Hey, guys, Adam here with americantrucks.com, and today we're taking a closer look at installing
and dyno testing the GTX Tuner from SCT, available for the '15 to '17 3.5-liter EcoBoost F-150,
excluding Raptor models.
You should be checking out this tuner here.
If you're looking for a larger touchscreen display tuner that holds a preloaded tune
and can hold up to 10 custom tunes, while giving you a number of other features to take
advantage of, with the included windshield mount so you can touch, display, and read
everything that you need to read within arm's reach of the driver's seat.
Now, before we jump into all the details that the GTX tuner has to offer, what do you say
we focus on the big key item, the dyno graph.
We've got our '16 3.5 strap down, let's take a look at the results.
So, we strap our 2016 3.5 EcoBoost F-150 down to the dyno.
Keep in mind, guys, this does have 35-inch tires on it.
It's got 93 octane in the tank bone stock otherwise.
We established our baseline run, walked away with 302 horsepower, 339 pound-feet of torque
at the rear wheels.
We then uploaded our preloaded tuner from our GTX tuner, modified the parameters to
account for the 93 octane fuel, ran it again under the same conditions, and walked away
with 306 horsepower, 375 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels, good for peak gains of
4 horsepower and 36 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels.
Now, those numbers alone, especially the horsepower, doesn't look like too much but looking under
the curve is where you're gonna see really substantial gains here.
Now, under the curve, we're looking at gains of up to 56 horsepower and 35 pound-feet of
torque at the rear wheels.
And those are numbers that are definitely gonna make a difference out on the road.
So, with a very simple preloaded 93 tune, we can walk away with some pretty impressive
numbers, especially under the curve.
Now, aside from the dyno graphs here, let's take a look at what's included in the box.
Now, right out of the gate, you have the tuner itself.
It's about a 5-inch display, full touchscreen LCD color display, super responsive, very
easy to use.
I would say it's almost as responsive as smartphones nowadays, which makes it really, really good
to have and use on a daily basis.
Aside from that, you get your OBD 2 module included in the kit along with the little
plug.
There are a couple of extra wires included that you don't normally get with a traditional
handheld tuner, but it is still very easy to use.
You're also going to get the suction cup windshield mount that you'll see when we start uploading
and playing with the device itself inside the truck.
That's great for guys who want to track and monitor and use all the features of the GTX
everyday on the fly, which, let's be honest, if you're checking out this GTX, you're gonna
be using that gauge in this data log screen that we'll take a look at later on.
Now, we are going to focus on the preloaded tune included in the kit.
If you wanna use a custom tune, you can take this tuner itself to a tuner of your choice
and load up to 10 custom tune files on the device at any time.
So, it does have custom tune capabilities, but out of the box, it's just that preloaded.
Now, the preloaded tune does allow you to customize it a little bit to your liking and
to your specific truck.
Now, one of the big customizations you wanna focus on is the fuel octane, changing it from
stock to 87, 91, or 93 pump gas.
Now, as of right now 85 and those higher octane fuels are not available on the device itself
but you can communicate that with a custom tuner if you'd like.
Now, we're gonna focus on that 93 tuner as you saw from our dyno graph.
You can also change things like speed limiter, rev limiter, but one thing you cannot change,
which is really my only gripe, is that you can't change your tire size.
As you see we have 35-inch tires on this truck, which we're not able to specify in the preloaded
tune, but it is something you can take care of in a custom.
Now, aside from that, you're also getting the DTC code reader.
Anytime the check engine light comes on, plug this guy in, read the code, get the description
and you can clear it right on the device.
You also get the gauges and data log screen which, again, I think is really gonna be the
biggest seller point of the GTX.
Given that you have this larger touchscreen device that you can display on the given windshield
mount, you'll be able to look at things like boosting PSI, cooling temp, intake temp, air-fuel
ratio, different sensor banks, so many options.
As a matter of fact, you can track up to 12 different options at once with the many different
gauge layouts that we'll take a look at in this video.
So, huge point there.
You can also record your data log, see the engine's performance, and if you're using
a custom tuner, you can communicate that back to them for revisions.
Aside from that, you're also gonna get Wi-Fi access so you can connect to a local Wi-Fi
network and perform routine software updates or firmware updates that SCT often puts out
to make sure your device is running up to the standard.
But aside from that, you'll also get vehicle and device settings, you can take a look at
your VIN number or ECU strategy code, software version right on the device too.
