TSB's

[gambler]

I went in to the dodge dealer and told him I wanted TSB 18-037-04 and they preformes the TSB 18-007-04. Now my truck runs good, but the MPG overhead is 1. 5 mpg off and I lost 2mpg. :{

I went back and showed him his mistake and he told me that once the tsb oo7 was performed that I couldn't have the tsb 037 installed as the Computer wouldn't overide it. Does this sound right or am I getting the runaround?

Thanks for any info you can give me.

04. 5, 325HP, 600, Auto, completely stock Oo. Oo.

 

[grfraz]

If 037 is the latest version, and I think it is, it will overwrite the 007 download. I think he is giving you the run around. I have read that others have had the 037 tsb installed and the dealer put the wrong label on the ECM. (least that's what the dealer says)

 

[jcarey]

I thought TSB 18-007-04 was for poor cab heat and loaded the code and enabled the High Idle feature for vehicles without the code.



TSB 18-037-04 is for white smoke at startup in cold weather, MPG improvement, less injector clacking, and re-calibtration of the over console to improve accuracy.



If you have an 04. 5 the dealer just has to enable the High Feature: the code is already there; at least it was on ours.



We also had 18-037-04 applied and that's what was on the sticker from the dealer.



Hope this helps,

Jim

 

[JimBob24]

I had a similar situation as gambler. Took mine in for 18-037-04 and they put 18-007-04 on the sticker. When I asked for the explanation, they told me:



The TSB number doesn't really mean much to them. The flash files are not listed as TSB's on the TechCONNECT computer. They enter your engine number in their computer and the latest ECM flash applicable to that particular engine is what is available. It overwrites any older outdated flash files. Once done you can not go back and have the old one reinstalled. Sometimes they use a previous TSB number when they fill out the sticker because they had used it before on other re-flashes and were familiar with it. They actually have to look up the TSB number in their book based on what the customer complaint is. TSB 18-007-04 and 18-037-04 had some similarities and the techs often got them confused. To them it was not a big issue since only the latest download was available anyway. The bottom line is when you had the reflash done, if the latest TSB had been issued, that program would have been done as long as your engine number fell within the series of numbers specified by the TSB. This info was given to me by a tech I know personally at my home dealer and who I have confidence in.



Don't know why the mileage would decrease though. Most have reported at least 1-2 mpg increase. Be sure to give it a little time and a couple of tanks of fuel and hand calc the mileage before you decide on the success or failure of the reflash.

 

[barbwire]

This is also the time of the year that most fuel stations around the country are mixing #1 in the fuel. You can easily lose 2 mpg with winter blend fuel. It would help if you could let us know where you are from, ie little box in upper left ( in post). Sig? Anyway, location can have a lot to do with fuel mileage in the winter.

 

[gambler]

I'm from Grants Pass, Oregon and when I got the TSB done, the service writer gave me a read out that showed that the TSB that was installed was the 007 and not the 037.

I am now in California and have hand calced my mileage on the trip here. I was towing a 15,000lb. 5th wheel and on flat land at 60mph, I got 12. 6mpg.

I thought that was pretty good, altho my overhead Mpg readout was 1. 8 mpg off. I was very careful to keep tabs on it.

When driving empty I get 19 Mpg @ 68mph.

The truck is 2whl, 325hp,600lbt, 4:10 rear end posi.

In town, stop lite to stop lite I,m getting 12. 5 mpg. The truck has 19,000 miles on it.

Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I was getting 20. 5 MPG empty before the TSB. :--)

 

[PJ]

I'm from Grants Pass, Oregon and when I got the TSB done, the service writer gave me a read out that showed that the TSB that was installed was the 007 and not the 037.

I am now in California and have hand calced my mileage on the trip here. I was towing a 15,000lb. 5th wheel and on flat land at 60mph, I got 12. 6mpg.

I thought that was pretty good, altho my overhead Mpg readout was 1. 8 mpg off. I was very careful to keep tabs on it.

When driving empty I get 19 Mpg @ 68mph.

The truck is 2whl, 325hp,600lbt, 4:10 rear end posi.

In town, stop lite to stop lite I,m getting 12. 5 mpg. The truck has 19,000 miles on it.

Maybe I'm expecting too much, but I was getting 20. 5 MPG empty before the TSB. :--)

Also being from grants Pass, I have had my truck in for the white smoke problem. The service tec at Lithia (dont know his name but he has a beard) has re flashed my truck twice. It is going back again after the holidays and getting tested for the white smoke problem that is STILL there. My guess is injectors. I guess Ill find out, if they know haow to really fix it. My service writer, Robb, is a great guy and really tries to help. That is my only complaint on the truck. It is sooo much nice than my first 04 of last year that got traded in 3 months ago. Are you living in Grants Pass and on vacation in Calif? Right now Im a Grants Pass resident but Im thinking of returning to Chico Calif within the next 2 years when my youngest son graduates High School. Its just WAY TOO COLD HERE! 23 degrees last night!

As for mileage, you seem to be getting rather good mileage. Mine isnt quite as good as yours but my truck is a 4x4 and a 3500 w/3:73 ltd slip. have a good holiday!

