Performance Chip

[Randy]

Installed this $180 performance chip on my 2014 Ram 1500. Claims to add +35hp and +3-5 MPG. Reviews seem to back up the claims but you know how that goes! If true, it will pay for itself very quickly given gas prices in California. If not, I have a very expensive and very cool looking green thingy mounted to my engine !

 

[dustinp]

If it turns out the way the Malone tune I had done on my 2005.5 Jetta TDI, it will be worth it. It gave the engine a 30% increase in both HP & torque, along with a modest increase in mpg of about 2-3. If I wanted to pass a car going 55 on a two lane road, a down shift was no longer needed, just push down the peddle, and you'd be lifting off it by the time you got abreast of the car you were passing because you'd already be closing in on 80. I hope you're experience is as good!

 

[Sweeney]

I did a tune on my Bounder. It didn't give me the MPG's and MPH's it suggested....but id definitely made a difference in the shift pattern and climbing hills was much less of a drama event....those V10s LOVE to rev high, but it stopped it and made ME more comfortable

I don't think the tune did anything to the engine, I think in my case it was all to the transmission. I held the gear higher so it wouldn't downshift as readily. It would downshift to gear 2 or 3 at a moments notice before the tune. I also had the option of putting a governor on it -- I set it to 70. I have heavy food sometimes, and anything over 70 in an 11,000-pound brick with crappy brakes (you had to stand on them!)

When the bounder was ransacked along with every other RV at the storage yard, they stole the tuner. Hope whoever bought it figures out the governor

 

[GlampingOn]

I did a conservative APR1 tune on my Alltrack- makes the itty bitty 1.8l 4cyl like a GTI with 2.0l (about 15% more hg and tq at lower rpm)
and also upgraded a couple things to make it pull better/turbo cooler-in hot heavy or towing conditions.

The Alltrack is comparable to Outbacks and hoping the engine is a bit more stable, it already has enough to get over the mountain passes and AWD helps extend off the paved roads some but its not like towing with a jeep, 4x4 suv or truck.

Really like seeing people push the envelope further per the original "SUV" off road option.
Was just watching the Playing With Sticks review again and reminded how excited to camp in the CI 560 baby land yacht some more in near future...
(family health project is taking priority but we'll git-r-done.)

In the meantime living vicariously on others trips and idly lusting for the articulated hitch...
and thinking to self
"Hmmm, Self" wonder if CampingGlampings bar insert for ride height boost could work on the 560...

 

[Tour 931]

My 2020 Ford Transit has a 275 horsepower engine and weighs about 2.75 tons. What surprises me is it can get up and go when I stand on it. I think it’s all in the 10-speed transportation as it keeps it in the narrow maximum torque RPM. In normal driving the same transmission helps it get great gas mileage.

I think if there was a $150 chip that gave an engine more ponies and better mileage the manufacturer would put it in new from the factory. I think what is happening is if they did it might not pass emissions. There is always a trade off.

 

[dustinp]

My 2020 Ford Transit has a 275 horsepower engine and weighs about 2.75 tons. What surprises me is it can get up and go when I stand on it. I think it’s all in the 10-speed transportation as it keeps it in the narrow maximum torque RPM. In normal driving the same transmission helps it get great gas mileage.

I think if there was a $150 chip that gave an engine more ponies and better mileage the manufacturer would put it in new from the factory. I think is what is happening if they did it might not pass emissions. There is always a trade off.

Yep, no free lunches.
Most things are a compromise of some sort, and the EPA is why most chippers and tuners have to say on their websites that their products are for off road use only.
It did give me pause however, wondering how pulling our CI with the Jetta or Passat TDI's and getting 32-34 mpg was going to be more polluting than pulling it with our Jeep Grand Cherokee and getting 14-16 mpg, or even a bit less with the T-Bird. I don't think it would, so that's how we usually roll....but not always.

 

[Tour 931]

Yep, no free lunches.
Most things are a compromise of some sort, and the EPA is why most chippers and tuners have to say on their websites that their products are for off road use only.
It did give me pause however, wondering how pulling our CI with the Jetta or Passat TDI's and getting 32-34 mpg was going to be more polluting than pulling it with our Jeep Grand Cherokee and getting 14-16 mpg, or even a bit less with the T-Bird. I don't think it would, so that's how we usually roll....but not always.

Love the T-bird!

 

[Randy]

With $4.75 per gallon gas prices in California and my truck only getting 16 mpg in the city, even a 1-2 mpg improvement will have a ROI. Haven’t driven far enough yet, will report back. I am hopeful!

I have a 3.6 L, 305 hp Pentastar V6 in my Ram 1500, didn’t get the hemi V8 in hopes of better gas mileage and I was happy to be getting close to 20 mpg highway. The acceleration however was very sluggish. Years ago I added a programmable “Pedal Commander” throttle body response controller that plugs into the accelerator pedal. It was like getting a new truck and solved everything I disliked about the V6. If your car has sluggish acceleration I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Pedal Commander | Throttle Response Controller

 

[GlampingOn]

My 2020 Ford Transit has a 275 horsepower engine and weighs about 2.75 tons. What surprises me is it can get up and go when I stand on it. I think it’s all in the 10-speed transportation as it keeps it in the narrow maximum torque RPM. In normal driving the same transmission helps it get great gas mileage.

I think if there was a $150 chip that gave an engine more ponies and better mileage the manufacturer would put it in new from the factory. I think what is happening is if they did it might not pass emissions. There is always a trade off.

Yes, in the case of the Golf Sportwagon its essentially a de-stroked GTI engine and APR's Stage 1 tune restores some power by changing the fuel scheduling. Its ok by CA bureaucrats letter of ok but higher tunes and other makers tunes are not; race track only. Other states dont care.

Note If you get too carried away on the fun pedal MPG goes wayyy down..

There's quite a culture around going "fast n furious" in the hot hatches.
Its another variant of American love affairs with cars- remember the movie Ford vs Ferrari?

 

[dustinp]

Yes, in the case of the Golf Sportwagon its essentially a de-stroked GTI engine and APR's Stage 1 tune restores some power by changing the fuel scheduling. Its ok by CA bureaucrats letter of ok but higher tunes and other makers tunes are not; race track only. Other states dont care.

Note If you get too carried away on the fun pedal MPG goes wayyy down..

There's quite a culture around going "fast n furious" in the hot hatches.
Its another variant of American love affairs with cars- remember the movie Ford vs Ferrari?

...one of the few movies I own!