Does Smarty sw1 kill ecm's?

[Cummins724]

I had a post a while back about my brothers truck & the new Smarty software. He daily drives the truck on sw1 & it is because he is all about the MPG's or as I call it "he is cheap". :-laf Well, maybe very smart considering the fuel prices. His truck is a 98. 5 5 speed CTD. The only mods are RV275, Smarty, 4" straight pipe. I loaded the new Smarty software into his truck when it was released thinking changes were made to the software for driveability. His ecm always threw a code 0253 when temperatures would get below 30*, then one day his ecm threw like 8 codes & the truck shut off. I replaced the ecm with the one from my 99 to get him on the road & all was well since september. Yesterday he was driving to my house & his cel illuminated, sure enough 0253 code came back. It was 17* last weekend, yesterday it was in the 30's. What is going on here? It seems like the ecm is going out again, as it is doing the same thing all over again. Any opinions?

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[Jed]

Good question I have allways been afraid of #1 because of the advanced timing. My concern is due to my cam and in my mind I can see that it might be a problem.



Yes it could be all in my mind



I have not heard of people raving about the extra mileage with #1. How much does it actually help?



Can we get some feedback?

jed

 

[Cummins724]

Not sure if it helps because we own a excavating business & get our fuel in bulk. We fill up from a tank in our garage, but the pump has no gauge. He did notice that he gets a extra 30 miles to a tank, but that doesn't answer your question. Sorry.

 

[LotusGT69]

i have run mine on 3, 5, 1, and now 5 for the last year. mpg has increased by around 2. rattles a bit more but thats it. no codes or anthing. mine is a 2005

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

I doubt that Smarty, or any similar device will "kill" a healthy ECM - OR an injection pump - but I also have little doubt they may cause any weaknesses already there to surface faster than they would otherwise.



Soon after getting my own Smarty (now sold and goneOo. ). I started throwing P0216 injection pump codes - but wouldn't with Smarty unloaded, at least for a while. Eventually, the codes became more frequent, and even without Smarty programming loaded - so I installed a new VP-44, and all was well.



Others have experienced the same thing.



I figure the VP-44 was on the ragged edge of failure, and the Smarty just revealed that weakness sooner than would have otherwise occurred. The same can happen with solid state devices such as in the ECM - and the act of reprogramming with a Smarty - and probably even a DC reflash - can push that weakness over the edge - and leave you afoot! :-laf:-laf



For sure, regardless of advertising hype, I wouldn't make it a practice to be loading different ECM programs on a whimsical and casual basis, might come back to bite you...

 

[Cummins724]

Gary, I would agree under other circumstances, but I'll try to explain this better. The original ecm started by throwing a 0253 code only when temps were below 30*. Then after winter ended was fine. Then in September started throwing numerous fueling calibration error codes at random before just dying all together. I took my ecm out of my 99 & installed it knowing that it was in great working order. This was in late September, Its only been 4 months now & it is dying in the same order as his ecm bit the dust. I drove my truck around for 50k miles running sw2, he only gets 4 months & less than 6000 miles & it is throwing codes. What else can it be?