aldive
Elite In Memoriam
- Joined
- January 17, 2001
- Messages
- 24,667
- Reaction score
- 28
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1999 XLT
Phase 2 of the evaluation series is all about gas mileage.
The modifications that have been made to my truck, and included in this evaluation, include:
KKM intake with stock air tube
Stock MAF ( sold the Granatelli MAF )
Electric fan
2 ½ inch custom cat back exhaust with Flowmaster 70 muffler
X Spec air dam
Lund Windjammer
Roof rack removed
Amsoil Series 2000 0 w 30 motor oil
Amsoil ATF
Amsoil 75 w 90 gear lube
Amsoil Series 2000 Synthetic Racing Grease in the wheel bearing
40 psig air pressure in tires
Multi-coats of Zaino Z2 Pro
Fuel Power ( http://www.lubecontrol.com/ordernow.htm ) in gas
Jacobs spark plug wires/Motorcraft double platinum plugs
Various computer tunes
I have past data on the mileage afforded by the stock tune ( before and after mods ) as well as several other tunes. These tunes will not be retested due to time constraints and the fact that I no longer own the Apten chip. Also, the reported past data included the Granatelli MAF, whereas the current data is with the stock MAF.
The remaining tunes will be evaluated on a shorter test. Each tune, with the applicable gas octane rating, will be tested on a 100 mile I75 drive with cruise control set at 70 MPH ( based on GPS ). This is not an ideal set of parameters; however, due to the number of tunes and the time involved, this will have to do.
All of these mileage runs were performed with two adults in the truck with a full tank of the appropriate fuel. Mileage was determined by dividing the miles driven ( GPS determined ) by the number of gallons of fuel consumed and rounded to 1 decimal point. Most of the tests were not repeated.
All of the tunes were loaded into my truck ( ’99 with 4.0 SOHC ) with a SCT 9100 Microtuner using SCT’s Extreme Tune software (http://www.sctflash.com/xtreme.php ). The software is definitely not user friendly. Doug Studdard ( BamaChips http://www.bamachips.com/ ) talked me through its use over the phone. SCT definitely need to work on the software. The tunes ( except for the Apten tunes ) were e mailed to me by the tuners as .xtr files.
My stock tune and the two Apten tunes were downloaded ( unfortunately not an end user [of the SCT Extreme Tune software] function ) by Doug Studdard ( I had to send the Microtuner to Doug for this procedure ) and provided to me via e mail as .xtr files .
The mileage data:
Stock ( bone stock with no mods ) * 23.0 MPG
Stock ( with mods ) * 33.o MPG
Apten ( http://www.apten-us.com/ )
93 ( chip )* NON SCT CHIP
( Diablo blank tuned by Brian Herron ) 33.8 MPG
93 economy * 31.0 MPG
87 economy * 29.2 MPG
Hypnotic Illusions ( http://www.hypillauto.com/ )
93 max power 28.4 MPG
93 economy 29.7 MPG
87 economy 27.4 MPG
BamaChips ( http://www.bamachips.com/ )
93 torque * 30.1 MPG
93 performance * 32.8 MPG
93 economy 29.4 MPG
89 performance 30.1 MPG
89 economy 28.4 MPG
87 performance 28.3 MPG
87 economy 28.4 MPG
* = results based on previous data
Please note that though these evaluations useful and meaningful in comparing tunes are by no means statically valid. Further, the performance of the various tunes is reported for my truck only, they may perform differently in another vehicle with similar or completely different mods. The data is useful as a guideline.
To say that one tune is definitely better than another with respect to mileage would be premature based on this test. All of the tunes performed well. One must remember that there is more to having a computer tune than just fuel mileage. The better shifts and the lively feel of the engine are alone well worth the price of a tune.
Picking a tune based on gas mileage alone has proved to be a difficult task. More research and development in this area is needed.
The next step in the evaluation, Phase 3, will be testing the tunes on a dyno as well as dyno tuning selected tunes for maximum performance in my truck. ( see http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128560 ).
