Programmers?????

[mitch]

ok i'm totally new at this stuff,and so far you guys have been awesome answering all my dumb questions. What is the deal with these programmers?
Do you buy them then have them programmed?
Do they come programmed?
Can i program one from my puter?
What is a good one to buy for my 3.8 stick stang?
Is it worth buying a used one?
How do i find a place to program a used one,and how much do they charge?
Does it make a huge performance difference?

Sorry bout all the questions but i'm more cofused than usual hahaha

[SpectorV]

What is the deal with these programmers?
it all depends on what the programmer's programs were setup to do. They can do many things other than just load a program into your computer. They can also allow you to alter some aspects of the vehicle... but nothing super useful in most cases until you are moderatly modified or you have a power adder (supercharger, nos, turbo, etc)

Do you buy them then have them programmed?
Generally you buy them from a vender that puts a program(s) on the programmer to fit your car and your modifications. The programmer just allows you to load the program without having to put a chip in the car and you can alter the program as well

Do they come programmed?
They should come with a program(s) already loaded, just make sure its a good one from a good vender, anyone and throw some garbage in there and say it gives you 400 hp if they wish

Can i program one from my puter?
Some can hook up to your computer and you can get programs emailed to you and then you can put the onto the programmer

What is a good one to buy for my 3.8 stick stang?
check out our sponsors, there are some very good V6 tunners out there that can help so i will let some of the v6 guys/girls step up and guide you to a good tunner and give you information on that

Is it worth buying a used one?
It all depends, can you get another program for the car? You had also best know who you are getting it from because you cant use the programmer on two different cars, you have to "remove" the first car's program to unlock the programmer to use on a new car and I do belive (not 100%) that the programmer has to match your computer code on the car (not 100% on that)

How do i find a place to program a used one,and how much do they charge?
Any really good dyno tune shop can hook you up as some of our venders have options and they update your program as needed, the price varys but i would assume 300-400 bucks all in all when you are done.

Does it make a huge performance difference?
As far as direct performance gains it doesnt make much of a difference at all, about what exhaust does or so~ it can firm up your shifts (auto) alter your rev limister, tweek your AF ratio, and other this and thats... overall its not worth the money until you have some good mods on there OR they will do you a new program free or near free for future mods. I would also HIGHLY recommend getting a before/after dyno tune and check your AF ratio with a wideband so you know your car is doing what it should be.

[PureVenom]

Quote: Originally Posted by mitch Can i program one from my puter?

Not without buying the retail software to do so, which you have to be a vendor to do, and is boucoup bucks. So, no...but you can't use the programmer itself to change your tune so you don't need a computer to do it.

Quote: Originally Posted by mitch What is a good one to buy for my 3.8 stick stang?

I flat out recommend the SCT XCal 2...or the new version called live wire I believe. It has some cool shit you can do if you have a laptop...and is very simple to use.

Quote: Originally Posted by mitch Does it make a huge performance difference?

It won't make a ton of difference to your manual V6...but you will get some "seat of the pants dyno" changes. The car will feel crisper and just run better in general.



I don't have it quoted here as I just thought of something to say about it...but, buying a used one is fine, but it won't really be worth your money. Say you pick up an XCal2 for around $200 right now. Then you will have to have some custom programming done...email tunes are around $125-150. So, we are up to $350. Then, the shop is going to charge you for wiping it out, which is about another $50-100. Ok, so we are over $400 now...oh, and you have no warranty should something crap out.

Or, you buy one new that comes with 3 complete tunes for your car already on it. It will run you about $379 and possibly some shipping. So, figure $400...so it is about the same price, only it is new and comes with a warranty should something crap out.

So, unless you have a hook up with someone that does tuning, it won't be all that worth it to buy one used...it will only look good up front, and then the additional charges will bring it up to full price.

VMPTuning is your answer for a tuner by the way. He is a site sponsor...and well, he knows his shit. VMP Tuning Inc I believe is his web site. He is a member here as well if you would like to pm him some questions. He is always ready to help out. I believe his user id is JustinVMP off the top of my head.

[mitch]

Thanks guys!
Your a big help