I just replaced the tranny on my 01 F150 5.4L 4x4. The speedo reads very high. (I am doing 20 and the speedo reads 100 - pinned) Is this something a Hypertech can reclibrate or it is just for a couple of gear ratios/tire size ranges? Will the dealer have to help me? Thanks

 

A Superchips Microtuner or Diablo Sport Predator can recalibrate the speedo for this.

 

I know they are capable of reclibrating. I just wanted to be sure it will recal it from the range I am describing. Most people are saying thier speedo is 10mph off. Mine is more than 60mph off. I just don't want to buy this and end up with an "out of range" error. Will this still work?

 

More than 60 off? Yikes!!! I'm a little confused by this... Let me make sure I have my facts correct: the tire size and gear ratio are still stock, but the the speedo is 60 mph off with a new transmission?

 

I would say about 60. I have to unplug the VSS to get it to run right or else it thinks it is on O/D around 15mph and stalls it. I have 265/70/17's and 3.55 gears. Could the PCM lose it's memory? I had it unplugged for 2 months. That's why I am questioning if the Superchips tuner will be able to adjust it right.

 

Do you have a vehicle speed sensor pickup in the tail of the transmisson? If so, it's possible they have the wrong reluctor ring installed and it is sending an excessive amount of pulses to the PCM. Other than that, I am not sure what you can do.

I doubt the SC or Diablo will compensate for 60-80 MPH difference. There are limit values in the PCM VID block which only allow you to modify so far, after that it won't accept the values.

Just for reference, the VID Block (parameter information) is stored in non-volatile memory, so there is no way it can disappear unless maybe you replaced the PCM.

Good luck.

Bill

 

The Speed sensor is the wrong one.

The later year fords use one pulse per mile per hour, and the older sensors (which fit the same hole) provide 15-20 pulses per mile per hour, which is approximately what you're describing. The place that built your transmission should have put your sensor back... sounds like they mixed parts up - it happens - but take your receipt back to them and explain the issue, they'll probably just hand you the sensor.

 

Ditto on the above 2. A Microtuner (and the Predator as well) will not calibrate that far off.

 

I did the tranny swap myself. I did think to try the old VSS and the new tranny ate the end off of it and it never worked very long. Is there a ring inside the tranny that has to be swapped or is it just the wrong sensor? The old sensor was all black and a tad bit longer. The new sensor has a white tip. Thanks for letting me know and hope i never have to pull this tranny out to swap an internal part. Just the $20 electrical thingy.

 

Ahhh... not quite.
If you "tear-tag" a different level calibration it will automatically erase the VID block.

 

BigF350, can you go into some detail on that one? I didn't try to reprogram the PCM yet. I was hoping the Superchips would take care of it. Can a VID block get wiped out from having the sensors disconnected and no battery for 2 months? Can the dealer flash me the corrected code?

 

No a VID block should not be erased at all, doesn't matter how long it has been unplugged.
It will be caused by the different sensors

The VID block might fix it, although I am not sure.
Your best bet would be go to the stealership, get them to "tear tag" the PCM as a later vehicle using a WDS.

I am unsure whether this would work, but in theory it should.
The Superchips unfortunately won't fix it.

 

BigF350,

Anytime you reprogram (or replace) the PCM, the VID block will be blank. You are obviously aware of this. AllI wanted to point out was that there is no way for the VID block to disappear by leaving the PCM unplugged, which you had also confirmed.

Having done custom tuning on specifcally Ford vehicles for almost 8 years now, I have a very intimate knowledge of the VID block and how to modify it. With that said, it is extremely unlikely that modifying the VID block to correct a speedo that is almost 500% off will correct it. It is almost certainly a hardware issue, either in the output shaft reluctor (I am not sure if the Ford shaft has an integral reluctor) or the VSS pickup.

Beal...

My gamble is this... the ring that generates the pulses has 4 to 5 times the number of teeth on it than the original. The VSS generates a pulse every time tooth edge swings by it, regardless of the number of teeth. The issue with one VSS appearing shorter than the other is certainly suspicious, as the original was longer to pick up on a smaller diameter reluctor. I do not have access to the service DVD right now as I am home with the flu, but I am fairly certain this is the issue.

If you do not have the original transmission, I would call a reputable tranny shop and a Ford dealer to verify 100% that the reluctor is different, and also whether or not it is removable without completely tearing down the transmission. I hope that it's like GM (used to be at least... been a long time) and not machined as part of the output shaft as that would require a teardown of the tranny and really suck.

Last, but not least, you might be able to get away with a PCM from a later truck, but that is a bigger gamble than the tranny and would not recommend it.

Anyway, best of luck.

Bill

 

I also have spent some time tuning Fords

What I was trying to say, if you tear tag it with a calibration off a later vehicle, it might then expect to see the 1 pulse per 1 mph.
I don't know if it would work, there may be some hardward constraints restricting it from accepting the later level calibration, but in theory it should work.

Forgot to add, if you simply reflash the PCM with a later level Ford calibration, it should not erase the VID block.

 

There's no way to get the reluctor ring off unless you pull the tranny and gut it from the torque converter end. This is a 4r70w. I am going to try one of them speed ratio correctors. It is an electric box that will tone down the pulses. It has to be better than doing a whole rebuild.