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Old 06-19-2016, 05:02 AM   #21
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Originally Posted by benagi View Post
Greg, curious to see how you will like the 5 star tuner. Let us know if you would when you get back on the road. Thx, Ben
I have the 5 Star on our 2012 Lexi E-450, have had it for about 2 years and 10,000 miles.
Great product, and really improves the shift points in the tranny. No more dropping to the "screaming 3rd" when starting up a grade. It will drop into fourth gear for the most part, and if the grade is long or steep, will then drop into third.
Does add a few HP, but it was designed more for the tranny than HP gains. Throttle response, and acceleration is improved.
But, you are NOT going to see a gain in mpg or gas savings. When you add something that adds HP, it will use more gas...to make HP you need more fuel.
Its not noticable, as the fuel usage is offset by the fuel you save by not having the tranny drop into third gear and having the rpm's shoot from 2300 to almost 4000 rpm's. Most of the time I just leave the cruise control on, and the Lexi, towing our Subaru, keeps up the speed with no problem.
I have delt with "tuners" on various cars I've owned, including a high preformance Mustang and Vette. They do add a significant increase in HP, but the 5 Star is aimed at improving shift points and "driveability" than making HP. Makes the rig much more "plesant" to drive.
I'm not going to "highly recommend it" as it is a costly upgrade, and not everyone will be happy with it (some expect great HP gains). But you couldn't get me to part with mine.
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Old 06-19-2016, 06:54 AM   #22
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Nice review....

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Old 06-19-2016, 10:30 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by torino421 View Post
This is after a recent ~350 mile trip towing my ski boat, some hills but mostly freeway driving around 60MPG. When not towing I get between 8-8.5.
Torino421, is the display you show on your dash...is that a Scangauge display? If so, how do you like it and is is difficult to program and set up? I bought a Scangauge "E", but have not set it up yet as it seem pretty complicate3d
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Old 06-19-2016, 10:50 AM   #24
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Torino421, is the display you show on your dash...is that a Scangauge display? If so, how do you like it and is is difficult to program and set up? I bought a Scangauge "E", but have not set it up yet as it seem pretty complicate3d
No, this is the UltraGauge MX. I mainly got it to monitor trans temp, took some custom programming to get the trans temp to work though. It was pre programmed for the Ford CAN protocol and the default trans settings didn't work. I ended up supplying support with settings that I found on another forum that worked on a 2013 E450. They then converted it to the correct format then I put in those settings.

I just got it before my recent trip and that was before I got the trans temp working, I like it alot more now! Time will tell.
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Old 06-19-2016, 11:50 AM   #25
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Good review of the 5-star tuner. I understand their pricing but feel it's about twice as expensive as it needs to be. Perhaps it's the cost of the device that loads the new software that makes it so expensive. I don't know.

As for shift points I'm sure others have discovered that you can control this yourself. All you need do is ride the gas pedal some while using the cruise control.

I'll be driving along with the cruise on going about 60 and when I see a hill or even a good rise coming up I step on the accelerator just enough to come out of overdrive and into 4th gear. Then I hold that to the top of the hill and turn the gas pedal back over to the cruise control.

Doing this my RV almost never drops into 3rd with the annoying screaming that comes along with it.

I'm not exactly sure why this works but I assume that since the RV isn't losing speed up the hill that the cruise programming doesn't call for drastic downshifts.

