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TuckerLdlow
Dodge Dakota
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6/15/2006
08:51:05
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 Subject: Superchips - disappointed
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I got my Superchips tuner Tuesday, right before I hit the road for Wilmington - 300 miles from here. I'd put mid-grade in the truck, and got 20.4MPG going down without the Superchips. I was running it pretty hard, at 75MPH most of the way.
Did my business thing yesterday morning, and installed the 87 Octane file while I was waiting for the little woman to finish putting her face on.
Filled it with 87 octane, and headed home - right through the remnants of Alberto, of course. Most of the time, I was running between 60-65MH because it was raining to beat the band (Raleigh wound up with 7 inches of rain).
This was I-40 all the way. Superchips 87 octane gave me 19.2MPG for the 300 mile return trip, and I was really expecting a little more than that.
What has been your experience/gain with the 87 octane program? I'm afraid I've wasted some dinero.....
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bludak
Dodge Dakota
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6/15/2006
11:38:20
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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The 87 octane program was useless for me also. The perf/tow setting was much better, but you need to use the 91 octane fuel. I haven't done any mileage calculations but that was not what I was after, I was looking for more performance and I got it from the perf/tow programming. The performance program wasn't any better than the perf/tow setting.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/15/2006
13:29:46
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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You filled up with different gas, at a different station and drove under different weather conditions and you expected to see a dramatic difference? Sorry but it doesn't work miracles.
Document what you get over a couple of thousand miles or at least four or five tanks of gas and then let us know what you found out.
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wadak
GenIII
6/16/2006
01:00:08
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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Driving in the rain usually lowers mileage, tendency toward hydroplaning, increased road resistance due to standing water. Gas mileage will be reduced also due to higher humidity levels.
92 and 97 Daks both with many mods.
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Billy Bob
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
04:48:52
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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all it takes to nullify the superchips is some rain on the road?
so you should only use it in dry conditions?
what?
and why bother with a couple thousand miles?
the tuner changes the computer instantly - results are supposed to be instant as well.
from the superchips website: "After the 10 minute installation, just hop in your car, truck or SUV and feel the performance gains."
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
06:57:18
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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"all it takes to nullify the superchips is some rain on the road?
so you should only use it in dry conditions?
what?"
I didn't see where anyone said that. Those were simple facts concerning the laws of physics. It's not call Superchips because it is supernatural.
"and why bother with a couple thousand miles?"
Because you can't make an observation like gas mileage based on a single tank of gas. This is especially true under the conditions discribed.
"from the superchips website: "After the 10 minute installation, just hop in your car, truck or SUV and feel the performance gains.""
Better gas mileage may not necessarily be a performance gain for many people. How much high performance driving do you think this guy did in rainy weather?
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bludak
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
10:59:30
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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The computer does not have to re-learn anything as the superchips programmer resets its values so you don't have to drive it long to see the gains, but a gas mileage calculation can never be done on 1 tank of gas. It will vary from tank to tank depending on your driving habits, wind, temperature etc., if you can get the same mileage every time then you must be doing something extrordinary. Looking for 1 to 2 MPG is a lost cause, you can make a mistake in calculations to cause a difference of 1 or 2 MPG.
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Billy Bob
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
15:21:28
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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my point was that if you dont see any difference right away, more miles and less rain isnt going to make a difference. either the tuner makes a difference or it doesnt. at the very least it should have canceled out the loss of performance from the bad weather.
spending a bunch of money on a tuner that only shows a difference after averaging out several thousand miles of driving is ridiculous.
if you dont see a difference with it right away, i say return it or ebay it. if you have to do mathematical averages, it isn't worth it.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
15:45:58
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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"my point was that if you dont see any difference right away, more miles and less rain isnt going to make a difference. either the tuner makes a difference or it doesnt. at the very least it should have canceled out the loss of performance from the bad weather."
The point is he wouldn't know if there was a gain under the conditions he was driving. We don't know how much he would have lost without it. Gains are usually on the order of 0-2mpg. They don't promise gains in gas mileage.
For all we know he was bucking a 30 mph head wind and would have only gotten 17 mpg without it. That would mean that he got 2.2 mpg increase. Now that's pretty impressive.
Since his observation was totally uncontrolled neither he nor you can come to any logical conclusion. I've based my conclusions on about 20k miles of driving in each different mode and without it. I now get between 18 and 19 mpg with a modified 5.2. Originally I got between 16 and 17 mpg. It's paid for itself based on that alone not to mention the overall increase in performance.
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bludak
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
16:51:40
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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I agree, I don't think Superchips was too concerned about the gas mileage, just the performance aspect of it. After all isn't that why you bought it? Thats all I was looking for. It still is a lot of money for what you get but I am sure there were loads of hours of research done to produce it and still be safe to use.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
17:42:51
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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The 87 octane program gives you some timing advance and almost everyone can benefit from that. More advance generally leads to better gas mileage. All of the programs give a more aggressive shift pattern for automatics. The two performance programs give more advance and alter the fuel mapping.
If anyone buys it purely for an increase in mpg then they simply didn't do their homework and I don't have any pity for them.
