AFM Disabler - Worth it?

[Plimbob]

+1 for Black Bear. It's only $150 more, and they can improve drivability, transmission behavior, etc.

What does a Black Bear tune cost? Also, would there be any concern with tuning a vehicle with 265k on it?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[buddyhotrod]

A couple of weeks ago I purchased the superchips flashpaq 2845 F5.

The device is supposed to add 18hp, I certainly dont feel any HP gains at all.

I checked around and about the going price to have the AFM disabled by a tune shop or go the range OBD plug were $200 dollars all day long.
The superchips programmer was only 321 and was delivered to my front door.

The superchips allows you to change shift points, change rev limiter, change top end and so on along with having the ability to read codes.

I guess Im happy with it.
Just took some getting used to it.


BTW I could never find this out about the superchips flashpaq and that is you plug it in to program your ECM then unplug it and the program remains stored in your cars ECM.

Not trying to sway you but rather just give my experience with the flashpaq.
Flashpaqs Email support take a long time for them to respond and they seem a bit short with answers to the questions I have had but they do respond so I guess that says something.

 

[buddyhotrod]

A couple of weeks ago I purchased the superchips flashpaq 2845 F5.

The device is supposed to add 18hp, I certainly dont feel any HP gains at all.

I checked around and about the going price to have the AFM disabled by a tune shop or go the range OBD plug were $200 dollars all day long.
The superchips programmer was only 321 and was delivered to my front door.

The superchips allows you to change shift points, change rev limiter, change top end and so on along with having the ability to read codes.

I guess Im happy with it.
Just took some getting used to it.


BTW I could never find this out about the superchips flashpaq and that is you plug it in to program your ECM then unplug it and the program remains stored in your cars ECM.

Not trying to sway you but rather just give my experience with the flashpaq.
Flashpaqs Email support take a long time for them to respond and they seem a bit short with answers to the questions I have had but they do respond so I guess that says something.

 

[Plimbob]

Thanks Eddie for the information on the super chip.

I think I am going to go with the AFM disable unit sold by Brendan at 1Swap for $50.00. I had an exchange with him directly and read the info on his site and feel comfortable with giving it a try.

I wish I could get more HP from mine (2007) too but other than an internal parts replacement, rebuild or swap I haven't spoken with anyone who actually got a material HP gain (15-20 hp) from chips. I friend of mine with a 1500 Silverado 5.3L bought one of the chip/tuners and did it himself and he said he had the same experience - he couldn't say he thought his truck had more HP.

From what I have read on this forum over the past couple of years the Black Bear folks do a great job improving performance not sure about HP gain though. If I were to buy another newer Tahoe I would go to them right away and have it done.

Cheers,
Tim

 

[iamdub]

Chips belong in a bag or can. Jussayin'.

For a little more than what the handheld units cost, you can get an honest increase in power to the wheels as well as (and I consider this to be the bigger and better improvement) better transmission characteristics and not just altered rev and shift points.

 

[Plimbob]

Hey Chris,

Do you know what the tune cost? Also, what do you think about having it done to a vehicle with 265k on it? Mine still runs out fine but engine tranny have lots of wear.

Thanks,
Tim

 

[iamdub]

Hey Chris,

Do you know what the tune cost? Also, what do you think about having it done to a vehicle with 265k on it? Mine still runs out fine but engine tranny have lots of wear.

Thanks,
Tim

I'm referring to what Black Bear offers. You could contact them to ask for the details, they actually have their own thread in the vendor forums here. Off the top of my head, if I recall the details correctly, the tune is something like $325. You'll need the AutoCal as it is the interface to getting the tune and data transferred between your vehicle(s) and computer. You can buy the AutoCal to own if you'll be using it a lot (for frequent modifications, multiple vehicles, etc.) for an additional cost ($350ish?). Or, you can put a deposit down on the AC, tune your truck, then return it to get your money back. You'll use the AC to collect data (basically perform various drive events: cruising, a few WOTs, etc.) and email the data to them. They write a tune based on what they see and on what you request, email it back to you, you upload it into the AC then upload the tune from the AC into your truck. You'll drive some more to collect more data, email them, they study the data as well as any requests you may have and tweak as necessary (if necessary), etc. When you're done, you send the AC back to get your deposit back. So, you'd have like $350ish (gotta account for shipping) invested but have a genuine tune, custom-taylored for your specific ride. Again, this is all "if I remember correctly", so get it straight from the horse's (or bears) mouth.

