Georgia Trail Riders Forum

MEMBERS DISCUSSION AREA => General Discussion => Topic started by: BigJerm on March 24, 2008, 01:41:14 PM

Title: Which is the better buy?
Post by: BigJerm on March 24, 2008, 01:41:14 PM
Alright so I would like to have my speedo recalibrated to the tires. I hate the guessing game I have to play with it. I am begining to plan to plan a trip outwest to Wyoming, YellowStone park and I would want to have my correct speed for that long of a trip. The total miles for one way is 1,933.

So I have a few options and I am trying to figure out which is best. On one hand is the Hypertech and the other is Accu Pro. The Hypertech offers more stuff but also cost almost twice as much and it is VIN locked. The only way someone else could use it is if i returned mine to stock setting. With the Accu Pro several JK guys could go in and buy it and split the cost. But if people are really seeing a mpg improvement of 2 mpg it could be worth it. Just to drive to YellowStone and back is a total of 1933 miles. At my current estimate of 15 mpg thats 258 gallons. If I increase by 2 and get 17 mpg thats 227.5 gallons. The difference is 30.5 gallons at todays rate of $3.20 is a savings of $97.60.

Down below are more details. Please read and give me your opinion on these.

Option 1: Hypertech Max Energy Power Programmer $379.99
             -recalibrates for larger tires
             -set new gear ratio (if you have installed new gears)
             -set different fuel trim for regular and premium (8 whp increase and 15 ftlbs of tq with regular gas)
             -set fan temp control
Here is the link at Q. http://www.quadratec.com/products/17614_5001.htm
You have to ignore all the other stuff it claims it does because if you notice it is listed for several models. People who have used it have reported a 2 mpg gain as well and have noticed some power improvement during accel and highway cruise speeds.

Option 2: Accu Pro Calibration tool $199.99
             -recalibrate for larger tire
             -enter new gear ratio
Here is the link from 4wd. http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?partID=16011
With this one there is less to do. Users have reported no performace increase but they said the transmission shifts at diffrent times now and is a smoother shift.         

Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Krawler00 on March 24, 2008, 03:58:16 PM
Is there not an easier way? I thought you could just get a new gear set for the trans and that was it? Maybe I am unaware on this one. I know mine is around 3-4 miles an hour off. Gas mileage does not seem to be affected.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: BigJerm on March 24, 2008, 04:00:08 PM
no with the JK its all electronic. So no gear replacement for us  :( These are the only 2 out right now and the biggest the dealer can reflash is a 32" tire because that is stock for the Rubicon.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Krawler00 on March 24, 2008, 04:12:54 PM
That blows! Sometimes technology sucks! I would go with the total programmer if possible. Then you can change tires size etc. It would probably be worth the money with gas rising the way it is.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: jneal on March 24, 2008, 04:36:00 PM
surely someone locally has reprogrammed their JK. You might rent the programmer or they might just let you borrow it. Seems crazy to think all the JK's I've seen with larger than stock tires recently have not changed their speedo.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Chris Hyde on March 24, 2008, 04:41:07 PM
surely someone locally has reprogrammed their JK. You might rent the programmer or they might just let you borrow it. Seems crazy to think all the JK's I've seen with larger than stock tires recently have not changed their speedo.

