Good Morning Gentleman,
WOW, many questions to answer here. I'll do my best...
I'll pick out the questions that don't have been answered in some way on our web site. If you don't see an answer to your question please check out the FAQ page or download Smarty's manual from our downloads page.
Dieselminded sez :
"Super Chips Default Performance Program = Level 9 on Smartys ????"
NO! IF brand "S" would come only close to what the full blown CaTCHER does, I think there would be many more "S" tuners around. Software # 2 on Smarty is about what brand "S" calls "HiPerf". With only one lil difference, "S" does no boost tables.
Dieselminded sez :
"Ok lets say its 100 more HP than the Super Chips ,,,,there goes everyones VP44 ??? Right ???"
No, in the mean time there are several hundred CaTCHERized ECM customers out there. NOT ONE has had VP problems that could be related to the CaTCHER. Sure VP's do fail but not due to the CaTCHER.
On the other side, we all know that VP's can fail within minutes with a fuel wire tapping box, yet there are tons of those boxes out there. . see what I mean?
Dieselminded sez:
My point is there has to be a limit of HP/TQ gains Via Programming the stock ECM before things break ,,,
Yes things break when you up HP. That is true for the CaTCHER / Smarty like it is with other ( any ) power adders. What's the point?
Rather this smarty is a HP/TQ gainer or it does what the Catcher Did and didnt add much if any HP/TQ ?
Yes the CaTCHER does not add power. Most times the truck looses power.
BUT the truck moves faster... :-laf C'mon, we've been through that too many times in the past.
Snoking sez:
"Well maybe you should have a stock program with boost fooling for those who drive on icey roads. "
SW's #1, #2, #3 would be just fine for that.
AKAMAC sez:
"Marco, is the smarty ECM or VIN sensitive?"
YES! Smarty only works with
one truck AND one ECM at one time.
Please! Notice!!! 1 Smarty = One truck AND one ECM!
That means that if you update the ECM in your truck and then swap in another ECM, Smarty will know it and say " ECM changed".
Before you swap an ECM, go back to stock, unlock Smarty, swap ECM, update the new ECM.
So in your case, swap in your stocker before you update with Smarty.
dhill sez:
"Could you take your Smarty and install it on several different trucks ONE-AT-A-TIME"
Absolutely Yes! No problem, when you go back to stock Smarty unlocks from the VIN# and ECM, you're ready to go into another truck. As many times as you want.
Oh, I don't know if that has been ever mentioned.
The DTC reader works always in any truck. Even when Smarty is VIN# locked to your truck, you can still diagnose your buddy's truck. I did not want you to have the hassle to go back to stock only because you need to help someone. Better I add that to the FAQ's...
FF1607 sez:
"I have a similiar question to dhill. I understand that you can change the Smarty from truck to truck, but does the Smarty have all the information for all the years and all the different configurations?"
There will be two different Smarty's. One for 98. 5 - 02. One for 03 and up.
Each one has all the softwares for it's range ( second / third gen ) on board.
Like I've said earlyer here, for example the 98. 5-02 trucks came in 30 different truck configurations. Smarty has for EACH of those 10 modified softwares + one stock software on board. In all 330 different softwares.
To tell you the truth, I have not yet thought about the case where an Smarty owner goes from second to third gen. Smarty's hardware has been designed to work on both with minimal hardware changes for both the second and third gen's from the beginning. Sure the complete software needs to be changed but that's not a problem. Hmmm, that customer could send his Smarty in... . Let me look into it, it could be done at a minimal fee if any.
Good point!
FF1607 sez:
"it states to remove any after market fueling devices or programs before installing the Smarty. "
Yes I know, I've HATED ( still do ) the instructions...
But... I had to take one simple thing into consideration. One thing is to chat with you, my TDR buddies, the general public is a somewhat different animal.
Just as an example, one guy has brand "S" tuner installed and VIN locked. Now he get's Smarty and whipes out the brand "S" tuning with it. Then at some point he want's to take his brand "S" toy back to stock and sell it. He get's back to his truck plugs brand "S" box in... HEY "S" tuner sez now Vin# locked... he no longer can do anything with his toy.
I can already hear him calling me... YOU DID NOT TELL ME..... :-{}
See... ? We all know that it would be his fault but at the very end of the story if I had not told him. .
To my best knowledge it is not needed to remove other boxes in order to do an update with Smarty. Other brand tuners need to ba taken back to stock before you use Smarty. Granted I don't know ALL the add on boxes out there. I've done almost all the alfa testing with one brand box or another in my truck, never removed any of them during the updates, never a problem
PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, I DIDN'T SAY THAT!
Repeat after me, I have to remove my box, I have...
There are several other things among that line in the instructions and Smarty's on screen display for the very same reason. Just use a grain of salt...
I DIDN'T SAY THAT! :-laf :-laf :-laf
FF1607 sez:
"the website recomends not leaving the Smarty in the vehicle if it get too cold. How about too hot?"
See my previous answer... . Hey did I say that? Wasn't me... .
We've chosen to use ONLY first class electronics components, no cheapo stuff for Smarty...
Operation temp range for them is from -40°F to 176°F ( -40°C to 80°C ) a few even more. Storage range is much wider. So I would say just don't leave Smarty under direct sunlight on the dash in the desert...
Repeat after me, Marco didn't say that, Marco...
Boondocker sez:
"With the Smarty, can you go from one program to another, or do you have to go back to stock, then to a program?"
Great question that one goes directly into my FAQ page. Thanks!
You can go from any software# to any SW#. No need to go back to stock!
In general. Should we ever find level 11 or 12, they WILL be shortly after be available in our download page. There's NO DOUBT about that.
IF!
See, for obvious reasons, just to mention one, shipping, with the ECM's it was very difficult to test new/different softwares and or different combinations of softwares. With Smarty that's no longer! A simple update over the web, voilà.
Furthermore, Smarty's firmware can already accept two different ways to download new SW revisions.
1) The full deal meal with all the different truck versions. That's the one average Joe will need. It has a little problem though, zipped it's still close to 4 meg and it takes about 15 minutes for Smarty to load it all.
2) Only ONE truck. I can't remember right now how much that is zipped, I think around 200K. Smarty loads that one in a couple minutes.
The truck is on the dyno, dyno time is expensive, everything has to go as fast as possible... ... ...
Level 11? Here we COME!
'Nough said?
Don't make me burn all the wood at once, the stove is full, the winter is loong...
Thanks for your great help guys!
Marco