Heads up on Power Pup

[Tomeygun]

Tommy - no, I meant DRB, but hmmm... . .

OHH, you cheater, how'd you get one of those? (them things are like $3000, by manager craps his pants when we are missing one)



PS - i'm betting just because the code is there does not mean the system does not work

 

[DIESELMAN]

OK, Bully Dog needs to chime in here, It only appears to receive about 128 Bytes at the beginning of a Stock to Tow program load, certainly not enough for a read of the existing ECM code to be stored. Theres a Big Butt here though, I have 12 clipleads in here, and no idea regarding protocol, and may have missed data when I switched logging direction. I would sure like a side job of deciphering these things so that we could make our pups into a full DRB



DRB? Borrowing is the American way of life, I want it over the weekend though.



SKIMM and Key ? I'm making a black key tomorrow, just to be sure, now I've got myself worried.



QUOTING TOMMY: (it is kinda funny though, So the thief breaks the window, takes the Bullydog DL'er and Dl's the extreme program, and the rips out the cylinder and starts truck with no bull from the now-defeated sentry key system... AND PLUS has the horsepower to REALLY run from cops, HA!!)



... . And Shrapnels the turbo 1 block from the house!!!!! Is Arrested, and goes off to jail with a permanent grin on his face

 

[Tomeygun]

SKIMM and Key ? I'm making a black key tomorrow, just to be sure, now I've got myself worried.

Cool ,that would be only way to tell, a controled test --

... . And Shrapnels the turbo 1 block from the house!!!!! Is Arrested, and goes off to jail with a permanent grin on his face

AND is quoted as saying "if it wasn't for that darn cheap skate owner that didn't have twins, i would have got away from you pigs!, darn you and your 9cm housings!!" (as he shoves his fist in the air in anger)



Thats how i feel sometimes with that darn little stock turbo, I had the TST on level 7 this morning and with the STOCK boost elbow, I still touched 38 lbs for about 2 seconds and dropped to 30 and held, that wastegate is worthless!

 

[realsquash]

I would bet if you load the Bullydog program of choice you could go to the dealer and get the skim deal reprogrammed afterwards. Just don't be swapping programs all the time. If everyone would leave it on uber mode the cost of big turbos would start going down



Andy

 

[TBrennan]

So if I get a new tire size set in my stock program at the dealer and then download a power pup program, I'll lose my tire setting?? Doesn't seem to make sense. I thought the power pup either only overwrote the table settings or actually downloaded the original program first into the handheld unit for storage and later re-install.

 

[JVolpe]

P0633 Code. SKIM Key working or not?



I have this code on my DTC readout. Took it to the Dealer to find out why. The computer tech told me this is a stored code that means that at some time, some thing interferred with the SKIM Key communications. It does not mean that the SKIM Key is not working. It is a historical entry. He said that he could clear the code, but would have to reset all history codes to do this. He recommended against this because if there is future problems with the SKIM Key this stored code is proof that the problem has happened more than once. This seems reasonable explanation.



I tried to clear the code with my OBDII scanner and could not clear this code.



Just info that I have from dealer, take it with a grain of salt.



I am very interested in the BD Downloader, just watching to see all of the quirks. Plus I have a 600 so not many out there that I see with this mod.

 

[RonsRig]

I have been running in the tow mode the last couple of days. I didn't get any codes. Last night I loaded the performance program and still no code. I have a chipped key. I check the codes using the downloader. Am I doing something wrong? Or am I doing something right and I don't know what it is? How do I check for codes with out using the BDDL or some other scan tool.



This box is awsome! I hope it doesn't disable the chipped key. I will be setting on the edge of my seat waiting for results of DIESELMAN's experiment.

 

[DLeno]

As I understand, it is the act of flashing the ECM that causes the ECM and the SKIM module to loose contact. Someone correct this if wrong, but I beleive it takes a separate step to re-acquaint SKIM and ECM back together again, which requires a (digital) security key.



so yea, flash your ECM and SKIM disables, making it possible to drive off with a correctly cut key. When the dealer flashes, they perform the SKIM enabling step.



What i dont' understand so far is the claim posted here that SKIM functionality can be restored at home by re-storing the stock program in the ECM. has this been confirmed? Again, a black key experiment is required here!



sure, you could load the downloader program of choice and then go back to the dealer to enable SKIM. As long as you are your own warranty station they will certainly do this I would imagine. But you'd have to be clear not to re-flash the ECM - just restore ECM/SKIM communication. just dont' expect to do this under warranty without calling attention to the fact that you have different code in the ECM from an after market product designed to mimic a DRBIII.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

What we need to keep in mind here is that the mods we are doing do not go with the warranty. If you newer here, you might not have ever heard this before. Repeat after me " I am my own warranty station". If you want your truck to go faster. You will have to sacrifice a couple of things. Gas milage is not existant with a performance mod. You do not install 120 HP and get better milage. You do not have an accurate overhead computer anymore. My computer has been off on every truck that I have bombed. Injectors, pusher pumps, boxes, downloader, anything will corrupt the overhead computer. The SKIM feature is as much and advantage as an extended warranty on a bombed truck. There are ways to steal a truck with this feature. Lots of ways. It is pretty worthless in my opinion. It is on my truck and I could care less about losing it.

 

[DIESELMAN]

Darn Weather, no Black Key test today. I agree Greg, as for the SKIMM key, IDGAS.



