I installed my Superchip on Friday with little to no problems. I ensured that the contacts were clean by using Toluene an aggresive conformal coating remover. I did notice driving to work today that when I let off the gas when doing ~74 mph and 2000rpm's I get a instant and abrupt drop in RPMs to about 1600. Just feels a little unatural. Has anyone else experienced anything like it? I am going to rebend the bracket in the back of the computer a little more to insure that its not moving the chip.

Also I noticed after driving to work that the Superchip is warm to the touch. Is this normal? Any Advice is appreciated.

Thanks

 

It's all or nothing with the chip...if it's in and you truck starts, then it's working....About the chip heating up...I think that's normal(although I've never checked mine).

With the abrupt drop in RPMs, I dont know what to say other than, maybe your truck just has to work less to sustain the MPHs when you're not using the gas, or it is now tuned to save more gas with no throttle...I don't really know...I'm just thinking out loud.

 

Hi Scaminsky,

First, I have to say this....................

In our documentation we specifically instruct *not* to use any kind of solvent to clean the connector. Please don't anyone *ever* use any kind of solvent to attempt to remove the conformal coating from the J3 connector on any Ford ECU, it's too easy to leave coating behind and/or damage the PCB (printed circuit board, this is an automotive PCB CF application that is unlike most other CF applications. Some people get lucky doig that, but it's a risk to take as we don't advise or support this should there be a problem due to that at some point.

OK, with that out of the way, I'll get off my solvent soapbox & get to your questions Scaminsky!

That sounds perfectly normal, it was just the torque converter locking back up. We'd really have to be driving the vehicle to tell that for sure, but most likely that's all it was, and that's perfectly normal.

It's also perfectly normal to have heat generated in use from any electronic component as well as almost all other type of component. That happens to anything from your power windows switchs to the computer itself to the engine to the Superchip module to the stereo in the dash of your vehicle, so again, that sounds perfectly normal.

Better safe than sorry though, so thanks for your post & good luck!

 

I'm really suprised at your response to using solvent. In fact it worked wonderful. The Toluene when applied in controled amounts caused the coating to swell and it simply peeled away. The CCA (Circuit Card Assembly) appears to be standard mulit-layer Polyemide Circuit Card. The one thing I was sure to do however was to clean with IPA (Isopropyl) when complete. This is a practice we do everyday at work with great amounts of success.

I was wondering however on the second part of my question if its normal for the superchip to warm-up during driving? Also I've never had any issues before with the torque converter lock-up mentioned. Is that something that will go away as the computer adapts?:o

 

Sorry but I missed your heat response in my haste to answer the toluene issue. I do also understand why you don't want everyone out there trying to use different solvents on the coating. Do you think that the Torque Converter lockup will go away with the adaptive learning feature of the computers? Also when can I expect to see the full effects of the chip? I'm around 80 miles and its kind of interesting. Sometimes when driving it feels like I have more power than other times.


Thanks for the Info GUYS!

 

Hi Scaminsky,

This may be reiterating some of this by now, but just in case I should be a bit more thorough........................................

Here we have an interesting angle with your experience & background.................it's one thing to be in that industry and working with solvents to the point that you actually know what is safe to use and know how to safely use it without risking damage to a PCB, as you very obviously do; it's a completely different matter when you're sending out products to people of all kinds, ages, knowledge levels, etc. to do an installation that involves removing that coating. Actually, I'm delighted to go over this, so that others can see your posts & thoughts on this to see just how common & simple a task it really is (in certain applications, of course) to remove conformal coating from PCB's.................

The use of solvents is frowned on by us and the manufacturer simply because there aren't many people that are actually familiar enough with solvents that can be used without damaging the PCB (like you are) and without being a bad carcinogen (and I still don't like Toluene for that, it is a known carcinogen) for us to put something like that in our instructions and basically say "sure, go ahead and use solvents." That has caused no end of damage to PCB's in the wrong hands over the years, and that is why we will always advise against their use, here, in email, and in our documentation. That's not to say it *can't* be done by someone who knows what they are doing, it sure can, you've done it and have given some excellent info on that (thanks, by the way!), and you're fine. What we're saying is that the vast majority of people do not have your exoperience & background, & thus have no idea what is and is not actually safe to use on that PCB, and with as many years as we've been doing this, I can't tell you how many people have done things that you and I would immediately realize are beyond absurb, as well as all the people that are so sharp at what they do that they make me feel like the dumbest lummox on the planet.

To cite a rather extreme but true example, you've seen our documentation so you know what it contains, it's fairly thorough; even with what our docs say, we've had people literally attempt to skip *everything* and try to install the Superchip onto the ECU not only while it's still in the vehicle and without ever even attempting to clean that connector at all, but WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING! And then have the gall to blame us for their vehicle stalling. Believe it or not, that has indeed happened, go figure!

OK............

With regard to the torque converter lockup issue, I think for me to be able to give you the most accurate possible answer you'd need to give us a call so I can speak with you about that in more detail than we can here, and I'll be more than happy to.

On the surface it sounds perfectly normal, as that amount of rpm drop (~400 rpm) is generally the amount of rpm change you see with a TQ lock/unlock, and the TQ weill lock up as part of fuel savings strategy almost anytime load is reduced. An actual gearchange would generally involve more rpm change.

Will what you experienced at that point change as adaptive strategy does it's thing, which affects transmission shift characteristics at least as much as it affects engine tuning? It could very well, adaptive strategy has a noticeable affect on transmission operations in these automatics, absolutely, and 80 miles is nowhere near enough to see what will shake out. It takes 350-500 miles for that, generally speaking. We'll really need to talk about this in more detail over the phone, for me to have a real chance of giving you an accurate answer, I need to talk with you to make sure I understand all of the exact circumstances surrounding that "event."

With regard to heat, sure, any electronic component will generate (or take on) heat in operation, so it's perfectly normal for the Superchip to feel warm to the touch when the vehicle is running, and for a little while after you shut it off. Not burning hot, but certainly noticeably warmer than the surrounding ambient air temperature, sure.

I hope that helps, & give us a call if you'd like to go over that other issue!

 

>>I did notice driving to work today that when I let off the gas when doing ~74 mph and 2000rpm's I get a instant and abrupt drop in RPMs to about 1600. Just feels a little unatural.

I get this even before the chip. Some times in the 1500 range I think. Glad to hear Mike thinks it is the torque converter.

 

Hi F150aGoGo,

Thanks for your post.

As you can see from this happening without a chip, this is something that is normal, and is either just torque converter lockup, or perhaps just a bit of "freewheeling," so to speak.

When load is reduced, if the TQ is not already locked up, it will usually lock up at that point, and I think this is what we're really talking about here. It happens both in the factory program, as well as with the chip, and that's the key here, it sounds normal. I'd have to drive the vehicle to tell you with 100% certainty, but I feel comfortable that this is either just TQ lockup or a bit of freewheeling when throttle is reduced/removed like that, in either case it sounds normal.

If either of you are coming to the Rally, I can check that out for you!