Sorry I need to vent and who better than my Dakota brethren. I warn you it'll be lengthy.

So I've been dancing with SC for a long time to get a good tune for the HOs and am getting no where. I started the fuss with SC b/c the 91 tune sux for everything but WOT. It's their tranny portion that sux during normal driving. It shifts too early and doesn't want to downshift until like 50% + throttle position. Drive around stock it only takes like 20%. Needless to say you can tell. Which is why stock always feels stronger than 91 unless you're Wide Open every where you go. Eventually, SC just told me hopefully new software they're working on will fix it or let me fix it. SC was supposed to release a tranny tune update that will let us tune the tranny more to our likings. I didn't get the details but I was hinted that Part throttle tune would be in there.

Anyhow, I got bored a couple of weeks ago and decided to use the Mileage XS tune...Holy Crap...it's a 91 tune in disguise...almost. It shifts sooo much better than stock or 91. I don't even have to force it to downshift going uphill like I do for 91; I can hold the pedal steady. I don't think it's so much as the engine is performing better as to it's the tranny tuning. That's the biggest difference as it's more responsive on Mileage XS. Again, though the 91 shines better in WOT. Oddly, Mileage XS works so much better than 91 my mpg is WORSE! You'd think that'd be a clue. I feel like stock I can get atleast 18.5mpg. On Mileage XS I get 16-17.5mpg, 13.6 city compared to 15.5 stock. Enthusiastic, that maybe they could read the Mileage XS tune and fix the 91 so I could get the street tune of the Mileage XS and the WOT performance of 91, I contact the New Vehicles Coordinator again. I tell him all this and he decides to pass it to his calibration guy...

 

Here's my email after that:

"I forwarded your information to Dodge calibrations, the guy that made the files in the beginning and still does. He looked at your exact files from your programmer and here is what he ok’d for me to say:

The programs in your tuner are the ones that were made based on your exact file name. So there are no different file names that might cause some of the anomalies you are talking about. The throttle is not electronic so any throttle response issues good or bad did not come from any adjustment because we couldn’t adjust it. In your file all that was changed was a very little transmission programming, fuel and timing changes. The changes for the transmission programming were only changed at WOT. The 87 file should be more responsive (throttle response) because the fuel burns faster than the 91 octane file. Lots of people like the 87 octane program better. Lately a lot of the programs make more power on 87 octane than 91 or even 93. The 91 octane file has more timing than the 87 octane (which it should) which is why it runs stronger than the 87. (I think the 91 octane program has more timing at WOT only also). The truck really wanted to detonate and did so even stock. In some areas he had to pull out timing (from stock) to keep it from detonating. Just like last time he could not see any problems with the program/s and has not had any other complaints. One big thing he wanted to make sure you are aware of: Learn time. All of the programs need lots of learn time before you really see the good results from each. So if you aren’t driving them a long enough time after programming, this could be some of the reason you are having the results you are. Calibrations doesn’t think it is possible to change and make one program have all the benefits of the other programs.



I am not sure if you want to as a test, but you could try to see how the K&N intake changes things (if at all) just to see if it makes a slight problem much bigger. Honestly the calibrations guys are both proud of their tuning and take pride in making it the best they can. At the same time they are under the gun to make new product everyday to keep us going. If calibrations thought that your cal needed fixing, he would have had me schedule you to bring the truck in. If we had several other complaints like yours on the same or even similar vehicle, we would have been more than happy to have you in here with the truck to make not only you happy but others too. I bring in vehicles all the time for fixes if they are deemed necessary. Your type truck was difficult to tune from the get go. It couldn’t take very much timing advance as it detonated stock. If we lean it out to get some more power, it would detonate also. The non-HO trucks perform better with the program also. The HO with the performance changes from the factory limit what we can do. I will keep monitoring any HO complaints and if we have others complain about tuning issues, I will bring this up again and contact you especially if there are any changes made. Sorry this didn’t work out the way you would have liked. "

Okay so I read this and I'm still confused as to why we can't understand each other on the same level. 1st, I didn't mention the 87 tune at all in my email to them. It's the Mileage XS...and shouldn't my MPG going down on that tune be a concern?!?! It hardly lives to it's name...I could possibly be forgiving if the MPG compared to stock but whatever. Okay so there's some predetonation with too lean or too rich. I don't understand why they can't have a tune that takes the "lean" Mileage XS for part throttle activities and add in there when WOT advance the timing. Isn't that what fuel injection computers do? Adjust fuel and timing curves by mapping.

And that's if I buy timing affecting how my tranny behaves, b/c that was my only real prob with the 91 during typical driving. I'm not convinced. Uphill, without effort (maintained throttle position) Mileage XS downshifts 1 gear. Uphill, without effort (maintained throttle position) 91 downshifts 0 gears and bogs down until....Uphill, forced shift (increased pedal to 50% throttle position) 91 downshifts 2 gears. Even if 91 does shift on it's own after bogging down it's delayed and my MPH significantly slowed where as Mileage XS maintains speed. To me, it sounds like the program's fault for forgetting to absorb those details and communicate with the tranny.

 

It seems they don't plan to help me unless other HO owners complain...which won't happen b/c there aren't that many factory HOs compared to non. Plus, anyone who reads me grip won't buy one. And for them to not get one model's business won't hurt them so they don't really care.

Pissed b/c they won't help me, I wrote them back saying:

Your website has a page "Why Superchips." In that, you say "We believe in giving you more power throughout the driving range. Some companies only pump up the power at full-throttle because that’s much quicker and easier for them than working on all of the points through the throttle position and engine rpm range. But this is a key Superchips difference you’ll feel when using one of our “tunes” – more power everywhere that you can use every minute of every day. " I'm am not enjoying your 91 tune at all as it doesn't give me "MORE power throughout the driving range" only WOT. This tune is what you say you are better than. Sure the Mileage XS tune gives "MORE power throughout the driving range" but it doesn't help my MPG it makes it worse.

I said a few other things but I thought that was key. Consequently, they've decided to ignore me again I guess.

 

You're right studly.....I won't buy one now for my HO. Good Luck.

 

On the upside you've now saved mprohr and myself from spendin' the coin on the SC tuner.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, now I wish I hadn't. I've gotten to the point where I'd rather spend the money on my jeep. I could have used the SC money on my Jeep's axle swap.

For me to even benefit from their unreleased Tranny tuning feature I'd have to buy a newer tuner b/c the 3815 doesn't have the memory

 

You should have been at least offered a refund!

 

Easy translation: Don't buy a SuperChip or the Mileage XS? They don't do anything for the 4.7 HO when it comes to the tranny shifting?

Maybe a shift kit is the best option here?

I'm so confused.....

 

Nah, Mileage XS to me performs the way I'd expect 91 tune to perform throughout the driving range. Probably b/c it does shift more often without my encouragement. The 91 doesn't shift enough on it's own. Everything is inversed of each other. 91 has the power but weak shifts giving near stock MPG. Mileage XS has mild power but good shifts with worse than stock MPG. XS is kinda jumpy and ready to launch without much pedal effort. Don't buy it b/c it doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

I'd probably pick a torque converter over a shift kit. I like the one that I put in my jeep.

 

Still confuseded...

SuperChip.

Mileage XS.

91 Tune.

I thought the SuperChip would help out with performance issues, as well as shifting. Depending on which one you got would depend on what you got as well. One model did more, adjust engine performance from having to buy tires every week to having to buy a tank a gas a week. The other only did one thing, and I forget what that was.

Never heard of the other two until yesterday.

More input before I shell out my hard earned dollars on stuff that don't work.