Smarty, the new CaTCHER tool.

[Gary - K7GLD]

I've made several changes that make it sorta hard to apply pro/con comments towards any specific change. I've got bigger injectors and exhaust size than since my last MPG test in RV towing, and went up one tire size - that previous tire size didn't seem to properly register on my odometer in miles traveled as delivered right from the DC assembly line - and now I've added the Smarty.



One thing is for sure, power and response are vastly improved from all the mods over what I had previously, and any actual MPG, up OR down, difference is minor compared to the gains they have provided in !



Folks occasionally pop up in here asking about what other year or brand truck they might look at in the future - and I gotta tell you, there's NO truck I would want over what I have here right now!

 

[DLBurns]

Best I can figure on MPG, we went 914 miles, 600 of that towing the trailer - 14,000+ GCW - got a bit over 15 MPG cruising up and down grades in OD at a bit over 60 MPH. I was running the Smarty on #1, and the Comp in EZ mode 1x1.



All the power I could possibly use or ask for, and a totally linear, predictable accellerator... [/QUOTE]





Gary do you get any turbo huffing on the #2 setting? My trailer is a little heavier than yours and I get massive huffing on the 2-3 shift and any hard acceleration! I will be towing over the Siskyous here next month and am dreading the trip as I have towing issues anyhow and now I am going to have to worry about blowing up my turbo.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Gary do you get any turbo huffing on the #2 setting? My trailer is a little heavier than yours and I get massive huffing on the 2-3 shift and any hard acceleration! I will be towing over the Siskyous here next month and am dreading the trip as I have towing issues anyhow and now I am going to have to worry about blowing up my turbo.

I haven't any discernable turbo issues I'm aware of - my max boost is up at about 34 PSI towing steepest grades, no abnormal turbo operation under any driving circumstances I have ever subjected my truck to, from the Comp on 5x5 towing, clear up to Smarty on #8 with the Comp on various settings with the truck alone. Sorry I can't help...

 

[MFranz]

Updating Smarty.

I am having trouble downloading updates from Marcos Web site. Could someone please give me the how to by the numbers. I have Windows XP and I am on dialup. I also have WinZip Installed. Im not very good with file names and not sure what protocol to follow.

Thanks

Mike

 

[DWeiler]

What would estimate your MPG was before smarty?

With my mach 1. 6 and old catcher i would get about 18-20mpg,this new figure is with my new sticks---4's,smarty and a new cooltwist intercooler(if that helps at all but boost has drop a few psi at steady cruise than before(old setup boost was around 5-6psi,new setup3-4psi at 60mph,exhaust temps at 75/80mph were about 780 pre,put it to the floor to pass,good size cloud of #2 and would hit 90mph never went over 1100pre. later Dw

 

[JMathena]

Marco,



Thank you very much for your reply. I hope you were talking about your reply timing as being late, not the engine's timing. :-laf



If I was to have guessed an answer 1st, it would have been what you replied with, so I think it's awesome all the work you've done to provide custom programing for each flavor of the Cummins.



I'm waiting to receive the demo box from Bob to try out this weekend towing my trailer. I'll post my results when we get back next sunday night.



Thanks again,



Jeff

 

[Bob Wagner]

I am having trouble downloading updates from Marcos Web site. Could someone please give me the how to by the numbers. I have Windows XP and I am on dialup. I also have WinZip Installed. Im not very good with file names and not sure what protocol to follow.

Thanks

Mike

Mike I sent you an email

 

[Fishin Guide]

I do have a question for Marco or any others that may have information to share. I haven't had a chance to talk to Bob, so I'll post it here.



I have some new OBD2 software I have been playing with. One of the parameters I can monitor is the MAP. I have taken my truck for a ride and datalogged all the readings.



All measurements were taken with the TST harness and box in, but turned off. Basically, the box has built in boost fooling which I know the Smarty/ Catcher does NOT require.



At idle, I get a reading of 61. 3 inHg or approx 30psi.



And the maximum reading is 75. 2inHg or approx 36psi.



I will do some road trips without the TST harness to see if there are a wider variety of readings without the TST.



My question is this. Does the Smarty/ Catcher need a greater range of reading in order to properly map the fueling and timing curves? It feels like the Smarty is much more responsive without the TST harness plugged in. Obviously, I need the harness to pick up the MAP signal and tellt he box to add coal.



In other words, to get the maximum performance from the Smarty, does it need an unmolested/ clean reading fromt he MAP? Or, does the Smarty just use other inputs and the MAP sensor is just a formality? I have been fighting some low power issues with the Catcher and I was wondering if the TST box itself was the culprit.



So how about it? I know the programming was intended to work with a variety of fueling and fueling/ timing boxes. I am curious how the MAP plays a role with the programming and the effects of that role.



Also, anyone know if the TST will work correctly if I wire the plugs to run directly through with no modification of the signal? In other words, can we pull the voltage off the harness, use it for fueling info and then leave the outbound TST signal hanging in space?



Anyone try that?



Dave

 

[SNiebaum]

In other words, to get the maximum performance from the Smarty, does it need an unmolested/ clean reading fromt he MAP? Or, does the Smarty just use other inputs and the MAP sensor is just a formality?

Dave

I would like to know this too...

 

[JMathena]

Well I received my loaner Smarty today from Bob. The only thing he left out of the box was the package of Silly Grin Removal Towelettes.



My truck woke right on up on #9. I took it up my test hill, and wow, able to pull and accelerate in 6th, where I was only able to accerlate in 5th before. Very nice! Cruise control seems to work just fine for the couple of miles I've driven.



