What are coputer chips?
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Joined: Mar 2002
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What are coputer chips?
Hi, I've heard a lot about people putting computer chips in their trucks to changes shift points and get better performance and gas milege, but I don't really understand it all so if someone could explain some of this to me, I'd appreciate it. Also my dad has a 97 reg. cab with a V-6 and is wants a chip to smooth the shift points (it shifts very hard) and wants to get better gas mileage. Is this possible? I also have 97 supercab with a V-8 and wanted to accomplish the same thing. Thank you
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Joined: Mar 2001
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From: Western Massachusetts
Potato chips, corn chips, tortilla chips, computer chips, there all the same. J/K
I'm no expert but I would like to pass on my opinion. I may not be right on the money but I think you should be able to get the general idea. You will get a more accurate, detailed explaination soon.
Our engines and transmissions have all sorts of sensors that send and recieve information to/from the powertrain control modual (PCM). The PCM has an internal "chip" (EPROM I believe it's called) wich intersepts the signals sent by the sensors and sends the correctly calibrated information back so that the drive train will function the way it was engineered to. There are so many varibles, from one second to the next that the settings are designed to compensate for. It's quite a bit more complicated than that but I'm not an engineer.
When we add a computer chip, some of the settings are changed and some of the restrictions, which are designed to aid in better fuel economy and "better" driveability, are removed. We have to use 93 octane gas in order to take advantage of the new settings. The chip is designed to improve performance, and shifts the focus from fuel economy, to a more performance minded feel. In some cases, if a vehicle id driven conservatively, in ideal conditions, it is possible to see improved fuel economy. Some of the settings that are changed allow the engine to burn the fuel more efficiently. I have seen improvements from time to time. It's not across the board though. For most of us, the chip tends to make us want to drive more aggressively. If fuel economy is a major focus, a chip may not be your answer.
The shifts are firmed because the factory settings use what we call slush shifts. They actually make the transmission slip so that we wont feel what the truck is doing. A firmer shift at the right rpm, along with the performance minded settings through out the engine, will allow you to feel better throttle response and better acceleration.
If hard shifts are your problem now, perhaps there is something else going on. That doesn't seem all that likely if it's on ***** trucks. You may be able to get a custome program to change what you want changed.
Well, like I said, this is only my opinion. Keep an eye out for Mike. He is Superchips Distributer. Mike, and his company Performance Products, is the one you want to hear from. He is a great guy and runs a respectable buissness.
Hope this helped a little.
Have fun!
I'm no expert but I would like to pass on my opinion. I may not be right on the money but I think you should be able to get the general idea. You will get a more accurate, detailed explaination soon.
Our engines and transmissions have all sorts of sensors that send and recieve information to/from the powertrain control modual (PCM). The PCM has an internal "chip" (EPROM I believe it's called) wich intersepts the signals sent by the sensors and sends the correctly calibrated information back so that the drive train will function the way it was engineered to. There are so many varibles, from one second to the next that the settings are designed to compensate for. It's quite a bit more complicated than that but I'm not an engineer.
When we add a computer chip, some of the settings are changed and some of the restrictions, which are designed to aid in better fuel economy and "better" driveability, are removed. We have to use 93 octane gas in order to take advantage of the new settings. The chip is designed to improve performance, and shifts the focus from fuel economy, to a more performance minded feel. In some cases, if a vehicle id driven conservatively, in ideal conditions, it is possible to see improved fuel economy. Some of the settings that are changed allow the engine to burn the fuel more efficiently. I have seen improvements from time to time. It's not across the board though. For most of us, the chip tends to make us want to drive more aggressively. If fuel economy is a major focus, a chip may not be your answer.
The shifts are firmed because the factory settings use what we call slush shifts. They actually make the transmission slip so that we wont feel what the truck is doing. A firmer shift at the right rpm, along with the performance minded settings through out the engine, will allow you to feel better throttle response and better acceleration.
