+1

There are quite a bit of people using chips and programmers for their vehicles these days. Many swear by them. I'm curious about the programmers for my 2013 f250.

That's nothing. My Jeep picked up 20 RWHP just by putting this sticker on the hood.

http://i59.tinypic.com/14buesl.jpg

Just generally speaking, but unless you’ve done some work to increase the flow of air into and/or exhaust out of the engine a programmer isn’t going to do you much, if any, good. The manufacturers do a pretty good job of setting the engine parameters for a stock engine. It’s when you modify it beyond stock that a programmer starts to become useful.

What I highlighted is the fact of performance, what goes in has to equally be able to come out.

Also, you have to keep in mind as a consumer if a chip/hand held tuner alters the factory tune it will show up when the computer is flashed and you can pretty much kiss any warranty you have good bye on newer vehicles.

I've seen diesel engines with chips to have premature head gasket failure due to the increased boost.

This.

Tunning is something you do once you've added other modifiers because it's sometimes required with increased air/fuel. I mean, if you're just adding a new air intake and some exhaust mods, it probably doesn't need it.

Otherwise, the factory settings are about as dialed in as it gets.

For the most part this is correct. There are subtle things that can be done such as shift points on an automatic transmission to improve drive ability and adjusting the fuel air mixture tune, I know like my car for instance is set to the rich side by GM.

If you put headers on a newer vehicle you can pretty much be prepared to have to get the car tuned. Its eventually going to throw a CEL because the O2 sensors aren't going to read the exhaust correctly due to the increased exhaust flow over manifolds.

For instance changing to a 3 inch cat back exhaust is only going to improve sound quality, only performance improvements will come with headers with some high flow cats behind them. Most stock exhausts flow pretty well, but are somewhat restrictive to suppress for noise.

Removing the stock air box for an after market cold air intake will provide some varying increases in HP and Torque. For all intents and purposes stock air boxes flow well, but are also baffled to suppress noise during acceleration.

If by Gforce you mean the hampsters from the movie then yes. Yes, I do have hampsters under my hood.

Oh, I already had this in mind. A friend told me about it and swore it is the best think for his PU.

We had good luck on commercial diesel engines due to air intake on the turbo's, etc.

I was skeptical on passenger vehicles.

The installation instructions make it clear: it plugs only into the intake air temp sensor wire. There is no way altering the signal from the intake air temperature sensor in any way could do what this claims.

Shame on you Gear Heads? Your causing Climate change. :D

I think the exception to this is factory tuned turbo cars. My 2011 STI dyno'd 230hp/260tq at the wheels. Added a cobb accessport stage 0, which just leans the fuel out a bit and holds boost a bit longer, and was able to get 255hp/300tq. That was just the out of box map from cobb stage 0, no 'extra' tuning, just flashed and dyno'd. The WRX and STI are notorious for running rich as hell from the factory.

And overclock those bad boys!

STI or WRX? Aren't the STI's supposed to come from the factory with 300hp?