Hi fellow guys & girls of FTE,


I am wondering what the advantage of using a programmer is for a 'standard' user?


I am very happy with my 06 F-250 (6.0 Diesel). Yes I have quite some time & money invested into this engine to get it running the way it's running now, from ARP headstuds to aftermarket egr coolers, a new high pressure oil pump, injectors and a new turbo to a 5" stainless steel exhaust.


But ever since I got the truck everyone has been telling me I need a programmer to see it's full potential. But what exactly would a programmer (like SCT's iTSX) improve?


Would I get more than the current 10mpg in hilly terrain with a load?
Would I be able to keep the cruise control from revving the engine to 3000+ RPM when going up a minimal incline at 70mph?


I have found a lot on programmer X is better than programmer Y but nothing about getting Z more miles to the gallon or similar tings. Hopefully y'all can help me out with some words of wisdom.


Thank y'all in advance. Chris

 

Hi - I am the voice in the wilderness.
I've used programmers and don't care for them.
No, you won't see better fuel mileage. No, it is not likely to change how your cruise control reacts to hills - at least not in any way that your tow/haul selector doesn't already do for you. And no, it won't make you look like Vin Diesel.

Here's the thing. Automotive engineers spend a lot of time and money developing a vehicle that will work well in most situations in most conditions. If you are an average driver that drives in average conditions carrying average loads at average speeds, your truck, when properly maintained, will give you optimum results. It will start every time you turn the key and it will get you where you need to go carrying or pulling what you need to carry or tow with no fuss or muss.
On the other hand, if you have built your truck to be a 900 horsepower fire breathing dragster that only sees service at the strip and gets the engine torn down between each run, you are going to need to modify the PCM (replace actually) to manage the monster cam, oversized injectors, turbo chargers, etc. and a tuner or programmer might come in handy.
The reality is, if you install a tuner or programmer, you are very likely to reduce the reliability, economy, durability, and drivability of your truck.

 

I am going to agree with wrvond. I have had two diesels in the past (6.0 & 7.3) and I have installed aftermarket everything that I could afford on both. I had and Edge tuner and a Diablo for the 7.3 and a Banks tuner for the 6.0. To be completely honest with you, I never saw a single gain in mpg from any of them. I put the setting back to stock just so I didn't harm my tranny. However, I drove from CT to Chicago and back in the 6.0 and I used one bottle of Lucas injector cleaner and that significantly improved my mileage. After every oil change I poured a bottle in the fuel tank and mpg stayed between 18 and 20 mpg, with 35" tires. So I guess a clean fuel system is just as important, if not more important, than a programmer. Also, look into a "Fitch fuel catalyst", nothing but good reviews with proven results.

 

This is just utter garbage. Magic potions or contraptions added to fuel lines don't do jack other than separate fools from their money.

In less than five minutes I found white papers from labs and other fuel and tribology sites that absolutely squash your claims.

If the crap actually worked or had appreciable measurable gains they would be standard in fuels, oils or design of the motor!!!

 

I have a 2000 7.3 F250 with 242,000 miles on it that I just did a bunch of conservative modifications/upgrades to. For example I installed a billet compressor wheel, rebuilt/resealed the turbo, bellowed up pipes, 4" exhaust and then a Hydra chip tuned by GearHead.

Before installing the chip, but after installing the mechanical upgrades I drove the truck for roughly 200 miles. I wanted to test the mechanical upgrades for proper operation before installing the chip. The truck ran strong and did very well.

Once I installed the chip and ran it in the daily driver/tow tune from GH I could immediately tell the truck was running much more efficient and taking full advantage of the modifications I had just made. GH focuses on efficiency and smooth running rather than throwing a bunch of fuel at the engine and saying "look how fast I can go".

Just today I hand calculated my MPG's and got 18.25 MPG's with about 30% city and 70% highway at 68ish MPH.

So, is a tune/programmer advantageous to the common user, sure it is. Is it advantageous to you, only you can answer that. It is your money, your time to install, your truck and your concern about the truck. I can say with 100% confidence that I made the right choice and my truck is running better now than it has in the 16 years it has been on this planet.

YMMV

 

I just put a tune in my 2016 with the 6.2 an SCT 87 daily/tow tune. I did see 1 mpg gain I was doing 14 mpg @ 70 mph on cruise control monitored it for 2 weeks after tuner same drive went to 15 mph. Not much, but truck does feel more peppy and shifts a little better than stock. Haven't had a chance to tow yet, I will be next month with my 35 ft forest river vibe about 9000 lbs. The fact is these are very large heavy trucks meant to work. You will never get 20mpg with these 6.2's buy a Corolla if you want good millage. These boys are meant to work and when buying an HD truck gas efficiency cant be considered..

