Superchips 6.0 Microtuner Thread
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 181
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From: Florida
To save or not to save......
Picked my truck up from the dealer today after having the shift pressure solenoid and the turbo mount updated. The diesel tech (who has worked on my trucks for about three years now) told me he also updated the PCM to the latest flash. So I came home, got out the SCMT 1704 and proceeded to put the HP tune back in. First, the SCMT "Built" tuning file #1. Then "Erased" stock file #1. Then "Installed" tuning #1 0-100%. Same steps happened for file #2.
So here is my question. Did the SCMT save the new stock file(s) that were updated by the tech today? The very first time I used the SCMT it went through and "Saved" from 0-100% both stock files 1 and 2. This time I didn't see that happen. So what stock file is now stored in the 1704? The original or the updated one from today?
(Hopefully I'm not beating a dead horse here but I was unable to find it being discussed earlier in this thread.)
(Still trying to wipe the grin off my face from the side-ways blast around the block!!! Thanks Vic for all your hard work!!!)
So here is my question. Did the SCMT save the new stock file(s) that were updated by the tech today? The very first time I used the SCMT it went through and "Saved" from 0-100% both stock files 1 and 2. This time I didn't see that happen. So what stock file is now stored in the 1704? The original or the updated one from today?
(Hopefully I'm not beating a dead horse here but I was unable to find it being discussed earlier in this thread.)
(Still trying to wipe the grin off my face from the side-ways blast around the block!!! Thanks Vic for all your hard work!!!)
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 201
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X-Monitor ... where?
Hi All,
Just to re-address a question I asked a page ago, where is the best place to acquire an X-monitor? Several people mentioned Motorhaven (where I bought my SCMT) but their website doesn't seem to include it. I know I can call them and ask if they carry it, but for the benefit of others who now own or are planning to buy a SCMT I thought it would be a good idea to publicly ask again where to find this popular gauge choice. Also, what would be a fair price for it?
Thanks in advance,
Steve
Just to re-address a question I asked a page ago, where is the best place to acquire an X-monitor? Several people mentioned Motorhaven (where I bought my SCMT) but their website doesn't seem to include it. I know I can call them and ask if they carry it, but for the benefit of others who now own or are planning to buy a SCMT I thought it would be a good idea to publicly ask again where to find this popular gauge choice. Also, what would be a fair price for it?
Thanks in advance,
Steve
Junior User
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Scotts Valley, CA
What file is loaded?
Did you return the settings to stock before you had the truck serviced? With the SuperChips tuner you have to do this. If they reprogrammed your chip and you didn't return it to stock settings beforehand, I'm not sure what you have...and your tuner is now useless. You'll have to return it to have it reset as new. 
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,584
Likes: 0
From: Lake Mary, FL
Originally Posted by flyMike
Did you return the settings to stock before you had the truck serviced? With the SuperChips tuner you have to do this. If they reprogrammed your chip and you didn't return it to stock settings beforehand, I'm not sure what you have...and your tuner is now useless. You'll have to return it to have it reset as new.
His tuner re-uploaded the new files and tuned the truck, everything is fine.
It would not tune the truck if he hadn't set it to stock and the dealer reflashed it.
Everything is fine, no worries.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,584
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From: Lake Mary, FL
Originally Posted by webmaster
Superchips is the only one who can reset it. They'll charge a fee for this, even charge dealers to reset them.
Scanario: Customer buys tuner, installs program and loves it. They go to the dealer for routine service but forget to set the tuner back to stock.
Ford has a mandatory update and flashes a new program into the PCM.
When Ford flashes it, they dont care if it's stock modified, locked....they just flash over what's in there.
If this happens, the tuner will simply not program the vehicle because the tuner will only "give out" one tune at a time. The custoemr must now pay to have the tuner refreshed.
This is the only way to prevent someone from buying one tuner and programming 10 trucks....which would be a quick way for a tuning company to go out of business.
Otherwise, you could flash your truck, send the tuner in for a refresh, then flash your buddies truck at no charge.
The tuner itself is a small part of the cost...the real value is in the flash because it takes thousands in research to develop.
The tuners are pretty smart. They know exactly how many trucks they have been plugged into, which stock files they had, how many times they were programmed, which files were chosen and which buttons were pushed.
This is logged and I can see it on any tuner that comes back in.
