VMP Tuning Questions
#1
02-12-2009, 06:11 PM
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VMP Tuning Questions
I got a X3 tuner and 3 custom tunes (87 perf, 87 tow, 87 mileage)from Justin in late October for my 2008 FX4. I have the 5.4L and 3:73 rear end. My only performance mods are a Roush CAI and Roush Off Road Exhaust. I still have the stock 18" FX4 wheels and tires and the truck only has 6000 miles on it.
Heres my questions, and they are mainly directed to the numerous happy VMP customers, keyword being happy, as I still am because Justin is still working with me to this day instead of telling me to live with it.
1. How many revisions did Justin have to do to your custom tunes before they matched your desires as well as agreed with your vehicle. Background info(My initial tune gave me an immediate CEL. Justin corrected it after I emailed him the strategy code. With the 2nd revision, the engine pinged throughout the rpm range. Justin tweaked my tune again and now on the third revision the engine only pings when I punch the gas to pass someone, or just to show someone beside me that my exhaust is better than theirs. The pinging is pretty violent for about 5 or 6 distinguished pings and then goes away and the truck launches like a rocket.)
2. What causes those pings, actually? Is it unburnt fuel, too much air, I would love to know,
3. When my truck shifts into 4th gear, it seems like a dog. If I am cruising at a constant speed it seems I have to continously feather the throttle to maintain that speed, or the truck wants to slow down. If I am accelerating right through 4th gear it is fine.
4. I tried my tow tune and it is not providing much, if any, increase in torque or power. The throttle feels spongy, and I have to turn my overdrive off more than running my stock tune. I am towing a light 19 foot aluminum bass boat. If I go to pass someone while crusing on the hwy, the truck does not downshift and launch. It just gradually increases speed and seems labored.
5. I haven't even tried the mileage tune, but I can imagine how bad it would be.
I went with VMP due to all the positive reports on here, and I do not regret my decision. But what makes my truck different than others that had no issues, other than maybe the initial CEL?
Like I said in the beginning, Justin is providing good customer service in working through my issues. I just feel bad having to keep telling him that my tunes are still not spot on. I could not do the datalogging like he asked me to and I am sure that would have really made a difference. I don't have a laptop, or the funds to purchase one.
Thanks gang.
Heres my questions, and they are mainly directed to the numerous happy VMP customers, keyword being happy, as I still am because Justin is still working with me to this day instead of telling me to live with it.
1. How many revisions did Justin have to do to your custom tunes before they matched your desires as well as agreed with your vehicle. Background info(My initial tune gave me an immediate CEL. Justin corrected it after I emailed him the strategy code. With the 2nd revision, the engine pinged throughout the rpm range. Justin tweaked my tune again and now on the third revision the engine only pings when I punch the gas to pass someone, or just to show someone beside me that my exhaust is better than theirs. The pinging is pretty violent for about 5 or 6 distinguished pings and then goes away and the truck launches like a rocket.)
2. What causes those pings, actually? Is it unburnt fuel, too much air, I would love to know,
3. When my truck shifts into 4th gear, it seems like a dog. If I am cruising at a constant speed it seems I have to continously feather the throttle to maintain that speed, or the truck wants to slow down. If I am accelerating right through 4th gear it is fine.
4. I tried my tow tune and it is not providing much, if any, increase in torque or power. The throttle feels spongy, and I have to turn my overdrive off more than running my stock tune. I am towing a light 19 foot aluminum bass boat. If I go to pass someone while crusing on the hwy, the truck does not downshift and launch. It just gradually increases speed and seems labored.
5. I haven't even tried the mileage tune, but I can imagine how bad it would be.
I went with VMP due to all the positive reports on here, and I do not regret my decision. But what makes my truck different than others that had no issues, other than maybe the initial CEL?
Like I said in the beginning, Justin is providing good customer service in working through my issues. I just feel bad having to keep telling him that my tunes are still not spot on. I could not do the datalogging like he asked me to and I am sure that would have really made a difference. I don't have a laptop, or the funds to purchase one.
Thanks gang.
#2
02-12-2009, 06:34 PM
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#3
02-12-2009, 06:40 PM
I have had to have a few revisions with my performance tune. Mainly due to the fact the the truck has less power then stock in 4th gear. He has been helpful with making the revisions and future revisions if needed. My other tunes seemed fine with power and shifting but still had lack of power in 4th.
