Who has been tuned?

[slowshow]

It has been confirmed, that if I want to keep my HVAC system, that I need to tune the torque converter lockup issues out of the ECM.

So I want to hear from those who have had a tune performed on their GenIII. I am 99% convinced that I am going to get one, and as equally convinced on what I will be getting.

Likes, dislikes, what you wish it didn't do, what you wish it could do...

 

[three50one]

Like. Talk to Paul about it.

Still like. Makes the car feel....tighter is the only word I can think of.

 

[St Louis SHO]

I agree with the above post.

 

[E1 v2]

I've got 2 tuners, both from Doug Lewis at Ford Performance Specialists.

Couldn't be happier.

One is an X Cal 2, one is and X Cal 3. I like the 3 a little better because it allows a few more user options when I change things like tire size. On the X2 I'd have to bug Doug for a change, on the X3 I can do it myself.

The tranny improvements rock. Probably the most apparent change, disregarding all the supercharger stuff.

 

[avocadoman1]

x-cal 1, works perfect!

 

[slowshow]

E1 v2... What tranny are you running? Stock, rebuilt stock, or some performance internals? Guessing by the mileage, would have to be rebuilt of some kind...?

 

[SHOZ123]

x-cal 1, works perfect!

Xcal 1 is no longer supported unfortunately.

 

[aarmel732]

I got one from Paul a year ago. The difference is night and day. I had to go back to stock for my emissions test, and it felt like a slug. The transmission shifts fast and hard, at full throttle it will scratch heavy going into second. For the first time in SHO it actually has torque steer. It is fantastic. Gas mileage was the only thing not improved, it stayed about the same, but everything else was much much better. Worth every penny.

 

[SHOZ123]

Ha, the gas mileage is a two edged sword. If you can keep it in "economy" mode then it usually is better. I got 27 mpg going to the convention last year driving about 80 mph average. Normal every day driving locally I usually got ~22 mpg. Not much city driving though.

As always to get the most out of a tune you should have a WBO2. This is especially important if you have done any intake or exhaust work.

 

[SHO U UP]

E1 v2... What tranny are you running? Stock, rebuilt stock, or some performance internals? Guessing by the mileage, would have to be rebuilt of some kind...?

Eric and I both have built AX4N trannies. Mine is a brand new unit with beefed up internals to hold the output power of the supercharger. I'm cannot vouch for exactly was Eric has (a new unit or an older unit) but him and I share the exact same tune on our SCTs. Mine feels strong as **** and shifts great to boot!

 

[slowshow]

I see. Just wanted to know if you guys were feeling more from your tune through the tranny because it was built. I know I will get possitive feedback from the tranny either way, but I know you can tune the **** out of something, but if it's broke, you are kind of beating a dead horse.

My only stipulation is that I have a few Fords (all that can be tuned by the X3), but am I understanding right that you have to buy a tuner for each vehicle?

 

[luigisho]

I think that the tuner is registered to a particular VIN. Sucks for owners but very smart for the mfg. so people don't buy 1 unit and tune a bunch of cars, make a bunch of money, and SCT goes out of business for lack of sales revenue.

 

[slowshow]

Haha, I get it. Makes sense now. So how do people get away with selling used tuners? And when shops tune vehicles, they don't give you a tuner, too, do they?

 

[E1 v2]

I see. Just wanted to know if you guys were feeling more from your tune through the tranny because it was built. I know I will get possitive feedback from the tranny either way, but I know you can tune the **** out of something, but if it's broke, you are kind of beating a dead horse.

My only stipulation is that I have a few Fords (all that can be tuned by the X3), but am I understanding right that you have to buy a tuner for each vehicle?

I have one on the built car and I have one on a stock car. Tranny is a plus either way. The built tranny is a bit, errr, 'harsh', the stock one still rips 2nd gear free at WOT.
One tuner per computer. Tuner can be used to read codes on any OBD II Ford but is 'married' to one computer - I've pulled the computer from one stock 96 and put it in another without having the tuner be the wiser for the change of address.
The supercharged car won't run without its tuner - 42# injectors, '03 Cobra MAF, Different final drive gears, Eaton supercharger - a stock computer can't think THAT far out of the box.

[/QUOTE=slowshow;1135199]E1 v2... What tranny are you running? Stock, rebuilt stock, or some performance internals? Guessing by the mileage, would have to be rebuilt of some kind...? [/QUOTE]

Stock tranny lasted a grand total of 160 miles under boost, which I expected. I already had a completed replacement trans on a bench when my dear friend Larry turned the stock tranny inside out
The new tranny is very built. Extra clutch packs, welded diff pin, built TQ converter, TransGo shift kit. I did all the work myself with some most excellent coaching. I have somewhere between 15 and 20k on it and it's still strong as an ox. I have a '04 Mach 1 ATX cooler on it, too.

 

[luigisho]

Haha, I get it. Makes sense now. So how do people get away with selling used tuners?

I think the tuners are locked to the VIN once they have modified tunes in them. If you return the original VIN PCM to the factory tune I believe the unit can then be 'unlocked' and used on a different pcm/vehicle. One pcm at a time. This is my best (and very limited) understanding of how the SCT tuners work. Paul or others with more experience can chime in to clarify.

 

[SHO U UP]

I think the tuners are locked to the VIN once they have modified tunes in them. If you return the original VIN PCM to the factory tune I believe the unit can then be 'unlocked' and used on a different pcm/vehicle. One pcm at a time. This is my best (and very limited) understanding of how the SCT tuners work. Paul or others with more experience can chime in to clarify.

That is precisely how they work. SCT, Hypertech, Superchips, Diablo Sport, etc. I've had them all and sell them too.

 

[slowshow]

This is very different that the AEM and Tweecer I have messed with. Well, the AEM was stand alone and Tweecer was piggy back, but I never tried to use them in any other vehicle, so I guess it never really came up. I messed a little bit with tuning on both, but was mostly left to the dyno pros.

This is also my first attempt at modding an automatic transmission vehicle. I always thought anything that went fast(er) had a 5 speed, haha! I was not planning to build any more vehicles for a while. And I never planned on doing ANYTHING to this car, thats for damn sure. I bought it because I'm a Ford guy. I needed something that said, "I'm a dad now, but I'm still cool." V-8 Taurus had those answers.

Now I feel that owning one has put me in some sort of SHO cult! Very fun times so far. I will continue to improve on this platform, as many of you have done time and time again, and for quite some time now, too!

 

[afick]

I have had intake and exhaust work. What is a WBO2?

 

[SHOZ123]

Wide Band O2 sensor

 

[slowshow]

Wide bands rule the tuning world!!! Data logging wide bands rule the universe, though. Oh, that reminds me... Will the X3 data log? And if so, does it have capbilities to read wide band inputs? If so, that would so totaly rock! If not, I guess it would just rock...