Re: super chips
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Megacab</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: miniman93</div><div class="ubbcode-body">ok so why would i have to use premium gas and its got an economy setting that improves gas mileage. im not tryin to argue dbut did you have one that didnt work for you or what </div></div>
Premium is used for it's performance setting, as the ignition timing is seriously advanced.
I know people that have used the Superchips, Hypertech, etc, tuners and they are all a waste UNLESS you own a diesel. ALL they do is alter the spark, ignition, and fuel curves. Without SOME form of forced induction (turbo or supercharger, nitrous), there is only so much they can do. I have also been hot rodding cars since I was barely old enough to drive them. Here's a good breakdown. If vehicle "A" has the programmer and vehicle "B" doesn't, and they have a 1/4 mile drag race, vehicle "A" will beat vehicle "B" to the finish by less than a fender.
Yes, it has an "economy" setting that CLAIMS to increase gas mileage. It works by retarding the timing. You get slightly better MPG, at the expense of losing alot of power and responsiveness from the timing reduction. On a dead flat level road. Add even a slight incline, and your MPG will get WORSE as the engine will be forced to work harder than before to make up for the reduction.
Ever wonder why automobile manufacturers spent the money going to variable valve timing and multiple displacement ignition systems that kill ignition spark to particular cylinders effectively turning 6 cylinder engines into 4's, and 8 cylinder engines into 6's, instead of just slapping a programmer on it?
Unless you plan on doing a BUNCH of modifications to your vehicle, skip it. It's snake oil. Mind over matter. Like people that think their cars are so much faster after they change the mufflers or people that think if they dump a bottle of octane booster into their fueltank, that MUST mean they will go faster! You don't something for nothing...Anything that states "MORE power! Better gas mileage!" is full of shit. Those are mutually exclusive sentences. Go find a gear-head. A REAL gear-head wrench turner and ask.
The Superchips programmer for a Dodge 5.2 liter "Magnum" (aka "anemic 318") shows a max gain of 18.7 HP and a max gain of 30.2 ft lbs, so I'm not sure how that equates to a "WOW" given the AVERAGE gain is less than 9 horsepower and 16 ft lbs across the entire powerband...a supposed 1-2 mile per gallon increase while spending .30 cents a gallon extra for premium? A 1 MPG improvement using regular? Care to extrapolate how long that's going to take to see a return in investment adding the cost of the programmer to the equation?
The absolutely BEST thing though? The programmer for your 5.2 works on the Ram, Dakota, Durango, Charger, Magnum, 300C, and Aspen. Last time I checked, Dodge discontinued the 5.2 liter engine in, what, 1999 if I recall correctly? It also only made 230 horsepower. So the programmer MUST do alot if it can change the specs on vehicles, (Charger, Magnum, 300C, and Aspen), that came out long after the 5.2, thankfully, went to it's grave. And I HIGHLY doubt that a 5,600 pound vehicle being powered, or rather UNDERpowered, by arguably the WORST engine ever offered in a full sized pickup truck that left Dodge getting 12 MPG brand new, now gets 16 MPG...
So the bottom line, miniman93?:
Unless you have a diesel, skip it.
You'll see MUCH better returns by developing better driving habits. If you're just cruising down the street and have to scrub a few MPH off your speed because the guy in front of you is going slower than you thought? That means you just wasted MPG. You hit the brakes, you lower your MPG's. Simple fact. I drive by the mantra "What's the rush?" and I typically see 15-18 miles per gallon in my truck. My truck does NOT have Dodge's MDS system, and weighs 7,900 pounds without myself or all my tools in it.
Or?:
Drink the Kool-Aid, spend the cash, and dream you actually got something from it...
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im not going to get into a debate over the best engine produced. i happen to love to drive my 5.2 magnum...what you may not know is that dodge had the timing so retarded that even the 5.9 is a dog, so the programmer makes a very feelable difference on the 2 gen rams. on the 3 gen rams, i dont know... but for mine it works great.