I'm in Fuel Saver mode right now, we'll see how it does. If it performs like the Catcher software does, then I guess my wallet is going to get a little thinner.



We'll be testing it out this weekend pulling the 7000lb trailer. I'll report back my findings Sunday night or Monday.



Thanks Marco, Stephano & Bob, it sure looks like you've got a winner on your hands. (Like you didn't know that already)



Jeff



2001. 5 QC 4x4 ETH DEE (HO 6spd) Short bed 3. 54 Stock everthing except for the two pyro's.

 

[Bob Wagner]

Jeff you are going to love it with a load.

 

[JMathena]

Just a quick reply before we head out on our trip. I put ~100 miles on the truck letting various people try it out. Of course we were using #9, so it wasn't the most fuel efficient 100 miles I've had, at least that's what I thought. I filled it up to the neck, just like I filled it up last night before I put the Smarty on. 17. 8mpg playing around hard, with one short jont into Portland and back. I'm usually struggling to get that going back and forth to work, being very mindfull of my driving. I'm PUMPED!



I'll be using #5 for my 1st trailer pull tomorrow, maybe I should jump to #9, but I thought I'd give it a go with #5.



I don't know how much effort it would be, but I think it would be nice to have a brief description/reason behind each mode, at least for #2 on up. Maybe there isn't one, or it's very dependant on the motor setup so no general guidelines could be made.



Thanks again for the loaner, I'll report back in a couple of days.



Jeff

 

[Mundgyver]

Well, I just got back from a trip up to Spokane and back. The ECM was on program #8 and I kept my speed between 55 and 60 mph steady. My total mileage was 739 miles with fuel usage of 23. 125 mpg. So I am very pleased with the #s. The last mileage test I did was when I picked the Smarty up at Bob's place and we installed the fuel saver program, I got 22. 3 mpg at a steady 60 mph.

Jeff, were are you around Portland. I am down in Sherwood and as stated above, keep your speed down and you can get some real good mileage I too have an H. O. . You will have a very good time.



-Wally-

 

[JMathena]

Wally,



I live in Vancouver, but grew up down in Woodburn, so I hangout all up and down the valley.



I'm really hoping for better milage, or at least as good as it was before the Dealership "changed" something. I keep track of pretty much every gallon of fuel I run through this truck, so I know exactly what my fuel economy is over 70,000 miles. Well to make a long story short, when the dealership replaced my dead transfer pump, I lost 1. 5 - 2 mpg, and my trip computer that used to be within 0. 2 mpg of calculated was reading 1 - 2 mpg off of actual. They denied any changes and said that the trip computer is notoriously bad and my mileage was still good for a truck. :{



I've heard rumors about an EPA reflash, so I figured they mucked with the ECM, and denied it. I'm really looking forward to seeing how well the smarty does. I like to play around a little with the right foot, but mostly I keep it within 5 mph of the posted limit. 22 mpg like you got would be awesome, I'm hoping for my old figure of 20mpg I had before Dodge "helped" me.



Have a great weekend!



Jeff

 

[Mundgyver]

Let us know how it goes for the mpg. If you can remember with all the new happiness of, well you know

 

[Marco]

Fishin Guide,



To answer your question, I would need to release informations that I would not like the competiton to know.



That said. Without going into great detail, sorry!

What you're seeing is the boost fooling done by the TST. At idle or low boost they (FB, about all ) raise the MAP output some in order to fool the ECM into thinking there's more PSI than it actually is. Thus a a little more fuel...



The way I've written my softwares, they couldn't care less if there's a boost fooling device or not. If you want to, you can cut the return from the TST to the ECM. In poor words, both the ECM & TST could read the MAP but the ECM would get a not fooled signal.



Helps?



Marco

 

[Fishin Guide]

Fishin Guide,



To answer your question, I would need to release informations that I would not like the competiton to know.



That said. Without going into great detail, sorry!

What you're seeing is the boost fooling done by the TST. At idle or low boost they (FB, about all ) raise the MAP output some in order to fool the ECM into thinking there's more PSI than it actually is. Thus a a little more fuel...



The way I've written my softwares, they couldn't care less if there's a boost fooling device or not. If you want to, you can cut the return from the TST to the ECM. In poor words, both the ECM & TST could read the MAP but the ECM would get a not fooled signal.



Helps?



Marco

Yes! The MAP has no impact on the settings or operation of the Smarty. Got it!



Dave

 

[darkhorse]

Mike I sent you an email

Bob, could you send me the "down load for dummies" e-mail too?

 

[DLBurns]

Just got back from a short camping trip over the long weekend, the first pull with the Smarty. All was not well I had the Smarty set on #7 going down to the campground which is only about 65 miles south of me. No long grades just flat freeway. Pulling onto the freeway when the truck would shift from 2nd to 3rd at about 30MPH the turbo would huff badly. This was at about 10 lbs of boost. I thought it was really odd as I could not get the turbo to bark with the truck alone unless I was really on it and had to let off suddenly. I changed the setting to #4 for the trip home, same problem I literally was babying the truck home to keep it from huffing. I can't imagine how this thing is going to act when I get it in some real mountains and have to get on and off the throttle in traffic.

This is not a good thing, I don't want to grenade this turbo.

Marco - Bob, any ideas??

Marco, would you have any ideas on this? I am leaving for Oregon in a few weeks and would like to resolve this huffing problem before I go.

Thanks

Dave

 

[DieselMinded]

Im having a hell of a time updating the smarty ,



Why is there 4 software versions all released on the same day ? I have version 1. 18 whats the latest version ? Which of the 5 Drivers Do I Need ?



I used the USB Driver help guide and followed it step byn step and i still cant get this to work



Any Idea's



DM