 

[barbwire]

Pj, I just had to ask... ... ... what is it you like about the 05 more than the 04? I pretty much like my 04, and am happy with the mileage and all, I get about 15 mpg pulling. And I must say, it has plenty of power. I have not had a chance to look at an 05 yet, other than to drive by the lot, on the hiway on my way by.

 

[PJ]

My 04 was a 2500 4x4 quad cab sb. It wouldn't turn into my driveway without backing up. My new truck is a 3500 4x4 quad cab sb and I can make the turn with over 3 feet to spare! Go figure. Also, I like the fact that I didn't get the darker interior, Much cooler and makes the truck look bigger inside. I have a few more options than my older truck but I just like the feel of it. Maybe its because its a 1 ton and not a 3/4. Not sure. Could it be the white smoke screen every morning that I like? Just kidding! If I had everything to do all over again, I would have "ordered" and early 04 305/555 3500 4x4 and most likely still owned it. My 305/555 got a lot better economy. No Cat Converter on it. Other than that, All i can say is that the paint on the Atlantic Blue is soooo much better on the new truck. The Patriot Blue was "see through" paint! it also chipped way too easy!

Im not sure how long Ill own this truck, but If history repeats itself, this time next year Ill be driving a new 06. I got a really good trade price this time and paid 2% under invoice for the new one, but if I sell this truck next year, Ill leave it in California for my son to sell. I know that I can make almost $5k in a year since I didn't have to pay any sales tax when I bought it, and trucks down there are more expensive. I have been approached several times, with both trucks, by guys in Northern Calif trying to buy my truck because it is a NON Calif truck. That in it self makes it worth more to Calif people, as long as I have over 7500 miles on it. Well, any more questions, just give me a yell!

Im thinking of a Hummer H2 next year and may not be doing a Cummins. With the price of Diesel being 20 cents or more than 92 octane, it will be more cost effective to drive an H2 @ 8mpg than my CTD. Just thinking out loud.

Have a good Holiday! Oo.

 

[barbwire]

I cannot help but think that diesel being more$ than gas is a short term thing. If I remember right, a few years ago, for a short time, it was more than gas. Didn't last long. I guess for what I do, a diesel rig is still more economical than a gas rig. I hope I'm right!

 

[PJ]

I hope you are right also! I really like my truck! As for now, its cheaper to drive the Corvette... ... . Diesel=$2. 23 gallon 92 octane=$1. 81 as of this afternoon. Its been changing daily. Yesterday they were about 20 cents apart. Go figure. Unleaded Reg has hit a low of $1. 61 today! Yeah baby! Keep it dropp'n. Oo. Oo.

 

[barbwire]

I believe that to sell a vehicle of one fuel sourse for another, is like selling your stocks when they have dropped. Not always the best decision. Most always, if you hang on to them, they will come back up.

 

[EEdmondson]

Do the math with the price of fuel and mpg numbers. At 2. 23 diesel is 38. 5% more than reg at 1. 61. A diesel would have to get about 14 mpg to beat a gasser at 10mpg.



A week ago diesel here was $1. 999 and reg gas was $2. 099. As of Wed, diesel was 2. 139 and I was so shocked I didn't check the gas prices. In the long term, a diesel is cheaper to run than a gasser.

 

[Schrowang]

The Right TSB

I took my 04. 5 to the dealer to get PCM reflashed with the TSB 18-037-04 update. The overhead console readout was way off. When the computer showed 30 miles DTE, a manual calculation at fill-up showed over 103 DTE. A 73 mile difference warranted the reflash. Had the power cord for the block immersion heater put on at the same time (yeah, I know; I could have done it myself for less and gotten the parts at the Cummins dealer cheaper, but I chose this way!)



So, I picked the truck up in the afternoon. On the way home, I filled her up so that I could do a comparison on the next fill up. I did that about two weeks later, and son-of-gun, no change. Overhead console still way off, and no improvement in mileage. But, as I was checking the oil during the fill-up, I noticed that the service tech had written TSB 18-007-04 on the modification tag under the hood.



Back to the dealer, and yeah, the service writer gave me the same song and dance he gave you and every service writed gives to every one. "Our computer is programmed with the latest upgrades and your engine number determines ... ... yada, yada, yada ..... blah, blah, blah. But I prevailed and said that I wanted them to put it back on the computer and determine which upgrade had been applied. So they humored me and did it. Came back out, said the truck was fine, the correct PCM flash had been done the first time, and it was just the service tech's mistake in putting the wrong TSB down as the authorization for the modification. Yeah, right!



So how come on the next fill-up the mileage was up 2 mpg and the overhead console was reading only about 2. 5 miles off on the DTE. I know I didn't make a mistake in my original calucations, because I still have the receipt from the local Shell showing the gallons sold and the mileage since the last fill up written on the top by me. I've filled up twice since then and the mpg increase is holding at a nice 2 mpg.



This is a nice truck. The drive train is a sweek combination that hauls my 27. 5' 5er as easy as you please. I love the engine (who wouldn't). I just wish the dealers would be a little more honest with us.



Cobblestone (a little piece of the Granite State)