I am new to this technology and am not sure what it does. I have read a few posts about how a Tuner or Tune can make my vehicle run better. Is there a way to get a Tune without having to Own a Tuner? ...Do you have to keep a Tuner "connected" or is it a one-time exercise. Sorry to sound so "dumb" about this subject... but right now I am. Thanks for the help!

 

Yes, you need to actually have a tuner to tune the vehicle. First thing it does is save the stock tune to a file for reuse like if taking the truck / car in to the dealer and you'll also want to perform updates occasionally.

No, you do not have to leave the tuner hooked up. I keep mine in a old camera case and carry it with me but it is not plugged in.

 

Have you read the sticky?

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ch...unes-read.html

Terminology - you need a programmer. A tuner is the person who writes the tunes.

 

Maybe so .... in your book.

If you study to someday become a computer programmer, you do not graduate appearing as a small box with a wire growing out your butt.
Likewise, I use a tuner to tune my radio unless I am a piano tuner in which case, I am a "tuner".
If looking for a job, you'll find more listed as "programmers" than you will those listed as "tuners".

 

Did YOU read the sticky?

Not MY book, sir - the forum's book. As a matter of fact, go to PHP's website, they call the devices programmers.

 

Yeah, I've read it before.

That is but a statement of a choice that particular author made and in no way does it presume to define the terms for all users of this forum or the English language. He's just telling you that for his purposes, that's how he will use the two terms to save you confusion when reading his "sticky" (seeing as even he knows they are used "interchangeably").

And Superchips calls them "Tuners".

Take care .......

 

I gotta agree with Tbear, I've seen it both ways, depends on the the context from everything I see. I use the interchangeably myself but specify when I am referring to a tuner as the programmer who is writing the tune. Now that's tricky right there

 

Tuning device is what I prefer to use as many people like Tbear end up on the ignore list...

 

Let's not turn this thread into a kerfuffle over semantics please.

Since I AM a programmer, I deliberately chose to use that term to apply to the device that loads the program (I suppose I could have called it a "program loader", but that seems a bit convoluted.) As I said, I am a programmer - I am pretty good at writing programs for computers and microprocessors, but, I know very little about "tuning" a vehicle for efficient operation (other than the "standard" stuff - you want the correct A/F ratio, the spark has to happen at the right time, the valves have to open and close at the right time, etc.) I know about those things, but in a modern vehicle, I don't really know how to make them "happen".

So, I am not a person who "tunes" vehicles. I am not a "tuner", even though I AM a programmer.

And, in the software industry, devices that load programs into EPROMs are often called "programmers". I've never heard them called "tuners", because EPROMs in general, do not store "tunes" - they store "programs".

For all of these reasons, I chose to disambiguate the two terms. I cannot force anyone to follow my line of reasoning here, but doing so might help avoid confusion.

- Jack

 

Tune - the results of using a tuning device.
Tuner - the person doing the "tuning"... that would be you
Programmer - the person that programmed the tuning device
Tuning device - the "tool" used to "tune"
Webster helped me out there.

For those of you who actually helped me with my original question... thank you. I apologize for getting everyone hung up on semantics. tbear853 Kudos.

 

Whatever makes you happy....

- Jack

 

No appology needed, you didn't 'cause" the hang up. I hope my reply helped some .... and if so, you are most welcomed.

Edited to say .... MGDfan, "Flash Tuner" works for me !
Tried to respond but it was not allowed. Thanks!

 

Simply because you used the word 'kerfuffle', you automatically win no matter what the argument was.

Congo Rats! JackandJanet = Winner

 

I got kicked out of a kerfuffle once, they said I was over dressed.