Hypertech Max Energy - who's used it, how does it work?

I'm looking into the hypertech computer programmer, just wondering if anyone has any real experience with it. I have a few questions for those of you who (hopefully) have. Please only respond if you have used this on your 96-01 JEEP CHEROKEE.

1. Does the programmer have to remain plugged in to the diagnostic port for the changes to remain in effect?

2. What can you adjust with it? I have seen some confusing stats about this. Seems like it allows you to adjust max speed, performance/economy, electric fan activation temps, cruise control speed, tire size recalibration, torque converter lock, and maybe some other things I'm forgetting.

3. What kind of gains did you get? 1-2 mpg? 5-15HP (or at least a somewhat notable difference)?

4. Was it worth the money?

Thanks in advance for your help and advice

Nobody has any experience with this? I guess that answers question number 4 then...

Waste of money.

JJacobs said:

Waste of money.

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Oh here we go again. Why don't you elaborate for the guy how you formed your opinion? Everyone has a different view of this.

I have not used it (OBD1 in my jeep) but I have used a SCT programmer in another compact car and it was mostly to fool the computer and the emissions people to think I had a EGR still on my car.

Most people here will say that the money is spent better else where. the reason why you have not had any response is from that reason people don't run them

Most programmers that don't double as a gauge don't not need to stay in. They re-flash the computers memory with a new fuel curve for a preset program that in many cases can not be adjusted. They can be used to read error codes and some even data log and taken back to your PC to read info for tunning.

Once the program is loaded it takes the old program off and loads the new. when this is done the unit is locked to the Vin number through the ECU. you can read codes on other Jeeps but can not be used to program other jeeps unless some $$ is sent into hypertech and the unit is unlocked by them. you then will have the ability to lock it to a new Jeep.

Most of the times power gains are not noticeable (its difficult to notice a 5-10HP increase) Fuel may increase about 1-2MPG (I saw that with my compact) but may require the use of Premium fuels.

Overall people dont use them because they can drop the $$ on something else.

Junk.

I've never seen people use them in Jeeps. I think diesel trucks are a different story though.

JJacobs said:

Waste of money.

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89jeepxjw said:

Junk.

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your face.




see? useless reply.

i bought one, used it for awhile and didnt really notice a difference, sold it on craiglist a few weeks later. this was in a completely stock dodge dakota but i believe it was the same programmer unit. it does not remain plugged in, and on that vehicle you could adjust for everything you listed, not exactly sure on the XJ.

Thanks for the replies. It sounds like a waste of money. I just got a 2000 XJ and am turning my 94 into a trail rig. It's my first Jeep with OBDII and I was mostly interested in it for the performance/econo settings but also the e-fan temperature adjustment stuff. I am a mechanically minded person so I have always felt that your money and efforts are more worthwhile spent on hard parts and actual mods that give you a physical and/or mechanical advantage (...better intake/exhaust, fuel delivery, etc). I never really looked into these things (like I said, never had a reason) but it seems like they are every bit as gimmicky as I had suspected.

its not so much that they are gimmicky, the 4.0l is just not a motor to get tuned. there was no major advancement in the 4.0L from OBDI to OBDII... If the computer controlled more of the timing, fuel, and other items, they work. Just not on the 4.0L.

I used the HPP3 on my 96. I filled it up with 93 octane, set the programmer to the 93 octane tune, bumped the governor up to 128mph, bumped the redline up 500(5800), downloaded the program into the pcm. It pinged horribly, didn't raise the redline, and I didn't risk pinging it above 100, so dunno if it did that. OK, so I set it to the 87 tune with the same bumps in governor and redline: still pinged. Of course it set all kinds of misfire codes. The only good it did was return my pcm to stock tune and clear the cels that it set in the first place. Now you will find that most here will say that chips and programmers are a waste of money. I loved the Jet 2 on my 94: throttle response was definitely quicker and I felt the power that it added. I bought a Jet 2 for my 96 and it didn't make as much of a difference as it did on the 94, but it still added a little(every little bit adds up). Would I pay $250-350 for a new chip: NO!(although I just spent $407 on a Unichip that needs another $300 to be custom dyno-tuned for my stroker), but if you can get it for $100, it could be worth it. I do want to read someone's results/impressions of the new hypertech max energy.

muddygp said:

Please only respond if you have used this on your 96-01 JEEP CHEROKEE.

