Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) caTCHER ecm (Marco's aka MAD)

[Marco]

Jetpilot,



NO, I don't take it as bashing!

Over the years I've read several threads where you were involved.

I have the highest respect for you.



I'm simply trying to make understand for what the CaTCHER has been tailored. And that's not the dyno.



I don't make any hp claims to "advertise" the CaTCHER. So I think it sould not be the other way arround either. I mean, only because it does not show up so well on a dyno sheet does not mean the CaTCHER doesn't work...

Has to do with the torque managemant of the ECM...



Let me try to explain with an example.

On the dyno one needs to get to WOT as fast as possible. Right?

Well, I can tailor the throttle to become almost an On/Off switch. Would be good on the dyno, useless on the road...



Marco

 

[KatDiesel]

Just got home from work, mines here... ... . I'll test it after dinner hopefully, gotta take care of some errands and pick up the little one from daycare... ... .



Thanks Marco

 

[RCone]

Congrats Murle, GL Kat. I trust all goes well. You are in an elite group now. I will apologize up front if by me using that terms rubs anyone the wrong way.

 

[RCone]

Wondering about fuel economy??? Took a 800 mile trip this last weekend. Mostly level driving, mostly freeway style. Maybe 30-40 miles around town, stop & go and some idling time and two passes down the drag strip along with two freeway races. . Let's just say it was late at nite and I and two other CTD's were getting with the program off and on over a distance of bout 2 miles. Then second "race" I gave chase and the other CTD wanted no part of me. That one was more like speeds of 75-100 for over at least five miles or more. Before anyone asks, this was hand calculated, I don't have the fancy overhead computer and I also have witnesses that saw the numbers. I had convoyed with 3 other individuals to Diesel Thunder in Spokane, WA and back.



Refueled at 585miles on the tripometer. Put in 24. 785 gallons (pump turned off at $50. 00. Didn't bother to top it off, probably could have held another 1-2 gallons but tank did register full. For sake of argument let's say I could have put in another 2 gals. Do the math, even at that it comes out to 22. 07mpg. Does the CaTCHER make a difference? Well, sure didn't hurt. BTW, except for the drag strip passes, idling and the two "races", my average cruising speed was between 66 and 75mph.



Gotta love that CaTCHER.



Roger



BTW, I wasn't going exactly slow down the strip either. My time sucked only because of me, the driver, but my trap speed best was 104. 15mph.

 

[Chrisw]

Mileage

My mileage didn't improve much till after my turbo change about 600 miles ago but my last tank of fuel I got 20. 2 witch is far better then anything I have ever had in the past.



Driving has not changed, mixed interstate, intown and giving friends rides. My last tank made 576 miles. My truck has never made it past 500 with out a fueling station being in sight or I would have been very worried



If I lost 5 to 15 hp so be it, I don't miss it one bit, I will find some other way to get it back. But please don't ask for my ECM back



chris

 

[Marco]

Bad news!

Guys&Gals,



I have bad news for you.

Eric's ( KatDiesel) ECM does not work.

WAAAAHHHHAAAAAAAA... sniff... :{ :{ :{

AAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! :-{}

Eric, I hope you don't have a BBQ ready for me...



What did I screw up this time? Really dunno.

In this last batch from Doug there were other two ECM's for early build 2001's. Before I shipped them ( ten minutes ago ) I've given them some extra care. Read, I've done a test drive with both of them in my truck.

They do work exactly like Murle's... .



Looks like I've done some kinda stupid mistake with Eric's ECM. The SW used for all four early builds I've got so far is almost identical. Three work one doesn't... . You know that word that starts with "S" then comes an "H" after the h then comes the "I" and the last letter is an "T"...

What was that word? Can't remember right now...



Eric, you've got E-Mail.



Marco

 

[Murle]

Marco, I SALUTUTE YOU. You have done one fine job on this ECM. You have made my truck perform the way I have always wanted it to. You disserve more than a pat on the back. If you are ever in Texas come by and I will invite you to a BBQ. Don’t worry you will not be the main course. My hat is off to you and when a Texan takes his hat off to you, you are either dang good looking or you have done something worth while. Since I have never laid eyes on you, yours is the latter.



