9 Level TST Box on an HO, this can't be right

[Swayse]

I know a guy with a 2001 HO, that had a TST level 9 box put on his truck by a local garage. After the install his truck would cut out in 6th gear at about 80 mph. The installers soulution was to cut a wire out of the wiring harness that sits above the valve cover. Well it don't cut out any more, BUT the truck stalls very easily when taking off, like it lost it's govener or something. Anybody heard of this? Is there a soulution?



Stuff like this has never happened with my PE or EZ.

 

[Archive]

The first thing I would do is to hook that wire back up, unhook the TST, and see if it cuts out. I bet it doesn't. As I read your post, I remembered a post by Steve St. Laurent. He reported that the TST box defuels... I don't remember the exact rpm, but as I recall, it was pretty much over at 2700rpm. Is that around the place where he is getting the cutout?



I would never allow a wire to be cut on my Ram til I knew exactly what it was, and the effect of cutting it.



You might try searching for Steve's post... it was probably 4 or 5 months ago, and would have more info. Or email him direct.

 

[EMDDIESEL]

Either that or call TST direct. He will give you the answer you need

 

[Bigsaint]

Another member here had the same concern, I believe it was ToddT ?, I tried a search but, once again, got no where with this new software, must be doing something wrong. Anyway, the other TDR member also cut a wire and received the same type of performance, i. e. , loose of govenor and the need to clutch it like a gasser. I have the TST comp. box and have not experienced this defueling yet, but I haven't had up above 80 either, so can't help ya there. If you have to cut the wire, wouldn't you be better off wiring it into some type of switch so that yo could simply disable when there is only a 'need for speed' and not have to drive around without the govenor disabled constantly. I'm calling it the govenor as I don't really know it's true name, maybe someone with more experience can jump in and help.



Scott W.

 

[Bad340fish]

I think its called a Load sensing idle control or something of that sort. I love it!! Makes backing a trailer into tight spots so easy!!



The cuting out has to do with some kind of speed control that was put on the 2001 models. The heavy fueling boxes exagurate(Sp?) it and make it come on sooner somehow

Clark

 

[Swayse]

This guy also had an injection pump go out on him after the install of the TST box. He is also on his third TST box the first two where defective. Next time he is in town, I'm gonna take the TST box off his truck, hook that wire back up, and let him borrow my EZ. Something is not right, my 2001 etc has never cut out. Maybe cause his is an eth? Thanks for the help, let me know if you have any other ideas.

 

[Todd T]

after several calls and testing things myself, I talked with Mark at TST and he was not aware of the govenor circuit behaving this way on the 01 trucks. he is working on a fix.



for the meantime have your friend install a switch on the wire he cut (white/orangetrace).



I put a toggle switch inside the ashtray and when I know I'm going to go fast, just reach in and turn it off. (open the lead) then when I slow back down, I jurn it back on for normal driving.



MY limiter was coming on at 85MPH and now I can sail right past that with the switch turned off. but the first stoplight you come to with it turned off, it will remind you, as soon as you try to take off again.



have him call Mark @TST and make him aware he is having this same trouble, that way he will hurry up and build a fix for it. the last time i talked with them was about three weeks ago.



as far as the pumps going out I wouldnt place all the blame on the TST box, it probably goes mostly to the guy driving much harder and shifting at 3400 rpms. make sure he learns to not let off all the way between shifts to keep some fuel to the pump. the two failures that i have seen have been, 1 from lift pump going out and contining to drive hard (80+MPH) thus taking out the pump, and other was between shifts, and had no power when he went to get back in it. (he shifts at 3400 and isnt the fastest draw in the midwest )



personaly I think my truck has as much power with the injectors as it did with just the PM, and it runs alot smoother with it turned way down(3 or 4) or off. its too hyper on higher levels.

 

[Todd T]

peter, any "fueling" box will do the same thing. if your PE EZ doesnt do it on his truck, that only proves the PE doesnt fuel as much as the TST box.



this is a circuit built into the ECM that compares speed, to fuel flow rate, and cuts back if it thinks the flow rate is too high. it is also part of the idle validation circuit, and that is what keeps it from dying off idle when you let out the clutch.



Rob, the TST box starts to defuel at 2700 and is back to STOCK by 2900 rpms. it also has a 1 second delay before it starts to fuel on demand. the comp boxes dont have this feature for the lack of emissions regulations (off road only) and they can be customized to not defuel or defuel later than above.



the TST box is one of the most aggressive fueling boxes out there. again Mark was not aware of this problem and it took me some talking to get him to listen to me and acknowledge a problem, but, as soon as he saw it,he said he would get right on a fix for the problem.

 

[Swayse]

Thanks for the info, I was almost positive it had something to do with the installer(heavy duty PSD guy), this being his first Dodge to upgrade. I still think he something to do with injection pump going out, incorrect install? I'll call Mike and talk to him about it, my buddy with the HO is a real hands off kinda guy. He was going to buy a new box from me after his first TST quit working, cause the installer told him the TST box only had a 30 day warrenty. I told him to tell his installer it had at least a 1 year warrenty. Talk about customer service.



