I am looking into getting a tuner. Then I see these
" +25HP SPEED CHIP FORD F-150/F-250 96 97 98 99 00 01-06 " on eBay.
Now I know you only get what you pay for so I wont waste $10...but what do these things really do?

Here is the description:

BRAND NEW
DRAG RACE MOD
+25 HORSEPOWER SPEED CHIP
For: FORD F-150/F-250
What this Product does

-You will have FASTER acceleration and have a higher top end speed

-Increase of HORSEPOWER up to 25 hp.

- 1/4-mile times will decrease a few tenths of a second or MAYBE more

- 1/4-mile MPH will improve too

This Amazing Product Might be able to INCREASE YOUR GAS MILAGE!!!!!
If you are to lose any MPG it would be no more then 1-2 MPG
Do not pay hundreds of dollars for this mod at your local shop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lifetime guarantee on this AMAZING product
Five minutes it takes to INSTALL this product
Installation is very easy!
INFORMATION ON PRODUCT ON HOW YOU GAIN HORSEPOWER

Same function as ECU upgrades and Performance chips like the Jet V-chip...but this just for a fraction of the cost. This will release the potential of your engine. Remember that car makes must limit power on engines due to legal regulations. This is one of those modifications that takes that legal barrier off and allows your engine to breathe and go faster than before

All parts are INCLUDED with easy to follow step by step instructions. This do-it-yourself kit takes no knowledge of cars and is extremely easy to install. This is a resistor with directions that will show you how to modify your AIR/Fuel ratio and slightly change your engine timing to run stronger and with increased power. Releasing the true HORSEPOWER of your engine!

You have probably heard of performance EPROM and JET chips. There chips consist of a stock computer program that has been altered to inject more fuel into the engine under acceleration. Timing curves are commonly also adjusted consequently. These chips can be found to be quite effective, but also pricey as you not only need the chip, but also a socketing kit. You then need to do some soldering on your computer board which can damage it and cause it to malfunction. On the other hand, this 'piggy back' electronic device will alter the fuel and timing curves in a very similar way as the EPROM chip would, but without even opening the ECU. How can it do that? By fooling your computer and letting it think that you are sucking air at a different temperature. Your computer will respond with increased power!

 

Steer clear - these products are merely resistors designed to alter the IAT signal to the PCM - in essence fooling it into thinking the intake air temp is lower than it actually is. This causes the PCM to command more timing advance and/or fuel for a given throttle position/load.

Useless and in some cases potentially harmful.

Save up & get a proper tuner.

A Search will bring up many corroborating posts.

 

as I said, I have no intention of purchasing one. It was merely curiosity as to what these actually did. Kind of like when you were a kid- seeing advertisements for x-ray glasses in comic books: Do they actually work

Thanks for your reply

 

I saw those, I read through the feedback and found a funny quirk. People were upset that the chip cost 6 or 7 bucks and were charged 12 for S&H. It arrived to them in a 41 cent envelope.

 

if you look closely on eBay, these guys can give you a decent "buy now" price, but take a look at how they rip you off by jacking you with shipping!

Thats how they make money