#4
02-13-2009, 11:10 AM
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I've got a 97 4.2 auto with 87 and 93 mileage, 87 towing tunes.
The initial 87 mileage tune was about 1/2 mpg less than stock, the 93 mileage was actually nearly 2mpg less than the stock 87 tune. Justin readjusted the 87 mileage & now that tune is about the same mpg as stock (possibly 1/4 mpg more). Justin suggested that the lack of mpg improvement over stock was due to the original forward o2 sensors (with about 150,000 miles on them) so I replaced the o2 sensors with motorcraft sensors (per Justin). The new o2 sensor did not make a noticiable difference. I haven't heard back from Justin yet since I updated him on this about 2 weeks ago. I'm planning on going back to the stock 87 tune for comparison purposes. On the plus side; the engine does seem more responsive.
The initial 87 mileage tune was about 1/2 mpg less than stock, the 93 mileage was actually nearly 2mpg less than the stock 87 tune. Justin readjusted the 87 mileage & now that tune is about the same mpg as stock (possibly 1/4 mpg more). Justin suggested that the lack of mpg improvement over stock was due to the original forward o2 sensors (with about 150,000 miles on them) so I replaced the o2 sensors with motorcraft sensors (per Justin). The new o2 sensor did not make a noticiable difference. I haven't heard back from Justin yet since I updated him on this about 2 weeks ago. I'm planning on going back to the stock 87 tune for comparison purposes. On the plus side; the engine does seem more responsive.
#5
02-13-2009, 11:30 AM
I can address only the pinging question. The pinging is telling you that there is something bad going on in the cylinders. The timing is supposed to be set so that a cylinder fires just as a piston reaches top dead center so that the explosion can force it back down. If the timing is off, then the explosion occurs when the piston is somewhere below top dead center. This causes the piston to bounce around and rattle or ping against the walls. Serious damage can result. The fix is to get a higher octane fuel that fires slower or adjust the timing.
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#6
02-13-2009, 12:47 PM
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I can address only the pinging question. The pinging is telling you that there is something bad going on in the cylinders. The timing is supposed to be set so that a cylinder fires just as a piston reaches top dead center so that the explosion can force it back down. If the timing is off, then the explosion occurs when the piston is somewhere below top dead center. This causes the piston to bounce around and rattle or ping against the walls. Serious damage can result. The fix is to get a higher octane fuel that fires slower or adjust the timing.
#7
02-13-2009, 03:08 PM
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87 performance-Perfect from the first time I installed it, it is the tune I run for day to day driving. I love the way my truck feels on this tune.
87 Tow- Had a slight issue with a loss of power right at 3,000 RPM in second gear (possibly the TC locking and unlocking), I e-mailed Justin my concerns and had a revised tune within two days. So far this tune seems like what I asked for however I have not pulled anything more than 1,500 pounds yet, still to cold to get the boat out.
87 mileage-never used it.
Hope this helps.
87 Tow- Had a slight issue with a loss of power right at 3,000 RPM in second gear (possibly the TC locking and unlocking), I e-mailed Justin my concerns and had a revised tune within two days. So far this tune seems like what I asked for however I have not pulled anything more than 1,500 pounds yet, still to cold to get the boat out.
87 mileage-never used it.
Hope this helps.
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#8
02-13-2009, 03:28 PM
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1. How many revisions did Justin have to do to your custom tunes before they matched your desires as well as agreed with your vehicle. Background info(My initial tune gave me an immediate CEL. Justin corrected it after I emailed him the strategy code. With the 2nd revision, the engine pinged throughout the rpm range. Justin tweaked my tune again and now on the third revision the engine only pings when I punch the gas to pass someone, or just to show someone beside me that my exhaust is better than theirs. The pinging is pretty violent for about 5 or 6 distinguished pings and then goes away and the truck launches like a rocket.)
Mine were perfect when I got them, I just firmed up the 1-2 shift myself on the 91 Perf tune but that's it.
2. What causes those pings, actually? Is it unburnt fuel, too much air, I would love to know,
Pinging, knocking and detonation are all terms for a condition known as "pre-ignition". That means some of the gas and air mixture is igniting in the cylinder before it's supposed to. And when that extra flame front crashes into the normal flame front (created by the spark plug), you hear a noise, and that noise is pinging.
