forum and sho newb

[Cooler]

Hey all...got my 2011 Sho on tuesday, dig it so far. Was hot day here in Nashville when i test drove it and dealer had ac on when i got there, so i feel dumb that i didnt test. Now i have a clicking noise when i turn on that lasts till i turn on ac or about 8 clicks. From posts i gather it is blend door actuator- hope i can do it myself even tho i have never worked on cars before.
I spent $4500 on my 2002 trailblazer ltz with 211000 miles on it this summer- was hoping i could save it till kids turned 16(twins). I like idea of having a tank for them when learning how to drive. So i used up reserve cash chasing that fantasy until mechanic said better off replacing engine. 3rd repair in 2 weeks was another coil pack- drove to ford dealer right after the repair and got the Sho.
I dont know all the terms yet but it is white tricoat with performance package 70000 miles. Got the Sho partially to get man card back- gf has 2013 mustang with the stock v6 so i wanted more hp and torque than her.
This car is my daily driver- 44 miles round trip each work day. I love being able to hit the gas at 60 and not notice when i pass 80! Masarati passed me doing 85 Thursday morning. Wish i saw his face when i passed him back in no time flat!
Which makes me ask- never been into cars much but I love this forum. Dont have the cash now per repairs, but we have emissions tests yearly here. If i get tuner, 3 bar map, and Tstat that everyone posts about on here do i have to get the plugs done to see a difference? Will i have to go back to factory tune to pass emissions (and put stock map back)? Last- with the tuner am i going to lose a ton of mpg? I know there are tons of convos out there about it but none seem specific to my questions. Basically, i want to get to work early and sometimes that extra power is handy. Thanks in advance for your help/suggestions.

 

[SHOdded]

Welcome to the world of the SHO, Cooler, congrats on snagging the '11, sorry things didn't work out with the '02 TB.

If you get a tune, you need to get plugs (Motorcraft SP534 work fine). A) because turbo'd engines eat plugs for breakfast (kinda), B) the spark plug gap on a tuned engine is narrower (0.030 or so) than stock (0.035), VERY important, and C) you don't know the history of the current plugs/plugs are relatively cheap & easy to install.

No need to go back to factory tune to pass emissions unless for some reason the tuner disables the rear O2 sensors. BUT you should go back to factory tune if you ever take the car in to a Ford/Lincoln dealer, as they may update the programming without your knowledge, etc.

With the tune, you should maintain, if not gain, mpg. That has been the dominant experience so far.

Please do drive safely, as it is VERY easy to get lulled into thinking you are not driving as fast as you actually are when in the SHO. Deceptively fast & quiet is their trademark.

 

[Cooler]

Thank you SHOdded! Never had a turbo engine before- are plugs more of a yearly thing than the every 3-4 years i am used to, or is it only after tuning?
I do miss the Bose stereo in the trailblazer and sitting up high, plus the leg space is weird for me- cant stretch and there is **** that i am not used to by seat if i pull my left leg back. but it is so nice to have the Sync system if only for not having to hold phone to ear! love the back up cam in the rear view mirror, and the radar on the rear sides helped me when backing up between two trucks- not sitting up high takes awhile to get used to. today i just went and sat in the car for a half hour between honey do chores.

For work i rented a car to drive to st. louis, about a 5 hour trip. It was a Maxima that had sport suspension. it felt every bump and while driving it was fun, it felt like exercise because it seemed i had to push it and work hard for performance. the Sho is easy and even tho suspension seems to let me hear the bumps more than feel. I mean the maxima was horrible.

i make it sound like i drive crazy but i dont. well calculated in the right situations is more like it. the commute is a jungle, and speed and braking is really used for defensive driving. I maintain plenty of space between vehicles because folks down here dont like turn signals, or looking when changing lanes. it scares me when i see guys reading a paper or gals finishing up their make up on the interstate- i get as far away from them as possible, and i see it about every day. Tho there is one stretch of interstate that clears up nicely and you can see if there are any five ohs, and thats where playtime starts for about 2 miles if the coast is clear. the massarati guy passed me in the far left lane here, and i went past him as traffic was thin. The Sho brakes nicely tho and i got to my exit with ease.

 

[SHOdded]

I'd say if the car is stock, about every 50K will keep the performance optimized. Going out to 100K is quite possible, you will not notice lost performance because you get to its' slow decline.

If the car is stock, further halve that interval to 25K. If you put your foot into it a substantial amount, maybe every 10-15K. Again to keep running the SHO at its' peak.

Did the Maxima have the CVT transmission in it by any chance? I hear they keep refining it, but it is still one of the weaker points in the whole setup. Not nearly what it should be, IMHO.

 

[Toolman]

Welcome!

 

[Cooler]

Thanks for the advice on the plugs. I followed the link to look at replacing them- i think that i will try replacing the stock plugs next sunday if i have any $$ left over from trip to chicago for work. Gf mom will be here visiting and it might be the break i need
Maxima i believe had the cvt. But i am not smart enough car wise to tell you much about it. Car had decent acceleration but nothing like the SHO and its shifts were ok. To get on interstates in StL there was a noticeable delay when i would gun it on the entrance ramps to get up to speed. In my unrefined opinion i dont think it stayed in gear long enough. Cabin/seat was small...err i am not small guy, and it was so low and light i decided i would never buy one. It did have a great stereo in it. When it did rain i had to go from 70 to 55 because it just felt like it really didnt have the traction. Could have been me used to trailblazer and being able to turn on awd, but like i said, i only take smart risks- if a car that tight feels like its getting loose, it probably is time to slow down!
I am sho' glad i got the SHO. I prefer heavy with awd over light slot racer any day. Dog has been let out, time to go back to bed, cant wait for that morning commute!