need help/info on chips & tunes

The new tuner devices out there now were a mystery to me too. I had a "chip" for my '96 which literally plugged right in to the engine control computer. The new devices are a lot easier to use and can really do a lot for our cars.

The two main devices out there are the Diablosport and the SCT Xcalibrator. I think they are both good. I have the SCT, but a lot of folks like the Diablo. What is important is to select a good outfit to do the tune for you. A lot of folks swear by Bamachips, but there are several others that folks praise on the forums all the time. I got my tune from Paul's High Performance in Michigan. I talked to them about what I wanted and they sold me the SCT with the tune installed.

You can get these things to do what you want, like adjust the speedo, raise the rev limiter, etc. The main things they will do are to maximize the gain from a cold air intake (CAI) if you have one, and minimize the throttle lag that is present in the stock tune. They will probably gain 20-30 HP with a high test 92 octane tune and a good CAI.

You can always return the engine's computer to the factory tune. But, I have not had any problems with my dealer refusing to do repairs under warratny. They know what I've got in there. In fact, I bought the CAI at my Ford dealer.

Hope this helps. When you pick a tuner and a place to do the tune, make sure you tell them everything you want done so they don't have to have you sending the device back and forth to them.

I also have the SCT with a Brenspeed custom tune. Installing the tune is as simple as plugging the unit into socket at the base of the dashboard to the left of the steering column and following the on screen prompts. Once its plugged in the first thing that the unit will do will be to copy your car's factory tune into its memory. This should take about two minutes. Once this is done, at least with the Brenspeed, you will have a choice between three different tunes, based on which grade of fuel that you plan to use. You select the tune octane, hit the button, and follow the on screen prompts to turn the ignition key to on, then off, and that's it. It should take you less than 5 minutes and is completely done from the driver's seat of your car.

I use the SCT Pro Racer Package & its worth every penny. It's easy to pick up and saves lots of $$.