 

What did you buy? I was just over checking out 5 Star's website. It looks like $410 for a flash device with 1 tune on it.
Just wondering if it would be worth it for my 2014 F250 Super Cab 4x4/6.2/3.73.
Once a year I take a Florida vacation pulling a 7x18 enclosed with 2-4 motorcycles in it. The truck pulls it well enough, wondering if there are enough performance improvements to make it worthwhile in the long run.
In everyday usage, I don't pull that much with it. A dump trailer with 4 or 5 tons of stone or a couple tons of wood pellets a few times a year. Once in a while a 7x18 trailer with my business in it that goes around #5500.

 

I've heard that on the 6.2 a tuner can change the tables used to control the throttle plate to adjust the built-in drive-by-wire "lag" that some people complain of. Probalby a good deal.

On the 6.0, a tuner can really affect the way it drives. A transmission tune makes a tangible difference in what it does everyday. I don't really care as much on the power side, but the shifting side got better with a tune.

 

I've got an inquiry in with 5 Star. I'll see what the reply is. They were honest with me on a previous inquiry about my 2001 F450 V10, so we'll see how this one goes.
I had a DP Tuner 4 position chip on a 1997 F Super Duty 7.3. I ran it in stock position most of the time but it sure was nice to kick it in when pulling a trailer on steep hills. It was a noticeable difference.

 

Would a off-the-shelv tuner like SCT's iTSX be able to change the transmission behavior? What did /do you use on yours?
But then again, wouldn't that possibly be counterproductive regarding transmission life?




I'm not concerned about MPG so much, I think the low number is mostly a 'fault' of the roads here in the Carolinas. Between lots of stop and go, ditching potholes and hills and curves I expected the number to be lower than it was driving around the midwest... I'd be too concerned about longevity and durability to 'tune' the engine anyways. I have seen many people with the smaller diesel engines in the european Grand Cherokees that ended up with melted pistons and the likes. I just want my truck to start everytime I turn the key and to get me where I'm going.

 

I use an SCT 2015 with a canned trans tune. I don't change the pressures on my own, even though both my tuner and the iTSX can, mainly because I don't have added-power or try to race the truck. The canned tune has a 2-3 shift flare on occasion that a tuner can write-out, I've been meaning to call Matt at Gearhead... for about 3 years now. Not a big deal to me.

 

I already had the SCT X4 programmer from my old f150 all I did was purchase 1 email tune from Mikes 5 Star tune. I called them up told them what I wanted they they were very helpful. I paid $105. Trucks throttle response is much better than stock and shifts much better. Your no longer in 5th gear doing 35 or 40 mph.

 

WOW!! Slow down there, hotrod! I can only speak from my experiences. With my 2004 F350 6.0l, I was getting 450miles/tank from CT to PA. Stopped for a fill up and poured the Lucas fuel additive in and by the time I ran two tanks through I was getting 650 miles/tank (650 miles / 33 gal tank = 20mpg). I would like to know where you found these "white papers from labs". It just so happens that the reason I was moving to the Chicago area was because I started a job for a company called Fluid Dynamics from Crystal Lake, IL. We tested and analyzed chemicals from all over the world. We also produced Chemtool products. Don't be one of those guys trying to turn FTE into Facebook with you hateful attitude. On as for the fuel catalyst, that has been proven time and time again that it works under almost every application. The reason why the additives aren't in the fuel already is because of the expense. Plus all petroleum companies are always adding crap to their fuels trying to promote their product. The same for the catalyst in the fuel lines. As a matter of fact, the fuel catalyst has improved fuel economy more than any tuner/programmer on a single application (i.e. 2003 Dodge Cummins - Truck Trend and 8 Lug magazine). Not only was that proven on the tv show "Trucks", but also numerous magazines (Truck Trend, Diesel Power, Motor Trend, Hotrod Mag, and more). Maybe you should do a little more research before you decide to talk ***** and it helps on knowing who you are talking too.

 

I'd have to agree with that statement. If you don't agree with what the other guy says here, move on. No need to trash another guy to "prove your point". There are enough other places on the internet for know it alls and keyboard commandos who would never talk that way to someone in person, FTE doesn't need to be another one.
Back on topic - I received a reply from Chris at 5 Star Tuning on my inquiry about a tuner for a 6.2. He states that I could see gains of 30 HP and 30 ft. lbs. of torque and a possible mileage increase for my towing application as well as better throttle response.
In a previous inquiry about my 2001 F450 V10, they basically told me that there wasn't much their products could do to improve the mileage in that truck and to save my money. So I lean toward believing them in that their product can help my 6.2 out.
I'm not heading out on my long distance towing vacation for another 2 months, so I'll take a little time to decide whether to buy a 5 Star. Most reviews or experiences I've seen on these pages are positive.

 

I bought a SCT for my truck for two specific reasons:


1. To turn off the check engine light after removing my EGR,
2. To calibrate my speedo for my larger tires.


The added power is noticeable, and makes the truck more fun to drive, but you can easily overdo it and damage your engine. I see guys that put the max power tunes on their trucks and then go out and burn the tires off of them. Why would you do that with the $50K + truck?


If you are asking if you need a tuner, you probably don't need a tuner.