Okay...I have been reading a bunch about how Mike at 5-Star has developed some awesome tunes for the V10's so I decided to give him a call directly.

I found him to be very knowledgeable on the V10 both towing and non-towing performance too! He has real world towing experiences with the 2V and 3V V10's...so that gives him some kudo's in my book.

In our discussions he answered all of my questions (and you guys that know me from on here know that I usually have lots of questions and can be long winded sometimes ) Anyway...he gave me lots of great info and insight as to how he has come to where he is at right now with his company.

What interests me most about the tuner route is that I have always felt the transmission shift points and torque converter locking strategies both left something to be desired with the stock PCM program. Mike has indicated that his towing program has addressed many of my concerns with that area. He has also indicated that he has dyno proven numbers that show pretty good improvements in performance with the tweaks he has done.

At this point I think I am willing to give a custom tune a try based on the inputs I have received from Mike as well as a lot of the feedback I have read on here. Mike has told me that once I get the tunes if I want to 'tweak' something more to my liking he can easily do that and email me an updated tune to load...he seems very customer focused...which is great!

At the end of our conversation when I was asking Mike about pricing he indicated that he was putting together a 'group buy'...when he gets 5 people he will order the tuners and then we all share in a pretty good discount on the tuners shipped to our doors. I believe the group buy opens Thanksgiving day until Christmas...so if you are interested get your name on the list (mine is already there!)

My tunes I am looking for are for 87 octane only but he can easily customize a tune for anyone's likes with 89 or 91 octane too. Each tuner comes with 3 tunes and I have selected 3-87 octane tunes (economy, towing and performance). The economy may yield 1-2 mpgs due to shifting strategies...any gain would be nice actually but I normally only drive my Ex 4 miles each way to work in the winter...the last time I put fuel in the Ex was Labor Day weekend!!!

The Towing tune employes various shift strategies as well as OD lock out and torque converter lock up strategy. He also indicated that he has corrected for a fuel enrichment issue in the stock tune which really gives you more power while towing at more than 50% open throttle. His website shows his dyno runs on the V10 and 5.4L before and after tunes.

For me...shifting strategies while towing is my main reason. I have toyed with a valve body to correct this but didn't want hard shifts when not towing...the tuner gives you that flexibility.

So...what to do...and why did I post this.

Well here's what you can do if you are interested in learning more about the group buy and think you may want to get in on it.

First read this post that Mike put up in the vendor section https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...group-buy.html

Second you can go out to his website 5 Star Tuning | Custom Dynomemeter Chassis Tuning Products and Services and read all about his products. I do not believe the group buy info is on that page.

Let me say that I am in no way being paid by Mike and I do not represent 5-Star in any way and I am just passing along information on what I believe to be a top notch company with a great product for our trucks. What I like most about my conversation with Mike is his real world towing experience with the V10 developing his tunes...that counts a lot for me...since I primarily use my Ex as a tow beast...

I have written only about the V10 tunes here but Mike also does diesel tunes as well...so if you are interested...check him out and see if a tuner at a discounted price is something you want to do...

Maybe one of these years we can get Mike to show up at one of our Excursion Diversions to do some live tunes and bring his Dyno along!

Joe.

 

Hey Joe
Thank you for the post.. We appreciate the feedback. Joe is right; If anyone is on the fence about a flash programmer for their 6.8L or 5.4L now is the time to get in on this group buy. We will save you real dollars just for being part of FTE.... Fill out our cal request form on our website and we will fill you in on all the details. Plus you get to deal with me the guy who tunes your vehicle..

Mike

ps When Joe and I talked I think I did most of the talking not Joe... . Also i would really like to attend maybe the next Excursion Diversions to do some live tunes.. It would be an honor to meet all... who have the same passion as me...

 

I'll back up Joe's testimony with a similar one of my own. I e-mailed Mike on Saturday with some questions about his tunes, particularly could I have any hope of economy improvements so I could tell my wife that ordering a tuner would eventually pay for itself (time frame not specified), and do so with a straight face.

I got a quick response (at some insane time like 4 am Sunday morning, by the Alaska clock)... and he gave good answers. Not 152% performance increase and a 99% fuel consumption reduction like some tuners and aftermarket companies advertise but don't seem to deliver (no names, but let's just say it rhymes with "*****"). Mike seems credible, realistic, and knowledgeable enough to either deliver, or BS enough of us that we can bum-rush his shop with a large crowd if we're all dissatisfied!

(NOTE: Just in case there isn't enough smileys above, that was a JOKE!!!)

I'm tenatively on the group buy list (once I get my lazy butt out to the garage to fill out the form so I can get a quote I won't be tenative anymore). I say we all go for it!

 

Joe, I too have had the pleasure to have dealt with Mike for the purchase and tuning of my SCT Livewire. I have for one have found his customer oriented service to have been outstanding.

I can also attest for the noticeable difference in the increased performance and dramatically improved fuel mileage, but don't take my word for it here is my link to my Fuelly log, which I have been maintaining since before I installed my tuner. Make note of my changes in tune settings and modifications in the notes next to the entries.



Just click the banner for my stats:

I too am not compensated in anyway nor paid by Mike at 5-Star, I just feel that his expertise in what he sells is well deserved to be praised and supported by the members of FTE.

 

I definatly want to get in on this group thing, but right now so close to the C word it is going to have to wait till the new year.
Mike I would like to get a ball park price anyway. I do alot of towing my camper in the summer. I have been reading all the posts in the v-10 forum. And I do want one, bad.
So as long as I stay employed, I should be all set after the new year.

