Xcal 2 on 2006 Eddie V8

[Crizz]

Yesterday my Xcalibrator-2 finally arrived ! Needed it because the whole dealership around wasn´t able to switch off the speedlimiter.

Today I flashed the ECM with the tune for reg. fuel - and I was very surprised about the changes. Shifts a lot smoother than before, idle is set lower, throttle response is veeery much better ( heck, I had to teach my right foot how to handle the pedal ).

What impressed me most are the changes that can made by user - starting from idle-revs, tiresize adjust, up to spark timing and a lot more.

Looks really it was worth it to spend the money, and if I calculate how much a OBD-II-tester and data-logger would be as a separate tool - it is saved money ( and one tool less to store and find )

Will check the premium-fuel tunes when I need to refuel my Eddie...

 

[limexp]

Crizz,

I have a 2006 Exp limited V8. I contacted XCAL and they said they did not have a program for my truck. Can you give me some info on what to order? Thanks.

Joe

 

[Crizz]

no prob, Joe - contact Doug from BamaChips.com - they offer all the Ford-tunes for XCal, so it isn´t a wonder that you couldn´t get ´em from Xcal directly. I only wonder that they didn´t told you to contact BamaChips.

For ordering the right tunes with the XCal-2, Dave needs the following informations :

- Model
- Type ( RWD / AWD )
- axle ratio ( if not stock )
- tiresize
- engine type
- computer box code ( the code is on a tag on the right side A pillar by the hinges. It is 4 digits [3 letters / one number] )

and last but not least he needs to know if you want any additional features changed, e.g. tune for a spec. octane rating, speedlimiter and so on.

And : they´re very fast with shipping, even to Germany - took only 10 days from order to delivery.

 

[Crizz]

Have to correct myself : Dave is from ExplorerExpress.com, where I´ve ordererd the XCal. At BamaChips a guy named Doug works out the tunes and programs the XCal .

 

[bojans]

Crizz,

I would be curious to hear how the programmer effected your fuel efficiency. Can you let us know once you get a whole tank through it?

 

[Crizz]

yep, I will. Today I re-fuelled the Eddie with premium to check the premium-performance and premium-torque tunes. After that I´ll check the regular-tune. So please have a little patience

 

[IAmTodd]

So what the top speed?

 

[Crizz]

Will see next week when I get my new wheels, actualy I have those original tires, and they are only "S"-rated - so I don´t try to figure out. Yesterday I stopped acc. at 120mph, was to risky. Can wait till the wheels arrived and let you know asap.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Could you post a picture of the XCal, and a little how to about the way you reprogrammed it? Did you have to replace your chip, or just reprogram it? How much is that tool, and what year vehicles does it cover? Does it have downloadable software upgrades?

 

[Crizz]

As far as I know upgrades are available via registered dealers. But it´s only neccessary when the items change where you can take effect.

You can see the Xcal on the site of the manufacturer : www.sctflash.com

You don´t replace a chip, no need to open your EEC module - you just flash it with the Xcal. Handling is total easy, it´s menu-guided on a lcd-display. You can choose whether you wanna use the stored tunes ( 3 are delivered ) or if you like to make additional changes ( spark timing, tiresize, WOT fuel mix, iddle rpm, drive rpm, top speed limiter ). After selection and starting the flashing process, the stock values will be saved to the XCal, carmodule will be erased and re-flashed with the new parameters. This takes about 30 - 40 seconds.

The price I´ve payed is not representive because I´m german, and I had to pay toll and V.A.T., so it´s a hell of a lot more than you´ll have to pay for it. Just ask Dave at ExplorerExpress.com for an offer ( don´t forget to mention you´re member of this community ! ). Guess the price is a little depending on the car and build you have, XCal is available for Explorers from 97-modell up if I got that right ( Dave can tell you ).

Important : you can only use the XCal at your own car running a tune. If you want to use it on another vehicle, you first have to restore the stock values. 5 changes ( cars ) are possible.