Tommy, mine hit 46 lbs and I freaked, lifted out too quick and it Barked, did it again and sure enough 46 lbs. Insane mode without some mods is, insane.



Warranty Station, thats me, I confess, I did it, don't b*tch about it, just fix it, if you want me to pay, fine, if you want DC to pay you for it, better, and I'll buy more stuff from you, b*itch about it, tattle to DC, make a big deal about it, I'll show you my $40,000 receipt from another dealer next year. I don't know why more owners and dealers don't understand this simple concept.



This is why I drive to Phoenix for, well, everything. I am certainly a fix it till its broke kind of person, and I am a software engineer. When I see something that is software controlled, I really, really want to decompile it.



The BDog Downloader doesn't have enough issues, and no real problems, that would keep me from buying it, which I did, or recommending it to anyone else, which I do.



What I really really want, is a new program, a Ram Explorer, that opens with windows, shows me all the parameters and mapping of my truck, shows me available flash code, OEM Flash, aftermarket Flash and open source Flash, you know, something written by an absolute stranger, and allows me to create my own mapping. Something that allows me to re-map fueling tables or create code for idle up, pilot control, listen to the buss and make it quieter when the windows are down, or louder , it is just software, and I would like the opportunity for my truck to be, well, my truck.



If someone had the data well worked out, I would write the explorer, it would be just too much fun. Oo. Oh, don't expect me to offer a warranty though.

 

[TCDiesel]

Dieselman, $6,000. 0 and you can to it SPX Miller, Make Sure you get the PEP MOD and the subscription any thing a dealer has you will Have for the Next three years. I know that others are working on new configurations that are far superior than what"s available today. This PUP is just a small taste of what will be available.

 

[travisch]

If Bully Dog advertises that the Power Pup records and restores the stock program then I expect it to work that way. Nowhere does it say (even in fine print) "May disable security key, eliminate updated flashes, throw codes or completly render the overhead mileage computer usless".

I know the overhead will be off when using the enhanced programs but when I go back to stock then it should be accurate again and not continue to show 54 mpg. It also shouldn't overwrite the baseline flash, overwriting anything newer ( 08-037-004 for instance) thats been put into the truck.

I spoke with Russel & Justin at Bully Dog about these problems and got two different stories. Russel said that the overhead mileage computer takes over 1000 miles to "recalibrate" - Justin said this wasn't normal and they had another 04. 5 comming into the shop with the same issue. He never called me back as promised with any information. Russel said the p0602 wasn't a fault of Bully Dog and was a comm error between the ECM & PCM - take it to the dealer. This code never showed until I used the Power Pup and never went away until I had the dealer re-flash 08-037-004. Its never returned. Only the dealer I bought it from offered to ship another one to try because he hadn't seen these issues before. I tried it lastnight and still get the exact same errors. Truck runs great on any of the performance downloads but won't go back to stock. I understand bugs need to be worked out but Bully Dogs service reps offered nothing, gave two different stories and then blamed my truck. Because of that I won't reccomend anything Bully Dog or own anything Bully Dog.

 

[realsquash]

So how much do you want for your slightly used Power Pup?



Andy

 

[travisch]

$450. 00 plus shipping

 

[DIESELMAN]

Travis - How much do you want for your screwed up truck?? Or better yet, where are you parking it with the Security Key Disabled???



It says right inthe manual on page 3 that the SKIMM feature will be disabled, 12pt Times New Roman I believe.

 

[lmills]

Travisch, Mine is giving the same 602 code as yours.

 

[Tomeygun]

Travis - How much do you want for your screwed up truck?? Or better yet, where are you parking it with the Security Key Disabled???



It says right inthe manual on page 3 that the SKIMM feature will be disabled, 12pt Times New Roman I believe.

Well, crap, i guess that pretty much lays that to rest now, huh??



did you try starting your truck with the black key, just to see/make sure??

 

[LightmanE300]

Lightman - It is reliable, and they aren't bugs, thats just the way it works. You can't meld code, you can only replace it. But it is software, and it is a better program than the factory ECM, I'm sure they will incorporate the performance mapping into the newer Flash programs and release them later... ... . As for the SKIM key, its a really weak way to cobble up your truck and does nothing to prevent someone from stealing it anyway, it only stops the idiots and causes the owner headaches and costs more for the keys.



... . And I've been hearing about the attitude/juice for 03's for how long??

Well maybe I shouldn't have used the word 'bugs', however it's hardly perfect. I don't care if it's 'how it works' or not, I don't want to lose my high-idle feature, or security features. In my non computer programming opinion, that's less than perfect engineering from bullydog. Theoretically, it should just re-write your engine maps etc, and leave the rest alone, or at least restore those features. While the skim key may not be the most effective theft deterrent, I paid for it and would rather it worked. I could probably live without the kim key functioning, but the high idle is a big deal in the winter!



As for waiting for the edge box - yes they've taken forever, but some of us have patience.

 

[DIESELMAN]

Tommy - It also says you may need to check and erase diagnostic trouble codes.



Lightman - Its just not that easy, there are no defined boundaries as to what is code, what is program, and what is data. Too many assumptions need to be made. Can it be done, yes, but it is better to start with known code and modify that, rather than pick and choose portions of a compiled binary program to overwrite.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

The Big Brown truck just dropped of a BD DL and I just installed it. STOP WHINING!!! This thing rocks. It is worth every little code it sets. Go Blow Smoke!!! My Truck now gives my 450 HP Edge comp equiped 01 a run for its money... . !! WOOOHOOOO!