Tuning!

[Josebd]

I have 2021 ford ranger
i don’t know anything about the tuners on the market,is there one that’s simple and helps with getting better gas mileage?
im getting 20-21mpg,normal driving

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[MY23RANGER]

do a bunch of research before you choose your tuner, most of them offer a tune to help with the mpg and horsepower , I use Unleashed tuning but there are many others out there that work with the ranger.

 

[got3fords]

I don't think any tuners are actually designed for better gas mileage. I think it just happens that with more instant available power, better MPG sometimes happens, but driving with a tune is so much fun, it can be hard to be disciplined enough to experience better MPG. I am on the third or fourth fill up since my tune and looks like it is right about the same as before. And I don't get on it a lot.
Get a tune for the performance!

 

[AzScorpion]

Unleashed and Livernois are the two most popular on here. Like James @got3fords I'm running the Livernois and you get 5 tunes with theirs.
87-89 soft shift & performance tune
91-93 soft shift & performance tune'
tow tune

I like the 91-93 performance tune and I did see a slight increase in mpg when you drive it normal.The biggest benefit (aside from the power) is the transmission runs much smoother and shift way better. Also there's no lugging in the higher gears like it does when stock. You can't go wrong with either of these tunes.

 

[Wytchdctr]

Here is my experience:

Livernois driving like a human = a small bump in mpg which is nice - and I was running ASS just before I got the tune and they turned it off. Especially on the highway.

Livernosis driving like you think you're the stig = no... its just.. no.. bad.. don't pay attention to it and just have fun.

 

[got3fords]

Livernosis driving like you think you're the stig = no...

I wonder how many people get that reference...LOL!

 

[NotBudule]

I have 2021 ford ranger

im getting 20-21mpg, normal driving

Im at 17 -18 mid-life crisis driving , so your right in there for normal ...

 

[Dgc333]

FWIW, I have been driving turbo 4cyl cars as my daily drivers since 1985. All of them have been tuned. I have either gotten the same or better mileage with all of them. Also, I have never used a tune that was specifically designed for improved mileage.

When you tune a vehicle the new found power will have you driving more aggressively. Once the novelty wears off and you settle back into your normal driving style that is when you will see the best mileage the tune has to offer.

 

[N559br]

If you expect a tune to increase your gas mileage, then you need to do the math for payoff. At $5/gallon going from 20 to 25mpg you have to go between 16k and 17k miles. At $4/gal you need to go 20k miles. Im basing this off a tuner cost of $800. Knowing how I drive, I would end up using the performance tune and end up woth the same mileage, but going through tires and brakes.

 

[JesseS]

MPG was not even in my thoughts when I installed the FPP tune, although it has not changed much. I think I had more of a mpg change when I lifted it. I am old, but did my time in stock car and M/C racing and flat tracking, so I like the power and response. My wife says I still drive like a teenager, I thanked her

 

[Josebd]

I bought the unleashed tuner,got a email saying to gap my spark plugs to .028? Did any of you guys do that?

 

[Jimmy 2021 FX4]

Unleashed and Livernois are the two most popular on here. Like James @got3fords I'm running the Livernois and you get 5 tunes with theirs.
87-89 soft shift & performance tune
91-93 soft shift & performance tune'
tow tune

I like the 91-93 performance tune and I did see a slight increase in mpg when you drive it normal.The biggest benefit (aside from the power) is the transmission runs much smoother and shift way better. Also there's no lugging in the higher gears like it does when stock. You can't go wrong with either of these tunes.

I am looking at tuning as well. It looks like the Ford Performance Tune is done once and I can use the normal factory modes like Sport and Tow Haul without having to worry about switching between a performance mode or a tow mode...is that the case with Unleashed or Livernoise? I kind of want to set it and forget it.
Any feedback of how you manage a day in the life of your ranger with a tune when doing all the truck stuff through our the day. For example, towing a trailer in the morning, then go fast and off-roading, then pulling a boat to the lake in the evening. Just wondering if you have to stop and switch modes for each different application. Thanks!

 

[PonyXpress]

I'm thinking about getting the 5 star for my 2019 Lariat. Had a jerk going slow in a F-150, tried going around him in the middle lane, and he floored it and outran me. I need more HP!

If you have the 2019, please share which 5 Star tune you went with and are you happy with the results? Also, did you go with the gauge or just buy the program?

I already have a SCT programmer for my Mustang, so I really only need the tune

 

[Racket]

If gas mileage is your goal I have a suggestion from my experience installing intercooler charge pipes.

It will bring down perceived performance but when I installed my Mishimoto IC pipes I put the cold side on and drive a couple weeks before the hot side. My MPGs shot up quite a bit to my surprise although I felt like I lost bottom end torque.

CVF (@CVF-Jason) will sell individual pipes and the cold side by itself is cheaper than a tune. Maybe someone can explain my experience from a technical approach? I and others have experienced better highway mileage with the VelossaTech Big Mouth and while one of the aftermarket tuners offers a 'Lone Ranger' adaptive tune that I haven't heard much feedback on I'd second the recommendation working with Torrie at Unleashed if you pursue a tune. You can request specific parameters and send him a base file once you've made modifications to your truck for him to build a custom tune for octane, performance and even transmission behavior. I added AFE's 'Magnum' replacement intake horn as well and while it seems superior to the Ford factory part I observed no improvement in mileage.

All said and done, catching sales or discounts if you're patient you may be in (guessing) around $800 to gain a couple miles per gallon. The return on that is kind of a moving target considering the wild swings in gas prices and I believe you'll be giving up some performance. It might (speculative) extend the life of your engine and transmission.

 

[Superdannyboy]

I'm thinking about getting the 5 star for my 2019 Lariat. Had a jerk going slow in a F-150, tried going around him in the middle lane, and he floored it and outran me. I need more HP!

If you have the 2019, please share which 5 Star tune you went with and are you happy with the results? Also, did you go with the gauge or just buy the program?

I already have a SCT programmer for my Mustang, so I really only need the tune

I have a 5 star daily and performance, both for 93 octane. I used the daily tune mostly and it is night and day over stock. But the performance tune is wicked fast. Now that I have a new daily vehicle I'll probably keep it on performance tune. You can even here the idle difference in park and drive with the performance tune.

Both will make you never go back to stock. The daily tune is the perfect in between for daily driving where you want to sometimes drive normal. The performance tune is like all or nothing with very hard engine shifts and very hard engine braking, but I did tell the tuner to tune it for rally racing

Also, the more smoother the shifts are the more wear you're putting on the transmission

Edit: I'm using the sct tuner and 5 star emailed me the tunes

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