02 F150 2xWD 5.4L

OK...the books says " NO TOWING"? Can I Tow a small jet ski. just one and a small trailer? very light. or will it hurt my truck??????? Thanks, Matt
Sac, CA

 

If you could tow it without a tuner, you are ok to tow it with one.

 

OK...why doese the book say that?
I did the trans tune. Thats the only thing i was worried about.

 

Hang on here a second - any time any tuner tells you NOT to tow on a specific program, then generally speaking, no, it is *not* safe to tow with it.

However, the 1715 DOES have a towing-compatible tune in it for the 1997-2003 F-150, it always has had, even back when it was first released many years ago and only had one program in it - it was a premium gas tune that was towing compatible, but now they have 3 different tunes, and that also includes a towing-compatible tune - you simply need to use the correct program.

Just briefly..............

There are very important reasons why certain types of programs (tunes) are not safe to tow with and thus are labeled as such, and it has to do with things like A/F ratios and the resultant EGT's (exhaust gas temperatures) when under a heavy load.

We have to regard "towing" as not just 300 lbs in the bed, or 800 lb out back, but instead, we have to interpret that as meaning the ability to tow up to the vehicle's full factory tow rating (which is already overrated in every vehicle I've ever seen). So what I tell people is that unless you have an accurate pyrometer (EGT gauge) installed with the probe not more than 1.25" off the face of the hottest cylinder *and* have a thorough knowledge of what EGT's are actually safe for these motors in these trucks, then do not attempt to tow on a non-towing program. I say that because there are *potentially* some situations, with *some* tunes, where it might be "OK" to tow a very light weight for a short distance on flat ground - BUT - as soon as we tell someone a program is "towing compatible," then that tells them it's OK to hook up 7000 lb or whatever and go run it up the side of a mountain at full-throttle.

This is one of the most important things we have to deal with as tuners, is this issue of a towing-safe program versus a *performance* tune that is NOT towing-compatible.

Any time you have a specific question on a program like the Superchips 1715, it's best to contact Superchips directly to let them know what you are doing, and see if that is OK - and then just do what they tell you. But the 1715 has *always* had a towing-compatible tune in it for the 1996-2003 F-150 V8's, from Day 1, as long as it has existed - you simply have to use the tune that is labeled as towing-compatible.

I hope that helps & good luck!