If hard shifts are your problem now, perhaps there is something else going on. That doesn't seem all that likely if it's on ***** trucks. You may be able to get a custome program to change what you want changed.
Well, like I said, this is only my opinion. Keep an eye out for Mike. He is Superchips Distributer. Mike, and his company Performance Products, is the one you want to hear from. He is a great guy and runs a respectable buissness.
Hope this helped a little.
Have fun!
Last edited by wittom; Sep 1, 2002 at 09:55 AM.
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Joined: Mar 1998
Posts: 13,385
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From: Virginia
Hi 97FT,
Wittom did a nice job of explaining the basics, your powertrain computer (PCM) has an internal EEPROM chip that stores the actual operating *instructions* (software) for controlling the powertrain. The powertrain computer and all of it's sensors (input) and actuators (output) take the place of the older carbs, distributors, mechanical advance mechanisms, etc. The powertrain computer handles all of the engine tuning and all operational control over the powertrain.
All of that is controlled by the actual software of the powertrain program, that is what tells all the hardware what to do, and when, and it is changing *those* parameters that we're referring to when we say a "computer chip" in the automotive sense.
In a factory powertrain program, especially in these trucks & SUV's, you have many compromises made by the automakers to try to make the vehicle appealing to the widest possible number of people (especially women, the automakers have been targeting women for over a decade in these trucks) by doing things to make it "smoother" (various delays, retards, transmission slippage, etc., all of which hurts performance), etc., and to allow it to be run on cheap low-quality fuel.
What a performance chip or performance tuning does in these vehicles is to reprogram/tune the powertrain to release more power by tuning the engine specifically for good quality premium gasoline, as well as fixing any deficit issues in the tuning from the automaker and removing various delays, retards, etc. that hurt performance. In the automatic transmission models, these optimized powertrain programs extend the service life of the friction materials (bands & clutches) inside the automatic transmission by reducing slippage.
Overall, the Superchip provides more power, better driveability and quicker powertrain response to improve performance in everything from daily driving & passing moves, to towing, to you name it. The removal of various delays & retards speeds up the powertrain's response to driver input and along with the raw power gain in the engine add up to provide more performance and a safer & more fun vehicle to drive.
That's a very simplified explanation, but those are the basics, we're simply providing a replacement powertrain program that yields more power from the engine and a quicker-responding powertrain overall, along with additional goodies like removing the top speed limiter, firming up the shifts in the automatics, etc.
Having your powertrain programming optimized is the single most cost-effective performance enhancement you can do to these F-150's.
Performance chips are also used to do custom tuning that may be required to compensate for mechanical modifications as well, things like superchargers, larger fuel injectors, headers, ported cylinder heads, etc.
The Superchip is not going to fix an automatic transmission that is shifting too hard, that is a mechanical problem inside that transmission that needs *immediate* attention, so have your Dad get that truck to a shop right away.
The Superchip does have some limited potential for improving fuel mileage, as a byproduct of the performance tuning for premium gasoline, but because it requires premium gas, you aren't going to actually spend less money for gasoline. These are heavy trucks and are never going to get "good" mileage.
You use the Superchip when you want more power and better performance, better shifting in the automatics, removal of the top speed limiter, etc. You do not use the Superchip to save money on gas, or to fix a harsh-shifting automatic transmission.
Fuel mileage is a function of vehicle type, weight, condition & usage versus how it is maintained and the quality of the fuel being used. Both of those trucks are older & have some miles on them, so there's a good chance that you both need to do a number of things maintenance-wise, such as ignition, plug wires, plugs, coil packs, fuel filter, PCV, EGR, etc., all those items deteriorate over time even with very few miles driven.
If you're looking for more performance, then you use performance parts. Some performance parts will also have the potential for helping fuel mileage, such as upgrading factory ignition components with better quality aftermarket performance units, which cost about the same or even less, and deliver much better performance.
