I'm new to the whole "tuner" concept. While I have a number of friends who have tuners in their trucks, I admit to knowing very little about them, beyond what I have read on this forum and other internet sources.

I've never owned a brand new truck (currently driving an 87 Toyota 4x4), however my Mrs. is the book keeper at our local Ford dealership, and she has basically talked me into ordering a 2011 F-150, and with the discounts she can get, it's the best opportunity for a new rig. I've done a lot of "homework" and will likely be ordering the EB engine. My question is....

When this new engine hits the market, what is the usual lead time before a "tuner" becomes available for it?
I've done a lot of visiting with the lead mechanic and others at the dealership, and anytime the word "tuner" is mentioned, there is always a gasp, followed by "Don't do it! That will void your warranty!" But sooner or later the warranty will expire. So my plan is to go with the truck in stock format until the warranty expires, then I will likely go with a tuner. The one thing I have learned through my research is that these new rigs are basically a computer with 4 wheels, so it seems necessary for me to get up to speed on tuners and tweaking with them.

Any info or input you folks could offer would be greatly appreciated.

 

That my friend is a good question......

It's solely up the tuning company manufacturers that do the r+d for the programmers.....

Could be a couple of months or a couple of years......

Heck there's still a couple of them that don't have anything yet for the 09-10s.......

The one that seams to be a leader is SCT so keep them in mind....

There are some dealers in my Sig that sell and custom tune with SCT......give them a shout....

 

That's not an answer anyone here can tell you with any certainty, but because tuners have cracked the 2010 F-150 codes, as well as the Eco-boost in the SHO, I don't think it would be a long wait. If a tune is done right, you really shouldn't have any warranty issues to worry about, but if something should happen, Ford can deny coverage if they know about the tuner. You can sue, but the burden of proof is going to be on you to prove the tune didn't have something with an engine-related or transmission failure. That's not to say you can't prevail, but at what cost will it take to do that. However, having a tuner would not cause any other warranty issues not related to the PCM, engine or transmission. If anything did happen, you may be able to restore the stock parameters and hope they don't discover it. I don't think it would be an easy thing to detect, but is detectable if they suspect something.

Several years back I read a post by a guy that had a lightning and he had installed tunes on his truck. The engine blew. Ford was denying coverage because they knew he had used a programmer on the truck. When the dealership tore the engine down, they discovered bolts from a couple of the main caps in the oil pan. Well, it's a foregone conclusion that an alternate engine management program did not cause that failure and Ford had to warranty the engine. However, I think this guy was on foot for a while.

That's not to scare you, it's just factual information. Now the probability of something happening is remote, but you never know if you're going to be that unfortunate individual. I personally feel like if you haven't experienced any issues after about 6,000 miles, the chance you're going to have issues becomes a little more remote. The fact that I installed a supercharger on my truck at 8,000 miles shows how much I worry about warranty issues, in case you're not sure where I stand.

I think the turbo V-6 is going to be a popular platform.

 

Wonder how I can get my Wife a job at the dealership?

I'd certainly wait on getting the EB powertrain tuned, until you've had a chance to drive it and let the 'kinks" wear out. There WILL be some and I'm sure Ford will be doing PCM flashes to "fix" issues as they come to light.

Unless you just like driving with your "hair on fire", a tune is best used to correct behaviors you don't like, such as a lag while passing (which is the main reason I ever joined the "tuning community"). So, drive the new rig long enough to identify what could be better and if Ford can't fix it, maybe a tune could (when it's available).

- Jack

 

Thanks Everyone! Excellent advice all the way around. The main reason the EB interests me is the power to MPG ratio.....and if I could eek a couple more MPGs out with a tuner, that would be my specific interest.