What to do to make my c-15 a little faster?

Mr Haney I have your # what is the best time to call?
Thanks

 

M-F 9-5 EST.......I have a bunch of running around to do Monday, if you call and I don't answer I'll call you back, leave a message

 

I may be a little late joining in on the conversation... But In my opinion you will get alot more bang for you buck getting a Bully dog instead of a new ecm tune.

Pros Vs Cons of each.
Bully Dog
Pros -
Near Instant Custom Tuning.
Great tech. Support.
When you go into a cat shop they can't tell you have it on. Even if they flash it you can just reload it. No Worries about warranty.
Bully Dog will warranty any problems you have.
Great fuel savings and power

Cons -
Cost 2800 or so.

ECM tuning -
Pros
Custom tune
can have great fuel savings horse power
cost only like 1200

Cons -

if the tune isn't what you want, you can't get it changed quickly or at all.
I've only heared negatives on the warranties. If you get one get one in writing.
If you go into a shop, they can tell the ECM was changed by the tooling code.
If its flashed your ECM is back to factory standard. Guess you have to buy a new tune.

 

That about sums it up for me as well, both great products though

 

I always work with a customer to insure that the tune is exactly WHAT the cutomer wants..........I've never had a customer want to retune or flash an ECM with another program afterwards...........how come Bully Dog has to keep doing this to have a happy customer?


I gotta love this...........first when you have a warranty issue......are you talking about the engine or the tune?

Does Bully Dog warranty the engine against driver abuse, if the driver has lack of knowledge and cooks the motor? I've heard these kind of comments and when you find out the whole story......most of the time the driver couldn't back out of the throttle until the engine was hurt. Hook a laptop up and see Critical Events history of 252 degrees coolant temperature..........will Bully Dog warranty stupidity?



Gotta love this comment also

If you go into a shop, they can tell the ECM was changed by the tooling code

my response

The only time anyone is going to check the Tool Number of the laptop that worked on an ECM is CAT looking at a warranty report. The only time they look at the Tool Number is after they see a warranty report and the Hp rating of the engine doesn't match the Hp rating they have on file for that engine(the PMC isn't what is on record with CAT in Peoria IL)........the CAT dealer or the OEM dealer will never look up a Tool Number...........the mechanic isn't worried about who did what inside of the ECM.......he wants the truck fixed and out of his bay with no problems and who did what inside the ECM isn't on the agenda. I've had customers with CAT warranty on there engines recieve CAT warranty work with absolutely no problems. I always work with the customer and explain the Personality Module Code and what it stands for and how CAT uses it for warranty claims. If the PMC matches what CAT has on record...........than nobody knows the ECM was played with...........if the FLS/FTS codes and the PMC aren't played with.............then the Tool Number of the last laptop to work in the ECM isn't recorded in the ECM, because none of the power settings were changed. So a PDI tune can be hidden from CAT very easily.

The only advantage I'll agree with is............you can pull the tune out with a Bully Dog and reinstall it afterwards for service work. This insures that a mechanic doesn't over write the custom tune. I've never had a customer lose a tune due to this, but I explain to them before hand that this could happen........I also explain to them that they are to explain to any shop they go to.........to tell the mechanic NOT to flash the ECM. Most mechanics will not take the time to flash an ECM, unless they think there is a problem with the file in the ECM and it's causing the problem that brought the truck into the shop in the first place...........an Acert takes roughly 45 minutes to flash and unless they are getting paid for the extra time, the shop doesn't want to do it.

 

Mr Haney my question is does what you said about Cat's approach to ECM's apply to Cummins. As in ISX with DPF. Going back to Cat. the head mechanic at my Pete. dealer told me there are times when Cat will tell him to look at the cal. in the ECM. What's it gonna say when he looks in there. He also said as of yet when he talks to Cummins they don't ask about the Cal. Also like to add i really enjoy reading your input,my opinion is you were given a gift it's nice you're willing to share that with the rest of us.
Thanks,
Ray

 

I don't know how the Cummins ECM records who was the last shop to work on the ECM......even CAT doesn't record everytime a laptop is plugged up......only when Customer Parameters or System Settings are changed.

All the mechanic can look at in a CAT ECM is the FLS/FTS settings and the Power Rating and Personality Module Code. If none of these have been changed then it invisible to CAT and the mechanic. If you're talking cal. as in Injector Calibration Codes....... I recommend that people leave them alone. The earlier engines were much easier to play with this than the Acert's, but again there is no trace of a Tool Number making these changes recorded in the ECM even if they have been played with, but you can see that they've been altered. Nobody takes the time to reset the back, because you have to remove the valve covers and read each number off of the individual injector to be able to restore to stock settings.

I know that PDI has done Cummins programs that are able to go through warranty, but I've never sold or worked on one to give you anymore information than this.

