A question. I am sure this has been discussed many times but I thought a new thread might be beneficial. My neighbor who just purchased a 2008 4x4 Lariet F250 Super Duty with 30,000 miles on it. He just purchased a Bully Dog programer (not sure what type) and this had me wondering.
1. Does a programer leave tell-tell codes on your onboard computer system, so that the dealer will know "adjustments" have been made to your stock set up?
2. Which programer will give you the best overall set-up with regards to fuel milage?
3. Is a programer worth the expense of its initial purchase of 400 - 600 dollars?
Dave
2010 F250 4x4 Lariet
No modifications

 

No programmer is completely undetectable. There's all sorts of ways the Ford tech's can tell if they went looking for it.

Depends if your running a DPF Off tune. Any DPF On tuner will only get you 1-3max increase and most will just clog the DPF quicker if used. Whereas the DPF Off tuners have had higher reported mileage increases.

Depends on the tuner, I'm assuming your referring to the Bully Dog tuner your buddy bought. I don't have any experience with it so I'm not gonna comment. Hopefully someone who has used it can answer it for you rather then someone just repeating what they may have heard or read elsewhere.

 

It's kind of simple math right. 1-2 mpg and you spend 600 bucks. Takes a loooong time to overcome that 600 bucks getting 1-2 mpg. Wait till it's out of warranty and remove the cat/dpf and get a tuner you'll see big mpg gains, well bigger. My two pennies right there. My 08 dually w/4:10's gets about 20 + empty, 13 towing my 13500 lb 5th wheel. No cat no dpf no egr.

 

Are you handcalcing that? Because if so, your the only one in the world getting that kind of mileage with that setup.

 

Cause of the 4.10's?

6.4's can get over 20 with tuning and exhaust.

 

4" down pipe into a 5" exhaust. Volant cold air EGR delete ProFlow intercooler pipe into rpm plus elbow all tuned by a H&S tuner.Driving like a normal human I get the mpg I stated calculated by hand. That is never exceeding 70 empty or 65 towing. Don't call me a liar it isn't polite.

 

The higher gear ratio and the extra wheels and weight kills the mileage compared to the F250 and F350's. I've seen users with F250's and occasionally a SRW F350 post those numbers, but DRW F350's and F450's don't see those numbers unless they are what's displayed on the msg center.

 

i hate to chime in on this one, but i have a 08 job 1 350 single wheel and 3.73 . i have a sct life wire extreme with dpf delete with its tunes and kems tunes. i drive like an old man never breaking 65 and getting there as slow as can be. unloaded i see 15.7 unloaded. so i will call bs at 20 mpg and 4.10. but if you can show me how to get 20 please show me. i drive 25k a year and the diff in mileage would be well worth the investment of money. i am not calling you a liar, i am just saying that from what i have seen i think it is hard to believe 20 mpg
matt

 

I got 22 mpg last week going with the wind and 16 mpg coming back on the same roadagainst it. Thats with my dpf and cat still in the truck and a php tune with the cruise control set at 65. I think its doable but it is definitely a truck by truck situation. In town I get around 14 plus unloaded including my remote start and let sit for fifteen minutes and I get around 12 when Im going back and forth over the pass loaded to 23,000 lbs. 20 is not unrealistic unloaded. I would call bs if someone was loaded getting that though.

 

I think this is a great discussion. I am interested in a programer and doing other modifications when the truck is no longer in warrenty.
Dave
2010 4x4 F250 Diesel Lariet
No modifications