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Using a tune on your F150 is good. Maybe even the best initial mod, given the fuel injected and OBDII computer controlled nature of the F150 at least since 1997.
Adding a tune to your F150 can lead to a new world of productivity for your workhorse. With a custom tune, you can optimize all of your trucks features and modifications to have them perform in peak conditions during any task.
In order to tune your F150, you need a hand-held device. Connecting via the OBDII port (found under the dash around the steering wheel), these hand-held computer tuners connect to the Ford ECU hardware and flash new or revised software into place, saving the factory tune on the handheld in the process. Often times, these hand-held tuners come with several pre-configured tunes that are universally applicable to a certain range of F150s. Depending on who you purchase the tuner from, some tuners require you to plug the tuner into your pickup, download some data and send it over to them to analyze. Once analyzed, they send you back a tune specific to your exact truck.
Canned Tunes: The term “canned” tune is made in reference to a hand-held tuner that already has pre-configured tunes on it. Developed with a more universal scope in mind, these tunes are more general and work on a select range of F150s. These pre-configured tuners usually come with 3 or 4 different tunes to choose from that change a variety of parameters all at once. In the case of the F150 pickup, there is usually a base/economy tune, a tow tune, and a performance tune. In the case of the economy tune, it is designed to work with 87 octane and tweak the power levels in order to maximize the fuel efficiency of your F150 (they do not decrease power). A tow tune is intended to reprogram the engine for low end torque and to tweak the transmission to hold the gear longer before upshifting. Tow tunes usually need a minimum of 91 octane to function correctly and prevent any detonation. Finally, there is the performance tune. Occasionally, there may be two tunes, such as a 91 octane tune and a 93 tune. Performance tunes are intended to give the most aggressive timing, fuel, and spark delivery as possible, which creates the biggest gains in horsepower and torque. However, the higher octane is absolutely needed for these tunes to function without damaging the engine. Pre-configured hand-held tuners are great for stock or lightly modified F150s.
Performance wise, in the case of the Triton engine family, both 4.6L and 5.4L V8 can expect to gain 10-15 horsepower with just a tune on the highest performance setting. 5.0L Coyote owners can expect 15-20 whereas EcoBoost owners can potentially benefit the most with a gain from anywhere between 15-25 horsepower. Keep in mind, these are baseline numbers on a stock engine only using a tune. A tuner can magnify the effects of other modifications (such as a cold air intake), of which we will delve into further on.
Custom/Mail-in Tunes: Alternatively, to the pre-configured tuners, some hand-held devices require you to first plug them into your F150, download some engine data, and then send it into the tuning company in order for them to analyze the data. Once the engine and modification data has been analyzed, a tech will come up with a custom tune(s) tailored to your pickup which is then sent back (via email, or even occasionally postal mail, hence the name mail-in tune) can then be downloaded onto your pickup truck. Targeting your truck specifically, these types of tunes usually yield more horsepower as compared to a canned tune. A custom/mail tune is better suited for a moderately to heavily modified F150, where the tech can really tie in all the modifications you have made to produce the best result.
Besides increasing horsepower, torque, increasing acceleration and overall performance, there are many other features a hand-held tuner provides.
Adjustable Parameters: Hand-held tuners also offer a host of other adjustable parameters that can be tweaked and fiddled with until your F150 performs exactly as you want. Transmission shift points, shift firmness, electric fan settings, RPM limits, speed limits, axle ratio, tire size, speedometer calibration – all of this and more can be dialed in to suit your fancy. One area worth focusing on is the tire size and speedo calibration. Seeing as many F150s get upgraded with larger shoes for off-road duty, the speedo will need to be recalibrated to remain accurate. It won’t be enjoyable if you throw on some big all-terrains and get pulled over for doing 50 when your speedo still says 40.
Troubleshooting Capability: Another cool feature of a hand-held tuner is their troubleshooting capability. Handheld tuners are able to read any diagnostic codes that may have been triggered and point you in the right direction in regards to what the problem may be. Once the issue is resolved, the tuner can also erase the codes and clear the dash of any check engine light or similar warning lights.
Additional Gauge Monitoring & Datalogging: For the F150 enthusiast who is really into data monitoring and logging, many F150 tuners have an option to read from select sensors in real time. In fact, some of the larger tuners can be mounted on your dash and serve as an addition gauge cluster, monitoring parameters such as air-to-fuel ratio, exhaust gas temperature, boost pressure, and really any sensor with a 0.1-5 V source. Some tuners can even save this information and export it to your computer for later analysis.
No, tuning your F150 via an aftermarket tuner does not typically void your truck’s warranty. However, it is best to verify with your dealer. That said, if you bring your truck into the dealer (or any garage, really) for regular maintenance, you should revert your tune back to stock because when the dealer plugs in their own software tools, it can result in erasing your tune and resetting the ECU with OEM parameters. In this case, you cannot recover your aftermarket tune on your own. You’ll need to contact the manufacturer of your tuning device.
Even if you are not particularly gifted when it comes to using technology and computers, tuning your F150 via a hand-held device is really an easy task. The user interfaces are all intuitive and easy to use – with many devices now using a touch screen as opposed to physical buttons. Furthermore, many of the modern tuning devices are now Wifi enabled, meaning they can connect directly to your home network and update themselves without ever having to plug into your desktop or laptop.
All of that said, actually tuning your F150 is quick and easy. First, make sure your tuner is up to date. To do so, you will need to connect it to your home network via Wifi (if capable) or a computer. If it is not up to date, you will need to follow the instructions to update it. Once confirmed up to date, you can then plug the hand-held into the OBDII port with the included cable, which is usually found under the dash near the steering wheel. Turn the key in the ignition to the on position and follow the on-screen prompts. It rarely takes more than 15 minutes to set up your truck exactly how you want it.
A tuner on its own has many features and benefits. Better than this, a proper tune can maximize the performance potential of other modifications and bring them all together for a serious gain in horsepower and torque. Take for instance a cold air intake. On its own, with stock ECU parameters, a certain cold air intake may be good for 10-12 horsepower (same with a cat-back exhaust). But couple this with a tuner and tune that takes these modifications into account and you can realize more than the sum of both mods, which if you ask me, is pretty neat.
