Performance Tuning

[goboy]

I just had my 03 Marauder performance tuned with a Superchips 1725 Max Microtuner. The tuning was performed by the Superchips technician. It is supposed to add 10% HP and 12% torque but I'm not sure whether I notice any increased performance at all. Passing acceleration seems about the same and it still won't even chirp the tires from a full throttle standing start. Have any of you out there ever had this done and how much performance increase did you notice? Gawd, I spent over $400. I hope I wasn't scammed!

[MarauderMark]

I just had my 03 Marauder performance tuned with a Superchips 1725 Max Microtuner. The tuning was performed by the Superchips technician. It is supposed to add 10% HP and 12% torque but I'm not sure whether I notice any increased performance at all. Passing acceleration seems about the same and it still won't even chirp the tires from a full throttle standing start. Have any of you out there ever had this done and how much performance increase did you notice? Gawd, I spent over $400. I hope I wasn't scammed!


Sounds the same as adding 94 octane gas.you may need to add other parts for better performance other than just a tune.If you really want a difference deal with either Dennis Reinhart (http://www.Reinhartautomotive.com) or Alterative auto (http://www.alternativeauto.com) these guys are the best for our cars...

[Smokie]

If you don't notice a clearly defined difference, something is not right, when I had Dennis flash my PCM; the improvement was; without a doubt, yes I could spin the tires after the flash from bonestock....something is not right.

[MarauderMark]

If you don't notice a clearly defined difference, something is not right, when I had Dennis flash my PCM; the improvement was; without a doubt, yes I could spin the tires after the flash from bonestock....something is not right.


Was that just a flash only and was that with or w/o any other mods?

[Smokie]

I'm afraid so, just a flash, the stat was changed and cooler motorcraft plugs installed, I mention this for complete accuracy, however I do not believe the stat and plugs make the car faster, simply provide a greater margin of safety against detonation.

All I can think of is that my results are not typical, however the change was pronounced and left no room for doubt.

[MarauderMark]

Sounds the same as adding 94 octane gas.you may need to add other parts for better performance other than just a tune.If you really want a difference deal with either Reinhartautomotive.com or alternativeauto.com these guys are the best for our cars...


Again these may the ones to ask for a better program than what you have ..

[MainEngDwarf]

I did just the tune first with no other changes and noticed a marked improvement in performance. If your not noticing any difference then something isn't right.

[89VERT]

I have been driving my MM with the 1725 Superchips tuning for about a year and I would agree with the others who have said that you should feel the difference ,with the shift firmness being the most noticeable.

[BillyGman]

before my Marauder was supercharged, I added the chip along with the 4.10 gears, and the only reason I knew there was any difference was simply because I measured the car's before and after quartermile ET's, and because there was a .50 second reduction as well as a 2-3 MPH increase in trap speed, I knew there was a change, but otherwise I wouldn't have felt any difference in the acceleration increase just from driving the car. I did feel a firmer shift, but that's about it. Personally, I don't think you can expect much more from a $400 modification. I think you have to keep your expectations realistic. HP costs $$. There's just no way around that. So for the $$ spent, a chip and/or handheld tuner isn't a bad deal.;) it will make the difference in a race, but you won't feel any big change in acceleration other than firmer shifting.

[67435animal]

I just had my 03 Marauder performance tuned with a Superchips 1725 Max Microtuner. The tuning was performed by the Superchips technician. It is supposed to add 10% HP and 12% torque but I'm not sure whether I notice any increased performance at all. Passing acceleration seems about the same and it still won't even chirp the tires from a full throttle standing start. Have any of you out there ever had this done and how much performance increase did you notice? Gawd, I spent over $400. I hope I wasn't scammed!

I sold my 1725 and bought a 9100 customer tuner. I had the car dyno tuned and then the tuner optimized the software settings for my car. I did get a better than 10% improvement. We also tuned the transmission shift points.

As I recall, my engine puts about 272 HP to the rear wheels.

I'dkiss the 400.00 goodbye, sell the 1725 which is generic and buy the 9100 and a custom tune. If you'd like to get a great tune by an experiences professional, come to Team Ford in Marietta and ask for Aurik Carrion.

Bob

[goboy]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am trying to keep the car "stock" for collector value. I was told the tuner would add power but the settings could be returned to factory config. at any time. So far this tuner thing has been a big disappointment. Makes a person feel kinda dumb.

[BillyGman]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am trying to keep the car "stock" for collector value. I was told the tuner would add power but the settings could be returned to factory config. at any time. So far this tuner thing has been a big disappointment. Makes a person feel kinda dumb.Like I said, you just can't expect all that much of a power gain from a $400 modification. So I think that your expectations were a bit unrealistic. And that led to disappointment.

[Smokie]

Thanks everyone for the input. I am trying to keep the car "stock" for collector value. I was told the tuner would add power but the settings could be returned to factory config. at any time. So far this tuner thing has been a big disappointment. Makes a person feel kinda dumb.I understand exactly how you feel and what you are looking for, maybe I can help some. The flash, cooler stat and plugs, K&N panel filter is what I started with and that leaves you in a physical sense virtually stock, and if for whatever reason you want to return "bonestock" it would be very easy.

The cost of these very modest changes (about $540)
The results at the dyno: 264 rwhp/289 rwtq
The results at the track: 14.49 @ 97.51 mph

I am providing you with facts not guess work, this obviously is not S/C fast, but I assure you that it is noticeable and it is a very nice improvement over stock for less than $600.

Your cost and or results may vary.

[BillyGman]

When I did the gears and the chip, my car was a full .50 seconds quicker in the quartermile, but I didn't feel anything different in the "seat-of-the-pants" meter when I hit the go pedal, and I couldn't tell the car was faster at all until I raced it and was beating cars by a couple car lenghts that I had previously been beaten by a car length, and I also saw the numbers were different at the track.


