Removed my Apten chip…. | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Removed my Apten chip….

aldive

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Year, Model & Trim Level
1999 XLT
Since I decided to get one of the new Flashers from Apten, I sold my single program Apten chip to one of our members. The Flasher is due here on Tuesday.

I went ahead and removed the chip so that I could ship it as soon as his funds arrive.

I took the truck for a test drive after the removal. Damn, I imagined that I pulled a spark plug wire; it was so lethargic and non responsive and the shifts felt slothful; even more so after the computer relearned.

You often don’t appreciate things until they are gone. Now I simply can’t imagine driving this truck without a chip/program.

I can’t wait for my Flasher to arrive.
 



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Sounds good Al, I wish they made a flasher for OBD1 vehicles. I keep meaning to get a chip but with these gas prices, I don't know if it'll be worth it to me.
 






The difference w/o the chip after so long with it installed is so great, I just can't imagine driving an Explorer without one.
 






You have been spoiled hunh ?
 












Hartman said:
but with these gas prices, I don't know if it'll be worth it to me.

Thats the only reason I haven't gotten one.

Al, do you know if they're coming out with one for the '02s?
 






IAmTodd said:
Thats the only reason I haven't gotten one.

Al, do you know if they're coming out with one for the '02s?

Contavt Gene at Apten, he will answer your question.

Good luck......
 


















What are the differences between the old Apten chip and the new "Flasher" chip? Cost?
 






Differences…. Had a single program chip originally. It was custom programmed for maximum fuel mileage with 93 octane fuel. The Flasher has 2 programs in it… one will be very similar ( with improvements ) to what I had and the other will be an 87 octane max economy program. It also has the ability to restore the stock program.

The Flasher allows one to change the programs without having to pull the computer.
 






so theoreically, couldnt you buy the flasher and flash like 5 o your friends explorers and make some money? i dont see the marketing sense behind a flasher when ppl would spend $300+ for a chip
 






jgilbs said:
so theoreically, couldnt you buy the flasher and flash like 5 o your friends explorers and make some money? i dont see the marketing sense behind a flasher when ppl would spend $300+ for a chip

No, the first part of the install of a program from the Flasher is the downloading of the stock program. Once this is done, the Flasher is for that computer ONLY.
 






What happens if you replace the stock program? Can you then reuse it if say, you get another Explorer?
 






IAmTodd said:
What happens if you replace the stock program? Can you then reuse it if say, you get another Explorer?

I am not sure what you are asking, sorry????????????????
 






how would it know that its not the original X that your flashing? i mean, do the computers have serial numbers in ROM or something? is apten a sponsor of this site? if so, i dont advocate screwing them, even if theyre not since they give us group discounts, but still - in THEORY if you had like 6 or 7 first gens, couldnt you just flash them all?
 






IAmTodd said:
What happens if you replace the stock program? Can you then reuse it if say, you get another Explorer?

IAmTodd, I have a flasher. Here are some notes on it. As long as the flasher is unused, it goes to any Explorer with the same things as I have. Now if I download to my Explorer, it retains in memory my factory settings. So I cannot as per say, download it into my buddies X. But I can take it and return my Explorer back to stock settings and then use it on another Explorer, but then it would have to remain with that Explorer. When I first thought about getting one, that is what I thought, why not mail it around and let everyone use it, but it doesn't work like that. They do cost more than a chip, and the flasher is not a chip, it is a computer. The biggest difference between chips and flashers is that the dealership cannot detect a flasher as they can a chip. Changing the factory computer programs will void any warranty offered by the dealership or Ford.

Now also to add to that, when you are doing your program, it will ask you questions like your vin number. So that is where it locks other Explorers out.

Did that help any?
 






The Flasher is set up at the supplier ( Apten ) to work with the computer box code that you supply when you order ( just like when ordering any chip ).
 






Further, the program(s_ are set up based on what mods you have done to your truck and to your performance goals.
 



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So with the millage and 93 octane setting on your chip, did you spend less on gas with stock computer and 87 octane?
 






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