Last edited by Vic_Ferrari; Apr 12, 2005 at 09:52 AM.
Junior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
From: Kimberley BC
Hello,
This is my first post but i've been reading this and other threads for a few months. Just installed my scmt on my 6.0 and love it.
I ordered it over the phone from motorhaven. When I asked about the x-monitor they told me about Genosgarage.com. I ordered it for 430 usd.I may have saved a bit more if I shopped around but I sure saved a lot compared to buying them up here(winnipeg canada). Both motorhaven and genos were great to deal with but my x-monitor still hasn't arrived.Probibly customs.
thanks for all the great info!
This is my first post but i've been reading this and other threads for a few months. Just installed my scmt on my 6.0 and love it.
I ordered it over the phone from motorhaven. When I asked about the x-monitor they told me about Genosgarage.com. I ordered it for 430 usd.I may have saved a bit more if I shopped around but I sure saved a lot compared to buying them up here(winnipeg canada). Both motorhaven and genos were great to deal with but my x-monitor still hasn't arrived.Probibly customs.
thanks for all the great info!
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Frisco the Dog
Hello,
This is my first post but i've been reading this and other threads for a few months. Just installed my scmt on my 6.0 and love it.
I ordered it over the phone from motorhaven. When I asked about the x-monitor they told me about Genosgarage.com. I ordered it for 430 usd.I may have saved a bit more if I shopped around but I sure saved a lot compared to buying them up here(winnipeg canada). Both motorhaven and genos were great to deal with but my x-monitor still hasn't arrived.Probibly customs.
thanks for all the great info!
This is my first post but i've been reading this and other threads for a few months. Just installed my scmt on my 6.0 and love it.
I ordered it over the phone from motorhaven. When I asked about the x-monitor they told me about Genosgarage.com. I ordered it for 430 usd.I may have saved a bit more if I shopped around but I sure saved a lot compared to buying them up here(winnipeg canada). Both motorhaven and genos were great to deal with but my x-monitor still hasn't arrived.Probibly customs.
thanks for all the great info!
Welcome aboard Frisco!!
Thanks for the heads-up on the X-monitor! That verifies what I suspected in the first place ... that Motorhaven doesn't carry it themselves. I'll have to check the price you paid, but it sounds like a good deal. Besides, I'd expect Motorhaven to direct you to a vendor with similarly good deals.
Regards,
Steve
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 438
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs
2004 Dyno Plots
Vic,
Tech Support sent me the dyno plots for the 2004 in excel. I was very surprised to see the low-end figures for the Towsafe and Economy tunes. In what they sent me, the 1704 does not start exceeding stock torque and HP until 2800 rpm. This is very different than the 2005 curves posted. It indicates a peak torque loss of 84.7 and 83.2 ft/lbs respectively at 2300 rpm. Is this truly the case on the 2004? I could see the Economy tune being near stock at the lower rpm's for that reason (economy), but surprised at the low numbers in the usable rpm range.
tks,
Mark
Tech Support sent me the dyno plots for the 2004 in excel. I was very surprised to see the low-end figures for the Towsafe and Economy tunes. In what they sent me, the 1704 does not start exceeding stock torque and HP until 2800 rpm. This is very different than the 2005 curves posted. It indicates a peak torque loss of 84.7 and 83.2 ft/lbs respectively at 2300 rpm. Is this truly the case on the 2004? I could see the Economy tune being near stock at the lower rpm's for that reason (economy), but surprised at the low numbers in the usable rpm range.
tks,
Mark
Last edited by 4x4Mark; Apr 13, 2005 at 11:15 AM.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
Genosgarage.com
Hi All,
Just a followup ... I took Frisco's advice and called Geno's Garage after searching prices and finding out they were the lowest. The staff there was very courteous and helpful -- they even put me in touch with the BD-Power (makers of X-monitor) people in order to get several questions answered. Ordered my X-monitor off their website (after making sure they didn't work on commission) and am looking forward to receiving it! If you folks want something that Motorhaven (or any of our other sponsors) doesn't have, these folks are worth checking out!
