600 owners,....your gonna love this....

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

I've been having a white smoke condition on startup on my truck. It lasts about 2 or 3 minutes and clears up and the truck runs fine. It's been into my dealer and previously had 3 injectors changed. Additionally I had a slight miss at low speed idle but who knows,. . it may have missed a bit on up higher in the rpm level. Anyway, the injectors cleaned up that miss, but the smoking condiiton was still there. I started calling around and found out from my local Cummins dealer that they have a customer hot line TN 1-800 Diesels. I called the number and got a tech named Jerry. He took the info and said he have to call his counterpart with Dodge Star group. He called me back in less than 5 minutes. WOW! Good serivce. He said that STAR would have a recalibration out in October for these 600s that would fix the white smoke startup problem and get this,... increase fuel economy!!! Music to my ears. He also sait it would be handled via a TSB and not a recall, so you'll have to request it. If I get the number I'll post it.

 

[klenger]

happy happy joy joy Oo.



Let's hope that this fixes the problems that many of the members have been having with poor fuel economy. Mine's been OK, but more is better.

 

[GWoody]

Yeppy, this is good news, recalibration, does this mean a reflash of the ECM??

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

600 recalibration

GWoody,



Yes it does mean reflashing the ECM.

 

[Cajun4x4]

I cannot wait. Not having a white smoke condition yet, but the mileage could be better.

 

[CJEliassen]

I dunno if this sounds good. The last time I flashed something I got arrested.

 

[thejeepdude]

Betcha $ to do-nuts that it doesn't help MPG that much. If it was always a flash problem, why do some old trucks with the old software get great MPG? I hope I'm wrong, though!

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

Ok,. . I'll take that donut bet. The reason is that DCX has Cummins doin' the reprogram for them, per my hot line contact. If that's straight up then it will be done right and they know this has been screwed up since the get go. Just goes to show that all the feedback we give dealers, web hot line and such does get heard. If your silent then they will think we're satisfied. You need to be heard,. . but in a positive manor. . not just *****in. I think they want a excellent product as bad as we do just because of the constant competition from the other majors. They don't need all that bad press.

 

[CJEliassen]

I have about 1000 miles on my 600 and I am averaging 18 MPG. I am already happy, so if they could get it higher, I will worhsip Cummins forever, or until they are still available in the dodge anyway.

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

I'm getting mid 13's, as I suspect many are and that may be considered good by some!! With a 1000 miles on yours you aren't even broke in yet and getting 18mpg avg!!!! Frankly I don't think it will get any better and I'd do flips if mine shot to 18 after a reflash. Just my humble opinion,... if that mileage is accurate and hand calculated I wouldn't do the flash,. . who knows it may leave you worse off and there would be no going back.

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

600 recalibration and fuel mileage issues

I'm getting mid 13's, as I suspect many are and that may be considered good by some!! With a 1000 miles on yours you aren't even broke in yet and getting 18mpg avg!!!! Frankly I don't think it will get any better and I'd do flips if mine shot to 18 after a reflash. Just my humble opinion,... if that mileage is accurate and hand calculated I wouldn't do the flash,. . who knows it may leave you worse off and there would be no going back.

 

[CJEliassen]

I'm getting mid 13's, as I suspect many are and that may be considered good by some!! With a 1000 miles on yours you aren't even broke in yet and getting 18mpg avg!!!! Frankly I don't think it will get any better and I'd do flips if mine shot to 18 after a reflash. Just my humble opinion,... if that mileage is accurate and hand calculated I wouldn't do the flash,. . who knows it may leave you worse off and there would be no going back.

I was thinking the same thing. Kinda the "don't fix it if it ain't broke" theory.



My first tank was 16 on the computer and 16. 8 hand calculated. This is my second tank and I will be filling it up today. The computer is showing right at 18 and I think thats pretty accurate since I had 550 miles on it when the low fuel light came on.

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

Mileage

Just a suggestion,. . but fill it till it bubbles at the lip of the fuel fill. Press the trip mileage on your dash and drive it at least a couple hundred everyday miles and then repeat the fillup process and see how it looks then. IMOP, that's the real test. You may be surprised. Then again...

 

[CAgnoli]

I'm getting between 17 and 19 depending on the pedal, but if more than one TDR member gets the reflash, and sees more than 21MPG I'm headed right for the dealer to get the flash. If the TDR members get the flash and "only" get 18 to 19. I'm staying where I am.

 

[klenger]

It seems that the newer 600's are the ones getting the higher milage. I wonder... if they already have the new software.

 

[CAgnoli]

My build date is 1/24/04, and I'm getting the 18's... . I've not been flashed, but I did have the High Idle "enabled" Not sure if I'd have newer software than a truck built last month.

 

[OT-OF-HERE!!]

As I understood it in my conversation with the Cummins tech,. . there were really two issues that STAR was after in this fix,. . MPGs and white smoke issues. Just thinking that later build date vehicles may have gotten the MPG fix and perhaps not the white smoke fix,... don't know that,. . just offering. I guess if you see it then you'll know.

 

[CJEliassen]

Where can I find my build date? Also, how can I find out which version software I have?



I am taking a trip to Reno next weekend and I will let you all know what kind of Mileage I get at 75+, Most of my driving is 60-65 to and from work, but its about 40 miles through the mountains.

 

[KBertetto]

My engine was built on 2 Mar 04, just turned 11k and get 22+ on the highway at 60mph. The best ever was 23. 1 (flat road & tail wind). Fill to the same spot in filler neck at the same pump every time. Needless to say, I'm not getting the mileage flash if they come out with it. I sure hope they do though, I want everybody on this site to be as happy with their truck as I am with mine.



Bert

 

[LHolland]

Mine is a fairly recent build, May'04. I'm getting 17-18mpg with only 3200 miles on the clock. These numbers are hand calculated. The computer normally shows 16. 8mpg. I use the same pump and fill the same way everytime. I do have the white smoke problem, but have'nt taken it in for that yet. It runs great otherwise. I'll probably wait and see what the results are before getting a reflash.