EEC-V PCM's), which your truck does not have. You have the PowerPC-based PCM in all new body style 2004 & up F-150's, 2003 was the last model year for the EEC-V PCM in the F-150. So the 6600 is not an option for any 2004 & up new body style F-150.

Last - when changing octane levels from a regular gas tune to a premium gas tune, this is easy to do - just run the 87 octane fuel down low, we recommend running the tank of regular (87) down until the low fuel warning light comes on, or close to it. Then fill it up with premium, and you cna immediately load your premium gas tuning. You cannot take say, 1/2 or 1/4 tank of low-octane fuel, top it off with premium and load up tuning designed for premium fuel, as you would dilute the incoming premium fuel too much. Don't worry, this is something you'll get used to very quickly.

Now going the *opposite* way, say if you are switching from premium back to 87 octane tuning, then you can run it down to about 1/4 tank or so and fill it up with 87 octane, and immediately install your 87 octane tuning - that won't be a problem.

These 2004 & up F-150's generally have a 30 gallon gas tank, so there's still a good deal of fuel on board when the low fuel warning light comes on, usually on the order of about 3.5-5 gallons, just to give you a rough idea.

If you'd like to go over any of this in more detail, please feel free to give us a call at our number listed below & we'll be happy to help.

 

If you have a full tank of 93 octane and you need to tow something and you only have a 87 octane tow tune is it okay to run the 87 tune on 93 octane?

 

did you ever get an answer? I have an 87 tow, 87 perf, and 93 perf tunes on my Xcal2...I have been running the 93 perf tune for week or so after playing around with the 87 perf - still havent used the 87 tow. I was wondering the same thing you were....if I have 93 gas in my tank on the 93 perf tune and I decide to head to the lake and hook up the boat I must then load the 87 tow tune....would this be an issue? Another question....if I switch between the tunes alot, is that an issue as long as I am running the correct octane for the tune....does making the PCM 'learn' tunes cause an issue?

 

if you have 93 in the tank- you can run can run any lower oct. tune

and i have never had a problem changing prog. (it just takes time for the truck to learn the prog.

you can have as many tunes as you like but you have to store them on a computer and move them to the tuner as needed!

 

What will happen by running a full tank of 93 octane on an 87 octane tune in a lot of cases is that power actually goes DOWN, as you don't even have enough time to burn enough of the high octane mixture when putting so much of the lowest octane fuel in the tank. Due to how much longer higher octane takes to initiate it's combustion, you simply do not want to run 93 octane on an 8 octane tune - in fact, many vehicle's owners manuals tell you specifically NOT to do this, as it can cause reduce power, fuel mileage, and check engine warning lights to come on. This is all because the higher you go up in octane, the longer it takes to initiate the combustion event.

Now will doing something like that (which I would regard as something NOT to do, obviously) actually DAMAGE and engine? Hopefully not, it's usually just a matter of not making proper power or fuel mileage but I sure wouldn't want to test that out.

ow another aspect of this is, and we had a customer do this, where he took his 2005 F-150 5.4 3V to the dyno, and had 91 octane fuel in the tank but ran it on the 87 octane tune - well, it make great power up until about 4000 rpm - and then it just would not make any more power, it leveled off & dropped, and it's for this same reason - not enough time to initiate the higher octane mixture, especially as the RPMs go up yo have less & less real time, as well as number of degrees of crankshaft rotation in which to get enough fuel burned so that the engine runs properly. So no, you do NOT want to do that. It didn't hurt the motor, but then he wasn't towing, either!

The bottom line is, use the tunes as they are designed - I have yet to see anyone who actually just filled up with 93 octane but who suddenly just HAD to do heavy towing on an 87 octane tune - But it's a good question, so I'm glad you asked, Blyoth!!

If you have any potential concerns about running a full tank of 93 and suddenly needing to do towing, than simply have us make you a 93 octane towing tune - we can even change tunes after the initial tuning is done if need be, and we don't charge much for that.

Blyoth, just to give you an idea of what I recommend - I have always thought that the most flexible set of tunes was to have premium gas performance, premium gas towing, and then a regular gas performance tune - that way you have everything covered! Anyone who is towing a heavy load wasn't the most power they can get, so they want the premium gas tuning tune loaded up for best power and MPG - and if someone wanted to tow on 87 octane, they can always go back to the stock program - that way you have tunes for both levels of octane and for both performance and towing on either level of octane - pretty simple.

Or - if you have to do towing frequently, then just have us to a premium gas towing tune, then a regular gas towing tune, and then a regular gas performance tune - so that way you are well covered for those who have to tow frequently. Nd it will not hurt a thing to not tow on a towing tune - whereas you cannot tow on a performance tune.

That should give you all the info you could possibly want on this, & good luck!