Re: chip performance
Originally posted by Ru Dawg
lol here flyguy! i did disconnect the battery while installing the chip..and i guess i did forget it's an explorer! I think you are right about giving it a few days...just seemed to be lagging somewhere..esp around 30 to 50 mph with it floored...I'll wait and see!
By all accounts of everything I've read you will probably want to run premium even if it doesn't ping. If your knock sensor can retard the timing enough to get rid of the knock, you won't hear it knock but you also won't be getting the added benefit of the advance timing. I put a SuperChip on my '94 4.0L Ranger and didn't realize that I should have been running Premium all the time since the paper that came with my SuperChip stated "higher octane gas may be required if you experience heavy pinging". Mine didn't ping so I only ran premium when I took it to the track. According to SuperChips, it takes 2-3 tanks of premium for the computer to make all of the required adjustments. I never ran more than one tank of premium in a row, so I never felt much if any improvement with the SuperChip on my Ranger. The other problem I had was the OHV 4.0L falls flat above 5200 RPM, at least my '94 did. The SuperChip raised my rev limiter from the stock 5200 limit. Unfortunately whenever I exceeded 5200 RPM, my engine made a screaming sound and seemed to slow down somewhat. I had better 1/4 mile times if I shifted at 5200 RPM instead of the 5500 it was capable of.
That said, I just received my SuperChip for my '97 SOHC Explorer on Monday. It made a huge difference! Stock, it shifted at 6000 RPM. It will now climb all the way to 6500 with ease, with a lurch forward when it upshifts. The advanced timing helps somewhat as well, since I can't even tell when my A/C is on now. The thing that I am most happy about is the change to Ford's crappy shift management. Before, if I was cruising along at about 50 MPH and floored it, it would first shift into 4th, then 3rd, before finally shifting into 2nd. The process took up to 2 seconds. Now when I floor it at 50 MPH, it goes straight to 2nd and takes off.
Finally, I have read many times that Ford changed the shift points on the '98 and up SOHC Explorers. I think it was emissions related. Anyway, they shift at a lower RPM than my '97 does. The '99 I rented last year seemed to shift around 5000 RPM, and seemed weak compared to my '97. If the SuperChip moves the shift point up to 6500 on the '98-2000 like my '97, I bet you'd feel an even greater increase than I felt. I hesitated buying another SuperChip after my experience with my Ranger and due to the arrogant attitude from the SuperChip employee, but after reading several positive results I gave them another try. I am glad I did.
hehe.