As far as being a lot of money for what you get you only have to look at the cost of exhaust systems people put on their trucks for zero gain. If you only get 10 hp out of the deal that amounts to $30/hp. That's right in line with most and better than many. Anyone that thinks that is a lot of money for a performance mod should stop right now and keep their truck stock.
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bludak
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
18:05:41
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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There is no option for changing shift points for the V6. It is untouched, it says right in the manual. You cannot do anything with the transmission with the 3715. I noticed nothing.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/16/2006
18:48:01
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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It's not an "option" for the v8 either. It is just what it does. Some people don't even notice the change but then they didn't pay attention to how it shifted in stock form either.
Mine, in stock form, shifted 1-2-3-lockup-OD. With the tuner it shifts 1-2-3-OD-lockup. Lockup occurs at about 52 mph.
I can't find anything in th manul that says the v6 is any different.
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foolio
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2006
03:38:15
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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I've based my conclusions on about 20k miles of driving in each different mode and without it. I now get between 18 and 19 mpg with a modified 5.2. Originally I got between 16 and 17 mpg. It's paid for itself based on that alone not to mention the overall increase in performance.
haha thats like 3 or 4 cents per gallon savings
musta taken a while to pay for itelf that way like you said.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2006
08:42:23
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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What's your point there, foolio?
Most people would be delighted if any mod paid for itself even over the entire life of the vehicle. Getting both increased performance and payback is the best deal anyone can hope for.
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wrong
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2006
10:33:25
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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"haha thats like 3 or 4 cents per gallon savings
musta taken a while to pay for itelf that way like you said."
That's not a savings of 3-4 cents per gallon anymore big guy. With gas prices the way they are now, I would kill to get another 2mpg which would give me another 36 miles to my tank of gas. This would in turn save me roughly $6-8 a tank seeing as gas here in New York is over $3 a gallon where I live. That amount of money will quickly add up and would be worth it for me.
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bludak
Dodge Dakota
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6/17/2006
11:24:36
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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I think you are dreaming, the cataloge that I ordered my 3715 from did not list any changes that would be made as far as the transmission goes. You cannot and it does not change any shift points or firmness. The only way you can do it easily is to adjust your TV cable or instal a shift kit. Superchips does nothing for the transmission on the Dakota. Call and ask.
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Adam
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2006
02:19:42
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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Added performance and possible increase in gas mileage... you bought the thing for performance...not gas savings. There is no miracle pill out there to do so. Some people see different changes because everyone's truck is different. Each one will react differently due to each mod. I could understand some complaints if a stock 4 banger dakota blows your doors off. For me I'm quite happy with the superchips and other mods. It's not near a v8 but compared to a stock v6 you can definately tell. For my '00 cc 4x4 I smoked a 2wd reg cab v6. Hit second, chirped the tires and there was nothing but distance between us. Guy came at me at 3 different lights...Same result everytime.
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TuckerLdlow
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2006
09:56:15
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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Whoa!! Been offline for a couple days, and it appears that I started a furor that I didn't mean to start - just asking experiences.
And yes, I DID buy it looking primarily for mileage gain and not necessarily performance. It would appear that any MPG gains in the 87 octane mode are likely a figment of someone's imagination. Heck! If anything, it's worse (around town) than it was before I loaded it up.
I haven't had a chance to try the performance file yet, but will after I get the 87 octane burned out - and that will be a while yet because it'll be sitting at the airport for the next two weeks while I get a new gig started in Phoenix.
Like Bludak, I didn't see any change in shift patterns. Maybe that's something that comes in the performance package that isn't apparent in the 87 octane file?
One thing that it HAS done for me already - I had the MIL lamp come on yesterday. It was nice to be able to plug that puppy in and immediately tell what was going on - large evaporative leak - and be able to easily clear it. Now if I can just find where the hose is split!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge, gentlemen.
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N56629
Dodge Dakota
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6/18/2006
10:05:14
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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"It was nice to be able to plug that puppy in and immediately tell what was going on - large evaporative leak - and be able to easily clear it. Now if I can just find where the hose is split!"
Emissions problems certainly would have anything to do with your mileage now would they.
" It would appear that any MPG gains in the 87 octane mode are likely a figment of someone's imagination."
Based on what, your trip in the rain? If you've done anything at all to document your experiences let us all know.
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J and J Auto
GenII
6/19/2006
21:53:48
| RE: Superchips - disappointed
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alcohal gas will drop mileage about 1 1.5mpg
humid weather will drop mileage and perf
colder weather will drop mileage
there are so many veribles but my exp with the
super chips also was the 87 program is no better
than stock
I have installed many and the towing or perf
programs are most liked and also most will run
on 89 oct fuel if you get any ping first try
1 colder plug we have been getting very good
resaults with the NGK FR5 obd1 .035 obd2 .040
both V6 and V8 this is the alternitive plug
we found because most customers will not pay
for the halo's that we recomend and run great
in the mag motors the cheaper $2.25 NGK is as
close as you can get to the halo and about a 3rd
the price
One other thing here if you have any bad or lazy
sensors the super chips tunners do not work like
they should
Try the crank sensor mod with the 87 program the
3 to 4 degree advance will help mileage 1 to 2mpg
we also run the sensor mod with the towing and
perf program 1 colder plug and they run great
Larry
J&J Auto
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