I learned on a CAT and this is what I work on and sell.........I'm going to have to broaden my horizons shortly to keep up with the new engines coming out.

 

I appreciate your honesty. I know how to get in touch with you,when i get ready i'll call you. Haven't really had a chance to see how she runs since Cummins gave me back my old Cal. I'm loading for Cali. tomorrow,that should tell the story.
Thanks again,
Ray

 

Bully Dog does that to their happy customers because you can't tell me that you bought a product, loved it, but yet you found that there could be a little tweak here and there to make it absolutly perfect. That is why they do it.

Bully Dog warranties the tune, and the engine due to the tune. If you are running to Hot DUE TO the tune. From what I've heared your PDI tunes don't do that. Just pass it off on Driver stupidity that is why there is a class action lawsuit over them.

Can you put the warranty in some text right here so we can have a place to refer to when anyone has problems? As a dealer you should be able to due that. If I was one I would be open and clear like that.

I've talked to alot of guys that have had their ECMS flashed at the cat shop when they go into warranties. Its not all to uncommon as you say.

ECMS tunes done the way PDI does that show a tooling code. I don't care if you don't change the HP rating on the warranty report. It doesn't take a whole lot to see that the ECM was changed by tool number 00000(obviously not one of theirs).

and I know this cause I talked to a guy out of Omaha that is on the leading edge of the ECM tunings and actually worked for Cat.

 

I see you've never flashed a CAT ecm before............if you don't change the System Settings or Customer Parameters the tool number isn't recorded............why? Because you haven't changed anything in CATs eyes.

PDI modifies existing CAT files.........so if you have a 6NZ54000 and up serial number 550 Hp at 2100RPM 1850 peak torque at 1200RPM file in the engine........it has a Personality Module Code 148 this is also called an Interlock Code.......if you take the CAT flash file with a Personality Module Part Number that originally started with this engine, 208-5790, the next updates were 215-7402.......237-0724......241-0789........244-1567......305-2778.....320-2698

Now each one of these seven digit numbers is the same 148 PMC flash file for the the above listed 6NZ54000 and up engine Hp rating........the first three digits in the number basically tell you how old the file is.......the lower the number the older the file. Now take the 320-2698 file(the newest file) and modify it and flash it into the ECM.........you haven't changed the System Settings.........the Tool Number isn't recorded in the ECM........the CAT mechanic see the latest file in the ECM and has NO REASON to update it by flashing over the modified file...........because he can't tell it's been modified. I've actually watched a CAT shop foreman try to tell the difference between a PDI tune and a stock file after he knew the ECM had a modified file in it..........he couldn't see it.


If you don't change the Personality Module Code.........you are NOT changing System Settings............so the Tool Number isn't recorded.

Now if you as a customer don't spend the time with a sales representative to explain how to hide the file and you don't tell PDI to make the file hidden.........then CAT will be able to see it without needing a tool number, because the PMC will not match the engine serial number...........there will be a recorded Tool Number, because you didn't stay with the same PMC and changed System Settings.

As far as a warranty is concerned............PDI gives the customer a 30 day no hassle money back on the flash if you don't like it.......you must return the ECM to them to flash back to stock settings for them to do this............I've never had a customer take them up on this offer.

I've never had an engine come apart due to the tune in the ECM.........I've never had a truck owner have an engine need a repair due to the tune.........I've seen other dealers and PDI themselves have problems with the purchaser after they destroyed the engine due to stupidity on their part. People today are so used to the engine taking care of itself that they don't understand or know how to drive a modified engine producing big horsepower. I've don't sell anyone a Stage 2 tune or higher...........I don't sell them bigger injectors.......most people today don't know how to take care of big horsepower. As a person with knowledge.............I'm even particular of how much power a person with an areo truck and it's reduced cooling capacity with it's smaller grill opening tries to build. I tell them 650 Hp is enough in an areo truck to cause overheating issues and to pay extra attention to coolant temperatures on hot days during hard pulls. As a driver you have the responsibility to WATCH the gauges and take appropriate action to not hurt the engine.........what I mean by this is if you are pulling a 6% grade for 8 miles on a 100 degree day............just because you have the power to go over the top at 70 mph doesn't mean you can go over it at that speed...........if you drop a gear, raise RPM, slow down to 55 MPH, turn on the engine fan at the bottom of the grade......you're are still going faster than most trucks pulling the same weight, but you aren't going to hurt the motor. Unfortunately..........today's drivers haven't been taught how to take care of the motor during these conditions while building more power than a stock engine. What's really bad is when the high temperature warning light and buzzer come on.........they still can't figure out they need to slow down. I've seen an ECM with recorded coolant temperature at 252 degrees..........that's nothing more than stupidity.