What’s the best GDE reprogram way to go?

[HerbW]

I’ve gotten 24.5 mpg hand calculating it on my 2007 ISB diesel 3500 Mega Cab 4x4. It shows 27.5 on the gauge.
I’ve barely passed this with my Ecodiesel. I like my new truck but everything seems to not work but leaves no trail for the garage to pinpoint. The steering wheel controls quit, the garage door opener quits and I get notices that I haven’t changed my oil in over 40k miles while driving! I have 29 K miles.
I asked the dealer for a new ECM or fix mine. So irritating. Now it’s out past three years and they want to charge me to test.
My 2007 5.9 had injectors failing and I finally replaced all of them. I’m a mechanic and I did the work. I had to upgrade the transmission and I put in a billeted torque convertor. I should of kept it but too long in my new driveway.

 

[HerbW]

So are the 6.7s that are pre 2013 a better rig or should I go for a 5.9 pre 2007? No EGR? I heard 2003s are dependable too.

 

[DonFitzwater]

So are the 6.7s that are pre 2013 a better rig or should I go for a 5.9 pre 2007? No EGR? I heard 2003s are dependable too.

I'd run as far as I could from a 2007.5 to 13 6.7. They got terrible fuel economy and were plagued with CELs.

 

[HerbW]

You can rationalize it all you want. If FCA doesn't approve the modification then your warranty is gone and rightfully so. If you hide the fact you modified the way the engine operates and then make a claim, that is fraud, no if, ands or buts about it.

I get the desire to make the vehicle run better. I used a Smarty and threw away 50K miles worth of factory warranty. I accepted that I became my own powertrain warranty station the moment I uploaded the tune. Modify your engine and void your warranty. It really is as simple as that. Man up about it and accept the risks and the potential costs instead of making FCA and the rest of us pay for your choices!

How are you paying anything if I upgrade my truck? I’m a man, how are you doing? I just want it to last a long time and not soot up. I don’t pull trailers anymore and I just want a rig that’s dependable. It runs good enough for me but I’m getting exhaust regens on almost every tank since the AEM upgrade. Ridiculous! FCA hasn’t helped and I have case numbers still active.

 

[JJJ]

How are you paying anything if I upgrade my truck? I’m a man, how are you doing? I just want it to last a long time and not soot up. I don’t pull trailers anymore and I just want a rig that’s dependable. It runs good enough for me but I’m getting exhaust regens on almost every tank since the AEM upgrade. Ridiculous! FCA hasn’t helped and I have case numbers still active.

You might be wasting your time listening/replying to someone who is clueless about GDE's tune.

 

[brods]

How are you paying anything if I upgrade my truck? I’m a man, how are you doing? I just want it to last a long time and not soot up. I don’t pull trailers anymore and I just want a rig that’s dependable. It runs good enough for me but I’m getting exhaust regens on almost every tank since the AEM upgrade. Ridiculous! FCA hasn’t helped and I have case numbers still active.

FCA put you between a rock and a hard place. That sucks for sure. Do whatever you want to your truck, whatever makes you happy. But when you make comments like this:

Will it affect my warranty so I need to keep my original ECM? I just made 29,000 miles.

That comment implies you are contemplating warranty fraud down the road. Warranty fraud effects all of us in the way of higher truck prices.

Depending on the source, fraudulent warranty claims occupy an estimated 3% to 15% of the average company's warranty costs...

Do you think the CEO of FCA takes a pay cut to pay for the fraudulent warranty costs or do you think those costs are simply passed on to us consumers? If you are a man then behave like a man. Modify your truck however you want and then accept financial responsibility for your choices. Don't be a weasel that commits warranty fraud. I normally don't bother posting in threads like this, but Herb, you are at a decision point and can be saved from going to the dark side. Please make the right choice.

You might be wasting your time listening/replying to someone who is clueless about GDE's tune.

You are correct! It doesn't matter how good or bad the GDE tune is, or any modification for that matter, it doesn't change a thing. If it is not approved by FCA, you are breaking your end of the warranty contract that you entered into when buying the truck and FCA has every right to deny a claim and to void the warranty.

I visit several forums and there's never been any denial of warranty with the GDE tune. The dealer can't tell it's there because it appears the exact same as factory.


If you want to play it extra safe you can keep your stock ECM and simply swap out as necessary.

You are encouraging others to commit warranty fraud. You can rationalize it all you want by pretending the modification will save FCA money, but it's still fraud and it's still wrong. There is no grey area here. Can't afford to give up the warranty? Don't tune it. Can't stand the way it runs? Get rid of it or tune it and become your own warranty station.

 

[JJJ]

You are encouraging others to commit warranty fraud. You can rationalize it all you want by pretending the modification will save FCA money, but it's still fraud and it's still wrong. There is no grey area here. Can't afford to give up the warranty? Don't tune it. Can't stand the way it runs? Get rid of it or tune it and become your own warranty station.

Why do you feel the need to judge others?
OP's thread is What’s the best GDE reprogram way to go?

 

[Ozymandias]

Brods is right, the OP said/asked whats the best way to tune AND keep the warranty, and that would be fraud, no more no less.
Enough said.

 

[JJJ]

Brods is right, the OP said/asked whats the best way to tune AND keep the warranty, and that would be fraud, no more no less.
Enough said.

