I am trying to get an understanding on the difference between the latest ford "flash" and what the preditator "program" does for the truck. Does the preditor re-flash what ford did, or do they work together?

The dealership said that I might have to get the latest flash when I have some work done, but does it matter since I have the preditor program installed?

If the preditor re-flashes the computer, then why do some worry about not wanting to get re-flashed by ford? (if they are using the preditor)

Any help for me to clear this up in my head would be appreciated.

 

No tuner re-flashes the truck....you always have the org program in the tuner...tuners just remove and replace the +HP tune

Before you ever take your truck in remove the +HP tune...go back to stock

Do you have a tuner

 

The "flash" is an update to the non-volitile memory used to store the programs that run the truck engine and transmission computers. One of the types of memory hardware is called Flash memory and hence, the slang for updating the program memory is to "flash" or "reflash" the memory.

Periodically Ford releases a new program for the truck's computer and they may update your truck if you bring it in for service. Historically the updates have introduced about as many complaints from truck owners as they seem to have fixed. The biggest one being the removal of the pilot injection feature that made the trucks nice and quiet.

The rub is that Ford doesn't tell you all the changes that they are making to the program. It might "fix" one issue, but they also sneak in a bunch of other changes. Best to do some research on the current programs (flashes) out there and tell the dealer not to reflash your truck unless you specifically authorize them to do it.

The aftermarket tuners like the Superchips Microtuner (SCMT for short) copy the stock program from the truck's memory into the tuner and then modify the program to enhance performance and upload the revised program back up to the trucks computers where it is resaved into the non-volitile memory.

Even if you disconnect the batteries from the truck the computer will still retain the factory or tuner modified program last saved to the "flash" memory.

See the Superchips sticky thread for a whole bunch more info on this topic.

Hope this helps,

Daryl

 

In case you missed it the first time...
DO NOT BRING YOUR TRUCK IN WITH THE TUNED PROGRAM INSTALLED !!!!

this could cause you a lot of grief if they overlay (flash) your pcm and the saved program in your tuner (programmer) does not match the pcm program...
Also, you probably will be a candidate for a warranty denial down the road...

while I have the latest version of the ford program (flash) I would hesitate recomending it to you... and the only way you can stop them from flashing it is to physically block the odbII port and look for tampering when you get it back...

Can't tell you the number of people that have said don't flash and it gets flashed anyway...

 

So...If I get the latest ford "flash", when I put the 65HP preditor "tune" (which I do have) into the truck, it will overwrite some, but not all of the the ford "flash".

Is this correct?

 

Yes,

The programmer will save a copy of the factory "flash" its own non-volitile memory so that you can unload the modified tuner flash from the truck and restore the truck to factory later on.

 

sorta...
the predator is a flash programmer....
with a small non eraseable area to store your "current" program in...

when you first loaded it, it copied your current "stock" program from your truck (and your vin number) into this saved area in the predator...
then depending on the tune within the predator you chose, it overlays the stock program on the truck with the parameter tables from the predator...

We call it programs, but primarily I would guess it's parameter tables....
the length and duration settings to pulse the injector, the pressure to hold a gear until shifting.... etc.. etc....

the programmers change those tables so the truck reacts diffeently to the sensor readings... that's how it generates it's power... there are probably some base parameters the tuners don't adjust, so that is where the difference in the stock program comes in...

bottom line...
you get ford's latest flash (program) and the predator uses it as a baseline to adjust from....

Only Diablo knows what and how they do it...
I really don't care how they do it, just that it works

 

Ok...Thanks I got it now.

At first I thought that ford and the preditor "flashes" existed at the same time individually on the truck. Now I see that it is a combination of both with the original stored in the preditor programmer itself.

With all the dissapointment about PI being removed, I am suprised that the preditor does not allow users to activate it.

 

WOW yours is sure better than mine