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View Full Version : Ford 5.4 tuner



VetteLT193
08-25-2009, 01:30 PM
Anyone have a tuner for their truck / SUV?

I have a 2005 Navigator, 5.4 with the ZF 6 speed. There is no tow mode, it is automatic. I'm happy with the quickness it figures out it needs to be more powerful and shift differently as it only takes a mile or two after hooking the boat up. The speed that it returns to normal mode, based on MPG, is not good. If I go out on Saturday or Sunday I'm not getting my 'normal' gas mileage until Friday driving about 30 miles a day during the week.

I'm hoping a Superchips Cortex or something else will force a computer Reset when I switch modes? plus should get me a couple more HP and maybe better MPG all around?

mrfixxall
08-25-2009, 01:42 PM
Its a waste of money,,for what little you get out of it i dont think its worth the money..As for a firmer shift you may need to go into the valve body to get that(minor shift kit),your trans learns your driving habbits and the pcm decides how the trans should act..theirs a governer pressure sensor which is always changing the transmission pressures which give you the firmer shifts..over riding it with the prograhmer could send false information to the trans and could make the shifting patterns spiratic..your beat bet is to pull the ecm fuses after towing and let the truck go through its drive cycle..tow haul mode? all it does is lock the converter up and drag the shift points out..

VetteLT193
08-25-2009, 02:00 PM
Its a waste of money,,for what little you get out of it i dont think its worth the money..As for a firmer shift you may need to go into the valve body to get that(minor shift kit),your trans learns your driving habbits and the pcm decides how the trans should act..theirs a governer pressure sensor which is always changing the transmission pressures which give you the firmer shifts..over riding it with the prograhmer could send false information to the trans and could make the shifting patterns spiratic..your beat bet is to pull the ecm fuses after towing and let the truck go through its drive cycle..tow haul mode? all it does is lock the converter up and drag the shift points out..

The tuner does not do anything to the tranny or the shift points. It is strictly engine related on the Nav. The ZF 6 speed is an odd transmission. It is sealed from the factory with no dip stick and the fluid change interval is some ridiculous number something like 150,000 miles.

My only hope is that the tuner would re-set after a re-tune so I could net higher MPG right after towing. Plus, the other biggie for me is I can go from 91+ octane to regular 87 so that saves me at least 20 cents a gallon even if I am neutral on MPG.

I will try to pull the fuse for the computer and see if that does it... That is a good idea :)