I mention this because I haven't seen anyone else mention this. But I assume everyone is doing this. Right?
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Old 06-19-2016, 12:53 PM   #26
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I understand your reluctance, but the shift points are governed by the computer, and the 5 Star tune and its reprograming can make adjustments a lot faster and more accurately than the driver can.
I've driven my Lexi, almost all with towing our Subaru, both with and without the 5 Star, thru flat and mountain roads. I would not be without it now.
The biggest complaints come from those who expect big HP gains. My Mustang GT saw an increase of around 30 hp just from the tune alone, but the tune was specifically aimed at the computers timing and fuel perimaters. With the RV tune, it's aimed at the tranny shift points.
If your happy with what you have now, no problem. But, for the money, it's probably the best performance gain you can do, without getting into a 2-3 thousand dollar Banks System.
You can go to the IRV2 web site and read many hundreds of posts from users of the 5 Star. 5 Star is also a sponser there, and frequantly offers "group buys" where you can save 10% if you hit it right.
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Old 06-19-2016, 07:53 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by torino421 View Post
No, this is the UltraGauge MX. I mainly got it to monitor trans temp, took some custom programming to get the trans temp to work though. It was pre programmed for the Ford CAN protocol and the default trans settings didn't work. I ended up supplying support with settings that I found on another forum that worked on a 2013 E450. They then converted it to the correct format then I put in those settings.

I just got it before my recent trip and that was before I got the trans temp working, I like it alot more now! Time will tell.
Any chance I could get a screen shot of your M gauge settings for the trans temp. I had the same issues when I ordered mine pre programmed but have it working with some changes and a lot of time but not sure getting 100% accurate temps. Just curious if any differences.
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Old 06-19-2016, 08:21 PM   #28
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Any chance I could get a screen shot of your M gauge settings for the trans temp. I had the same issues when I ordered mine pre programmed but have it working with some changes and a lot of time but not sure getting 100% accurate temps. Just curious if any differences.
Absolutely! here you go, hope it helps. I'm not sure on the accuracy yet so let me know if these settings are any different from yours. Everything I tried before resulted in "ERR"

TDATA: 07E0221E1C
TCNTRL: 93
MATCH: 621E1C
RCNTRL: 31
RPOS: 2010
X: 0009
/: 0050
+: 0020
Format: 00
Left/Right 31
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Old 06-19-2016, 08:27 PM   #29
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Originally Posted by torino421 View Post
Absolutely! here you go, hope it helps. I'm not sure on the accuracy yet so let me know if these settings are any different from yours. Everything I tried before resulted in "ERR"

TDATA: 07E0221E1C
TCNTRL: 93
MATCH: 621E1C
RCNTRL: 31
RPOS: 2010
X: 0009
/: 0050
+: 0020
Format: 00
Left/Right 31
Thanks. That's what I had with the only difference being the + which I had at 21 which makes only a 1 degree difference in the temp reading.
Appreciate it.
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Old 06-20-2016, 05:35 AM   #30
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X2 Creativepart exactly the way I drive the rolling hills on 91 in Vermont
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Old 06-20-2016, 06:15 AM   #31
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gas mileage

I have 2016 Freelander 26RS with the V10 & also towing a 2015 Jeep Wrangler sport 2dr. First trip out approx 200km got 8.5 mpg not towing. This past weekend also logged approx 200km got 6.5 towing the Jeep.
Previously owned a 2014 Freelander 21QB also V10 engine and averaged 8-9 mpg not towing.
Did some math on a planned trip to Mt. Rushmore (from Ontario) in July & if I had to rent a car for a week at destination (National car rental) approx $600 +, at approx $3.00/gal for gas it would be approx $450 extra towing the Jeep. In last 2 seasons without the toad rented cars several times but also missed a lot of side trips while enroute to our destinations, previously had a 37ft 5ver tv F350 diesel & enjoyed being able to unhook at nightly stops. Towing the 5ver averaged 10-11 mpg traveling full time for several years.
Hope you enjoy your RV and have a safe season.
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Old 06-20-2016, 06:24 AM   #32
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I've owned two Ford V-10 and one Chevy V-8 motorhomes or towed a trailer behind a Ford Expedition. Around 8.5 mpg is what you're gonna get with these things no matter what one says or does.