There are four major causes of pinging. The first three are related to excessive heat.
The first is severe engine overheating. If the engine is running too hot for any reason, the temperature in the cylinders can simply be too high. In that case, some of the mixture can ignite before the spark plug fires just from the intense heat.
The second major cause of pinging is carbon buildup inside the cylinders and on the pistons. When too much carbon collects, it can reduce the size of the cylinders (increasing the compression and temperature of the cylinder contents) and retain excessive heat itself.
The third cause of pinging is a malfunctioning exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system. The EGR is supposed to send non-combustible exhaust gas into the cylinders to lower the temperature of the mixture.
How does 800-degree exhaust gas LOWER the temperature in the cylinders? Because it doesn't burn, and it crowds out some of the oxygen that would have burned and made an even hotter flame. And if that EGR is not working properly, the cylinder temperature can be too hot and the engine can ping.
And finally, incorrect ignition timing can cause pinging. The ignition timing determines when the spark plugs fire. And if they're set to fire too early, the stuff will begin to burn too early.
The use of higher-octane gas often makes the pinging stop because it has a higher ignition point. By requiring a higher temperature to make the gasoline burn, you reduce the likelihood of it "pre-igniting" somewhere else in the cylinder.
But premium gas doesn't address the underlying problem. So start by checking the EGR system, the cooling system and the ignition timing. And if none of those things fix it, then you can consider using a higher-octane fuel.
3. When my truck shifts into 4th gear, it seems like a dog. If I am cruising at a constant speed it seems I have to continously feather the throttle to maintain that speed, or the truck wants to slow down. If I am accelerating right through 4th gear it is fine.
Can't really help you there, sorry. But is your torque converter locked or unlocked? Because with my tune when you feather the gas it'll come unlocked and the engine has to spin up some revs to actually get power to the pavement. If you keep nearly constant throttle position it'll stay locked and not fish around for power.
4. I tried my tow tune and it is not providing much, if any, increase in torque or power. The throttle feels spongy, and I have to turn my overdrive off more than running my stock tune. I am towing a light 19 foot aluminum bass boat. If I go to pass someone while crusing on the hwy, the truck does not downshift and launch. It just gradually increases speed and seems labored.
Can't comment on this, I haven't used my 91 tow tune for anything serious yet.
5. I haven't even tried the mileage tune, but I can imagine how bad it would be.
I haven't been able to switch mine off of the performance tune
Mine were perfect when I got them, I just firmed up the 1-2 shift myself on the 91 Perf tune but that's it.
2. What causes those pings, actually? Is it unburnt fuel, too much air, I would love to know,
Pinging, knocking and detonation are all terms for a condition known as "pre-ignition". That means some of the gas and air mixture is igniting in the cylinder before it's supposed to. And when that extra flame front crashes into the normal flame front (created by the spark plug), you hear a noise, and that noise is pinging.
There are four major causes of pinging. The first three are related to excessive heat.
The first is severe engine overheating. If the engine is running too hot for any reason, the temperature in the cylinders can simply be too high. In that case, some of the mixture can ignite before the spark plug fires just from the intense heat.
The second major cause of pinging is carbon buildup inside the cylinders and on the pistons. When too much carbon collects, it can reduce the size of the cylinders (increasing the compression and temperature of the cylinder contents) and retain excessive heat itself.
The third cause of pinging is a malfunctioning exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system. The EGR is supposed to send non-combustible exhaust gas into the cylinders to lower the temperature of the mixture.
How does 800-degree exhaust gas LOWER the temperature in the cylinders? Because it doesn't burn, and it crowds out some of the oxygen that would have burned and made an even hotter flame. And if that EGR is not working properly, the cylinder temperature can be too hot and the engine can ping.
And finally, incorrect ignition timing can cause pinging. The ignition timing determines when the spark plugs fire. And if they're set to fire too early, the stuff will begin to burn too early.
The use of higher-octane gas often makes the pinging stop because it has a higher ignition point. By requiring a higher temperature to make the gasoline burn, you reduce the likelihood of it "pre-igniting" somewhere else in the cylinder.
But premium gas doesn't address the underlying problem. So start by checking the EGR system, the cooling system and the ignition timing. And if none of those things fix it, then you can consider using a higher-octane fuel.
