Who’s running a tuner?

[Jason]

Just got mine today. So excited lol.

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[Porpoise Hork]

I’m having the same issues. Have been trying to call SCT, but alway get the “we’re busy, bye” message. Very frustrating!

I finally got in touch with Bully Dog support. Just used the hold my place in line option with them. There was an issue with the stock tune information that was preventing the unit from correctly pulling the stock files before loading the pre-loaded tune, They had to install an alternate stock tune file and I had to flash it with that first before it would take the one of the pre-loaded tunes. After that it worked perfectly and have not had an issue since.

The pre-loaded 87 tune does give a noticeable bump in performance and will switch to the 93 tune after the next fill up.

 

[mobilemike01]

I finally got in touch with Bully Dog support. Just used the hold my place in line option with them. There was an issue with the stock tune information that was preventing the unit from correctly pulling the stock files before loading the pre-loaded tune, They had to install an alternate stock tune file and I had to flash it with that first before it would take the one of the pre-loaded tunes. After that it worked perfectly and have not had an issue since.

The pre-loaded 87 tune does give a noticeable bump in performance and will switch to the 93 tune after the next fill up.

That’s good news!!! I’ll try that and see where I get.

 

[mobilemike01]

I finally got in touch with Bully Dog support. Just used the hold my place in line option with them. There was an issue with the stock tune information that was preventing the unit from correctly pulling the stock files before loading the pre-loaded tune, They had to install an alternate stock tune file and I had to flash it with that first before it would take the one of the pre-loaded tunes. After that it worked perfectly and have not had an issue since.

The pre-loaded 87 tune does give a noticeable bump in performance and will switch to the 93 tune after the next fill up.

Had to do the exact same thing for my truck today too! Apprecitae the post, I almost had given up trying to contact them this month.

 

[kieefer]

If you could post up your mpg figures for the 87 & 93 tune I’d appreciate.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Took the plunge and got a pair of custom tunes from 5 Star Tuning. Specifically the 87 Daily/Tow and 93 Octane Performance maps. Flashed it back to stock then to the 5 Star 93 tune and let me tell you the difference it made. The pre-loaded Bully Dog tune was impressive, but it cannot compare to the 5 Star tuning 93 perf. version. With the 5 Star tune active the idle is much smoother. Stock and the pre-loaded tunes there was a slight but noticeable shake when idling both in and out of gear, but is nearly glass smooth with the 5 star. When accelerating normally, the truck just does it so effortlessly and honestly gives you the sense of a mountain of untapped power at your disposal. The transmission shifts are significantly improved with the 5 star over the stock or pre-loaded tune as well. Normally the shift are soft and the only way you know it shifted is by listening for the rpm to drop as you accelerate. With 5 Star the shifts are nearly as fast and precise as my old GTI with a DSG. It amazed me yesterday when I floored the truck for the first time. I was doing about 10 mph, floored it and it downshifted back into 1st and pulled much harder than I expected it would. Then it barked the tires pretty well going into 2nd. This was not something I expected it to do at all. As for normal city driving on the 93 performance setting, it's absolutely fine. Unlike some cars that can be very touchy especially when tuned almost like the car is really high strung, this tunes retains the normal feel with a slight change to the firmness of the shifts.

If you could post up your mpg figures for the 87 & 93 tune I’d appreciate.

When stock with a K&N drop in, I was getting 16 city and just barely 22 hwy. The pre-loaded 93 tune mpg increased slightly to 18 and 24.3. With the 5 star 93 (provided I keep my foot out it) city is 17-18 and an impressive 26.6 hwy. This is a full mix of stop and go city and several 90+ mile hwy trips averaging 75 mph on each setting. Average actual mpg per tank based on miles driven vs fuel consumed including idle time so far with the 5 Star 93 with mixed is about 24.5. Fairly impressive for a truck and oddly about the same as I got out of my 08 GTI with 140K miles running an APR stage 2 tune.

 

[Porpoise Hork]

Had to do the exact same thing for my truck today too! Apprecitae the post, I almost had given up trying to contact them this month.

Any time. ?

If you plan to use Forscan, you might have to flash it back to stock the first time you connect it to the truck. After done with the setting changes you can flash it back. After that Forscan doesn't seem to have an issue with the tune and can see the truck just fine. Not sure why that is but it's what I had to do to get it to work.

 

[Racket]

I finally got my SCT, played with the stock tunes and while they all wake up the truck in the respective octane, I settled on the midgrade (89 min) fuel tune that Torrie built for me. 87 fuel on the stock Ford tune just felt uneven unless I found ethanol-free 87 and that cost about as much as 93 octane. I felt the Ranger has potential with some tweaks but I'm not trying to break the bank or the truck. It's only been a couple days and I perceive (can't prove) more power from low/mid acceleration that pulls even in top gear past the old speed limiter setting - which I don't recall bei g able to do on crappy 87 octane with the speed limiter turned off via the SCT. A free flowing exhaust probably compliments sustained high speed and I think the GFB DV+ makes the shifting under a heavy gas pedal pretty smooth - although whatever Torrie has done might play a part in making things mesh together ?

Stock we were getting 26-ish mpg on the highway, my best average in mixed driving was something in the 18's. E15 gas dropped to 16.4 mpg.

Can't determine new mileage so far, I'll hand calculate after a couple weeks and compare to the computer - but I think I'm happy the the change in personality so far.

 

[blackcat5RS]

Just received my 5 tunes from 5 star for my nGauge and I have tested the 91 performance and 91 Street and both make the ranger run much better...almost no lag whatsoever.

I’m also running the Roush intake and MBRP exhaust but all in all very happy.

 

[Bsenecal]

Just received my 5 tunes from 5 star for my nGauge and I have tested the 91 performance and 91 Street and both make the ranger run much better...almost no lag whatsoever.

I’m also running the Roush intake and MBRP exhaust but all in all very happy.

How do you like the MBRP exhaust? Did you do the CAI at the same time? How do you like that?

 

[RangersLeadTheWay]

Running the LMS tunes. One of the best decisions I’ve made thus far on my truck.

 

[runner69]

I was the drivability guy at a dealership for 10+ years. and yes we can tell when a tune on the PCM has been done, 99% of the time you get a "keep alive memory" code will be present. It all depends on what is wrong with the car/truck whether it would be covered.

 

[Hounddog409]

Actually as one who works at a Ford dealership we have a way to look to see if the PCM has been flashed. So actually if we are suspicious we can look at that and find out that oh your warranty is void because you FUCKED it up with a tune. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but that is the truth. In all honesty a tune is a do it at your own risk.

Sorry, buy federal law states you have to prove the custom tune caused the issue. If the air conditioner stops working, you would have to prove the tune caused it in order to not honor factory warranty.
just simply running a custom tune does not void warranty.

 

[Frenchy]

Sorry, buy federal law states you have to prove the custom tune caused the issue. If the air conditioner stops working, you would have to prove the tune caused it in order to not honor factory warranty.
just simply running a custom tune does not void warranty.

If you can prove to me on how a tune would cause the AC system to fail then by all means please show me. Last I checked the tune affects the powertrain and nothing else. And like said that if suspect shows a tune may have caused the problem then we check for a tune. If a tune is present warranty is void.

 

[Hounddog409]

If you can prove to me on how a tune would cause the AC system to fail then by all means please show me. Last I checked the tune affects the powertrain and nothing else. And like said that if suspect shows a tune may have caused the problem then we check for a tune. If a tune is present warranty is void.

May have does not equal prove.

For drivetrain issues you still need to prove the tune was the cause of the issue in order to deny warranty claim.

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