Now, because this is a larger touchscreen unit, you are going to see a slightly higher
price tag than your traditional handheld tuner.
This one's coming in right around 600 bucks.
Now, the install I'm gonna give one out of three wrenches on our difficulty meter.
Anybody can tackle this in the driveway at home with about 30 minutes from start to finish
and you don't need any hand tools.
Everything you need is included in the kit, I'm gonna show you how to use all of it.
So, what do you say we get started?
First step of the install, grab your GTX tuner and hook up the magnetic strip attached to
your module here, which is gonna go right on the back.
It pops right into place, it's got a pretty strong magnet.
On the other end, you're gonna plug in to the module.
Coming out of that side is your OBD 2 harness.
We're gonna plug this guy into the OBD 2 located under the driver side dash.
Now, a quick note here, a lot of guys will choose to route the wiring up the center console
or the dashboard underneath here, depending on how you want it to be set up.
Now, because there's a windshield mount included in the kit, I like to put it up on the left
side of our steering wheel up on the windshield.
So, again, depending on your preference, you may wanna route the wire differently.
For now, we're just gonna plug it in and I'm gonna show you guys how it works but that's
worth keeping in mind.
All right.
So, we're going to plug this guy into the OBD 2.
And again, if you want to route your wire up through the dash you can do so now.
Now, what I'm gonna do is take the back of that magnet that we attached to our unit and
hook that into our windshield mount.
I've got a slot here and it just slides right in together.
Once you have that slotted in the place, you can tighten this guy down.
The suction cup is gonna go to our windshield.
Now, you probably won't ride with it this high but just so you guys can see what we're
doing, I'm gonna hook this guy up right at the top here and you're basically just gonna
push down on the [inaudible 00:06:00].
There you have it.
Now you can adjust and tighten the knob as you need.
All right.
So, once you have it plugged in, it will take you right up to the main menu.
Now it may have you connect to Wi-Fi before you do anything.
We've already connected to Wi-Fi, so if you haven't done so already, you can do that now.
You can do it from the top left, or from the main menu you can press updates and go from
there.
It's always a good idea to update your software too before you move forward just to make sure
you're on the latest software from SCT.
So, from the main menu, I'm gonna put my key in the ignition and turn the ignition on.
First thing we wanna jump into is tune, so I'm gonna go ahead and select tune from the
main menu.
Turn the key on obviously we just did that, so press continue from there.
All right.
So, off the bat, it's gonna immediately download tune files available for this specific vehicle
once you have it plugged in.
It may also begin to save your stock file before jumping into anything.
Also, you don't want to unplug the device at all once it's getting towards this step.
If you see a loading bar at any point, don't unplug it, don't disconnect it and don't turn
your vehicle off unless prompted to on the device, you don't wanna risk corrupting any
files.
All right.
At this point, you wanna make sure your key is in the on position and press Continue but
don't start your engine.
Press Continue on the street notice and that should take you to your tune options.
Now, if you are using a custom tune which is not included in the kit, it'll be available
here in the custom tune section.
Right out of the box you have the preloaded tune, so that's what we're going to select
and focus on for this video.
All right.
Again, make sure the key is in the on position and press Continue.
Now, at this point you can select to either customize the tune or just go with the preloaded
tune right out of the box.
I'm gonna press customize to show you guys what that looks like.
From here you can monitor, change, fuel octane, intake air box.
If you have an aftermarket cold-air intake, you can change speed limiter, rev limiter,
idle speed.
Now, a lot of that we're gonna keep the same but what we do want to focus on changing is
fuel octane because we're not running stock, we're running 93 octane fuel.
So, that's something you wanna select.
If you do have an aftermarket air box, you can select that here, but we're bone stock
otherwise, so we're gonna press Continue.
All right.
So, this is a summary of all those changes made, press Confirm.
At this point, it's essentially compiling the changes that you made into that tune and
getting it prepared to upload.
All right.
At this point, it's writing the tune to the vehicle, it'll save your stock file and that
process as well, it's going to load 0 to 100, maybe a couple of times, so you don't wanna
unplug the device again.
We'll come back when it's done.
All right, at this point, you can see congratulations, successfully tuned, you can press Okay, it'll
boot you back to the main menu.
And at this point, you can either disconnect the device, but assuming you already have
the windshield mounted, you're probably gonna keep it where it is.
Now, I wanna take you through some of the other features of the device that you can
use within arm's reach, where it's mounted.
