Hi all,

I bought my Lightning in California and put about 5K miles on it basically at sea-level. During that time i averaged 12.1-12.2 mpg. Since I've moved to Denver, I've averaged 16.5 mpg. This is with similar driving or maybe slightly more aggressive throttle usage in Colorado. The increase in mileage has been accompanied by an inverse relationship in performance. Has anyone else noticed this? I would not have thought that this forced induction setup would be so susceptible to the altitude change.

W

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99 Lightning
Superchip
Bedrug
LoRider Hard tonneau (w/remote unlock)
PSP filter
Bassani Full system

 

Superchargers are just as prone to power loss as NA vehicles--they increase power based upon RPM and do not work any harder at altitude to pump in more air. Turbocharged vehicles are different since they provide boost based upon exhaust gases & spool up to a specific pressure at the manifold and usually (but not always) adjust very well to altitude as they try to work harder at elevation.

Turbos are the power adder to have at altitude, IMO.

-Rob

 

Well...I get 10.5mpg, so here's my theory..."High Altitude Principal Use" option 428 does not contain a different computer program, as Sal has told us all, SO...my theory is...that we have a different Mass Air Sensor, or differnt callibration on reading incoming air, so that the computer is tricked into feeding the correct ammount of fuel into the engine. Maybe you need to take it to the nearest dealer here in town, and tell them you need option 428 installed, whatever that might be. Then we will all know, once and for all, what exactly the difference is, if any, between normal and high altitude trucks.

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AtomHeart
2000 Silver Lightnin'
1969 Ford Fairlane Cobra R code w/ 3.91 dragpack
atomhart@cyberhighway.net

 

Well,

Just got off the phone with the SVT guys. They said that there is no difference (just like Sal was saying). I asked him why there is a line item on the invoice for it and he said that it's for the same reason that Lightnings from CA have "CA emissions" line items - legal requirements. He said that they're all the 'same' when they leave the factory. Don't know where this leaves me. I hate feeling like I can't get the straight scoop. Getting this conflicting info is driving me crazy.

W

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99 Lightning
Superchip
Bedrug
LoRider Hard tonneau (w/remote unlock)
PSP filter
Bassani Full system

 

HMMMM. Well...here's what I find so suspicious...you get 16.5mpg, and I am getting 10.5mpg. Seems pretty fishy to me for someone to say our trucks are set up the same. Here's the deal...you have to run at Bandimere. I am running 15.2 there, which corrects to 13.6 with all the parameters in the NHRA calculator. Head up there Wednesday night, and invest the $25 to make some runs. If you aren't able to hit 15.2, or even 15.4 (what several stock L's run up there) then I would say the marketing stooge they pay to answer the phone at SVT is full of beans. If you have a chip, does the thing run better in the stock position, than in the performance position? Here's an idea...try unplugging the battery, and letting the memory run out on the Computer, then letting your truck relearn its fuel curves and such. There are a number of things that could help here, with your problem. But I would say, simply, that if you have a chip and performance exhaust, you should be running faster than 15.2 (my times) at Bandimere. That will tell you once and for all if anything is wrong, or if you are just feeling the lightheadedness of high altitude. Everyone that should know says that there is NO DIFFERENCE in the vehicles, but I guess that doesn't mean that the learning computer hasn't learned some "bad habits" that are hurting your performance up here. Give Bandimere a try...try erasing your computer memory by unhooking your battery for 30 or 40 minutes, and see if it relearns some more apropriate fuel curves. Then, if it still isn't working, and you cant find any Ford personel that will confirm the existance of a different part on the "high altitude" trucks...trade it on on a new one that was shipped here with Option 428.

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AtomHeart
2000 Silver Lightnin'
1969 Ford Fairlane Cobra R code w/ 3.91 dragpack
atomhart@cyberhighway.net

 

Eric,

First thing I did when I got here was reset the computer. Chip/no chip performance seems very similar. Looks like I might have to head out to Bandimere and take a look. 15.2 doesn't sound that different from how my truck feels like it is running.

Thanks,
W