You might want to reread that 1st post a little more carefully. OP said "Will it affect my warranty so I need to keep my original ECM?" Let's not change the facts to suit your opinion. Enough said? Lol. The GDE tune is not an issue with the warranty anyway. Keeping a spare is optional and may offer some peace of mind. I still don't understand why some people feel the need to judge others. Are they the chosen few who will judge the many? I don't think so.

It's like over on the pet dog forum when someone asks what a good collar for my german shepard and someone else replies you shouldn't even have a dog and especially not a german shepard.

 

[HerbW]

I'm confused. I'm talking about keeping my original ECM and having it reprogrammed. Doesn't seem like fraud to me. I wasn't planning on a spare but was wondering if the warranty would go away if I swapped to a reprogrammed one. JJJ has it right in the above remarks. I think FCA should reprogram my ECM or give me a new one programmed as things quit all the time since new but it leaves no error codes to track. It's been in the shop and always no trouble found. I need a schematic of the wiring and see if something is loose. I'd sell it back if they'd offered. Thanks, Herb

 

[brods]

Herb, the simple answer is YES, changing the tune on any ECM and running it in your truck will void your warranty. That is great if you only wanted to know so you would keep the old one as a spare. 99.9% of the people that ask this question want to keep the old one to swap back into the truck so they can trick the dealer into thinking the truck was always stock and get repairs covered under warranty.

Why do you feel the need to judge others?

Words have meanings. I’m only going by what people post. We’ve had many threads over the years where guys modify their trucks and then cry when their warranty is denied. There was one in this ecodiesel forum just recently. At least that guy didn’t try to trick the dealer and left his modifications on the truck when he brought it in. Kudos to him! Herb hasn’t got to that point yet, but at least now he is aware of the risks to tuning his truck. As far as judging, right and wrong are not negotiable. This little gem by you says it all:

…. The GDE tune is not an issue with the warranty anyway. ….

Until you can present documentation from FCA saying they approve the GDE tune and they will honor engine warranty claims on trucks with the GDE tune, then yes it is an issue! If Herb goes with the GDE tune his warranty is gone. Yes he might be able to bring it in and trick the dealer into fixing it under warranty, but being able to get away with warranty fraud is way different than it being OK. You clearly do not know the difference between right and wrong. Have a nice life.

 

[JJJ]

Another one of the chosen few who will judge the many. Good for you brods. So what do you think about the german shepherd? Now let's get back on topic.

 

[John Jensen]

I've been following this thread and wasn't going to join in this until brods accused me (and others) of trying to trick my dealer, that was the last straw. My dealer is fully aware of and supports my tune. brods obviously hasn't a clue except he thinks he knows what is right and what is wrong.

 

[HerbW]

I've been following this thread and wasn't going to join in this until brods accused me (and others) of trying to trick my dealer, that was the last straw. My dealer is fully aware of and supports my tune. brods obviously hasn't a clue except he thinks he knows what is right and what is wrong.

I agree. I just want advice on what others have did and liked. On a long trip today, I got a whopping 20.6 mpg with my Ecodiesel. It drove great just the mileage sucks since AEM reprogramming. I got 26 mpg on the last same trip. I think a gasser could match the mpg. I filled it and drove it both trips.

 

[HerbW]

I should sell my Ecodiesel and drop out of TDR. I’m a member for over twenty years but the Ecodiesel help is so light and critical from members.
The writings of Robert Patton in the magazine are excellent and full of information. I’d miss his articles or talking to Robin at Geno’s Garage on an order. Class people.

 

[John Jensen]

I agree. I just want advice on what others have did and liked. On a long trip today, I got a whopping 20.6 mpg with my Ecodiesel. It drove great just the mileage sucks since AEM reprogramming. I got 26 mpg on the last same trip. I think a gasser could match the mpg. I filled it and drove it both trips.

It seems the answer on several forums is get it tuned. Then the question is what tune? GDE or SFT? I have run both and find they are very similar and worth having. I started with GDE but they got banned by Califunny's CARB. So I switched and currently running SFT. I made a GDE-SFT comparison chart, here it is:

 

[HerbW]

It seems the answer on several forums is get it tuned. Then the question is what tune? GDE or SFT? I have run both and find they are very similar and worth having. I started with GDE but they got banned by Califunny's CARB. So I switched and currently running SFT. I made a GDE-SFT comparison chart, here it is:

I’m away from my laptop now to see this. That’s what I’m looking for. Does SFT used the OBD II port? I’m looking forward to viewing this. Thanks again, Herb

 

[HerbW]

I’m away from my laptop now to see this. That’s what I’m looking for. Does SFT used the OBD II port? I’m looking forward to viewing this. Thanks again, Herb

John,
I was able to save and open using my TurboScan app on my iPhone! SFT looks like the deal! I’ll have to look it up! Thank you very much for your chart. Herb

 

[John Jensen]

I’m away from my laptop now to see this. That’s what I’m looking for. Does SFT used the OBD II port? I’m looking forward to viewing this. Thanks again, Herb

Yes, both ECU and transmission tunes use the OBDII port. Check their web site, has lots of info including installation http://www.sofakingtuned.com/ecodiesel.html#/
Jimmy is the owner and very helpful if you have questions or install difficulties. Tell him I referred you and you might get a discount if he has no sale going on. He just had a 20% off Labor Day sale.

 

[Ozymandias]

I don't think one of us said that GDE isn't a good tune.
It was all about that Herb wants to keep the factory warranty together with the tune.
If ones dealer is aware of the tune and still offers full factory warranty then that's at least interesting - and rare.