Stay tuned, pun intended ….
The modifications that have been made to my truck, and included in this evaluation, include:
KKM intake with stock air tube
Stock MAF ( sold the Granatelli MAF )
Electric fan
2 ½ inch custom cat back exhaust with Flowmaster 70 muffler
X Spec air dam
Lund Windjammer
Roof rack removed
Amsoil Series 2000 0 w 30 motor oil
Amsoil ATF
Amsoil 75 w 90 gear lube
Amsoil Series 2000 Synthetic Racing Grease in the wheel bearing
40 psig air pressure in tires
Multi-coats of Zaino Z2 Pro
Fuel Power ( http://www.lubecontrol.com/ordernow.htm ) in gas
Jacobs spark plug wires/Motorcraft double platinum plugs
Various computer tunes
I have past data on the mileage afforded by the stock tune ( before and after mods ) as well as several other tunes. These tunes will not be retested due to time constraints and the fact that I no longer own the Apten chip. Also, the reported past data included the Granatelli MAF, whereas the current data is with the stock MAF.
The remaining tunes will be evaluated on a shorter test. Each tune, with the applicable gas octane rating, will be tested on a 100 mile I75 drive with cruise control set at 70 MPH ( based on GPS ). This is not an ideal set of parameters; however, due to the number of tunes and the time involved, this will have to do.
All of these mileage runs were performed with two adults in the truck with a full tank of the appropriate fuel. Mileage was determined by dividing the miles driven ( GPS determined ) by the number of gallons of fuel consumed and rounded to 1 decimal point. Most of the tests were not repeated.
All of the tunes were loaded into my truck ( ’99 with 4.0 SOHC ) with a SCT 9100 Microtuner using SCT’s Extreme Tune software (http://www.sctflash.com/xtreme.php ). The software is definitely not user friendly. Doug Studdard ( BamaChips http://www.bamachips.com/ ) talked me through its use over the phone. SCT definitely need to work on the software. The tunes ( except for the Apten tunes ) were e mailed to me by the tuners as .xtr files.
My stock tune and the two Apten tunes were downloaded ( unfortunately not an end user [of the SCT Extreme Tune software] function ) by Doug Studdard ( I had to send the Microtuner to Doug for this procedure ) and provided to me via e mail as .xtr files .
The mileage data:
Stock ( bone stock with no mods ) * 23.0 MPG
Stock ( with mods ) * 33.o MPG
Apten ( http://www.apten-us.com/ )
93 ( chip )* NON SCT CHIP
( Diablo blank tuned by Brian Herron ) 33.8 MPG
93 economy * 31.0 MPG
87 economy * 29.2 MPG
Hypnotic Illusions ( http://www.hypillauto.com/ )
93 max power 28.4 MPG
93 economy 29.7 MPG
87 economy 27.4 MPG
BamaChips ( http://www.bamachips.com/ )
93 torque * 30.1 MPG
93 performance * 32.8 MPG
93 economy 29.4 MPG
89 performance 30.1 MPG
89 economy 28.4 MPG
87 performance 28.3 MPG
87 economy 28.4 MPG
* = results based on previous data
Please note that though these evaluations useful and meaningful in comparing tunes are by no means statically valid. Further, the performance of the various tunes is reported for my truck only, they may perform differently in another vehicle with similar or completely different mods. The data is useful as a guideline.
To say that one tune is definitely better than another with respect to mileage would be premature based on this test. All of the tunes performed well. One must remember that there is more to having a computer tune than just fuel mileage. The better shifts and the lively feel of the engine are alone well worth the price of a tune.
Picking a tune based on gas mileage alone has proved to be a difficult task. More research and development in this area is needed.
The next step in the evaluation, Phase 3, will be testing the tunes on a dyno as well as dyno tuning selected tunes for maximum performance in my truck. ( see http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128560 ).
Stay tuned, pun intended ….
