JPop

I calculate every tankful and by hand, OK really my iphone and make a notation on the receipt. I always keep notes of anything out of the ordinary that went on with that tankful, so I can throw out any outliers.

The computer has a window that it will overstate your gas mileage, generally to the bogging down portion of the power band. If you keep your rpms up in the 2500 range it is fairly accurate, or at least on my JK.

If you make a conscious effort to improve your fuel mileage, it's not much of a problem to pull an additional 5-10% efficiency. If you drive it like you stole it, that pendulum swings the other way.

With the use of a programmer be it Superchips or Hypertech I did and do see fuel mileage improvements. In round numbers the same 5-10%, but I can bank on 5%. Running the 93 octane tune on the superchips flashpaq I can pull pretty close to 10% better than stock and can justify the additional fuel costs in the summer.

So while I think some of these numbers are overstated, I think some other ones tell the story as it is. I also believe that regularly checking your mileage tells a pretty good story about what is going on with any vehicle, and when things get out of whack it's time to start looking for things, be it plugs, wires or inflation rates on tires.

I have also found that I get better mileage when I get fuel from the same place. Not to say that one fuel is better than another, but from brand to brand not having any inconsistencies to deal with seems to keep the PCM happy.

Mtn Man

I dont mean to get off topic but with the Superchips can you use it on multiple jeeps or is it set for only one? Thanks

wmcvey

I have read on the forum that it is just one at a time. You can use it on multiple Jeeps, but would have to restore the stock setting on the first one before you could use it on the next.

reynolr

Ok men. I did as I said and ordered the Flashpaq. Price was definitely right from Northridge and David got it out to me super fast. Now for the bad news. I don't see what all the hype is about. It did allow me to get my speedo matched up to my tires but I can't tell any difference in the performance area. I even cleaned the old K&N just before doing the update but honestly I don't feel any difference. I even went with the 93 octane update even though I have always used 87 (yes I filled her up with 93 as well) and still nothing. Any thoughts from those of you that professed that your JK was now just a tick away from Ferrari type power?

JPop

I can't remember anyone who professed they were getting Ferrari type performance from their JK after installing a Flashpaq.

What I can tell you is some of the posts with this upgrade, and for that matter any other performance upgrade, overstate the gains.

That said, you do have some tools available on your Flashpaq to quantify your improvements. For instance, I did some 0-60 tests and the differences were more than my butt meter anticipated. If I recall correctly, w/o the Flashpaq 9.84 seconds and with the Flashpaq 9.14 seconds. That's not Ferrari times, but it's a substantial gain.

There have been Flashpaq users who have not seen gains out of the box. This seems to be a PCM re-learn issue. As I have suggested to others, and they later shared their stories of success, you can hasten the re-learn process by doing a series of freeway on ramp blast at close to or near WOT.

MY experience has been with any programmer change, be it on my Hemi Dodge Ram or my JK it takes about a tankful of fuel before everything is close to dialed in. I have also noted that there is a progression with fuel mileage, and generally into the third tank before the improvements level off.

So if you were expecting V8 performance undoubtedly you will be disappointed. If you exert some patience and attempt to quantify your results, you should see an improvement. My level of expectations were met when the Flashpaq exceeded the performance of my former programmer. For you perhaps the bar was higher and it won't deliver up to your expectations.

BTW, what gears do you have in your rig?

reynolr

I was being a little facetious with the ferrari comment but I really do not feel any difference. I am running the crappy 3.21 gears but they are the same crappy 3.21 gears that I was running pre install. Keep in mind that I am basing this on town driving as I don't really have much opportunity to take it off road much. I didn't expect to mistake it for a sports car but I was hoping to be able to feel just a little difference. Maybe it will be as you say and after a tank or two it will pick up some. I remain cautiously optimistic.

Mud Bug

Received my Superchips 3875 Flashpaq from Northridge 4x4 Thursday and made an install Friday. Northridge has a great price and rocketed the thing across country to my house at light speed. It's really a good feeling having the speedometer back on after installing the 35's. I put the gas saving tune in for daily driving and can't wait to get to the off road park and try the crawl tune on the rocks. The Flashpaq is straight forward enough that I don't need to keep the instructions with it now that I've done an install. I for one really like this thing and if I had it to do all over again, I would.

CJK

The guys stuck running the overheating automatics (like me) feel more of a benefit from recalibrating for tire size because it corrects the shift points of the tranny. I noticed from your info that you're running 35's on 3.21 gears with a 6 speed. A programmer isn't going to overcome that math. Sell the programmer to someone with an auto, regear your axles, and use the cheaper AEV Procal to recalibrate your speedo for tire and gear change. I'm betting you don't even use 6th anymore unless you're on a long downhill on interstate. You need an axle ratio in the upper 4 (4.88?) or lower 5 range to get the gerbils back in their power band. With your current setup I doubt you'd even feel much difference if you programmed for premium fuel (and filled up with high-test) - there's only so much we can squeeze out of these little van motors and your gear ratios are definitely working against you.

JPop

Sorry, but I don't exactly subscribe to that. Even with 3.21s and 35s, you get into the power band at about 15mph with a 6 speed. If your shifting into 2nd at 3k you pretty much stay in the power band. Certainly at highway speeds 6th is going to be bogged down a bit, but you don't need to make that shift. So somewhere, and provided that there is a power gain, you should be able to realize it. If you are short shifting into second, and bogging the engine down with shifts into 6th at 50mph you aren't.

Assuredly you need to gears to make the best use of your transmission and tire size, no contention at all on that point. However to suggest that the only way to discern a power gain is with an automatic transmission and gears as prescribed is at best naive.

CJK

The 3.8 JK is a pig. Handicap it and it's even worse. The power gains to be had from the programmers (I've run both) are minimal at best. I love the power of the fuel injected 258 in my CJ but it rides like a logging truck. Naive is thinking you're going to be happy with 3.21 axle ratio trying to spin 35's with our minivan engine. Just my 2 cents.