Programmer? '03 Silverado 5.3L

**KC8QVO** · 11-16-2009, 02:14 PM

I am wondering what programmer would be good to get. There are a lot of them out there that all have slightly different applications. What I am looking for is one that will be able to adjust for tires, gears, and tuning. I would like to have control over the tuning rather than 3 or 4 different "programs". It seems most of them just have a selectable tune that you can install rather than being able to adjust things yourself.

Any thoughts/ideas?

Steve

**TritonBoulder47** · 11-16-2009, 10:51 PM

They don't make a handheld tuner where you can customize the tune itself... The tire size and gear's are in more handhelds... But you'll have to get an HP Tuners program or something similar that runs on a laptop if you want a custom tune...

**TRPLXL2** · 11-17-2009, 10:44 AM

Jet has had the Spectrum tuner out forever, and you can tune up to 5 vehicles at one time. When it first came out that was a $1,200 program, but I just saw it at Jeg's yesterday for $375 so it has come way down! It enables you to use a lap top and customize individual values, but beware there are NO safe guards with this like on the handheld's. It will let you blow the engine up if your not careful, and also EFI live I have heard is another good program to work with especially with turbo's or superchargers.

**Vanplor.Crucible** · 11-17-2009, 11:18 AM

I've been kicking around buying the Superchips Cortex, It claims to be able to adjust the multiple different items like you are looking for, I found it for $360.

**KC8QVO** · 11-17-2009, 09:49 PM

Yea maybe for simplicitys sake I'll start out with a hand held. That way I can get going with something off the bat and not have to mess around with stuff too much. I am swapping my gears with 4.56's here within a few months. I have a 3" body lift and 285x75r16's instead of the stock 265x75r16's. Never changed the speedometer or anything. Been like that for years but my gas milage is never over 16 and recenly went down to under 14 - 13.8, lowest I've ever seen since I got it winter of 04. Im at 99,300 miles and need to hold on to this one. I would go get a diesel if I had my way but until I get settled in to my new job that won't be happening any time soon, probably not within the next two years at least. If I can get my gas mileage back up to 18-19 I would be happy, but at the same time I use my truck and am tired of it dragging a$$ with a load or just driving through the mountains. I figure the gears will give me the torq and a tune, shift resync, and a few others (intake, oil, etc) will boost the mileage.