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Tuner Question?

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 12:09 am
by ThePainClinic
Looking at getting a Bully Dog tuner. Is there a difference between model 40410 and 40415? My main interest for the tuner is the idle adjustment feature. I had a Cortex Superchip on a Dodge I previously owned and it worked well. Any suggestions from people running them would be appreciated!

Also, can the idle adjustment feature address the low idle problem many of us have while in gear? Or can you only adjust idle at Park?

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 3:03 pm
by Zen_master
I'm curious if the Bully Dog tuner, or any other tuner for that matter, can override the fact the R51 will not shift into overdrive until the thermostat reaches operating temperature.

Now that the weather had changed for the colder the first few three miles or so of my morning commute is spent in 4th gear instead of OD waiting for the engine to warm up. It's killing my fuel economy.

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 4:02 pm
by ThePainClinic
Bump

Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2013 11:04 pm
by doctahjones
not sure what model i have, i'll have to check in the morning.

i'll also check on the rpm thing, and see how it behaves. i think you can adjust that on the fly.

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 1:39 pm
by ThePainClinic
doctahjones wrote:not sure what model i have, i'll have to check in the morning.

i'll also check on the rpm thing, and see how it behaves. i think you can adjust that on the fly.
I appreciate that Doc, if I can tune the idle while in drive I should get rid of the rough idle problem and not have to worry about hard shifts from park.

Also, is there any difference in power output from the 40415 and 40410 (50 state) models?

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 4:04 pm
by doctahjones
mine is the 40410 version. still not sure that there's a difference between the two versions, i would -imagine- they use the same tune.

and you can do on the fly idle adjustments, even while in drive.

i took a vid, kinda out of focus, but you should be able to get the gist...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6X-neKtQFA

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 4:16 pm
by BigEz
I have the BDGT: 50-State GT Gas (40410) which just means Californa legal. There are a few differences, i looked it up once, but don't remember all of them. But you can increase your idle RPM Up, just not Down. You can also advance your timing.

Zen_master wrote:I'm curious if the Bully Dog tuner, or any other tuner for that matter, can override the fact the R51 will not shift into overdrive until the thermostat reaches operating temperature. Now that the weather had changed for the colder the first few three miles or so of my morning commute is spent in 4th gear instead of OD waiting for the engine to warm up. It's killing my fuel economy.
Old post but good to know... could explain my overdrive experience when towing on cold mornings.

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:44 pm
by HLEGuitars
Zen_master wrote:I'm curious if the Bully Dog tuner, or any other tuner for that matter, can override the fact the R51 will not shift into overdrive until the thermostat reaches operating temperature.

Now that the weather had changed for the colder the first few three miles or so of my morning commute is spent in 4th gear instead of OD waiting for the engine to warm up. It's killing my fuel economy.
No.. it does not...

others may..

I'm not that familiar yet with our ECM systems.. If there is one dedicated sensor for this function, then it can be turned off by some "electrickery"

However, if the ECM is using the signal from the sensor for a variety of things.. then altering that signal will screw with a lot of other items.. like cold fuel enrichment, which would be bad.

and here's a good point...

Its not only that your not hitting overdrive that your getting poorer gas mileage though... All fuel injection systems are built in with "coolant temperature and air temperature fuel enrichment" maps that add a certain percentage of fuel to the engine that gradually tapers off until the engine reaches operating temperature and do the same thing as intake air temperature drops below or rises above 70-80 degrees.

The timing is also altered to reduce the chance of detonation which reduces fuel economy.

(I'd bet that the maps from the bully dog system alter these parameters as well because they are usually pretty generous)

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 5:58 pm
by ThePainClinic
BigEz wrote:I have the BDGT: 50-State GT Gas (40410) which just means Californa legal. There are a few differences, i looked it up once, but don't remember all of them. But you can increase your idle RPM Up, just not Down. You can also advance your timing.

Zen_master wrote:I'm curious if the Bully Dog tuner, or any other tuner for that matter, can override the fact the R51 will not shift into overdrive until the thermostat reaches operating temperature. Now that the weather had changed for the colder the first few three miles or so of my morning commute is spent in 4th gear instead of OD waiting for the engine to warm up. It's killing my fuel economy.
Old post but good to know... could explain my overdrive experience when towing on cold mornings.
So, the 40410 will only increase idle up and the 40415 will both increase or decrease idle?

Posted: Thu Dec 12, 2013 6:02 pm
by BigEz
ThePainClinic wrote: So, the 40410 will only increase idle up and the 40415 will both increase or decrease idle?
I do not know about the 40415.. but I don't think either will let you adust idle down? But for sure, the 40410 will only adjust up.

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 7:33 am
by NmexMAX
Zen_master wrote:I'm curious if the Bully Dog tuner, or any other tuner for that matter, can override the fact the R51 will not shift into overdrive until the thermostat reaches operating temperature.

Now that the weather had changed for the colder the first few three miles or so of my morning commute is spent in 4th gear instead of OD waiting for the engine to warm up. It's killing my fuel economy.
That function is related to the TCM, and tranny fluid temp sensor, not the engine coolant temperature.

Both my Maxima and Pathfinder do the same thing when it's chilly out.

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:07 am
by BigEz
NmexMAX wrote:That function is related to the TCM, and tranny fluid temp sensor, not the engine coolant temperature.

Both my Maxima and Pathfinder do the same thing when it's chilly out.
Do you know what trans temp that is??

It's only gone down to about 22deg here, and I have not noticed it on those mornings under normal daily driving... But I did notice it when towing on a few sub 30deg mornings. I didn't know about this, and was manually trying to shift into 5th.

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 10:06 am
by NmexMAX
Not sure, looks as if there are events at 0, 20 and 80ºC.

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Pathfinder/ ... der/tm.pdf



Maybe smj999smj can chime in on that. For my Maxima it specifically states 175ºF, so near 80ºC.

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 1:23 pm
by HLEGuitars
NmexMAX wrote:Not sure, looks as if there are events at 0, 20 and 80ºC.

http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Pathfinder/ ... der/tm.pdf



Maybe smj999smj can chime in on that. For my Maxima it specifically states 175ºF, so near 80ºC.


so its got a temperature sensor in the valve body and an external one (sensor #2)

that makes "electrickery" a bit harder LOL


but the sensors are simply temperature dependent resistors.. substituting a 500 Ohm resistor for sensor #2 at the connector will simulate operating temperature..

but it would require pulling some pins on the tranny harness (6-7) to out to inset the 900 ohm resistor on the internal sensor...


But which sensor input is used for the OD? (or are both used for a multitude of things...)


IF i didnt have mine torn apart, i'd try sensor #2 and see what happens :D


Thanks for that link BTW..

Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 5:04 pm
by BigEz
You guys are amazing with the data you have or can produce. More than I can grasp at times.. Thanks

I going to watch to see if I can feel anything at the 20C event, but it gets there very quick down here. I'm more concerned about the 80C event, as I do not get above 68C unless towing, since doing the bypass. And even then, 80c is very short lived.

I hope the 80C event is a fan or cooling change , and not a mixture or timing change that could benefit me at 68C?