RV Towing and Smarty Jr.

[ROGER/DODGER]

Just thought I would let everyone know how the Smarty JR. has been working. I had a Superchips on my 06 for the the first two years and have been towing a 16000 lb. fiver with it. I notice with the Superchips I picked up about 1 mpg.

On a long hard pull up a steep grade, 10% or so the EGT's would rocket, and I would have to monitor the gauge very close and finally lift my foot, or see it go over 1400 degrees quick. Today with the fiver in tow, and the new Smarty Jr calling the shots, I pulled a grade north of Cloverdale Ca. on highway 101. I have been over this stretch many times on my BMW motorcycle and it takes a good amount of right hand twist to keep it at the limit. Steep and twisty. The Cummins flew up that same grade at 60 mph, 1200 degrees on the pyro. Finally on the last 1/4 mi. of this hill I lifted my foot as the temps were finally over 1350 degrees. Very satisfied with the new Smarty! Haven't checked the fuel milage yet, but looks a little better than with the Superchips.

One of the things I hated about Superchips was everything seemed to be a big secret about what their tuner did, and how precisely it did it ! CS. wasn't bad, it was just a big secret.

 

[MrFixit]

Roger, are you in tow mode (leve 2) or other? How is the smoke?



Ramon

 

[ROGER/DODGER]

Yes level 2, tow mode. I'm seeing almost zero smoke. The curb side of the fiver is as clean at the end of the day as it is at the begining. Couldn't say that about Superchips on tow mode.

 

[BBoling]

Do you have any transmission upgrades? Any problems with, or concerns about, your transmission for the two years you had the Superchips?

Since you're obviously going to continue using a programmer (Smarty Jr. ), do you expect any trouble based on your application, what you've learned in talking to people, and/or what you know about the 48RE?

 

[MrFixit]

Roger,

I ask because I had mine in level one (MPG mode) and I went and picked up my 5er at the storage yard and on the way home, I was smoking pretty good. This was at night and there was a pretty good size haze behind me. Unfortunatley I did not get to load the tow progrmam and try it. I put it back to stock because we were leaving on a trip and I did not want to chance more smoke on level 2 since we were in a hurry.



Have you tried level 1 w/ towing? my 5er is about 10k and my truck is bone stock.

 

[ROGER/DODGER]

The R-48 is a pretty tough piece of work, but yes I exspect the stator to burn up shortly. This doesn't have any thing to do with the Smarty Jr. , it's because of the 16000 lb. fiver I drag up and sown some steep grades under 10 mph. The Dodge torque converter is a poor design to be behind a Cummins.
I'm shortly going the DTT route, torque convrter, valve body, and input shaft.

 

[ROGER/DODGER]

Try the level 2 Tow setting, I see no smoke even at sundown. I also have a cold air intake mod and a Aero Turbine 4040 muffler, breaths better.
Put it on #2 and enjoy. Check to see if you have the latest software installed on your Smarty Jr.

 

[EMcCalister]

I tow a 16k fiver also. i too tow on setting #2. It does have a little bit of smoke but nothing bad. I picked up 1 mpg. (hand calc. ) towing over stock. I did add a deep trans pan and a transgo vb and shift kit. with the program on level 1 towing I got about the same amount of smoke but noticably less power. Smarty jr is awesome!

 

[MrFixit]

Thanks Roger, I will give it a try in a few weeks. I want to add the cold air pipe, drop in filter and may consider a muffler. I don't want any more cab noise or a drone like I had on my 01 HO when I went to 4".



The Jr. has the latest that I know of. Bought it in December. There was an update after that but it was for the 03's I believe.

 

[AH64ID]

Roger,

I ask because I had mine in level one (MPG mode) and I went and picked up my 5er at the storage yard and on the way home, I was smoking pretty good. This was at night and there was a pretty good size haze behind me. Unfortunatley I did not get to load the tow progrmam and try it. I put it back to stock because we were leaving on a trip and I did not want to chance more smoke on level 2 since we were in a hurry.



Have you tried level 1 w/ towing? my 5er is about 10k and my truck is bone stock.

I too see a constant haze at night when towing, and can blow black pretty easy when driving around town... . I have not tried the tow setting, and to be honest I dont want to run it. . I have no desire to run more fuel thru my rail/injectors than OEM... I just want the cooler EGTS... I would actually take a few more EGT's or less hp for a little less smoke, and especially down low pre boost where the smoke it bad (and EGT's and hp aren't an issue), i really like the drive ability of the Jr, but would prefer no smoke like stock... .

 

[Forrest Nearing]

does level 1 just do timing?

 

[AH64ID]

does level 1 just do timing?

Yes, thats my favorite part about the Jr.....

 

[MA2LA]

I thought the Jr was nothing but timing? Also I belive the main issue everyone is having with to much smoke is all in the air filter. mine barely smoked when i first put it on but one my filter got dirty(about 10k) it smokes pretty good.

 

[AH64ID]

I thought the Jr was nothing but timing? Also I belive the main issue everyone is having with to much smoke is all in the air filter. mine barely smoked when i first put it on but one my filter got dirty(about 10k) it smokes pretty good.

The 40 hp setting is timing only, 70 and 100 are timing and duration... I was told by MADS that the timing is very similar on all 3 levels, just the duration gets more aggressive... .



My smoke is really only pre boost, so I doubt thats an air filter issue...

 

[Forrest Nearing]

Yes, thats my favorite part about the Jr.....

ahh, when I had my Jr, I never tried anything but level 3... now that I've got an S-06, the only two programs I've tried are 8 and 9

 

[ROGER/DODGER]

I can make my Jr. smoke a little if I'm doing about 25 mph, and the transmission is in 3rd or 2nd. and I floor it. It smokes a little till the turbo lights, and the transmission upshifts, and then it is all clean out.

 

[DZLROKET]

I am running the JR on tow and it smokes pretty bad. I am running the new beta software and it didn't cure the smoke issue so far

 

[pwr2tow]

I am running the JR on tow and it smokes pretty bad. I am running the new beta software and it didn't cure the smoke issue so far

When you say beta is Marco already working on an update for the Jr. ?

 

[DZLROKET]

I guess so

 

[Bob Wagner]

A handful guys seems toi have some smoke issues. We are beta testing a less aggressive tq to see if it helps lessen the smoke for those guys.



Thanks