Hi I have a 2001 f150 supercab flareside 4x4 orp with the 5.4l engine and a ravin exhaust system. I am considering the installation of a Diablo chip to augment my performance but I have some questions the are as follows:

1. How much of an improvent in perforance can i expect?
2. will my gas mileage actually improve
3. Can ford void my warranty
4. Will the chip have any negative side affects
5. Will my truck run properly in winter months with the chip installed

Thanks very much for any help!

 

Hi 2001 ORP,

We carry both Diablo as well as the Superchip, so we know them both very well & can go over all of this with you in detail. The power gain you can expect from the Diablo runs about 8%-10% in terms of the increaase in raw horsepower. In your 5.4, figure you'll see a range of anywhere from about 20-25 horsepower gain at sea level altitude. WIth the Superchip, you generally pick up a little bit more power than with the Diablo, not much, but about 2% more, on average, in these F-150's, Expeditions, etc.

Your fuel mileage may or may not improve, that will depend on 2 primary factors: 1.) The quality of fuel being burned, specifically, the energy content of the premium gas that must be used with the performance chip versus the energy content of the 87 octane or whatever fuel you're using right now is. 2.) How you operate & maintain your vehicle.

There is no such thing as a gas mileage chip per se, any potential mileage gains with a performance chip should be viewed as icing on the cake, so to speak, as it cannot be guaranteed under all conditions. Yes, there is the *potential* for improving mileage with either the Diablo or the Superchip, that's very true, and this is a by-product of the increased spark advance used on part-throttle as part of the performance tuning for premium gas. Whether or not this translates into an actual increase in mpg on the street or not will depend on fuel quality & vehicle and operating conditions. Many people who track this closely do see a small improvement in mileage from the Superchip, when they're cruising primarily, though a few do see small gains in the city, it's not often. Those who see mpg gains from the Superchip generally range from 1.5-2.0 mpg in V-8 autoimatic F-150's, again, primarily when cruising. How much mpg gain from the Diablo is roughly about the same.

By law, your warranty remains intact unless you do something to your vehicle that actually causes *damage*. Things like a good performance chip, intake kits, cat-back exhaust systems etc. do not damge your vehicle, so they do not void the warranty. Among the more important legislation in this regard (meaning specific legisl,ation that protects our rights to use aftermarket parts in our vehicles and not have the warranty automatically be affected) is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which you can read more about here: www.sema.org/fedleg/warranty

Basically, you can install anything you want on your vehicle, as long as it does not actually *damage* your vehicle. For example, if you install a supercharger, well, you can probably kiss your engine warranty goodbye if you throw a connecting rod, as that is not a minor modification, a supercharger can potentially push some components beyond their normal design limitations. Minor bolt-ons do not. In order to legally deny a warranty claim, the automaker must prove that the aftermarket part in question was the sole cause of a failure, and they must prove *how* that failure was caused by the aftermarket part. They must also prove that if the aftermarket part had not been installed, the failure would never have occurred, and that is very strong legal protection indeed. The Magnason-Moss Warranty Act also protects the automaker as well, as if you do something to damage your vehicle, then it's really not fair to expect the automaker to stand behind that, and that's basically what MMWA provides, a decent set of fair play rules.

There really is no "down side" to using a good performance chip like the Diablo or the Superchip. You do have to use opremium gas of course, but if you ever want to use lower octane, you might want to consider going with our 2-program Superchip Flip Chip, which we set up with a pair of programs, one for 87 and the other for premium, and has a 2-position toggle switch to allow the driver to select which program the vehicle is running on. It's an elegant solution for those who want dual-octane capability & flexibility at the flip of a switch.

Yes, your truck will run properly in the winter, and all year long, that will not be a problem.

If you'd like to go over this in detail, or place your order for the chip, please feel free to give us a shout, our contact info & just below & we'll be happy to help. We also have an online ordering system for both the Superchip and the Diablo chip right here, the link to it is below as well.

Good luck with your truck,

 

2001ORP,

Where in Montréal are you located? I used to live in Ville Lasalle.
With regards to the chip in Canada, when you go in for service pull the chip out and put the black plastic cap in place on the PMC. One of the Dealers here in Windsor sells Jet chips ( I know, I know) and is not concerned about chips, the other one has a fit when he spots a chip.

Regards

Jean Marc Chartier

 

Thanks Mike for all the info i thinl that I will be contacting you shortly for additional info. jean-marc I grew up in lasalle and for the last year have been living in pincourt. I attended keith elementary and laslle high if this helps. drop me a line!