I'm kind of a noob in the area of chip tuning. And I have a couple of questions about it. Our '06 Expo is the first Triton powered anything I've ever owned. It has the factory tow package, and I believe the previous owner used it to haul a boat around a lot. Anyway, this truck seems to me to have way too touchy throttle response, especially for the first half of its travel. Which makes it harder for me to drive smoothly in it. (A trick I learned when my DD was a 440 powered pickup, and I got a regular 12 mpg in the city with it. ) Anyway, I'm wondering if there isn't a performance chip in it, and if so, where to I go to find it? I'm interested in getting a power programmer for it, so that I can tweak the settings for better fuel mileage, mainly. Because it should do better than it does. But if the stock chip is gone, I suppose I'd have to replace that first, eh?

The other thing I'm interested in is, to stay on top of things like diagnostics. I want to be as far ahead of the curve as I can on pending issues, and I know the diagnostics can do that. I want to establish in my head what I have and what the baseline should be, before I go and make a plan to mod a bunch of stuff.

Thanks all!!!

 

I wouldn't buy a tuner with MPG as the main reason. It will take a long time to recoup the initial cost of the tuner, before you started realizing any true savings. Especially when you see the "claims" of improved MPG for gassers using tuners. Definitely not huge claims.

Given how you used to drive the 440, I would suggest that your biggest concern is going to be how you drive it. That has the best chance of netting you the best (cheapest) type of gains.

However, if you are concerned that this vehicle has been tuned, then take it to ford and have them reflash it for you. Around here, that's $100. If you didn't get a device when you bought the truck, that's going to be the only way to get rid of it.

If it's a module, pop the hood and see if anything is sitting on top of something that is out of place (I doubt this was used, but it is possible). If a module is there, should just be able to unplug it to take it out of the loop.

Gauges. That will give you the best real time readout of what is going on. Either a digital gauge that plugs into the OBD-II port (which would also give you datalogging capabilities on some of them) or you can do electric gauges to mount on the A pillar (as well as other places). The stock gauges, really don't give you accurate range of displays when it comes to certain readings (if they even have a gauge on there in the first place).

 

Flashing might not be enough if tuned. The module might require replacing first.

 

If it's tuned, flashing will get rid of the old tune on there. Modules do not truly tune. The intercept, modify and send the modified signal on, they don't tune.

If, however, the previous owner stacked a tuner on top of a in line module, then I would be worried about other things.

If there is a chip (which is old technology and I doubt that it would be there on this rig, but it is possible), then that would need to be replaced.

 

Unplugging my Edge Evolution and flashing was not enough for my 150. The module had to be replaced to get truck make to factory. Reason I mentioned this in the earlier reply.

 

Ahh, you are talking about a different module.

There must have been something else going on that was specific in your instance.

Numerous posts (especially in the diesel engine forums) about how the dealership reflashed their truck for an update and that reverted them back to stock and their tuners were locked out for loading any tunes to their truck, because it still had their truck's former stock tune in there.