Mileage on the odometer doesn't necessarily have a huge bearing on what the engine and transmission can take. An abused 20,000-mile powertrain can be in more fragile shape than a 250,000-mile powertrain that was well-maintained and lightly used. Be thorough when requesting your tune details and BB can account for that. Maybe they'll not remove as much Torque Management or back off a hair from their normal power tweaks. There is a such thing as TMI, but the more pertinent info you can provide, the better-suited your tune can be. On that note, the more of the condition of your mill you know, for tuning's sake but primarily your knowledge, the better. Ever did a compression test? Ever scoped the cylinders? Took note of what was in the pan during the transmission fluid and filter changes? Taken note of any odd idling, drivability or shifting characteristics or sounds? How may of those 265K miles have you put on it? How have you used and maintained it over the mileage you've put on it? You know the usage and maintenance history prior to you? Why do you say your engine and trans have "lots of wear"? Is it because of that number on the dash or because of it's usage and maintenance history?

As I lead on in my previous post about the transmission characteristics, GM has it tuned to be pretty smooth to reduce the shock on the drivetrain but also for a more pleasing feel to appeal to the general public. The "slow and soft" shifting is attained by allowing slip in the torque converter, clutches and friction bands. So this pleasing feeling comes at the expense of transmission component life. A tune that reduces this slippage will reduce the rate of wear and operating temperatures. If the miles on your trans are "easy" miles, such as mostly highway miles where it's not shifting so much over a given distance, then that 265K may not be so bad and a tune could help it hit well over 300K miles when it may have a little less than that in it's current state.

The ability to have a tune specifically for your vehicle is absolutely worth the marginal extra expense over what a canned/generic tune from a handheld can provide. The key is knowing as much as possible about the condition of the powertrain and having your vehicle up-to-par before doing any modifications of any kind. The tunes of the handheld models have to be very mild so they're safe for anything someone will be tuning. This means the ignition and fueling and transmission characteristics won't be as aggressive they it could be. This is why they only allow minimal changes over the parameters of which they actually do allow changes.

It's pretty much an all-or-nothing deal. Either spend very little on a tune that returns very little, if anything, or spend "a lot" and actually get a lot. Trying to save $50 or $100 by getting a handheld puts you in the mid-range where you're spending a lot but not getting very much. If, for now, you just want to disable AFM, then you should only have to pay for disabling AFM. I think ~$50 is a good deal for this service considering the other options. I had mine tuned by a local speed shop for $150. I had AFM disabled, the rear (after-cat) oxygen sensors disabled so I'd be able to run catless long tube headers, the speed limiter removed and torque management reduced a little (mine has almost 200K miles so I wanted to be gentle). So, I had no actual power tuning performed, just some things altered. An actual power tune would've been a few hundred and I wasn't interested in that just yet, not with the current powertrain.

 

[Ilikemtb999]

Thanks Eddie for the information on the super chip.

I think I am going to go with the AFM disable unit sold by Brendan at 1Swap for $50.00. I had an exchange with him directly and read the info on his site and feel comfortable with giving it a try.

I wish I could get more HP from mine (2007) too but other than an internal parts replacement, rebuild or swap I haven't spoken with anyone who actually got a material HP gain (15-20 hp) from chips. I friend of mine with a 1500 Silverado 5.3L bought one of the chip/tuners and did it himself and he said he had the same experience - he couldn't say he thought his truck had more HP.

From what I have read on this forum over the past couple of years the Black Bear folks do a great job improving performance not sure about HP gain though. If I were to buy another newer Tahoe I would go to them right away and have it done.

Cheers,
Tim

Do you have a link to this $50 afm disabler?

 

[iamdub]

Do you have a link to this $50 afm disabler?

It's a guy that tunes it out for $50: http://www.lt1swap.com/afm_delete.htm

 

[Ilikemtb999]

Ah, nevermind. I would pay $50 for something that plugs in so I could drive my vehicle after the cam install while I wait on a black bear update tune.