Regards,
Steve
Just a followup ... I took Frisco's advice and called Geno's Garage after searching prices and finding out they were the lowest. The staff there was very courteous and helpful -- they even put me in touch with the BD-Power (makers of X-monitor) people in order to get several questions answered. Ordered my X-monitor off their website (after making sure they didn't work on commission) and am looking forward to receiving it! If you folks want something that Motorhaven (or any of our other sponsors) doesn't have, these folks are worth checking out!
Regards,
Steve
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 931
Likes: 0
From: Cool, CA
Problem with Economy setting - 1704A?
As stated earlier in this thread I LOVE my SCMT! Originally I asked whether the black smoke was normal when you really get the engine going under load in the HP tune. Truck had less than 5k on it when I tuned it, now at 5300 there is very little black smoke. Makes me wonder how much crap was in the engine (or EGR?) and got burned out 
Anyway I decided to try the Economy tune, see if it would improve my gas mileage. I reprogrammed it Monday night drove it to work (nice and easy) Tuesday morning - no problems. On my way home I decided to open it up after a turn onto the higway. I turned, got moving 10 - 15 mph like usual then floored it. The truck hesitated then bucked so hard I had to pull over and check for driveline damage! It's like all that torque went through the drivetrain all at once! After making sure everything was Ok, I got back on the road and did it again, though not as hard. Same result! So I've put it back to HP tune but my question is whether this is normal with the Econ tune? To be clear, it does NOT happen like this at all in stock or HP tune. I haven't tried tow safe.
Anyway I decided to try the Economy tune, see if it would improve my gas mileage. I reprogrammed it Monday night drove it to work (nice and easy) Tuesday morning - no problems. On my way home I decided to open it up after a turn onto the higway. I turned, got moving 10 - 15 mph like usual then floored it. The truck hesitated then bucked so hard I had to pull over and check for driveline damage! It's like all that torque went through the drivetrain all at once! After making sure everything was Ok, I got back on the road and did it again, though not as hard. Same result! So I've put it back to HP tune but my question is whether this is normal with the Econ tune? To be clear, it does NOT happen like this at all in stock or HP tune. I haven't tried tow safe.
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,584
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From: Lake Mary, FL
Originally Posted by 4x4Mark
Vic,
Tech Support sent me the dyno plots for the 2004 in excel. I was very surprised to see the low-end figures for the Towsafe and Economy tunes. In what they sent me, the 1704 does not start exceeding stock torque and HP until 2800 rpm. This is very different than the 2005 curves posted. It indicates a peak torque loss of 84.7 and 83.2 ft/lbs respectively at 2300 rpm. Is this truly the case on the 2004? I could see the Economy tune being near stock at the lower rpm's for that reason (economy), but surprised at the low numbers in the usable rpm range.
tks,
Mark
Tech Support sent me the dyno plots for the 2004 in excel. I was very surprised to see the low-end figures for the Towsafe and Economy tunes. In what they sent me, the 1704 does not start exceeding stock torque and HP until 2800 rpm. This is very different than the 2005 curves posted. It indicates a peak torque loss of 84.7 and 83.2 ft/lbs respectively at 2300 rpm. Is this truly the case on the 2004? I could see the Economy tune being near stock at the lower rpm's for that reason (economy), but surprised at the low numbers in the usable rpm range.
tks,
Mark
The 04 was an automatic truck and it had to be locked in 5th constantly for accurate power measurement. There is an unavoidable torque converter flash at low RPM that doesn't real show all of the low end power.
If you load it in every gear, the power is there.
Dyno plots are ALWAYS a compromist with every method of testing.
Also, different trucks have different gear ratios, etc....
When an auto is in t/c slip, there is not enough load for boost and thus it doesn't show much power.
In the real world, you won't be at 1500 RPM at WOTin 5th gear because it will
downshift into the powerband.
In 1st through 3rd gear, the low end power will be right there because the lockup schedule is different.
I could take the same truck, same calibration and test it in every gear under no load, 10% load, 20% load, constant load, wind load, etc...etc... and see HUNDREDS of drastically different power curves.
Each load scenario and torque converter scenario makes different power.
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 438
Likes: 0
From: Colorado Springs
Thanks for the response. It does feel better with those tunes, but sometimes what we want to see influences our perception. I don't have them in right now as the truck threw an EGR error two weeks ago - trying to recreate it on the stock tune to and take it in for corrective action - more than likely the valve starting to stick. This will reaffirm my baseline performance before I put the Econ tune back in.
Mark
Mark