3. When my truck shifts into 4th gear, it seems like a dog. If I am cruising at a constant speed it seems I have to continously feather the throttle to maintain that speed, or the truck wants to slow down. If I am accelerating right through 4th gear it is fine.
Can't really help you there, sorry. But is your torque converter locked or unlocked? Because with my tune when you feather the gas it'll come unlocked and the engine has to spin up some revs to actually get power to the pavement. If you keep nearly constant throttle position it'll stay locked and not fish around for power.
4. I tried my tow tune and it is not providing much, if any, increase in torque or power. The throttle feels spongy, and I have to turn my overdrive off more than running my stock tune. I am towing a light 19 foot aluminum bass boat. If I go to pass someone while crusing on the hwy, the truck does not downshift and launch. It just gradually increases speed and seems labored.
Can't comment on this, I haven't used my 91 tow tune for anything serious yet.
5. I haven't even tried the mileage tune, but I can imagine how bad it would be.
I haven't been able to switch mine off of the performance tune
#9
02-13-2009, 04:58 PM
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I got a X3 tuner and 3 custom tunes (87 perf, 87 tow, 87 mileage)from Justin in late October for my 2008 FX4. I have the 5.4L and 3:73 rear end. My only performance mods are a Roush CAI and Roush Off Road Exhaust. I still have the stock 18" FX4 wheels and tires and the truck only has 6000 miles on it.
Heres my questions, and they are mainly directed to the numerous happy VMP customers, keyword being happy, as I still am because Justin is still working with me to this day instead of telling me to live with it.
1. How many revisions did Justin have to do to your custom tunes before they matched your desires as well as agreed with your vehicle. Background info(My initial tune gave me an immediate CEL. Justin corrected it after I emailed him the strategy code. With the 2nd revision, the engine pinged throughout the rpm range. Justin tweaked my tune again and now on the third revision the engine only pings when I punch the gas to pass someone, or just to show someone beside me that my exhaust is better than theirs. The pinging is pretty violent for about 5 or 6 distinguished pings and then goes away and the truck launches like a rocket.)
Heres my questions, and they are mainly directed to the numerous happy VMP customers, keyword being happy, as I still am because Justin is still working with me to this day instead of telling me to live with it.
1. How many revisions did Justin have to do to your custom tunes before they matched your desires as well as agreed with your vehicle. Background info(My initial tune gave me an immediate CEL. Justin corrected it after I emailed him the strategy code. With the 2nd revision, the engine pinged throughout the rpm range. Justin tweaked my tune again and now on the third revision the engine only pings when I punch the gas to pass someone, or just to show someone beside me that my exhaust is better than theirs. The pinging is pretty violent for about 5 or 6 distinguished pings and then goes away and the truck launches like a rocket.)
4. I tried my tow tune and it is not providing much, if any, increase in torque or power. The throttle feels spongy, and I have to turn my overdrive off more than running my stock tune. I am towing a light 19 foot aluminum bass boat. If I go to pass someone while crusing on the hwy, the truck does not downshift and launch. It just gradually increases speed and seems labored.
5. I haven't even tried the mileage tune, but I can imagine how bad it would be.
I went with VMP due to all the positive reports on here, and I do not regret my decision. But what makes my truck different than others that had no issues, other than maybe the initial CEL?
Like I said in the beginning, Justin is providing good customer service in working through my issues. I just feel bad having to keep telling him that my tunes are still not spot on. I could not do the datalogging like he asked me to and I am sure that would have really made a difference. I don't have a laptop, or the funds to purchase one.
Thanks gang.
I went with VMP due to all the positive reports on here, and I do not regret my decision. But what makes my truck different than others that had no issues, other than maybe the initial CEL?
Like I said in the beginning, Justin is providing good customer service in working through my issues. I just feel bad having to keep telling him that my tunes are still not spot on. I could not do the datalogging like he asked me to and I am sure that would have really made a difference. I don't have a laptop, or the funds to purchase one.
Thanks gang.
And as for the mileage tune.....you should not expect to see any fun or added benefit betwen that and the perf tune. Most do not like them due to the sluggish shifting it creates. The adjustments for the perf tune give the best mix of perf and MPG gains.
Hope that helps.