For both performance and mileage, look at things like performance ignition system upgrades, converting to electric fans, underdrive pulleys, etc., we have a number of modifications that are performance in nature but also offer better mileage as a byproduct of their primary function.
Give us a call if you'd like to go over this in more detail, & find out more about what kinds of parts you can look at for performance and mileage, etc., as we carry them all.
Wittom did a nice job of explaining the basics, your powertrain computer (PCM) has an internal EEPROM chip that stores the actual operating *instructions* (software) for controlling the powertrain. The powertrain computer and all of it's sensors (input) and actuators (output) take the place of the older carbs, distributors, mechanical advance mechanisms, etc. The powertrain computer handles all of the engine tuning and all operational control over the powertrain.
All of that is controlled by the actual software of the powertrain program, that is what tells all the hardware what to do, and when, and it is changing *those* parameters that we're referring to when we say a "computer chip" in the automotive sense.
In a factory powertrain program, especially in these trucks & SUV's, you have many compromises made by the automakers to try to make the vehicle appealing to the widest possible number of people (especially women, the automakers have been targeting women for over a decade in these trucks) by doing things to make it "smoother" (various delays, retards, transmission slippage, etc., all of which hurts performance), etc., and to allow it to be run on cheap low-quality fuel.
What a performance chip or performance tuning does in these vehicles is to reprogram/tune the powertrain to release more power by tuning the engine specifically for good quality premium gasoline, as well as fixing any deficit issues in the tuning from the automaker and removing various delays, retards, etc. that hurt performance. In the automatic transmission models, these optimized powertrain programs extend the service life of the friction materials (bands & clutches) inside the automatic transmission by reducing slippage.
Overall, the Superchip provides more power, better driveability and quicker powertrain response to improve performance in everything from daily driving & passing moves, to towing, to you name it. The removal of various delays & retards speeds up the powertrain's response to driver input and along with the raw power gain in the engine add up to provide more performance and a safer & more fun vehicle to drive.
That's a very simplified explanation, but those are the basics, we're simply providing a replacement powertrain program that yields more power from the engine and a quicker-responding powertrain overall, along with additional goodies like removing the top speed limiter, firming up the shifts in the automatics, etc.
Having your powertrain programming optimized is the single most cost-effective performance enhancement you can do to these F-150's.
Performance chips are also used to do custom tuning that may be required to compensate for mechanical modifications as well, things like superchargers, larger fuel injectors, headers, ported cylinder heads, etc.
The Superchip is not going to fix an automatic transmission that is shifting too hard, that is a mechanical problem inside that transmission that needs *immediate* attention, so have your Dad get that truck to a shop right away.
The Superchip does have some limited potential for improving fuel mileage, as a byproduct of the performance tuning for premium gasoline, but because it requires premium gas, you aren't going to actually spend less money for gasoline. These are heavy trucks and are never going to get "good" mileage.
You use the Superchip when you want more power and better performance, better shifting in the automatics, removal of the top speed limiter, etc. You do not use the Superchip to save money on gas, or to fix a harsh-shifting automatic transmission.
Fuel mileage is a function of vehicle type, weight, condition & usage versus how it is maintained and the quality of the fuel being used. Both of those trucks are older & have some miles on them, so there's a good chance that you both need to do a number of things maintenance-wise, such as ignition, plug wires, plugs, coil packs, fuel filter, PCV, EGR, etc., all those items deteriorate over time even with very few miles driven.
If you're looking for more performance, then you use performance parts. Some performance parts will also have the potential for helping fuel mileage, such as upgrading factory ignition components with better quality aftermarket performance units, which cost about the same or even less, and deliver much better performance.
For both performance and mileage, look at things like performance ignition system upgrades, converting to electric fans, underdrive pulleys, etc., we have a number of modifications that are performance in nature but also offer better mileage as a byproduct of their primary function.
Give us a call if you'd like to go over this in more detail, & find out more about what kinds of parts you can look at for performance and mileage, etc., as we carry them all.