My point is, that you'll obtain about a half second reduction with a gear and chip, or handheld tuner, but if you're expecting to feel a substantial difference just by jumping in the car and hitting the gas pedal once or twice on the street, you'll probably be very disappointed (I was) even though your car will actually be a half second quicker in the quartermile. But it isn't any major power increase we're talking about. But for several hundred dollars, you can't expect alot more. It isn't going to feel like a different car when you jump on the noise pedal. You have to keep your expectations realistic.

I didn't begin to feel any signifigant changes in the acceleration characteristics of my car on the street until the car began getting into the 13 second brackets at the track. And that took $4,000 worth of modifications which included the Kooks headers, and complete bolt-on exhaust package, Stallion Torque converter w/3,000 RPM stall speed, gears, & chip. It wasn't a major acceleration increase, but it was significant enough to be noticed as soon as I jumped in the car and put my foot into it on the street and on the highway. And ofcourse the major acceleration changes that could be felt during street driving didn't happen until the S/Cer, but that's another story for another thread. HP costs $$. There's just no way around it. There are some very good deals for small mods that can be had from the vendors of this board on go-fast parts that are a decent bang for the buck. But keep your expectations realistic.

[goboy]

Like I said, you just can't expect all that much of a power gain from a $400 modification. So I think that your expectations were a bit unrealistic. And that led to disappointment.
I would have been very satisfied if the product had lived up to it's claim of 10% increase in HP and 12% increase in torque.

[BillyGman]

I would have been very satisfied if the product had lived up to it's claim of 10% increase in HP and 12% increase in torque.I think you're missing my point......A 10% increase in HP from a stock Marauder is only 24HP at the rear wheels. Don't think that by adding 24 HP to the rear wheels that you're going to jump in your car and it's suddenly going to feel like a different car when you hit the pedal on the street, because it isn't. if the car weighed 1,200 LBS less than Marauders do, then perhaps you would feel a substantial difference, but not from a 4,200 LB car. You might feel a very slight difference on the street maybe (I did NOT). but that isn't to say that the product in question did not deliver.The only way that you can claim that it didn't is if you had BEFORE and AFTER dyno tests performed on the same dyno. And unless I've missed something in one of your posts, I don't think that you did that. Please correct me if you did.

[GarageMahal]

I would have been very satisfied if the product had lived up to it's claim of 10% increase in HP and 12% increase in torque.

You should be able to feel the difference with just the 1725. I was very satisfied with mine before I upgraded to the 9100 and a custom tune.

I am car 73 on these time slips. The car is 100% stock except for the tuning. I did some runs after I removed the programming for comparison.

http://www.mercurygallery.net/mmnet/data/500/73IRP_Time_Slips_600x600_.jpg

If you don't notice a difference something is not right. Maybe you should try reinstalling the tune.

jta

[BillyGman]

The above post^just proves my point......in order to know that your car is faster after spending merely several hundred dollars on it, you'll need to go to the track to compare numbers (that's what I had to do when I installed the first couple small modifications in my Marauder). Otherwise, you're not going to feel a difference on the street unless you race a car that you have BEFORE the mods in question were performed. You're not going to feel a difference in the way that the car accelerates on the street simply because it's merely 4 tenths of a second faster in the quartermile. It's only when you get into the big dollars for modifications that you'll be able to realize a substantial difference on the street w/out having to go to the track.

Some people try and convince themselves otherwise, because they don't like to admit to themselves that they spent $$ on modifications that didn't meet up to their expectations, and they're in denial.(I'm speaking in general here, and NOT about anyone in this thread neccessarily). However, the modifications are NOT what's in question here. It's some peoples' unrealistic expectations that are. I'm done with this thread, because I see where it's going, and I've made my point. After you've spent as much $$ on your Marauder as I have on mine for various modifications, then you'll write to me and say..."hey, you were right!" just as others have.......I'm only trying to be of help to you here based on my own experience with my Marauder as well as with other hi-perf cars that I've had that I modified. I'm not trying to cause any major debate. Believe what you want.

[Pat]

I have the predator tuner from diablosport and I noticed from the SOMP that my MM was quicker, shifts firmer and rpm's 500 RPM higher. I have the option, but have not implemented it due to continued wet weather, to modify tune parameters.

To be truthful, the :banana2: drag strip is closed till spring, then I can really tell if there is a significance difference. But :D I'm happy with realistic expectations.

[Marauderjack]

The trick to most aftermarket tunes is transmission management!!! The OEM Ford program does some crazy stuff to get optimum fuel mileage and if defeated or changed at all....YOU WILL GET A SOTP IMPROVEMENT!! :beer:

My car has the equivalent of Lidio's tuning.....eliminating the TC lockup in the first three gears and locking in 4th only above 60 MPH!!! :bows: Dramatic improvement over stock....Feels like the car lost 1000 pounds!!! :burnout:

Marauderjack :D

[goboy]

AAAAAAAAARGH !!

This is so crazy! Some say YES, Some say NO, Some say it doesn't matter, and some say something completely different from everybody else!

I appreciate all of your input and you have unanimously convinced me to put the car back to factory specs and NEVER again consider trying to alter my Mercury Marauder in any way, shape or form--- EVER!

Thank your time and input.

[sailsmen]

You are the first post I have ever seen where someone felt their performance tune was not worth it. I guess there is a first for everything. :confused:

[MainEngDwarf]

Marauderjack got it right when he said that the biggest difference will come with the actual program that is used. I know I've tried both. just the engine tune does't add alot, but the engine tune with the transmission adjustments make a noticable difference.

[sailsmen]

I suggest you try to drive another MM that has a performance tune to compare. :)