Here is my first experience with the CaTHER….



This is with the BD chip installed. I also have 275 injectors.



1st Red light… Took off like I always do. About 1/3 throttle going to ½ throttle blew a lot of black smoke on the white Lincoln behind me sorry dude…



2nd Red light…. Took it easy, no smoke. Not much fun but had lots more power than before with the CaTHER.



3rd Red light. 2nd gear put it on the floor. Lots of smoke and had to get out of it quick before I ran over the guy in front of me. 35mph before I knew it.



4th Red light was GREEN. CRAP.



5th Red light Took off like with a egg under my foot. No smoke and this isthe way the CaTHER should be driven if you want no smoke. Lot of power here and she wants to run.



6th Red light… rolling stoplight turns green and easy peddle no smoke. Mash the pedal to the floor and she sets me back in the seat and I’m grabbing more gears. Wham, Wham I’m at 80 before I know it.



Running 55mph in 5th gear. 1600 Rpm. Put it on the floor very little smoke and at 70 mph in less than 4 sec.



This morning I unplug the BD chip. To be honest here I can not tell any difference with the chip unplugged. I see no reason to plug the chip back in. I think the chips will be a thing of the past for a lot of the people out there once they buy and drive the CaTHER.



Let my bud drive the truck this morning without the chip plugged in. Only the CaTHER. He drives a 2001 6 speed HO one ton. Nothing done to his truck. Plain Jane. He was impressed and says he is going to get one. He had a smile on his face when he drove back up and got out of the truck….



If this works out and I have no doubt it will. There will be no need for me to keep my old ECM. I will never go back to it. Oh, don’t ask to buy it. My bud is already wanting it to send it in for his truck….



Hang in there Eric. It will be worth the wait when Marco get your little problem figured out. :{

 

[darkhorse]

Mad about the CaTCHER

Marco, I SALUTUTE YOU. You have done one fine job on this ECM. You have made my truck perform the way I have always wanted it to.



If this works out and I have no doubt it will. There will be no need for me to keep my old ECM. I will never go back to it.





Murle, that makes two of us. I've been driving with mine for a month now & it still brings a to my face every time I step on the throttle. My every day mixed driving has avaraged a steady 19-20 mpg. Towing my horses brings that down to mid 17's.

 

[Murle]

We will see how the milage thing works out. Ever since my truck was new the best I have gotten is 16mpg. I usually get 13 to 14 mpg. I can already tell I don't need to get in the pedal as much as I use too. Oh by the way... I don't see my pedal that touchy. I drove in the pasture this morning and I had not problem controling it. It is just you don't have to push as much to get something out of the engine. Oo. Oo.

 

[Marco]

Aughhh Geeee... ( head down toe digging in the dirt) You say the nicest things

Murle... ( Hey that's a quote from you , just changed the name )



C'mon... I've just done what I had to. Not more, not less...



I'm glad you like the CaTCHER! Once you'll get used to it, you'll find that it is possible to drive it without too much smoke or probably without smoke at all with those wimpy injectors U have sticking in that big bad engine... :-laf



Remember, every time you get black smoke ( lots of it ) you hurt the performance. You have to find the fine line where you get that light haze outta the exhaust. A little more and it would smoke black and hurt turbo spool up and overall performance... You'll see... .



Marco

 

[Murle]

Marco said. . You have to find the fine line where you get that light haze outta the exhaust. A little more and it would smoke black and hurt turbo spool up and overall performance... You'll see... .



Yes I do understand. I have already notice that. There is a fine line there. What I like is that it is there under my foot if I want to use that giddy up and go. Kind of like wearing spurs. You got' em if you need to go giddy up and go.



Heck if the CaTHER causes me to drop 1 to 5 mpg I ain't giving it up... . No way.



I may have wimpy injectors but I still have my original clutch and transmission . I think with the set up I have I will not have to worry about transmission problems. So you guys that want good resposnse and giddy up and go the CaTHER my be the thing for you. It is for me. I'm everytime I get in my truck.



