I received my chip on Wednesday and immediately installed it. It took me about 45 minutes but would have been much faster if my hands didn't freeze because of the cold. It was an easy installation and there didn't appear to be a protective coating over the contacts on the computer board (I tried to clean them anyway). I was able to run the switch directly out the back of the computer and out from underneath the dashboard into the cab. The hardest part was removing the glove box, again, with frozen hands. My truck started right away and my first concern was, "How do I know the chip is actually working?"

I took the truck out and it seemed to start better and had better throttle response. It also seemed that it had better highway passing acceleration as well.

For those of you who have been to Colorado, I took the truck up I-70 today and tested it up the steep hills and mountain passes of the Rocky Mountains. I will say that I'm a little disappointed that I saw no performance difference. Then again, I may be wanting too much out of a chip. I'll be heading up into the mountains again over the weekend and I'll keep testing the truck. I definitely didn't expect any earth shattering improvements. The improvements that I think I'm seeing are subtle yet noticeable. I have a couple more weeks to decide but, as of now, I'm keeping the chip.

 

Sorry for the delay replying (holiday week!)...

A chip will give the average truck about 1/2 second in the 1/4 mile. You should see a good gain, especially with a 3.0 or 4.0 Ranger. If you're running good premium fuel (recommendations are on the red sheet included with the chip) and the tank is 100% premium (no left over 87 octane) you should see a good improvement. Sometimes the computer can take a few key cycles and 100+ miles to relearn once it's been reset.

Also, for altitude the engine loses 3% of its horsepower for every 1000 feet. That's 3% of the truck's horsepower AND the chip's. What is it there in the mountains? 6K? If so, you're looking at an 18% power loss.

Lastly, if it doesn't improve within 100 miles and you're not getting detonation (ping) let us know and we can get a little more aggressive, depending on your base code. I want you to be happy with it.

 

Ken - Thanks for the reply and no worries about the delay in responding to my post. After all, it was Thanksgiving.

I'm running the truck at an altitude of 5000-9000+ feet. So I am loosing a significant amount of horsepower. Over the weekend I did run the truck back up into the mountains and it accelerated better going up the hills then the first time. By the end of the weekend and another tank full of gas later I was finally seeing noticeable performance gains. I installed a K&N FIPK today and either Wednesday or Thursday (depending on the weather) I plan on installing a Gibson Cat-back. After that, I'll give the truck another week to adjust to the modifications and then determine if I want to get more aggressive with the chip.

Also, I thought that the original tires on the truck were 245/75R16. The tires that are on it now are 265/70R16. I took the spare tire off and its a 15" tire. So now I don't know if the original tires were 15" or 16". Either way, does this make a difference in the chip?

Sorry, one more question. My airbag light is blinking code 27 which has something to do with the passenger airbag. I'm going to take the truck into the dealership to get it fixed. Should I remove the chip before I drop the truck off. I'd rather not have the chip reset and then have to send it back to you to get it reprogrammed. What do you suggest? Thanks for all your help, it is much appreciated!!!

Scott

 

Just an update on my tires. The original tires were 245/75R16 and the tires on it now are 265/70R16. There were never 15" tires on the truck so now I'm just confused on why I have a 15" spare. So anyway, I guess it shouldn't make a difference in the chip.

 

Get rid of the 15" spare and get the correct size. Running mismatched tires on an open differential can cause damage if you have to drive any real distances! Even if it means getting a used tire of the correct size at a tire shop so you don't have to pay major bucks for a tire you hope you'll never have to use.