I'm a new member and own a 2001 Screw with the 5.4, 4x4
trailer towing package, OR Package, 3.55 LS, and a Gibson
catback (one pipe out the back) and yes I did get my radiator
upgraded to the 1.42 thru Ford last month...thanks F150 Online !

Here's my questions regarding towing and a SuperChip.
I live in Colorado and just purchased a 29' 4400lb (dry weight)
trailer for camping...I have pulled it one time so far and did OK,
but I did not pull it up over any mountain passes yet....

We are planning a 2 week vacation that will take us up over
the continentel divide (mountain passes) many times.....
as high as 12K feet at times...


Is the SuperChip really worth the money for added torque and HP ?

Will this void my new truck warranty ?

How much Hp and torque can I really count on getting ?

Should I just use the truck as is and forget a chip ?

Will gas mileage be affected with the chip ?

I would love extra HP and torque for towing but wondering if
this chip really adds much at Colorado elevations.....
3% per 1000' is a general rule for power loss out here in CO.
So I've already loss 15% in Denver...and another 15% when
climbing over mountain passes !!!!!!

Your advice is Welcome..Thx in Advance
TMeyers-Colorado

 

Hi TMeyers,

The Superchip is going to do it's job regardless of altitude, though up at extremely high altitudes, say, if you're going to always be at 7000 ft. or higher all the time, then we'd want to do a high-altitude type of calibration for you.

While it's true that normally-aspirated gasoline engines lose 3% of their power for every 1000 ft. above sea level altitude, that's true anywhere, not just in Colorado. It also affects the vehicle stock or modified, so when you're starting off with a 15% loss (5000 ft. elevation) to begin with, you need all the power you can get. Altitude does not negate the effects of modifications, it simply means that stock or modified, you're going to make 3% less power for every 1000 ft. above sea level altitude your vehicle operates at.

Altitude does not negate the effects of the Superchip, you're still going to get about a 10%-12% increase in power from the Superchip, providing your fuel quality is up to snuff. You'll need 91 octane or higher for the Superchip.

As far as exactly how much horsepower and torque gain you'll make from the Superhicp at your altitude on your vehicle, that cannot be predicted to an exact number, as your vehicle hasn't been on a dyno, so we don't know exactly how much power it's making now. But what you can expect is to see about a 10%-12% increase in power over whatever you're making right now.

The maximum rated gain from the Superchip for the 5.4 motor is 28 horsepower and 46 lbs./ft. of torque. This is at sea level altitude of course, like all power ratings are expressed either on stock vehicles from the factory or for aftermarket parts.

In round numbers, figure that you're going to see about 10%-12% more power than what you're making now on 92 octane gas, and then minus a horsepower or two for using 91 octane instead of 92 or higher I suppose, and that's about as close as you're going to get to making an estimate of what you'll actually gain at your altitude and on your local fuel quality.

It's the same thing with your Gibson exhaust; while it's maximum potential gain on the 5.4 motor is about 12-14 horsepower at sea level, up at 5000 ft. you're going to get about 10-12 hp from that exhaust system instead of the 12-14 you'd get at sea level altitude. That doesn't in any way negate the effects of the exhaust system, in terms of a percentage, it's still adding about the same percentage of power gain regardless of altitude.

A lot of people do see small gains in mileage from the Superchip, but that is primarily when cruising at a steady speed, and I would not expect to see you pick up any significant mileage gains up at that altitude, climbing mountains. We have to remember that it's a *performance* chip first and foremost, it can't perform miracles, so anyone thinking aobut purchasing it should not count on getting significant mileage gains under all circumstances, as that just isn't always going to happen. Most people see mileage gains when they can keep their foot out of the throttle, is perhaps the best way to describe it. And on average, those gains tend to run about 1.5-2.0 more mpg, at sea level altitude.

The *potential* for better mileage from the Superchip is merely a by-product of the increased spark advance used on part-throttle as part of our performance tuning for premium gasoline. So your mileage results are going to depend on how you operate and maintain that vehicle, as well as the energy content of the premium as you burn.

What must be remembered is that you have a *very* heavy vehicle, probably over 6000 lbs. as you have it configured, with the Offroad package, trailer towing, and it being a Super Crew with 4WD, and you're up at high altitudesas well, so you're never going to get "good" gas mileage.

The Superchip is quite simply the single best bang-for-the-buck performance mod you can do to these vehicles, as nothing else will give as much of a performance gain for less money.

No, the Superchip does not void any new vehicle or extended warranty.

If you'd like to go over this in more detail, please feel free to give us a call, we'll be happy to go thru this at length with you.

The bottom line is that the mods you read about here are still effective at the higher altitudes as well, altitude does not negate them, it actually increases your need for some mods to restore some or all of that power you've lost to altitude.

I hope that information helps a bit, & best of luck whatever you decide!