Brian

 

Husky,

Hope you are in on the buy...it seems like a good deal!

Steve,

Thanks for posting the info on the mpg's...it sure took a jump when you installed that tuner...hard to deny that you are realizing some gains in economy from the tune!

If I didn't already have my Aeroforce gauge tied in full time to my OBDII port...that Live Wire programmer really looks like the way to go...it gives you real-time monitoring of what my Aeroforce gauge gives me and the Scan Gauge gives others...PLUS you get a tuner...oh well...live and learn...

Looking forward to hearing back from Mike that the buy is a go...(i.e. enough people for the group buy)...

Joe.

 

man i'd love to get in on this deal for 2 of them...... one for my Ex and one for my F250........ BUUUUUUUUTTTTTT the great economic times have graced me with a "lay-off".. maybe things will turn around before the group buy is up, but hey if not, Mike has kept me updated since the first time i ever emailed him...... couldn't ask for a better customer service rep.

even though i haven't bought anything YET...... i'd give him my business in a heartbeat!!

 

I wonder if Obama could fund some of us to buy these tuners thru the stimulus package...seems like he is funding everything else with money we don't have as a country?

After all...all of these thirsty V10's getting slightly better mpg's has to be a boom to the local economies...think about how much other stuff we could buy without spending $$$ on 87 octane!

Okay...enough off topic...

Jason,
Sorry to hear about your misfortune...hopefully it will be a short term deal for you.

Joe.

 

i appreciate it! honestly i've been looking for it to happen....... when a company starts selling off old machines and parts for scrap iron because NOTHING else is selling....... yea it don't take a rocket surgeon to put 2+2 together to make 22 LOL....

well i ain't down and out.... all the vehicles are payed for, and the house is old, and always has little quirks, but it's payed for.... even though it's like 115 years old, lol, it's a roof over our heads! if i sat here all day in a constant worry, i'd give myself a heart attack, LOL......

thanks again man.

 

I am getting in on this. Considering getting one for my brother too.

 

Just got an email from Mike...looks like the group buy is ON!!!

Anyone still on the fence...the train is leaving the station on this particular event...I'm sure Mike will have another one of these in the future but if you want to get on board this one...go to his website and fill out the cal request...QUICK!

I'm actually excited to be getting the tuner this fast since I will start driving the Ex again in the next few weeks for winter season here in Indiana...I really don't drive the Ex much unless I am towing or it is snowing...I haven't put fuel in the Ex since Labor Day weekend and I have only driven it about 40 miles since then!!!...but now that I will start driving her again...I'm looking forward to seeing how the tuner does in the non-towing modes/tunes that Mike will be providing.

Once I put some miles and have a few tanks thru her (don't get excited that will still take about 1 month per tank)...I'll publish a write up of my impressions and then again once I start towing next summer...so this too is a long term project for me as they all seem to be (my brake experiment comes to mind...I've only logged about 6000 miles since I changed my brakes in June 2008!...and BTW...the brakes are still as smooth today as they were when I installed them...)

Joe.

I assume those that are also in on the buy should be hearing soon if you haven't already...

 

Got my email from Mike this afternoon; I'll be calling him tomorrow. Santa's coming early this year!!!

 

Joe,
Went to website and looked at the Cal thing
What is the price going to be?
Is every tune job different $$$ ?
Do we have to bring our trucks to this Tune shop?

How was Korea in 09?
Thanks

 

i'm in!!, been talking to mike for a few months now. i just got a raise plus 3 pay periods in dec so this is a X-mas prez to myself.

i cant wait to feel alittle more power out of the beast, i drive the damn thing like a race car time for it to feel like it!

 

The cal request link is on his home page...on the lower left I believe. When you click on it you will enter all the information about your truck.

The only hard part is getting the PCM code which is actually on the PCM itself which is up under the drivers side area just behind the E-brake pedal. You will need to take off the black plastic cover with two screws and slide the cover to reveal the bar code with the PCM code on it...it isn't that hard to do but is needed for Mike.

You will need to contact Mike directly since I believe this would violate the no selling in open forum policy...I can send you a PM though.


The tuner comes with 3 custom tunes for the price. Any additional tunes would be an additional charge...say you wanted an 89 or 91 octane tune in addition to 3 87 octane ones...I believe he discounts the tunes over what he advertises on the website for people that have purchased the tuner and tunes thru him.

He sends the new tunes thru email and you will simply need to load specific software from SCT onto your computer to load the tunes onto the tuner...sounds very simple...

Nope...the tuner comes loaded with the original tunes you want and any additional tunes would be emailed to you...so no need to visit his shop!

Korea was a cool trip...although the 3+ week length could have been shortened ...looks like I may be headed to France the end of January to support final satellite pre-launch activities and then back to Korea in April to support satellite post-launch activities...

However there is a benefit (albeit small) to traveling 160,000 miles in 2009 alone...Tracey and I are headed to Hawaii (first class flights) for 17 nights next September...so some small benefit at least!

Hope these answers help...if not...seriously consider sending Mike and email or give him a call directly...he is VERY responsive and very informative...

Plus Jeff you need to get your Ex tuned for the Ex Diversion like me...haha!!!...one of these years we'll get Mike at the Ex Diversion to do some live tunes and Dyno testing!!!

Joe.