Having said that I'm buying a 2017 22 ftr. on an E-450 chassis and since these now have 6 speed trans I'm hoping for better after break-in.
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Old 06-20-2016, 10:17 AM   #33
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I have 2016 Freelander 26RS with the V10 & also towing a 2015 Jeep Wrangler sport 2dr. First trip out approx 200km got 8.5 mpg not towing. This past weekend also logged approx 200km got 6.5 towing the Jeep.
Previously owned a 2014 Freelander 21QB also V10 engine and averaged 8-9 mpg not towing.
Did some math on a planned trip to Mt. Rushmore (from Ontario) in July & if I had to rent a car for a week at destination (National car rental) approx $600 +, at approx $3.00/gal for gas it would be approx $450 extra towing the Jeep. In last 2 seasons without the toad rented cars several times but also missed a lot of side trips while enroute to our destinations, previously had a 37ft 5ver tv F350 diesel & enjoyed being able to unhook at nightly stops. Towing the 5ver averaged 10-11 mpg traveling full time for several years.
Hope you enjoy your RV and have a safe season.
Don't know where you got the figure of $450 extra for gas towing your Jeep
Distance from Ontario to Mt Rushmore is around 1000 miles.
At 8.5 mpg at $3 a gallon....about 236 gallons.... Round trip...$708.00
At 6.5 mpg at $3 a gallon....about 308 gallons.... Round trip...$924.00
Difference of $216.00

Or, was your $450 estimate for the total trip, towing the Jeep? $900.00 round trip?
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Old 06-20-2016, 11:23 AM   #34
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gas mileage

Grumpy
Don't know where you got your data from but it's about 1400 miles one way to Mt Rushmore from where I am in Ontario, so close to 3000 round trip + any side trips. I was figuring approximately as the mileage was approximate and the gas price a guess.
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Old 06-20-2016, 11:30 AM   #35
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I guess it just depends on where in Ontario. I went to mapquest and just punched in Ontario to Mt Rushmore. Didn't know where in Ontario you started from...pretty big area, so, my bad...
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Old 06-20-2016, 11:46 AM   #36
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Gas mileage

Sorry Grumpy I should have specified where in Ontario but I was just trying to show that difference in mileage is not bad if you consider having to rent a car at your destinations. Did a Key West trip & several to Gatlinburg area last year and car rental got expensive but the alternative of unhooking every time we wanted to tour was a PITA. Plus for us living up here the jeep comes in handy in winter also.
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Old 06-20-2016, 12:10 PM   #37
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Drove 2016 Coachman Leprechaun 319DSF from Iowa to Indy 500 this year, towing a Dodge Durango, AC on for most of the trip, and in tow/haul mode. Measured MPG was 7.8, and nearly all miles were on interstate, at 62-65 MPH.

From there, it was down into Kentucky, then Tennessee, and then back through Illinois to home. Much hillier in KY and TN, of course, and MPG dropped to 7.3. Full cargo, two adults, and a one-hundred pound Labrador.

Wind during the trip wasn't much of a factor, though we did have strong south winds hitting our side all the way out to Indy. We were very pleased with the MPG.
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Old 06-20-2016, 07:35 PM   #38
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I have 2016 Freelander 26RS with the V10 & also towing a 2015 Jeep Wrangler sport 2dr. First trip out approx 200km got 8.5 mpg not towing. This past weekend also logged approx 200km got 6.5 towing the Jeep.
Previously owned a 2014 Freelander 21QB also V10 engine and averaged 8-9 mpg not towing.
Did some math on a planned trip to Mt. Rushmore (from Ontario) in July & if I had to rent a car for a week at destination (National car rental) approx $600 +, at approx $3.00/gal for gas it would be approx $450 extra towing the Jeep. In last 2 seasons without the toad rented cars several times but also missed a lot of side trips while enroute to our destinations, previously had a 37ft 5ver tv F350 diesel & enjoyed being able to unhook at nightly stops. Towing the 5ver averaged 10-11 mpg traveling full time for several years.
Hope you enjoy your RV and have a safe season.
Interesting my 2008 Freelander 2130QB got 10.4 for total of 34,000 miles. Current 2016 23QB and am getting 9.8 to 10.1 according to instrument display with AC running 100% but just hit 3500 miles so is still new. No toad.
I am running the 6L Chevy.
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