04RAM2500

I was wondering if anyone has had any warranty dealer issues after installing a box and guages. Now I do understand the best thing to do is unplug the box before taking to the dealer. But does the computer know that the harness has been unplugged? Obviously if they start questioning guages it is simple "Like to monitor entire engine, and not just use your idiot guages"

Just curious

Thanks

Dodgezilla

You want to unplug and remove the box completely before taking the truck to a dealership. I have read that unhooking both batteries for a least a half an hour will drain the memory of the ECU so they have a harder time telling if you had a box hooked up. As far as guages, I've seen posts where dealerships have refused warranty claims just for having guages...
You may want to talk to your dealers service dept first and feel them out on the guage thing....

Blessed

I had my clutch disc replaced (TSB) at the dealer a few months ago. When I picked it it from the dealer that evening, the guy that sold me my truck was trying to sell me a "Western Diesel" fuel box. The sales guys said that it would not void the warrantee. When I got home, I called and spoke to their "Warrantee guy" to see if this was true. He said "I don't care what the sales guys have told you, but it WILL void your warrantee."

Therefore, I stood back and looked at the WHOLE picture. My final decision was that it is "just too risky". I would not want to get in a situation where something went wrong with the engine and they found out that I had a fuel box on it before bringing it in. Then you are up the creek without a paddle and possibly have to lay down some big money.............

quantrill88

Some dealers tend to be more friendly towards BOMB's but it seems they are few and far between. As far as gauges go, they would have to prove that they caused/are causing a problem with the truck in order to void your warantee. Box's are different, if they find one, id bet about 90% of time theyll void it. Disconnecting the batteries to drain the capicitors is good advice, but I personally wouldnt chance it. Have even heard of a dealer getting suspicious because of seeing the velcro from the EZ on the fuse box.....

Good luck with your decision on BOMB's but must people agree that once you start down that road you become your own warranty station

Jeff

Dodgezilla

I didn't even use the velcro. The box sits on top of the fuse box without moving.....

amartinson

A qualified technician can find out that you had a box plugged into your ECM if they choose to look. (Regardless of whether you have disconnected the batteries or other methods) Gauges are another story. Unless they can prove that something you did installing the gauges caused a specific engine problem, there should be no warranty problem with just gauges.

bulabula

amartinson, what is the piece of evidence that lets the cat out of the bag?

I'd like to clear the folklore and handwaving, and hear a sound engineering answer from someone who's been there, done that.

Thats the issue that keeps me from buying a box.

jthorpe

On the Cummins 600, the engine stamp states that your warranty is toast if a fueling box is put on it. Actually, it says that warranty can be voided if boost and fueling go over limits. someone else can enlighten. I saw it in a picture earlier today.

jthorpe

HA! Found it! Someone posted it in our photo gallery recently...

katoiler

The dealer told me that i had a box on mine by the pramiters in the ecm.star gave them the things to look for and test for and I lied my butt off saying it was not so!So yes they can if they want to.Talked my way out of the warrenty being voided!Sad part was it was in for the dead throttle tsb.

MCummings

Te box intercepts the signal, and modifies it, then turns around and "lies" to the injectors, or pressure regulator.

The pump will see 23,000PSI, and the EZ box will modify the signal, so the Actual pressure is 26,000PSI, but the injection pump still see's 23,000PSI, and the injection pump will then turn around and tell the ECM,, "Everything is ok here!"


Here's a quick run down on how I think the newer boxes will work.. If you could here them talk, Here's how I think it would go down, and I don't think it's far from the truth...

The ECM says "OK, Fuel 20% more now", then Injection pump says "OK, Lets's go,, 20%!", and the EZ step in and says,, "Hey, you,,, Injector,, that ECM guy said to open 40%" and injector says "OK", and opens 40%, and the injection pump says,, "Injector what are you doing?", then the EZ says,, "He's doing 20%,, DUHH, Like you said.", and you keep motoring along, with a good amount of power.

Garbage in, garbage out,,. I've seen both sides of the "Techs can see chips, and Techs Can't" debate,, but, I've seen better arguments on why a Tech CAN'T see a chip on teh ECm, compared to as why he CAN see one.
The easeist way to tell if the truck had a chip? Open the hood, and look at the sensors... Are they clean? Rescently disconeected? are the plastic tabs bent? I bet 99% of people who don't put chips on their truck, don't just open their own hood, and un-plug and plug the MAP sensor in.

If you don't have a chip,, you won't mess with the MAP. Even at 5,000 miles, it would be easy for a tech to see that the MAP has been plugged ot unplugged.

Some dealers turn there eye, some don't. I know a dealer who replaced an entire motor,, and the truck rolled into the service center with a COMP on 5x5, and a loud rod knock. Others give hell about a EGT gauge, or, tranny gauge



Anybody care to comment?

Merrick

abc4yew

Hey Folks, My dealer installs Bully Dogs and sells their products and others. They've been servicing trucks that have had BD boxes for awhile with no problems despite been driven hard. I guess time has shown this dealer that it is safe to join' em. Besides if the dealer wants to sell trucks they have to have something to compete with the test drive performance of the competition. I came to Dodge/Cummins after 3 Duramax's. They had great transmission and engine performance bone stock initially, but the chassis creaked and moaned like an old dog when towing at the max. Sometimes I felt like the rear wheels were going to stop turning and the front part of the truck would rotate instead....flex, flex, flex. A crack/chip in the windshield spread in five minutes with the twist of the chassis. I love the Dodge/Cummins with the exception of that large spread in ratios between 3rd and 4th ( od) on the 48re....But I digress. The point is that if the dealer believes in the the product he sells and is willing to process the warranties knowing his loyal clientel then you should be safe. If he's selling cheap to get the sales volume he doesn't want the low profit warranty work over the high profit straight time. My Thoughts, Kerry

roadranger

Interesting to see in that pic above the wording about exceeding the altitude values...

Wonder if traveling across 12,100 ft. Independance Pass will void warranty??

bulabula

It also says if you exceed rpm. I guess your goose is cooked if you over-rev it (err exceed published maximum values) too?

Wonder if my truck has the Big-Brother tag on it?

bulabula

Thanks Merrick.

When I originally posted that question I was thinking primarily of what an OBD2 scan would yield - excessively high readings, and not of literal "fingerprints" on the physical connectors that would admit someone was monkeying around with things that don't necessarily need to be monkeyed with. And those fingerprints may yield the tell-tale clue .....