Do programmers really make much difference in a gas engine?
 

OK, I have an 08 F150 5.4L 4x4. I want to know from you guys that have them is it worth the 400 - 500 you spent on the programmer for what you get from it. I know they are well worth it in diesel trucks but have heard mixed opinions with gas engines. Let me know what you guys experiences are with them.

If your are asking if the will improve gas mileage the answer is minimal. If you are asking if they improve the drivability the answer is absolutely! I have PHP custom tunes and IMO they are worth every penny. The truck is so much more fun to drive and there is a very obvious difference in power and response. I highly doubt you would regret your purchase.

I really done make a difference. There is some performance, 20-30 hp depending on the tune and such, but the shifting is where the tune makes it seem worth the money. Along with the snappy shifts and more power, the throttle response is no slugish anymore and actually makes me enjoy driving the truck. When I first got in the truck to buy it, I was not convinced it had a v8 in it, let alone a 5.4, but rest assured the programmer frees up where Ford left off in programming. I have a gryphon from PHP and love the gauges it offers as well as the canned tunes. I am going to be ordering a custom tune here soon to get even more out of my truck.

I have the Gryphon custom tunes and it is the only mod I could not do without. If it broke today, I would be ordering another one.

I ordered the gryphon with custom tunes to get power back after putting 35's on and you really notice a difference in power, it runs way better than stock even after the tires and the truck drives so much better all together. IMO best purchase for my vehicle yet.

Agreed. I would do the exact same thing :thumbsup:

Very noticable improvement in power, throttle response and shifting. definately worth the money.

www.vmptuning.com

And, for me at least - not only did I get better "driveability", I DID get better gas mileage. I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 1-2 mpg.

Many of these claims can be refuted by others of course. A programmer is not a "miracle device", even with custom tunes. Some people report HUGE improvements, others seem to see minimal ones. I suspect a lot if it is related to your expectations.

I was hoping for an elimination in the "lag" I had when I wanted to pass someone. That elimination was the first thing I noticed. Everything after that was gravy.

- Jack

It is worth every bit. I had a tranny flush and coolant flush done last week and I retuned it to stock to take it in for service. It had been a little bit since I had driven it without any tunes & man did it suck. More than anything I missed those nice hard shifts that the programmer adds. You can get a lil bit of mpg gains as with the xcal3 you can set the idle rpms down to help save on fuel. However you wont see that for awhile down the road as you will enjoy the tunes and you wont even be thinking about fuel mileage as you will think you are driving a new truck all over again :rocker:

If you broke it today, we'd be replacing it for you. :thumbsup: Now if someone stole it... :eek:

X 3

I have a friend who is just getting his license and he wants me to put it back to stock when he drives it because he is scared! LOL (Soccer mom in training?)

It would drive me nuts to have to drive my truck stock now.

I was thinking that after I am done paying for my truck I would get a sports car. Doing the whole mid-life crisis thing. After the programmer I don't need a sports car anymore. Just new tires. :lol:

With a tuner in a gas engine, can I hit a button for economy when I am cruising for a couple hundred miles on the highway, then pop it into a performance when I have to drive the urban jungle?

With the Gryphon or Edge the answer is not on the fly since it replaces the programming in the PCM. You need to shut the engine off and wait a short bit for it to flash the computer.

I can only answer for those since that is my experience. I am not sure if there is a multi-chip programmer for the gas engine or not. Someone else will have the answer to that one I am sure. Mine just stays on my 93 custom performance tune.

I hear you guys talking about "custom tuning" and was wondering would i program the chip to the specs i have on my truck once i get it, or do i tell the company what i have before i order it and they customize it( its stock right now)? and any thoughts on edge vs. gryphon?

The Edge is a great product with canned tunes that can not be programmed for mods such as a CAI. It is worth the money if it fits your needs. I ran the canned tunes for 30,000 miles and thought I was satisfied. I finally went for the custom Gryphon tunes and they are better. A little more power, plus much better downshifting.

If you go with Edge, you buy it and put in on. If you go with the Gryphon, it comes with similar canned tunes. You then order the custom tunes of your choice and notify them what you want to achive and what mods you have. They email you custom tunes to fit your request.