I recently bought an SCT Livewire programmer and got a custom economy and a custom performance tune made for it. The Livewire allows me to change the idle speed in drive and in neutral. In neutral, my stock idle speed is about 625rpm. In drive, the idle speed is about 550rpm.
Would there be any negative effects if I lowered the idle speed in neutral? I was thinking that I could at least drop to 550rpm in neutral since that is what Ford lists as the idle speed for the 5.4 in drive. Is there any need to have a higher idle speed in neutral than in drive? I know the alternator might charge a little less at a lower rpm, but all my electrical and audio is stock, so a slight drop in alternator output probably wouldn't matter.
I am trying to save a little gas when the motor is idling in neutral in order to run the A/C. I have 3 little kids in carseats, and when my wife has to run into a store while I stay with the kids in the truck or we have to pull over and change a diaper, etc, I have to run the A/C in the summer heat (it gets well over 100 degrees in Texas). Just looking for any way possible to save a drop of gas...
Would there be any negative effects if I lowered the idle speed in neutral? I was thinking that I could at least drop to 550rpm in neutral since that is what Ford lists as the idle speed for the 5.4 in drive. Is there any need to have a higher idle speed in neutral than in drive? I know the alternator might charge a little less at a lower rpm, but all my electrical and audio is stock, so a slight drop in alternator output probably wouldn't matter.
I am trying to save a little gas when the motor is idling in neutral in order to run the A/C. I have 3 little kids in carseats, and when my wife has to run into a store while I stay with the kids in the truck or we have to pull over and change a diaper, etc, I have to run the A/C in the summer heat (it gets well over 100 degrees in Texas). Just looking for any way possible to save a drop of gas...