Is there any difference now between PCM tunes and the programmers you buy in the stores now? I know with the PCM tunes you could get rid of the speed limiter, torque management and a host of other things to improve fuel economy and performance.

My question is for a 2010 Ford F-150 5.4L is a PCM tune still superior over a programmer?

 

What's in bold may or may not happen. These things are performance enhancers first and foremost. Don't buy them for their supposed fuel economy benefits. That's a nice PR campaign from their marketing department.

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I wasn't looking for fuel improvements but if it happens it happens, I know on my previous Chev 5.3L I had a PCM tune done and it improved fuel by approx. 5 - 10 mpg but it depended a lot on my driving at the time. I was never able to get the same mileage without the tune. The Chevs are bad for torque management and other things and was wondering if the 5.4L gets any improvement with a PCM tune or even if it can be done?

 

5-10 mpg on a gas burner? Unless that was coming from the computer as your improvement (which based on mine, I should be getting 30 mpg), I don't see that happening.
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Not sure what you mean by "PCM tune" versus "Programmer". Give us an example of each, as you see it.

 

I was reading about tunes and came across someone from another forum explaining email tunes(Otto457):


Email tunes are pretty simple. You get a device capable of loading custom tunes (from either the tuner or a 3rd party supplier), and get the PCM code off of the truck either via the programmer or the stamped code on the PCM. You send the PCM code, any modifications you've done, and other pertinent information to the tuner. They take that information and create a tune specific to your truck. They email it to you, you download it to the programmer, and then program the trucks PCM.
There are two basic types of programmers, ones with canned tunes and ones that can accept custom tunes. The ones that come with tunes already are called canned tunes. Canned tunes are meant to be an improvement over the stock tune, on a completely stock truck. They are still fairly generic though and don't account for your truck's specifics. Once modifications are done that alter parameters, custom tunes are needed to account for them. A custom tune on a stock truck will still be superior to a canned tune as the canned is still very generic.
All programmers work on the same concept. They plug into the OBD II port, save your stock tune, and then rewrite the PCM with the selected tune. The programmer can then be unplugged and the tune is set. There are two options though beyond this. Some like the Gryphon and Livewire stay on the dash as a nice little pod that gives gauges for everything from tranny temp to average mpgs. Others like the Xcal3 are meant to just do the PCM flash, and then can be stored away.

As far is what is best, that's for you to decide. I'll give my suggestions and reasons, but what fits you and your budget is best.
I've dealt with tuning for a long time and custom tunes are the best for the money. There's nothing better than having a tune written specifically for your truck, driving style, altitude, etc. The person writing the tune (the tuner) is the most important part of this. An experienced tuner that has a good reputation is worth their weight in gold. There are several of these reputable tuners that do F150 tunes. Below is the links to some of their sites.
As far as devices go, it's up to you. Do you prefer having gauges or like the idea you can keep the programmer out of site? The features set the programmers themselves apart. I like the ones with the display of gauges just because you can better monitor several things. Knowing when the coolant temp rises above 210 degrees when a thermostat fails is better than the gauge on the dash that won't let you know until 230 that there is a problem. A display programmer will allow you to set up those alerts so it will let you know so you don't have to look at it ALL the time.
*A pseudo warning about programmers. Sometimes you will see threads like "The programmer fried my tranny". Understand that if you get a programmer, you still have to drive within the limits of the machine. Stomping on the gas is fun, but even a stock truck will give up the ghost sooner with abuse.

Here is my shortlist of quality programmers and tuners:
PHP's Gryphon, CS, and CTS. Note you can buy an Edge CS or CTS and they can load custom tunes to it. The older Edge Evo has to be sent to them for conversion. They also do SCT calibrations. Bill who runs PHP, wrote tunes for Ford and Edge before deciding to open his own business. One of the best in the business. They also have a forum in their support section for specific questions about their products. Bill is the only person in the country that has the rights to custom tune Edge devices and convert them to Gryphons.
http://www.powerhungryperformance.com/

SCT Livewire (dispaly) or Xcal 3 (flash)
There are several places to get SCT devices. Along with PHP here are some who specialize in SCT tunes:
Mike at 5star is a forum sponsor and has been getting rave reviews for his tunes:
http://www.5startuning.com/
Mike Troyer has been tuning trucks for years and specializes in performance packages and tunes. He has a lot of experience with heavily modified trucks.
http://www.troyerperformance.com/cgi-bin/ppistore.pl
Justin at VMP started in the mustang world and has made his way over to tuning trucks.
http://www.vmptuning.com/store/index.php?


Hope this helps.

 

I get better mileage with my tune if I keep my foot out of it. The OP is the main reason for bad mpg.

 

PrinceValium pretty much summed it up and i appreciate the plug. We are running a special that includes 5 custom tunes instead of 3 for a summer special. If you have any more questions feel free to give us a call or email me and I will get you taken care of

 

If we already have a 3 tune setup can we be upgraded to the 5?