3.5 High output owners... is the predator worth it?

[SilverSteel300]

This might be a dumb question, but does the predator slowly kill our engines over time compared to the stock tune? or is it totally safe and effective to get a bit more performance out of our engine?

Nah, I wouldn't worry about the Predator "killing" your engine. It doesn't do that. But I had the same basic car as you (3.5 with 4 speed trans), and I can honestly tell you what you are already thinking.

It's not worth it. Do you really want to be pumping more expensive fuel into a vehicle that isn't "quick" to begin with? The fact that you're looking at the Predator tells me you want a little more out of it, or that you're not satisfied with the stock performance. I was the same way.

I went through the experience. When I first got my Predator in the mail, I was happy like a kid on Christmas Day. I loaded it up, and for awhile I was happy. It was all placebo.

The "throttle boost" feature is something that I hear people praise, but I have no idea why. All it does is take throttle input and amplify it. If I want the car to shift at 6500 rpm, I will floor the pedal. With 20% boost turned on, all it did was give me 6500 RPM when the gas pedal was pushed down half way. No extra performance to be had there, just a useless gimmick. To top that off, the Shell gas bill for 91 octane was on average costing me $5-8 more per tank than regular 87. Would I have minded paying extra if the Predator gave me a "boost" in performance? Not at all. Did it give me a boost in performance? No.

What it did give me was jolting WOT shifts, and a louder engine. (I was also experiencing random misfires at idle when my Predator tune was loaded. I never had these before the tune, and never had them again once I removed the tune. Were these misfires due to the 91 tune? I can't say for sure, but the fact that these misfires only occured while the tune was loaded is a bit troubling). The only real useful feature I see with the Predator for this v6 is its ability to read error codes and run datalogging, but let's face it, that's all a bit of a joke on this Chrysler v6.

Save your $$. Or if you can find somebody in your area with a v6 Charger who has a Predator loaded, take it for a test drive, and honestly assess whether or not you feel the "performance" gain is worth the money. I really encourage you to do that if possible, my friend. The Predator is not a "cheap" item, and filling your car up with high octane gas over a long period of time will add up.

My advice is to enjoy your vehicle, enjoy the fact that it takes 87 octane fuel, and for the extra $$ you save between fill ups by running the stock tune, take the car for a cruise and have fun.

[hskr]

SilverSteel300, you say you are just giving your account of the Predator, but you also keep trying to keep people from buying it. You are one of very few people who did not like the increase in driveability the Diablo tunes gave the car. You say it adds no performance on the 4-speed cars, but I have dyno and track proof that it did on my car. I do not have harsh shifts, the throttle boost eliminates the hesitation or delay in response when you push the gas pedal. Instead of pushing the gas pedal down and the car thinking about it before going, with the throttle boost(anymore than 15% only hurts from my experience) you get instant reaction from the car when you push down the pedal. As for running more expensive gas, only use the 89 tune and you should not have any problems with more expensive gas. Since Dodge recommends you run 89 octane in the 3.5 anyways.

[TheAxe]

Predator is worth way more then you would pay, you're able to do many different things with it, even for a 4 speed. The ability to turn off and on your ESP is an amazing feature, I used it at the track often and when it snowed, and you wanna have fun and show off, you dont have that embarrassing snap over steer because your esp kicked in half way through a snow drift. For 4 speeds it must boost line pressure for transmission shifting, because my trans was definately on its way out, but with a tune on, it would shift much stronger then without the tune. It'll hold out longer in 2nd gear, and you wont get that annoying bog at around 80mph.

YUUUP!

I searched high and low for a used one... didn't want to pay the shipping up to the the Great White North. When I finally did find one I felt like a kid at christmas opening that present you always wanted, and dreamed of getting because all of the other kids were playing with theirs... I digress...

It will wake up your ride... period...

[Bryali]

SilverSteel300, I'm sorry that you've had a bad experience with what everyone else sees as a definite performance-enhancing product. I had surging and misfires but that was LONG before I had my Predator. Loading the tunes didn't increase or decrease the frequency. Rather it allowed me to read the codes that led to Dodge paying for a TSB that fixed my misfires--saving me hundreds.

Extreme polar opposites and unique experiences, like those had by SilverSteel300, should be viewed as the exception and not the rule. An overwhelming majority of users found better performance and excellent usability with the Predator/Trinity/inTune. The 4spd doesn't get the benefits that the 5spd does, but that doesn't change the benefit to the engine. There are dyno proven results and there's a saying: 'the dyno don't lie'. If you run the 89 tune and 89 octane gas (which is what's recommended by Dodge anyway) you'll notice better performance. If you stay out of the skinny pedal, the engine will be more efficient and should result in better mileage as well. Whether you run the higher tunes (and higher fuel) will be your choice so it doesn't HAVE to cost you more at the pump. Overall, you will find MOST people recommend getting it.

[torred 3.5]

Well, having mine for over a week and the differences are like day and night. Yes, even though I have a 4 speed, I feel as though the car shifts smoother and it's faster under WOT. So all in all, I'm happy.

[gr8ride]

I have a 2010 CHALLENGER SXT,did the CAI and the duels thing and i was also wondering about getting a predator. Is there anyone out there that had it tested on the dyno before and after installation? That would be interesting to!I have to admit i don't know much about them. I know bears sh88t in the woods but i don't want to by a cat in a bag! lol

[gunracer]

I guess there's only one way to find out. But instead of a predator why not get an intune. I just bought one and waiting for it to come in. If not my predator will be up for sale just as soon as I get my new toy. Where do u live at?

[hskr]

didn't test it back to back on my car, but I have dyno'd my car the same day as another 3.5L SE+. The only real difference between our cars was I had the predator and he didn't. Both had the same CAI, and both had the R/T dual exhaust. I made 193RWHP he made 185RWHP. I had the 91 tune on the car at the time.

[ginuwine]

Lol to running in boots quote

actually there was a list on the forum with an S of peoples before and afters. some were mods and tune, others were just canned tunes before and after. and there were gains noted between 7 and 15hp/tq...

although i dont agree it should/has be a first mod, its a mod just like an intake, headers, or exhaust, and gives roughly the same gains as the other 3. with that being said, to me doesnt really matter WHEN you get one, just as long as you get the piece to the puzzle.



one thing to note, with the shift firmness. from what has been posted, this isnt the same as a shift kit or Valve body, the tune basically keeps the engine from pulling timing during the shift.

overall, good mod, but definately not the end all be all of mods. some overstate it, and when people get it, they are disappointed cause they expect too much from it.

it just works synergystically with that rest of what you have... its like running in boots, then switching to a light well padded sneaker. makes it just a bit more efficient.