Unfortunately that will not work.  These programmers are locked to the VIN that they program until they are returned to stock (unlocked) on the programmer.  This keeps people from doing exactly what you are talking about.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: DILYSI Dave on March 24, 2008, 06:01:46 PM
I seriously doubt you will go from 15 to 17 MPG with a reflash.  I mean, if you could, why wouldn't Jeep do it from the factory. 
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Chris Hyde on March 24, 2008, 06:10:01 PM
Surely you don't think OEM's send their vehicles out with the most economic tunes do you?  FWIW, a Ford is the richest tuned vehicle to roll out of an assembly line.  Sure, you can finess/tune better mileage into OBD2.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Krawler00 on March 24, 2008, 07:05:05 PM
I sure wish I could get another 2 MPGs outta mine!
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: BigJerm on March 25, 2008, 10:27:08 AM
So I think I might go with Hypertech. I mean it is almost $200 more BUT if I will save a $100 just on my 1 trip then I only have a $100 left to save in mpg to justify it over the Accu Pro. That will take a little while but it end up saving the. Also having a little more power would be nice headed up through some of those mountains. I cant afford the regear right now....
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: ballzy on March 27, 2008, 08:51:59 AM
get a gps
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: BigJerm on March 27, 2008, 09:14:17 AM
eh I dont think ill be making the trip this summer so this will get put on the back burned for awhile. Unless Mike and Corey want to go in 3 ways on an Accu Pro. You can get up to 8 Jeeps before it "locks".
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: DILYSI Dave on March 27, 2008, 12:24:52 PM
Surely you don't think OEM's send their vehicles out with the most economic tunes do you?  FWIW, a Ford is the richest tuned vehicle to roll out of an assembly line.  Sure, you can finess/tune better mileage into OBD2.

Yes.  Yes I do.  It is in their best interest to make them as efficient as possible.  Especially the ECU, since that costs them no hardware.  I know one of the emissions guys at Ford.  He's got an entire department that is responsible for nothing more than minimizing emissions and maximizing economy.  Now, there are compromises in the programming where minor gains can be picked up by the aftermarket (for instance, diveability is improved by going rich on throttle tip-in) if other concessions are made, and there is opportunity to optimize when hard part changes have been made, but on a stock vehice, there really isn't much in the way of low hanging fruit.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Chris Hyde on March 27, 2008, 04:25:09 PM
Dave, just curious.  How much data on 99-04 4.6 Ford motors have you seen on a wideband?  Have you ever seen this year engine run 11.7:1 all the way to the top on an out of the box motor?  I have spent countless hours at Dynolab, Modular Powerhouse and Team Ford with cars on the dyno's and can tell you first hand that stoich on an OEM Ford motor is HARD to find on a stock motor.  Not sure about Chrysler.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: DILYSI Dave on March 28, 2008, 01:01:38 AM
Dave, just curious.  How much data on 99-04 4.6 Ford motors have you seen on a wideband?  Have you ever seen this year engine run 11.7:1 all the way to the top on an out of the box motor?  I have spent countless hours at Dynolab, Modular Powerhouse and Team Ford with cars on the dyno's and can tell you first hand that stoich on an OEM Ford motor is HARD to find on a stock motor.  Not sure about Chrysler.

Zero time on a Ford 4.6. 

Yeah, 11.7:1 is a bit fat.  Bad FPR maybe? 

They aren't going to run them at 14.7, as that hurts power and gives zero headroom for bad gas, fouled plugs, dumb drivers, etc., but I'm used to seeing most factory tunes in the 12.5 - 13.5 range, which ain't bad. 
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: b1pig on March 28, 2008, 01:44:33 AM
i'd probably go for the Hypertech anyway. it has the most flexability, updatable... so IF they DO make up a program that allows adjustment of the transmission shifting points... which i was told by the Hypertech techno rep that was a possibility, but no guarantee... then .... ;)

i'm probably gonna get one. going to get a rear bumper first, though.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Metro on April 03, 2008, 08:45:27 AM
I have a Garmin C320 that I got from Frys for $200 and it has a speedo.  It seems pretty accurate. 
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Xterra on April 03, 2008, 08:54:40 AM
my tom tom keeps better track of my speed than my spedometer :D haha. noticed a differance between my spedometer and my gps after i changed my tire.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: ballzy on April 03, 2008, 08:57:36 AM
that's why i brought it up.  My plan is to buy a GPS so that if I change tire size again, I don't have to worry about fixing my speedometer.
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: Metro on April 03, 2008, 08:59:01 AM
Yeah I've done the math before and my GPS reads exactly where I would expect my speed to be with the larger tires.  Usually around 2-3 MPH over what my speedo says at 70.  I'm only running 31s  :-[
Title: Re: Which is the better buy?
Post by: BigJerm on April 03, 2008, 09:57:10 AM
ive tracked mine before as well with GPS. With lower speeds its around 5 mph off and higher speeds like 65+ i am around 10 mph off