E-450 performance chip

[Mfreyder]

Has anyone tried this performance chip to get better mileage on a Ford E450?

http://www.gfchips.com/fordeconoline.aspx

Comments?

[carringb]

The Banks Powerpakc is great! I have not read a single review of their new OttoMind programmer however. I do know that my Diablo Predator programmer does a lot more (power and features) than my Banks OttoMind chip did. Chip went back in its box.

[Oldme]

legolas wrote:
Anyone know about the Banks system?

A short Banks review here:

http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/21863.cfm

[Mfreyder]

"Mike" with 5 Star came back and said that there is one model for the RV, with only one tune, it offers a 10% fuel savings, but has other advantages that make the purchase worth while. His opinion. That would take me 12000 miles of fuel savings to pay for the $400. Not altogether a bad deal for a RV with low miles like mine. Still thinking it over... Yeah I thought the 600 to 900 was extreme, people say most anything. So what am I to believe about the other claims? A grain of salt comes to mind.

[legolas]

Anyone know about the Banks system?

[triple602]

Asked twice and still waiting for Mike at 5 Star to respond if changes will pass CA smog.

[mlts22]

People have varying luck with different tunes. I'd also recommend Five Star Tuning as well. Some people report that one tune requires premium, but the MPG increase from the changed timing makes up for the increased fuel.

The only way to tell if a tune works is to stick the rig on a dyno... and I don't know many places that have something for a motorhome.

If I were adding a feature like a low pressure set of turbos on a V-10, a tune is a must (since the engine isn't normally aspirated anymore, so the mix ratio will have to be altered.) If I were not doing anything like that, I'd probably not bother.

[Kit_Carson]

Calisdad wrote:
I have an E-450 but with a 460 engine. We get about 8mpg. The best thing we found to increase gas mileage is to stay under 62mph.

Could not agree more. Slow down, no quick starts and stops, and seldom use cruise control.

[rivercity22]

A friend bought one of those for his pickup only to discover after buying it he had to run premium gas for it to be effective.

[Calisdad]

I have an E-450 but with a 460 engine. We get about 8mpg. The best thing we found to increase gas mileage is to stay under 62mph.

[OldRadios]

fuel range on a tank was increased from 600 to 900 miles.

That's a 50% increase in gas mileage. Don't you think if Ford (or anyone else) could do that they'd jump all over it to increase their sales?

[Mfreyder]

Not much time in the RV yet. First trip out got 8.7 mpg but the RV was light on weight. Reading the testimonials on the 5 star said fuel range was greatly improved. I asked some specific questions on what that was. The customer did not qualify the vehicle, but said fuel range on a tank was increased from 600 to 900 miles. This is NOT a MH, not sure what it is. So I asked, we'll see what "Mike" will come back with. MH reader choice award? A lot of people in the MH world are promoting the ripoff chips, we'll see.

[Oldme]

I have not changed or programed chip yet.= in my E450.
On a sports car a few years back there was a big difference.

All OEMs are a compromise so they will work in all conditions.

From what I can find 5Star Tune does it best.
They need the info for your vehicle an you tell them what you
are looking for. Most people say the biggest improvement is
in the shift patterns.

If you are looking for more MPG I am really doubtful, that with the weight the E450 has to handle, that you will get into the double digits in most cases.

[carringb]

Skip that chip. All it does is modify the intake air temp signal to trick it into running rich. This may not even add more power, and it will worsen fuel economy and emissions.

If you want more power, 5-star tuning has a good tuner. Its quite a bit more expensive however. And yes, the V10 does have more power on tap.

[Mfreyder]

All good points. While not a gear head myself, I worked with a group of aircraft mechanics and know from my avionics background that OEM ECMs are not programmed for max performance, they are programmed to comply with federal EPA guidelines which are not designed for max performance or min pollution to the air. OEM ECM programming I think will be the next search.

One thing for sure, I got lazy and did not dig enough into this one chip, it is a rip off.

Thanks!