Question regarding tunes during cool weather/winter.

[eabrust]

Question for Bill or those knowledgeable with the tunes (Welcome back from Vegas Bill!):

How much of a role does the PCM tune vs the FICM program have in how a truck runs when the weather starts getting cold? The reason I ask is that I will be looking to upgrade an Evolution to a Gryphon soon, and want to know if tunes accommodate colder weather. Here's why I ask:

I started out with a bone stock truck with latest FICM and PCM Ford flashes. The truck runs good on cool mornings (lately its been in low 30s to 40F), and I can drive off relatively quick with little warm up time, and the truck just goes. Not that amazing to drive, but no real issues.

My next step was a PHP tuned FICM with stock PCM program, that left the truck with a stuttering and loping problem until the truck had really warmed up a lot (as in engine temps had to be above 150F). Bill, I know you're still looking at the program for a possible issue where the inductive heat may or may not be working, and that would explain that. So obviously, the FICM program has some bearing on how a truck runs cold. Any update on if you think you found the program glitch in the FICM software? (yeah, I know you've been out to SEMA and are probably buried right now... but I gotta ask anyhow )

My next step was pulling the PHP FICM back out, putting in the stock FICM, except now I've been running an EDGE Evolution for a few weeks (usually level 4, but still driving nice trying to up mileage). On startups on cool mornings (still 30s to 40), the truck starts up and idles OK, but it will be gutless and sputter up the road, and struggle to get up to 55mph for the first several miles until the truck warms up a bit. If I return to stock, the truck runs well when cool and goes fine, it's just less fun to drive in general after its warmed up. Is this just a quirk with the mapping in the Evo's stock programs, or would this be indicative of how all tunes may be?

So long story short Bill, once you have the FICM programming sorted back out, I want to send my FICM back in for a 'latest and greatest' re-program, but I also want send you my Evo for an upgrade to Gryphon, with the hopes it will do a little more than the stock Evo tunes do. The only thing I'm hung up on is if you feel you have to write specific tunes to accommodate winter weather, or if all your tunes are all setup to do so anyhow, or if it is recommended to run basically stock during winter?

Thanks for any insight! I'll have an order form for an Evo Upgrade and some tunes as soon as you say the FICM program is good to go!

Regards,
Eric Brust