All right, so aside from tuning the vehicle, which can hold the preloaded tune that we
just used or a custom tune if you wanna take your truck to a tuner of your choice, you
can take advantage of some of the other functions here.
Now, gauges is gonna be a big one.
If you selected that guy with your key in the ignition, and in the on position, you
can track live engine vitals on the fly.
Now what you wanna select is the configuration similar to your vehicle.
So we're in a '16, 3.5, that's the Ford Gas OE and newer configuration.
All right.
So, we're just gonna go with our default configuration for the data set.
Once it connects to the vehicle, it'll go right into the factory or default gauge setting.
What we have is one larger gauge on the left and three smaller ones on the right.
Now, the left gauge here is boost and PSI.
We have control, module, voltage, coolant temp, and intake air temp.
But you can change those if you'd like.
So, what I'm actually gonna change here is control module voltage, right?
So, we can select that guy, double click.
From here, we have a number of options we can change it to.
We have air-fuel ratio in each of the banks, we can change the RPM, spark advance, solenoid
pressure, speed ratio, transmission gear ratio, what do you say we just do something simple
like RPM?
We can select that, go back, and it replaces that gauge.
Now, you can do that for each one of these guys.
We scroll to the right, we have different gauge layouts.
So, from here we have just four options.
Here we have six, here we have up to eight.
Again, nine.
finally, the full measurement.
Now, this is something you can track as many as you can fit in this screen, here we have
about 12 in total.
That's a lot of parameters you can take a look at and again customizable to whatever
you want it to look like.
Personally, I'm a big fan of that first one, plain and simple, four key things that you
wanna keep an eye on.
I love the fact that we have a big boost gauge on the left, but of course, you can swap this
out.
You can put RPMs in the bigger gauge and boosts in the smaller one, it's all personal preference.
If you tap once, you can change your brightness, you can even swap the layout on this screen.
You can record, so you can record a data log and communicate that back to your tuner.
If you're using a custom tune, can see how your vehicles performing, you can reset and
then there's data sets, which is your configuration if you'd like to change that.
So, the gauge screen, really useful for guys who wanna track that at all times, it's obviously
very easy to use.
It's very responsive.
Double-tap on each one will allow you to change what it actually reads and you can change
its units, to range, you can change it to alert you if it hits a certain boost level.
And the single tap there brings it back to the main menu and gives you some of those
options.
So, that's your gauges and data log screen, you can click the home button there, it'll
close out gauges and take you right back to the main menu.
Another one I wanna focus on here is diagnostics, say the check engine light comes on, you can
click diagnostics, read your DTC, or diagnostic trouble code, you can get a code, the description
and you can clear it right from there as well.
So, no need to pick up a different OBD 2 module, no need to go to Auto Zone or Pep Boys and
have them read the code for you.
You can do it yourself right in the driveway.
Functions, you wanna tap on that guy, turn the key on.
Special vehicle functions are things most people will not touch.
This can reset and crank relearn.
Most of the time if you're occasionally putting the vehicle back to stock, you may need to
do a crank or cam relearn, and that's where you can find the functions.
Now, information will give you vehicle and device options.
Now, vehicle information will be things like VIN number, ECU strategy code, things that
you would need to know in order to request new custom tunes.
So, device info would be things like device serial number, software version, firmware
version, if there's an update available you can be able to figure out what your versions
are directly on the device there.
Last but not least, we have updates.
Now, updates is pretty self-explanatory.
Anytime there's a new software update from SCT you can do that wirelessly while connected
to Wi-Fi, and you can check your Wi-Fi configuration on the top left there, you can do that wirelessly
right on the device, so that's useful.
Finally, there's a settings button here, there's general options, audio.
There is a small little sound, a little tweak, every time that you hit a button, you can
turn that on or off or just minimize that.
Display, you can do things like brightness, the light sensor, which will help detect day
and night modes.
Same thing over here, you can change day and night mode.
And then finally, we have a couple of other options to connect to Wi-Fi there as well.
So, to manage files, you can delete or add custom tune files or preloaded tune files
and then finally you just have some legal options there.
So, hit home, go back to the main menu, that's your DTX device.
Well, guys, that's gonna wrap up my review and install for the GTX Tuner from SCT available
for the '15 to '17 3.5 EcoBoost F-150, excluding the Raptor models.
If you wanna pick this guy up, you can do so right here at americantrucks.com.