Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Cummins flash

[stephen bolger]

I am looking to have the ecm flashed by Cummins. Has anyone else out there done this? Will I have any problems? I am at 160000km now and looking to upgrade. I all ready have a superchip on the truck.

 

[jrollins]

i have had DC re-flash my ECM about 6 months ago to enable cold weather idle, all went well but i have heard tell that there have been cases where the flash toasted the ECM, what upgrades are you wanting by the reflash??

 

[Turbo Horseman]

Why are you looking to reflash the ECM? If you want to BOMB, I haven't heard of anyone reflashing first. So I'm curious why reflash and not just BOMB?

 

[Big White Beast]

Are you sure.......

I thought the ECM was proprietary to DC. Cummins can read some of the outputs for diagnostic purposes but doesn't have the ability to do any changes.



Garrett

 

[Agades]

cummins can re flash

BUT

if your truck runs fine now

DONT RE FLASH

LEAVE IT ALONE

JUST BOMB



I had cummins re flash but it was a last resort

 

[pwr2tow]

It is a proprietary thing that cummins can not reflash with any other programs than the one it came with, on my 1999 there are three different programs that can be installed in the ECM, one giving 20 HP more than standard but if DC finds out they installed anything but the original data they can be sued. Cummins will not take that chance.



Ron

 

[stephen bolger]

Originally posted by jrollins

i have had DC re-flash my ECM about 6 months ago to enable cold weather idle, all went well but i have heard tell that there have been cases where the flash toasted the ECM, what upgrades are you wanting by the reflash??

I would like to stop having the check engine light come on for no reason. And get back my fuel mileage that i had when i first got the truck. The guy a cummins thinks the computer is stuck in breakin mode. at 500km i was getting 22mpg and now at 160000 i am getting 10 to 14 mpg.

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by stephen bolger

The guy at Cummins thinks the computer is stuck in break-in mode.

I knew it! I knew it! We were towing our 5ver at 1000 and 2000 miles, and at both intervals it was like the truck suddenly came alive. Below 1000 miles, this thing wouldn't even pull as hard as our V-10 (we still had both trucks at the time) - I thought I had made a huge mistake buying the Cummins. Just about everyone I've mentioned this to thought I was dreaming. I knew there had to be a break-in mode in the ECM or PCM!



Rusty

 

[stephen bolger]

Originally posted by ronsram1999

It is a proprietary thing that cummins can not reflash with any other programs than the one it came with, on my 1999 there are three different programs that can be installed in the ECM, one giving 20 HP more than standard but if DC finds out they installed anything but the original data they can be sued. Cummins will not take that chance.



Ron

Now that the Chrysler warranty is done i can have anything done to it. The cummins guy told me they can not do anything until i hit 160000 Km or 100000miles.

 

[dan_gilson]

I have had mine reflashed by Cummins.

Milage has been creeping down for the last 6 months or so. I don't even bother with Dodge anymore. Cummins could not find anything else wrong and thought a reflash might help.



I saw no difference in the flash except for an unexpected MIL (check engine light) about 10 minutes after I left Cummins. I drove right back. They checked it out and found nothing wrong. There is the Cummins side of the diagnostics (3 wire connector) and Dodge which uses the OBDII connector near the go pedal under the Dash. Both probably talk but store different things. The light went out by itself. I have not had a problem since with the MIL.



The nice thing about Cummins is that they asked me whether I wanted a reflashed. The mechanic asked me which updates I wanted and also gave me his recomendation. Which I accepted.



I think you could also ask Cummins to do an uprate (e. g. 235HP to 275HP) providing that you agree to a disclaimer that they are not responsible for breakage and the voided dodge warrenty and such. I got some literature about this from my Midrangers membership. It was primarily directed to the Motorhome people but I have not gotten a No when I asked the last time I was there.

 

[Agades]

[ The guy a cummins thinks the computer is stuck in breakin mode. i am getting 10 to 14 mpg. [/B][/QUOTE]



the best mpg I ever got was 14 till I had cummins re flash

now I get 20 consistently



you may be on to something



(I only had 14000 miles when I had the reflash)

 

[stephen bolger]

I just made a 6500 km trip and got 9 mpg towing a empty 32 foot car hauler. this is why I am looking at a reflash to get all of the Dodge flashes out of my ecm. When I first got the truck it got 19 mpg towing this same trailer . It also got 22 mpg empty for the first 1500 km. The it went down from there. I was told that it would get better after the motor was broken in. Now at 166000 km.

 

[JCyrbok]

Mileage

I only get avg 15MPG combined driving in my truck empty. I do have 4wd and auto but would that account for a 5 mpg difference than some other people. I dont hot rod around and have no mods other then a scotty II. I only have 25k on my truck. would a reflash help or even be recomended? Does it help fuel economy by cutting power or does everything stay the same in that dept?



J-

 

[pwr2tow]

Cummins will do a reflash for your truck but they can only reflash with what your truck came with, in other words they can not reflash to make more HP, the way I understand it it does not matter how many miles are on the truck, it is a copy right thing for the DC ECM.



Ron

 

[dsherman]

How long is the breakin mode? How many miles til breakin mode stops?

 

[Agades]

when I had mine done they called it a RE CALIBRATION



it didnt give me any more or less power



just runs better and gets some mileage