Hey you said the you were needing a new ECM. Yours is on the down hill side????? I for one here would be will to help and put a little contribution torward getting you a replacement. How about it guys??? Of course Marco would have to fine a person that could rehash it :-laf :-laf

 

[darkhorse]

The fine line

Marco said. . You have to find the fine line where you get that light haze outta the exhaust. A little more and it would smoke black and hurt turbo spool up and overall performance... You'll see... .





I've been working on that fine line, ... . of light haze, too. I get it most of the time now. It just takes a little attention & practice. No need for spurs with the CaTCHER. Just squeeze that throttle in the ribs a little & she scoots like right now!!

 

[Marco]

Listen to the engine!



Yup, you can hear that fine line too! Makes it easier...

No, I'm not nuts! Listen what the engine tells you, when you leave the haze towards the SMOKE you can hear the voice of the engine change.



I drive and listen... almost no smoke!



Marco

 

[KatDiesel]

As Marco posted... . mine didn't work. Gonna go swap them out now. Since Murle's worked I figured mine would aswell so I "completed" the swap... ... ... ..... whoops. Hopefully its something easy and simple that will jump out at Marco when he checks things out. My "Wait to Start" light took a few seconds to come on and then it just flashed at me. Truck would not start. Popped P0123 and P1694. But Marco said it tested fine on the bench. It was an Ebay purchased ECM almost over a year ago back when they were selling for 1/2 of what they do now :-laf



Like Murle... . I'm not upset... ... so don't take it in that sense. Looks like the 2001's are a bit of a challenge.



They are getting easier to change tho... .....

 

[Marco]

KatDiesel,



I'm thinking that I did something really stupid to your ECM because the flashing wait to start light. That light does more than simply self test the ECM. The flashing thing can be caused mainly by two problems.



1)ECM hardware problems.

2) Software conflicts.



What I remember for sure is that I've tested your ECM on the bench and the wait to start light worked. ( That was a few minutes after I had tested Murle's. . ) Probably my fault was the same reasoning you did. Murle's workes

( tested HIS in my truck ) then Eric's works too.



WRONG!!!



Lesson learned! NEVER trust yourself. ALWAYS do the WHOLE test series.



To make things even worse... . Since I'm stupid... . Normally, I keep a series of paperwork for each ECM. Test one, Test two, test three and so on... SW versions, problems encountered...

Not for your two ECM's... . They are not like all the others... .



WRONG!!! Another lesson learned!



Now since your ECM worked on the bench, should mean that it's HW is OK.

I think that it started flashing in your truck because it started talking to the other 'puters and found a SW conflict.



Kat, you're not upset?

You SHOULD! You've all the reasons to be upset! :{

I'll do my best!



Marco

 

[darkhorse]

Listen to the engine!



Yup, you can hear that fine line too! Makes it easier...

No, I'm not nuts! Listen what the engine tells you, when you leave the haze towards the SMOKE you can hear the voice of the engine change.



I drive and listen... almost no smoke!



Marco

I've been listening more attenativly to my engine. I do believe Marco is right. The sound seems to get a bit deeper & sort of hollow when the smoke starts.

 

[darkhorse]

customer service

As some of you know, Marco had me send him my original ECM in an effort to unravel the mysteries of the confusing 2001 model year. He had me use UPS express. I sent the unit out the afternoon of Aug. 31. He got it yesterday, Sept 2 & has done his work. It's back in UPS's hands, all in less than 3 days! He did discover some things scanning my original that should help with other trucks of the same year. Since UPS lets their employees off for Labor Day, I will have to wait 'till Teuseday to verify whether the cc issue is solved.

 

[Murle]

My CC works with no problems. When my chip was pluged in it did very up and down about 5mph. But with the CaTHER I don't need the chip and cc works great.....

 

[darkhorse]

My CC works with no problems. When my chip was pluged in it did very up and down about 5mph. But with the CaTHER I don't need the chip and cc works great.....

Great news. Merle!

 

[Murle]

One thing I have notice... my PS high idler has always been running at about 1250 rpm when I use it. Now with the CaTHER installed the high idle goes to 1475 to 1500 rpm. No problems just interesting that it idles higher now with the CaTHER.