1997 impossible to tune

72ford250 · May 17, 2014

So my truck that has 160/80 stage twos injectors and all the supporting mods seems to be impossible to tune. So the first tuner i had tune the chip was Johnathan at no limit i had problems with every tune only one tune would start the truck and the rest wouldn't and i had a harsh idle with them and lots of smoke and low power with the performance tunes.And also a very very sensitive throttle. I did call them and did work with them to try and sort out the problems that might be with the truck with no success so i had the option to send the chip back but decide not to. Next and most recent i sent the chip to ktperformance (php tunes) got the chip installed it and the truck started fine. So went for a drive well one big concern was the chip had only one tune that it is stuck in. SO idk what tune it is but switching the switch changes nothing all positions are the same. i checked the switch for breaks and ohm it out all is good there. And what ever tune it is on the chip is low power on the bottom end and what i would call a sticky throttle problem (let off the accelerator and the rpms wont drop through a shift and are stuck for a sec or two).Does any one know if this could all be a problem with my truck or is it just my luck? I mean both these tuners are very respect able company and tune tons of trucks with no problems so my truck is the common neutral here so?????:shrug:

psduser1 · May 17, 2014

Sounds like your pump may not be flowing what the program is calling for?
Any idea what icp and duty cycle is?
How many miles on the injectors?
Who built them, aND from new or used cores?
I've run bills tunes, they are almost stock till half throttle, no experience with Jonathon tunes, but he's been around long enough that there's no worries about functionality there.
The no switch between tunes may be a connection issue at the chip?
Just throwing some basic ideas out to check.

72ford250 · May 18, 2014

I can build 2900 with 50% which isn't great but not terrible I think 10000 miles on the hpop stage twos from rosewood used cores and the PCM has had this chip installed on it like 5 times before this last episode with the freshly burnt chip happened straight out of the box. Could this be due to that no limit had the chip formatted in there style of software and php forgot to format it in there style of software?

ghohouston · May 18, 2014

This truck didn't start life as an auto did it?

72ford250 · May 18, 2014

I do not believe so I am pretty sure the PCM code works out to say it is a 1996 5 speed PCM

bluedge8 · May 18, 2014

did you pull the pcm to install the chip the first time? Were you the first to put a chip in it? Was the contacts on the pcm cleaned correctly and not over cleaned?

72ford250 · May 18, 2014

Yep I did all of those I did clean the contacts very well I cleaned every bit of silicone between the contacts and never scraped the Tin off never had this switching problem till I went to install this chip tuned by php Friday night

Tom S · May 18, 2014

If you would double space behind a period your writing would sure be easier to read.

72ford250 · May 18, 2014

So does anyone have any input?

lincolnlocker · May 18, 2014

If you have a manual pcm and its an auto trans now. It is prolly jacking it up but I have never delt with swaps that didnt swap pcm's too.

live life full throttle

72ford250 · May 19, 2014

Hold on I do not have a auto it is a manual PCM on a manual truck. So we are all good there lol.

72ford250 · May 21, 2014

Now I don't know if this has anything thing to do with the problem. But when I hook up AE software and go to retive my DTC codes after it does the detecting sensor the truck cuts out like it's going to die then saves it self and idles away. Had it die once when trying to do a cylinder contribution test a couple of weeks too. So I wonder if my ECM wants to die or has jacked up software on it?

gnxtc2 · May 21, 2014

I'm in the same boat with you as I am having issues to get my 97 also tuned. Even got to the point of pulling out the injectors and down sizing. Tim (PIS) told me to put the chip and see how it drives.......well........it drives like a dream with no chip.

Your build up is similiar to mine. Try pulling the chip and see how it runs. With my build up, I should have a 80HP increase in power unchipped.

IMHO there is something differrent about tuning OBS trucks vs the SD.

I highly recommend that you get the truck live tuned. I'm right at the point of taking a 12 hour ride south.

Billy T.
[email protected]

JD3020 · May 21, 2014

gnxtc2 said:
I'm in the same boat with you as I am having issues to get my 97 also tuned. Even got to the point of pulling out the injectors and down sizing. Tim (PIS) told me to put the chip and see how it drives.......well........it drives like a dream with no chip.

Your build up is similiar to mine. Try pulling the chip and see how it runs. With my build up, I should have a 80HP increase in power unchipped.

IMHO there is something differrent about tuning OBS trucks vs the SD.

I highly recommend that you get the truck live tuned. I'm right at the point of taking a 12 hour ride south.

Billy T.
[email protected]

Who's tunes?

Kinda funny as i know a couple people that have ran NLTD tunes in the past with similar issues, and they were all told that it was not a tuning problem, but a truck problem. They switched tuners and all issues went away...

I ran Gearhead tunes for years on my 97, first with AD's and then 175/100's. Never once had a tuning issue. I'm now running 250/2's and tune it myself, and does perfect as well. If the truck runs fine with no chip, but like **** with the chip in, then IMO its not an issue with the truck.

gnxtc2 · May 21, 2014

I don't want to name tuner(s) and I don't want to get into a pissing match.

I totally agree with the last two sentences of your post.

Billy T.
[email protected]

Tom S · May 21, 2014

72ford250 said:
Now I don't know if this has anything thing to do with the problem. But when I hook up AE software and go to retive my DTC codes after it does the detecting sensor the truck cuts out like it's going to die then saves it self and idles away. Had it die once when trying to do a cylinder contribution test a couple of weeks too. So I wonder if my ECM wants to die or has jacked up software on it?

I have had AE do that on mine as well so I would not consider that a symptom.

Tom S · May 21, 2014

gnxtc2 said:
I'm in the same boat with you as I am having issues to get my 97 also tuned. Even got to the point of pulling out the injectors and down sizing. Tim (PIS) told me to put the chip and see how it drives.......well........it drives like a dream with no chip.

Your build up is similiar to mine. Try pulling the chip and see how it runs. With my build up, I should have a 80HP increase in power unchipped.

IMHO there is something different about tuning OBS trucks vs the SD.

I highly recommend that you get the truck live tuned. I'm right at the point of taking a 12 hour ride south.

Billy T.
[email protected]

My OEM PCM that has been reflashed to TDE1 works differently with a chip then one of my spare PCM's does. The PCM changes the shift points but no idea why.

72ford250 · May 21, 2014

Ok Tom S I will take your word there lol. Now I have been running unchipped and just like yours billy t and it does run very well but as soon as a chip is put on issues just arise

72ford250 · May 21, 2014

gnxtc2 said:
I'm in the same boat with you as I am having issues to get my 97 also tuned. Even got to the point of pulling out the injectors and down sizing. Tim (PIS) told me to put the chip and see how it drives.......well........it drives like a dream with no chip.

Your build up is similiar to mine. Try pulling the chip and see how it runs. With my build up, I should have a 80HP increase in power unchipped.

IMHO there is something differrent about tuning OBS trucks vs the SD.

I highly recommend that you get the truck live tuned. I'm right at the point of taking a 12 hour ride south.

Billy T.
[email protected]