So, I tried posting this question on another forum and got 3 answers. One of which basically tried to sell me on SSI tunes and then another two that ripped SSI tunes and accused the first poster of working for SSI. Figured I might as well give it a try here as well.

So here's the deal, I just paid the final note on my 5.0L FX4 a few weeks ago. Without those pesky $500 a month car payments, I've got a little more wiggle room as far as spending goes. My question is about tunes.

I'm pretty much torn between a 5-Star Tune or an MPT tune. Both seem to be fairly reputable, and both seem to have legion's of customers that swear by them. Now, to clarify, I am not looking for massive power gains, If I pick up as little as 10 or 15 horsepower and an equal amount of torque that's fine with me. The thing I am looking for is more responsive drive ability, for example, the removal of fly by wire throttle delay, Having grown up and learned to drive in a time before such a thing existed that's a big one for me.

My thing is though, I want/need this vehicle to last me many years into the future, so my goal is to prolong the life of this pickup for as long as possible, which brings me to my dilemma. I guess I'm just old school, but I feel like adding a tune and altering the factory programming on the truck create's potential risks for damage that otherwise wouldn't arise. This isn't so much an issue for the average truck buyer who keeps their ride for a couple of years then trades up to the newer model. But for me, this is a concern.

Does anyone have any input on how a tune will effect my truck? Also, any extra opinion's on 5-Star vs MPT vs Anything else is certainly welcome.

For the record, my truck is completely stock (Other than duel Flowmaster Super 10 mufflers).

Thanks for your time!

 

I'm a bone stock kind of guy so anything I say here is opinion based with no facts or personal experience except for my latest service at the Ford dealer.

I had my truck in the shop a couple months ago for a plug change and while it was in, the dealer took the liberty to reflash my system "for free"as a courtesy by Ford to change the shift strategy a tad bit.

The explanation that I got was that Ford wants this done to prevent future damage and to extend the reliability of the drivetrain. Not sure what to believe in this situation.

However, the delay going from D to R and vice-versa seemed a slight bit exaggerated from the previous settings. It's a bit annoying but I've learned to live with it.

Having said this, some of the guys on the 2015+ forum are complaining of the same thing from the factory. Is it bad? I don't think so, just annoying especially for us older types who remember earlier more responsive trucks.

So, IMHO, Ford has tuned the truck from the factory in a way that will capture the best of all attributes, MPG's, reliability and endurance.

I don't believe that a reputable tune will hurt anything.

 

Your vehicle is at it's most reliable from the factory. Anything that adds power reduces reliability. That can be proven mathematically. Anyone that claims they don't reduce reliability just doesn't understand reliability from an engineering standpoint.

There are anecdotal reports that it doesn't, but how many of those have 250,000 miles of durability testing to prove it? Ford does more than that on every tune that leaves the factory.

 

So, if you get your tune.....how will it effect your driving style? If your driving style doesn't change and lubrication or cooling don't change I'm not sure how simply raising the bar slightly on power is going to hurt the life of the engine. Use that power a lot, reliability could go with it.

 

That's a good point. If you never use the extra power and the tuner didn't make a stupid error, it won't affect the anything. Because at a given speed, say 60 MPH, it takes a certain horsepower to maintain that speed. Changing the maximum power doesn't change this. It still takes the same horsepower to maintain any given speed.

But why increase power if you never use it? What's the point?

 

You could stick to the canned tunes that come with an SCT tuner and see how they suit you. They are really mild and will give you that quicker throttle response and a little extra horsepower.

 

Oh, hell no. Custom tune is superior to the off-the-shelf tune from one of the store bought tuners. Reason is the tune is personalized with data logs. Those store bought tunes are somewhere between the safe factory tune and a custom tune, and that's not a good place to be. I know with my truck the SCT Ecoboost tune feels very harsh on the transmission and shocks the drivertrain, whereas the LET custom tune is very refined.

An aftermarket tune will increase cylinder pressure and use more fuel under a lot of circumstances. The engine is going to wear out in shorter amount of time, that's just a fact. But frankly, anyone can quickly wear out a ANY engine, stock or tuned, with driving habits. I'll bet driving habits are by far the overwhelming factor, as long as you have a good tune and do adequate maintenance.

Choose your tuner (the person) wisely because different tuners have different philosophies. Partner with someone that has a conservative philosophy and it will probably work out fine.

 

I run a Performance/tow tune 87 octane from 5Star. I don't drive it near as much as the first 3 years I owned it but the extra 10-15 hp is nice when towing a 16' BriMar dump trailer loaded with firewood. I originally got it for the bigger tires and crisper shifting. I don't drive it like a race car either. How long it will last I dunno but I am pleased with what I got

 

I've used the SCT for many years with good success. Probably over 100,000 miles since loading the tune. They may not be the same company today as they were years ago but I've been pleased with my experience. I'm curious to learn what driving habits you feel contribute to premature engine failure. I'm looking to learn here and not questioning for an argument. I can only imagine what an improper tune could do to an Ecoboost.

 

Yeah, the key is having the tune written by somebody who knows what they are doing. A really good tuner can write a tune that will still maintain most of your reliability. In some cases, it may even increase the life of the transmission because firmer, faster shifts reduce heat build-up. However, there are lots of variables like how hard you drive it, etc. that come into play also.

As mentioned, the factory tune is meant to be functional to do the work they expect the truck to do while being dependable for "life of vehicle" which apparently is 150,000 miles to Ford. If you're concerned about longevity, it's probably best to run the OE tune.

I don't have any experience with a tune on my truck for this reason, but on my Mustang I tried a SCT canned tune and it was TERRIBLE. It really screwed my trans shifting up pretty bad and there was zero change in engine output. Dyno tunes are always best, followed by custom tunes.

 

This is the 10K foot view.... An engine can burn xxxx amount of fuel before end of life. Now just imagine all the ways you can burn that fuel in fewer miles.

 

Are you basing that assumption on the major maintenance cycles outlined in the owners guide?

 

I've never thought of it that way. I can see if the fuel/air mixture is rich it would certainly shorten life. My tune must be pretty good as I remember gaining about 1mpg. I agree with your viewpoint.

Thanks

 

I had a diesel performance engineer explain it that way to me one time and it made sense to my simple ways of thinking.

 

That plus what Ford technicians have been told.

But, GM's CEO once slipped up on camera and mentioned that theirs is 100K, so we're better off.