 

[Crizz]

First experience with XCal 2

Tested a little around today, here are my first experiences with the XCal-2 :

Test-Environment : Highway, 3 lanes, alt.difference on route 247 ft. ( 4 times changing between 987 ft. and 1234 ft. ) , after accessing highway speeding up from 35 to 60mph ( acc.check ), then driving testroute with 75 mph. Before beginning first test engine was warmed-up, used fuel was premium ( testing the regular-fuel tunes will follow after refuelling )

1.) regular fuel performance tune : ( * tested w/ premium,will be repeated w/ reg.fuel )

acc. 35 - 60 in 4.4 sec. , average fuel 17,7 mpg

2.) premium perfomance tune :

acc. 35 - 60 in 4.2 sec., average fuel 17,85 mpg

3.) premium torque tune :

acc. 35 - 60 in 4.8 sec., average fuel 16,85 mpg


Note: on premium torque tune max. revs per min. is limitted to 6000, on the other tunes 6600 is limit. In the torque-tune, in my opinion the transmission shifts earlier in the next gear, and acc. w/o shifting back is possible in a wider range than in stock or performance tunes. Have no trailer to check how it looks with high load on the truck, guess it´s created for trailer towing in the first.

 

[tenacioush]

Ive had my XCal-II for about a month on my '06 Ex V8 EB. Three words: I love it.

Shifting is smoother, idle is lower, performance is amazing. Price is average at $400, but the service is amazing and the tunes come quickly if you need new ones.

I was wondering, though, if anyone had figured out how to take off the rev limiter when in park/neutral. I know its a pretty much pointless request, but when it comes to noise, my Ex only plays music when Im driving.

 

[Eddie J.]

Tested a little around today, here are my first experiences with the XCal-2 :

Test-Environment : Highway, 3 lanes, alt.difference on route 247 ft. ( 4 times changing between 987 ft. and 1234 ft. ) , after accessing highway speeding up from 35 to 60mph ( acc.check ), then driving testroute with 75 mph. Before beginning first test engine was warmed-up, used fuel was premium ( testing the regular-fuel tunes will follow after refuelling )

1.) regular fuel performance tune : ( * tested w/ premium,will be repeated w/ reg.fuel )

acc. 35 - 60 in 4.4 sec. , average fuel 17,7 mpg

2.) premium perfomance tune :

acc. 35 - 60 in 4.2 sec., average fuel 17,85 mpg

3.) premium torque tune :

acc. 35 - 60 in 4.8 sec., average fuel 16,85 mpg


Note: on premium torque tune max. revs per min. is limitted to 6000, on the other tunes 6600 is limit. In the torque-tune, in my opinion the transmission shifts earlier in the next gear, and acc. w/o shifting back is possible in a wider range than in stock or performance tunes. Have no trailer to check how it looks with high load on the truck, guess it´s created for trailer towing in the first.

And what about the top speed?

 

[aldive]

Tested a little around today, here are my first experiences with the XCal-2 :

What distance did you use to determine MPG?

 

[Crizz]

1.) Top speed was 135 mph, couldn´t go faster till now because I´m most on roadways, and on highway my average speed is 100 / 105 - only need to cut off the limitter to pass truck-convoys and s.e.

2.) like I wrote in another thread : my mpg isn´t comparable with the most, cause I live in a hilly area - uphilling takes more fuel than travelling on leveled roads.

The distance for comparing fuel economy depending on the calibrations was r.a. 35 to 40 mls., driven one-by-one to eliminate weather and traffic influences.

 

[aldive]

1.) The distance for comparing fuel economy depending on the calibrations was r.a. 35 to 40 mls., driven one-by-one to eliminate weather and traffic influences.

Thanks for answering.

You really should drive farther to determine mileage. The least distance I would use is 100 miles. I like to use an entire tank of gas to determine mileage.

 

[Crizz]

It wasn´t my intention to get the real mileage - what mattered to me was the comparison of fuel economy depending on the tune I´ve chosen, to see if and how much power and fuel consumption increases - and which tune would be the most effective one for me. Like I wrote : I´m not a hellracer, so topspeed or acceleration aren´t the most important facts to me when I decided to buy the XCal-2. What interested me most was getting rid of the speed-limitter, w/o losing economical properties

 

[CHiNO_PeLoNCiTo]

ok this might be the wrong thread and it might be a useless question, but i just need to kno. i love peeling out, at shows lighting up the tires at the track, and just for the hell of it. plus i love drifting. we have a 02 tahoe and i dont even need to stop at corners anymore, jus kick out the back end =] but i do for public safety lol. but is there ANY way to get the front wheels not to kick in when the rear wheels slip?

 

[Crizz]

Never thought about it, should be close to the 99 Explorer - pull the plug vom the transfer case. In GE we have some times probs at the M.O.T-Test w/ cars having automatic 4WD, so easiest way is disabling the servomotor at the transfercase. Don´t know 4 sure if it works same way, need to look for it. But will cause a DTC error that the 4WD cannot work.

( sold my X in dec., so no way to check it out here )