I've been playing with the tuner a bit and have a few questions.
I run the 87 Tow setting right now(who can afford Premium??) and have been playing with the Shift Points and Pressure Settings.
Just where does the Superchip set these when you first load one of the Performance Modes???
Min------Stock------Max ???

It just says Superchip when you use the > arrow after Max setting but not where it is actually set.
Am I missing something??
I am currently running Shift Points 3 up from Stock.
I am running Shift Pressures @ Max.
Are there any issues with running Shift Pressures @ Max???
What does everybody else run there's at???
Any info/opinions appreciated.

 

I run two up from stock on the pressure and max on the shift, this is with a shift kit. the max setting in both won't hurt it. default pressure is max in performance.

here look at this: maybe premium?

87 octane, 15 mpg, $2.10 gallon - 14 cents fuel costs per mile
93 octane, 16.5 mpg, $2.30 gallon - 13.939393 cents fuel costs per mile

The higher the gas price plus the bonus of more power. Once the price gets over a certain amount, it costs less to operate.
The lower your stock mileage, the quicker the pay off.

 

Hi Bosro,

Just so you'll know for future reference, all of that info has been posted many times, so it is available for instant retrieval by simply using the search feature. That way you don't have to wait for someone to type a response to your post, but instead can get the info you want immediately - just FYI.

When you take the default uploads from the 1715 Micro Tuner, what you are getting for both the shift points and the shift firmness levels are right in the middle (ST) of that scale you see on the Micro Tuner's display - and it's the same as you would get in the traditional 1100 blue single bank Superchip modules.

It's rare to actually need to do any manual adjustments in the 1997-2003 trucks & SUV's, generally speaking. There is one neat driveability "trick" we like to do with regard to the shift points that helps the truck get back up into Overdrive quicker after a downshift - there is only 1 change to make, and that is to bump the 2-3 upshift point up exactly 2 notches (lines) above the centerline (ST). Leave all other shift points alone, they have already been optimized for best WOT acceleration. This 2-3 adjustment I'm talking about actually helps these trucks get back up into *4th* gear (Overdrive) quicker after going up a hill or grade (a load event), or after accelerating, etc., and that is why we advise doing that. This one small adjustment usually does not slow most of these trucks down appreciably in their 1/4 mile times. Aside from that one driveability trick bumping up the 2-3 upshift point 2 notches that helps get it back up into Overdrive after going up a grade, we advise leaving all other shift points as per the default upload from the Micro Tuner in the 1997-2003 vehicles.

Now with regard specifically to the shift firmness levels, it's important to note that the shifts are not supposed to feel "hard" with the 1715 Micro Tuner - it's simply supposed to get progressively firmer as you give it more and more throttle opening, culminating in a significantly firmer upshift at WOT (wide-open throttle), better performance and less slippage *all* the time. Other than at heavy throttle, the shifts will still tend to feel smooth, so as not to spoil the basic character of the vehicle - but there will be less slippage, to give the automatic transmission it's best shot at a long service life, by reducing wear & tear on the friction materials - bands, clutches, etc.

If you want more shift firmness than the default upload gives you, then we advise not bumping them up more than say, 2-3 notches above the centerline - NEVER run them all the way up to the maximum with a stock transmission! It's safe to make these computer-controlled automatic transmissions hit the gears very hard ONLY if you do that via a combination of both mechanical modifications so the transmission can flow more fluid *volume* in the same amount of time, as well as intelligent program changes in the PCM , to give a proper combination of both. Trying to make these trannys shift "hard" via electronic line pressure alone is not a good idea, as it tends to overwork the front pump - kinda like trying to drain a swimming pool thru a straw.

We specifically advise NOT running *either* of those adjustments (shift points *OR* shift pressures) all the way up to the maximum - don't do that.

In Randy's post (that's "watsonr," the fellow who kindly replied to you), it must be remembered that his truck is a 1996 model with the 5.0 V8, and an extremely rare PCM code - a code that has vastly different factory tuning and thus has much different tuning change requirements, etc. His tranny isn't stock, either - so his truck cannot be compared in this specific regard to most other vehicles. Randy has installed a shift kit, a mechanical modification to make his transmission physically capable of flowing much more fluid volume as compared to a stock tranny, and thus it shifts much quicker after the signal is sent from the PCM to the transmission. Between his rare code and his shift kit, his upshift points need to be higher as the engine does not gain nearly as many rpms after the shift command is sent as compared to a stock tranny in the 1997 & newer trucks. I just needed to point out that what works for his 1996 truck in this specific regard (shift points especially) will *not* work in most other vehicles.

On another note Randy has also posted some extremely interesting data regarding mpg & costs to operate, etc. Something that I've been trying to tell people for many years, but I've never thought to express the cost to operate in the manner he has - I wish I'd thought of it. It's so simple, so dead to the point - nice job, Randy. Dividing the cost per gallon of gas by the mpg achieved like Randy did gives you the picture - as long as the mpg is calculated correctly (number of miles driven since last fill-up divided by number of gallons required to refill the tank), you can use that method to show you your gasoline cost per mile - and that tells the tale very nicely, giving you what your gasoline cost to drive each mile is.

Due to the increased spark advance on part-throttle, the vehicle will generally get better mpg (all else being equal) overall from the Superchips premium gas tuning - and it doesn't take much mpg gain to offset a good bit, if not all of the average 20 cent per gallon cost delta between regular & premium gas.

Now here's the key: the higher that gas prices go, the quicker you reach the point where it actually costs you no more (or even less!) to use premium gas with our tuning as compared to using 87 octane on the stock factory tuning (or on the 1715 Superchips 87 octane tuning) - this is due to the fact that the basic cost delta between regular & premium gas stays the same. No matter how high gas prices go, it's still an average of 20 cents per gallon - so the reality is, the higher gas prices are the less it costs you to use the Superchips premium gas tuning.

I hope that info helps, & enjoy your holiday weekend!

 

Mike:
Thanks for all the info and I will definitely go back to the Superchip tuning.
Some of my confusion(stupidity???) was that I thought the ST in the mid point stood for stock setting.
Thanks again for the info!!

 

You're very welcome, any time!

 

These were exactly my thoughts for justifying the tune for 91 apposed to 87. However nothing is EVER equal when I run my truck, it sits in the garage 80% of the time unless I'm towing my TT, Boat or ATV.. Because I never travel the same roads or tow the same thing in one tank of gas I have no idea weather the 91 program is helping in the gas department or not, so is there others out there that can attest to this?? The difference in my area is but $.10 between 87 & 91, so I dont even have the $.20 to make up for the difference...

 

at less than .20 difference per gallon your saving even faster!!! its costing you less to run the performance tune over the stock one.

 

I did the same thing and I don't quite understand what ST means. I know its the middle of the points and that is what you recommend Mike but then what is the superchips setting? What is the difference between the two? Another thing it asks for the height of the tire... what is that measured in because I am about ot put bigger tires on there and i was wondering how to tell the machine what size they are.
Thanks for any help.
Garzo

 

The Superchip Tune Set Points are set in the middle of the scale for both Shift and Pressure points,just remember that.
As far as the tire size I'm pretty sure it's inches diameter of tire.

Try this link to get your diameter:
http://www.discounttire.com/dtc/broc...o/tireMath.jsp