RUFDRAFT

The only way I'd get better mileage after the Tune would be if I placed a large piece of wood under the Go Fast pedal.

MPG a concern? Sell your hot rod and buy a Civic.

howarmat

I agree with CrazyAl that the gain in gas is only for some instances. Most of my drving is in town. My fuel milage dropped about 1-2 MPG. I admit I drive the car different. With the lag gone, its more fun. I get on it a little more. Open road I tend to get a little more than before. Even if Ford put a CAI with tune in them stock, the tuners have so many features that can be utilized. How else can you easily change tire sizes, gear ratio, fan speed, etc.. without the tuner. I like many others woulld have got a tuner anyway. I am glad Ford didn't put it as stock. It allowed me to choose the brand I preferred.

GT Newbie

Ruffdraft:
I've only been holding off on getting a tune and CAI because the service manager at my Ford dealer scared the Bejeezus out of me about voiding my warranty.
I could care less about mileage (though it's nice to know that I can get a very respectable 24+ m.p.g. going a steady 80 on the highway).
In fact, since my baby's now finally a bit broken in (about 1K miles on her), I might as well be putting a large piece of wood on TOP of the "go fast" pedal to give my weary "lead-foot" a break now and then..........[sm=signs007.gif]

RUFDRAFT

I'm smiling!

1. Most "tunes" allow you to reload the factory settings if your car needs service.

2. Find out which Tech at your dealer handles warranty claims.

3. Take him to dinner.

4. Send mea Christmas card!

Ruf -

GT Newbie

Rufdraft:

1. You are advising a guy who, even after 5 years or so, never once managed to figure out how to program the simple timer on his VCR (ever hear of THOSE ancient contraptions, or aren't you that old?), and who has to call his son-in-law in a cold sweat every time my nefarious computer exhibits even the slightest trace of strange behavior (on a weekly basis).
What's more, I've never even learned how to download tunes to one of those bloody iPods- let alone program "tunes" to my car, and I still, to this day, consider cell phones that can take actual photos and video to be "white man's magic"- so to expect ME to be able to matter-of-factly "reload factory settings" whenever my car needs service is being hopelessly optimistic about the abilities of the "technically challenged"....

2. I already "blew my cover" by naively asking the advice of the Service Manager about getting a CAI & a tuner, and he took great pleasure in scaring the SH*T out of me with tales of countless Stangs coming in for emergency service calls with their CEL's lighted up like Christmas trees because of those mods.
He then let me know, in no uncertain terms, that my warranty would be voided faster than Saddam's "short drop with a sudden stop", and that I would be expected to pay for ALL repairs from that point onward- even if I was forced to sell my first-born in order to raise the money.

3. I would be happy to take YOU to diner and send you a Christmas card every year for the rest of my life if YOU would install a CAI & "tune" on my car, and come to my house again every time I needed to "reload factory settings", and then re-install them each time after the dealer serviced it..........[sm=thanx.gif]

06GT4RAD

Yep those reasons and believe it or not there are some who do not want to hear the CAI sound and some do not want the aggressive shifts that a tune supplies for th auto tranny. So it is easier for them to make it quiet and subdued for the general masses.

Richard

RUFDRAFT

Sorry, Bro!

We have much in common. I'm 56 years old. Back in the day, I used to be able to "tune" my cars (timing light - points/condenser/plugs - tach and dwell meter!). Now? Nope.

Worry not. I'm not sure where you are - but I'd suggest asking a salesman at your nearest Ford store which one of the techs in the service dept is a "Mustang" guy. If there aren't any - try to stop a modified Mustang and ask him who does "dyno tuning" in your area.

Then - talk to them. They'll take your SCT or Diablo tuner and get your car "tuned." Then, if it needs service, just bring it back to them and they'll reload the factory settings.

Tuning shops like Brenspeed sell the hand held tuners that look like a Game Boy device.

Or - most dyno tuners sell them also.

http://www.brenspeed.com/

Give Brent a call and you'll feel better about the whole deal.

Ruf -

[IMG]local://upfiles/54696/1D9116145A594BB496067937B513C176.jpg[/IMG]

GT Newbie

06GT4Rad:

"Cai sound and aggressive shifts that a tune supplies for the auto tranny"...?!
Please to explain...????
I'd LOVE an even "meaner" sound than it already has "stock", but what exactly do you mean by "aggressive shifts" for the automatic tranny- do you mean I'll be lurching backwards (and forwards) in my seat every time it shifts gears?

GT Newbie

Hey Ruf,

Well, I just recently turned 57- so we're both from the same Golden Era (Beatles, Woodstock, birth of the Muscle Car) and have that much in common- but it appears that you were handy enough to be able to tune your own cars, while I was unfortunately only able to helplessly moan: "it..just..STOPPED?!" whenever anything went wrong.................

I appreciate the tip about stopping someone with a modded Stang and asking them who did the work- but I seem to recall reading here on the MF that our cars have a nefariously sneaky computer with a memory of whatever was done in the way of tinkering, and that the dealer could "flash" it and see at a glance if anyone was trying to hide the evidence just by temporarily re-setting it to factory specs.
Somebody else then wrote that you can try to foil them by unhooking your battery for a half-hour, but of course the dealer might have a way to get around that too........

All things being equal, I'm extremely satisfied (thrilled is more like it!) with the performance of my car even though it's bone stock, so unless adding a CAI & tune would shave at least a full second off my 0 - 60 time, I think I'll just wait patiently for my warranty to expire (unless I happen to expire first!) before adding those mods.
I'm also seriously considering getting a Shelby in 3 years and giving this baby to my wife (who loves it too!).

[IMG]local://upfiles/53083/71C603D61AA24F20AA91877EE38D094C.jpg[/IMG]

howarmat

I hear many people here who are worried about getting a CAI and tune because of it voiding the warranty. Most dealers don't care. They have to prove that the CAI or tune caused the problems you are having anyway. If you find one that does say something then just go to the dealer down the road. I had mine in for warranty work. I left the CAI on but took out the tune. They had to work with the computer and I told them straight up about the tune and CAI and that if it threw a code that would be why. They didn't even care. Fixed the problem no charge of course and comment on how they like what I had done with the car. No problems at all. If worse comes to worse you just remove the CAI and tune and unplug the battery for a few minutes and then they can not tell anything. It only should take 40 minutes to do this and the advantages gained are well worth it.