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People who post on here sometimes have a lot of nerve! Why don't you just post "Please don't answer unless you have the right anser to my stupid question." "Please don't answer unless you can be nice." That is a rediculous request.

Hey, your question is good, but this is XJ forum. Everyone gets to answer no matter how stupid. It's your job to sort it out.

winterbeater said:

People who post on here sometimes have a lot of nerve! Why don't you just post "Please don't answer unless you have the right anser to my stupid question." "Please don't answer unless you can be nice." That is a rediculous request.

Hey, your question is good, but this is XJ forum. Everyone gets to answer no matter how stupid. It's your job to sort it out.

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It's a good thing we have Al Gore here to explain how things work. :callme:

winterbeater said:

People who post on here sometimes have a lot of nerve! Why don't you just post "Please don't answer unless you have the right anser to my stupid question." "Please don't answer unless you can be nice." That is a rediculous request.

Hey, your question is good, but this is XJ forum. Everyone gets to answer no matter how stupid. It's your job to sort it out.

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I just didn't want a lot of "my buddy used it on his 96 with 38's and 3.55 gears and it didn't do a thing except toast his motor" type answers...but you're right, you can answer whatever you want and I will have to sort it out. :doh:

I've used the Hypertech Power Programmer on my 2000 XJ and all it do was make it ping. Waste of money. These vehicles don't respond well to chips like others do.

Supposedly the max energy is different than the power programmer 3 and better in that it won't make the vehicle ping, but nobody seems to know.

It still won't do anything.

i have some advice that might be worth while. I have been programing/chipping honda ECUs for a few years.

1.) A standard baught and installed chip and or program is mostly usless.

Because it is predefined and is not Tuned specific to your engine, all engines want different peramiters. IE fuel, spark, timeing. So basicly who knows what you get.

2.) All of these (SEMI at best) programible (piggyback) "programers" can only make small adjustments.

Exceptions, some vehicles were designed from the factory to work with such tools, these really arent the same things in question, more a stand alon programer that can adjust about everything on the engine. Spark, fuel curve, etc.

Vehicles like the big ford and dodge deisal engines and some of the newer cooler cars.

Beyond that if you wanted to build the engine of an ECU or computer controled car you need a way to manage the engine after being built. Some vehicle mfgs never realy intergrated "retunbilty"..:anon:into there computer systems. Thus leaveing people to find ways to "trick" the ECU eather befor it or in it, some companys just had really complex code that needed to be cracked and any good programer could create a program to minipulate the code with some more pretty like pc program instead of a string of codes.

Now jet and all these little programers fall into the catagory of eather piggyback "tricking" or not just haveing any real control over things some kinda of pre set ordeal.

The aposoing for all the lil jet ordeals is when all of your components have more electring control to them "drive by wire" etc.

things these lil programers can be GREAT for even if they dont do much else it the things like correcting speedo settings and what not for bigger tires. But guess what i highly doubt that even are cherokees can take advantage of something like this because i wouldbet theres not enough control of it within the stock system. Its like yeah its and electronic peace ( the speedo) but nothing really controls it eather it just gives information, and thats it. Same for any of the other things your wanting to control such as the distributor for time or transmission for lock up.

Hope this made some sence.

Geez. Ok how about this. I ran a dyno for a while and found that chips on stock gasoline vehicles are a complete waste of cash. I never saw a measurable difference, however once in a while a chip would pull in so much timing that it sounded like the pistons were trying to detonate their way out of the engine.

So, in summary, waste of money, like I said in the first place.

JJacobs said:

Geez. Ok how about this. I ran a dyno for a while and found that chips on stock gasoline vehicles are a complete waste of cash. I never saw a measurable difference, however once in a while a chip would pull in so much timing that it sounded like the pistons were trying to detonate their way out of the engine.

So, in summary, waste of money, like I said in the first place.

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Do you ever give specifics or are you a foundry for general statements and guesses?