AFE SCORCHER PRO Performance Programmer for Gas Engines - Anyone have it?

[boseephuss]

Howdy!

 

Like the title says, I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the AFE SCORCHER PRO Performance Programmer.  I have a '14 6.2, and am looking in to tuning options.  Seems like the regular Scorcher has a good reputation in the diesel crowd, but have yet to find a single review on the newer units.

 

Link to product: https://afepower.com/afe-power-77-34008-scorcher-pro-performance-programmer

 

Thanks!

[RJ03]

I do not have the AFE tuner but do have a SCT X4 Handheld tuner. I had some custom tunes written by a company near where I live by the name of 5 Star Tuning. Most hand held tuners really limit you on what parameters you can actually change, and those vary by vehicle, even when using the same tuner device. I use this tuner on my 2016 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3L 4wd Crew Cab. What I can tell you is that the way the truck drives after loading a tune on it is like night and day. When I ordered the tune files I had to complete a questioner of sorts that asked what mods I had done to the vehicle and what I wanted the tune for, i.e. performance, towing or just economical daily city type driving as well as the fuel octane rating. I also had the guy disable the traction control and AFM so the vehicle stays in 8cyl mode all the time. Additionally I asked to make the shifting firmer and went with a 87 & 89 octane rating. I am going to have an E85 tune written here in the near future as well.

 

I like having the tuner as this allows me to return the truck back to stock whenever I need to take it in for service, as the stock ECM and TCM files are stored on the device when you load a tune file onto the vehicle. I also backed up the stock files on my home computer.

 

I think what it really boils down to is what is going to work for you. What I mean is a lot of guys take their trucks to the shops and have the folks there connect a tuning device and write the tune files to the vehicle, some even go as far as having the truck put on a dyno, which is really the way to go if you want to invest that kind of money into it. I chose the device I use because the place that wrote the tune files for me sells that type of tuner, hence is able to write the software files for that device, and since they are nearby it is convenient for me to deal with them when I make future mods and have the files updated, I simple email the guy, explain what I changed, he writes the new tune file to accommodate that change and emails the new file to me. I load it onto the device, then load the file onto the vehicle. Easy peasy. The AFE scorcher appears to me to be very similar to the Bullydog BDX, so again I think it is a matter of convenience and what exactly you are willing to do yourself and how involved you want to get with it. I don't race my truck and haven't made so many mods to it that I feel like spending money to have it put on a dyno would be worth it at this point, maybe at some point in the future I may change my mind but for now I am happy with what I have and how I chose to go about it. The truck is a beast. Mods I have done are Hi flow K&N filter in the stock box, Airaid MIT, muffler delete & catch can. Short tube headers and a port & polished throttle body are next up.

[hbtnon10]

On 2018-09-25 at 11:22 PM, RJ03 said:

 I also had the guy disable the traction control and AFM so the vehicle stays in 8cyl mode all the time. 

Both levels of traction control? I didn't think either could be disabled 

[RJ03]

You know, I am not sure, I asked for all traction control to be turned off so I assume so. What I can tell you is that on wet pavement I bump the gas pedal and the tires break loose like it is cool. Haven't done the "burnout" test with it yet but plan to at some point when I can find a nice deserted road one evening. From what I have been told, when writing the files for these programmers, almost anything can be changed because you are making that change at the ECM and TCM levels, just depends on the level of knowledge & skill possessed by the person writing the file.