I'm starting my own part time local upgrade shop here, not to make any money, but to help out the guys that have a need for speed.

 

[MHindman]

Did I miss the boat with this comp tst box? I have the pm 3, but whats different between the two?

 

[Bigsaint]

Level 6 on the competition TST box equals level 9 on the standard box. How do the higher levels react??? Can't tell ya, been too much of a sissy to try 'em yet, but this to shall pass. Actually, I doubt I'll gain much over level 6 with the ETH, but bigger is better in my mind... big dogs, big truck, big guns, big mother and sister in law , lol, should have been raised in Texas, everything is big there, right .



Todd, when you have the time, can you email me the method you used and which wire you cut to wire in the switch ? Thanks !!!



Scott W.

 

[MHindman]

well i want to get the next level, can the box i have be updated? i think it could be. But im sure first i would need a clutch, since its still stock. thanks for the info

 

[Todd T]

Michael, once you get the injectors you will have more than you will know what to do with. the Competition box is to be for off road use only and i think they make you sign a waiver to that effect, if they will even sell it to you at all.



get your injectors and clutch in, and get back to us, that is after you peel yourself off the back glass



BIG Saint, an email is on the way...

 

[Bigsaint]

Thanks Todd, I received the email. I agree on the comp. box also, if you add larger injectors, that should be enough to keep you happy for a while. My comp. box was one of the older, fixed setting ones, no remote. It cost me $150. 00 for TST upgrade it to the remote model. I guess it would be less than that to just reprogram an existing remote box, but I would just try it out with the larger injectors first. My uinderstanding, after having a discussion with TST, is that any older TST box can be upgraded to remote or re-programmed, as long as you have the phone jack (for lack of the proper terminology) on the back of your box.



Scott W.

 

[MHindman]

yeah toddt thats a good idea. Since even at this point i have to becareful when it rains or anything, cause the truck is too quick. Thanks for keeping me on the right track! #1 has to be a clutch, or all the bombs in the world wont move the truck any faster... just get the cummins cranking faster

 

[Briar Hopper]

I wonder if this problem is common only on the HO trucks, while my truck is a 2001, it has a 5 speed, and so it's the ETC version, not the ETH. I haven't had it cut out suddenly at high speeds, the truck is fine all the way up to 120mph. But every once in a while, I get a strange "stumble" in the engine. It only happens about once every two weeks... The PowerEdge box I used to have would do the same thing, though after sending it back in exchange for a new one, I never experienced that problem again, until I got the PM3 TST Comp box. I'm not freaking about it, simply wondering what it is. I'll talk to Mark when I get a chance, he might know. The problem might actually be in my ECM, who knows...

 

[Vaman]

PM Comp

I've had the comp box for a little while now and, honestly, I haven't found a real use for the upper 3 levels. I'll probably try it at the truck pull I'm entering. The problem is that it defuels so aggressively at those levels that it literally shakes the whole truck... pretty much unusable.

 

[Todd T]

Tom, they are not all ETH's,according to Mark, mine was the first to notice the stalling after cutting the speed limiter wire.



what level do you run you Power max on most of the time?



do you know if your wire is already cut or not?



did you install it yourself or have TST/Dealer do it?



if your wire is cut, then you should have noticed that you could no longer let out the clutch in first without giving it any throttle, or the truck would die. if it is, splice it back real quick and go let the clutch out, without the throttle, and you feel what we are talking about.



if I run mine on anything past level 5 the speed limiter would kick in at 85MPH it feels like you turned off the ignition. once i cut the wire the speed limiter didnt come on, but the truck takes more throttle to take off now or it stalls.



depending on how you drive you may never notice the stalling problem, but i have grown used to it not stalling and it helps when you are backing or on a hill that the truck will compensate and not allow it to stall, so you can use one foot on the brake and the other on the clutch peddle for precise backing.

 

[Briar Hopper]

No cut wires on my truck as far as I know... . the box was installed by Mark Chapple and Steve St. Laurent at the same time that Eric McBride and I were installing my new Hx40 to replace the one that blew (courtesy of Majestic) . So it was installed while I watched/checked, they didn't do anything I would have done differently, they know what they are doing.

I like to run it at level 4 or 5, and prefer level 5 for towing my 6000lb. travel trailer... I usually run at level 5, that gives me a comfortable level of power for passing slow cars on two-lane roads. Level 6 is reserved for smoking liberals and PowerPokes in Lexington . Yeah, Level 6 and up really pour out the smoke...

The "cutout" I'm experiencing is nothing like yours... and this "stalling" you're talking about? I've never had my truck stall (unless it was my own clumsiness, foot slipping off the clutch) I think we have 2 different problems here, yours and mine...

But now, what VAMAN is talking about, the upper 3 levels of the box, yeah, I get that too... but I've had a few runs on the drag strip where easing off very gently on the go pedal while in level 7,8,or 9 kept the truck from "hammering" (getting that awful engine defueling slam)

I hope this answers your questions, Todd, and that you get your problem solved. Keep us posted...