Tractorman

This is why I didn't use a cable to control the CAD. Instead, I picked up a GM HVAC vacuum control unit from a wrecking yard for two dollars. I figured out which ports would work and I plugged the rest and I use that vacuum switch to lock just the front axle. Just rotate the knob one click and start moving the truck and the CAD locks in - reverse the procedure and the CAD unlocks. No fuss, and It's been operating that way since the truck was new. - John

I do have a stock clutch. I just replaced the original clutch with another stock clutch 7,000 miles ago at 297,000 on the odometer - the last 50,000 miles with the Smarty installed. I never had any issues with the clutch. The clutch disc, pressure plate, and flywheel were still in good condition when I replaced them. I just recently installed the RV275 injectors and I will continue to use the lower Smarty settings. Like you, I roll into the throttle until boost reaches about 10 psi, then I'm good to go. I rarely drive over 2100 rpms and I like the high torque delivered at the lower rpm's. Eventually, I will figure out a tune the stock clutch will handle and still give me good performance and good fuel economy. I do appreciate your comments. - John

The ratio works both ways, so either method is fine. If you were doing the test outside, you may not want to be laying under the truck in a puddle of water rotating the driveshaft. - John

I am curious as well, since I have the same setup. - John

@pepsi71ocean I drove the truck today on SW1 TM6, and with T and D at default. The truck runs strong and starts building boost quickly around 1300 rpm. I am going to runt this setting on my trip to Baker City on Monday. I will try a different setting for the return trip - maybe your recommended SW5 setting. Thanks for the reply, - John

Yes and no. In your example the following will be true: If you have limited slip, block the front tires, place transmission in neutral and raise both rear tires off of the ground. With both rear tires rotating together for one revolution, the driveshaft will rotate 3 1/2 revolutions. If you don't have limited slip, block the front tires, place transmission in neutral and raise one rear tire off of the ground. Rotate that tire two revolutions and the driveshaft will rotate 3 1/2 revolution. - John

I appreciate getting your attention with the Smarty SO3 settings. I agree that the information Smarty provides is anecdotal and it is also very limited. I have spent some time experimenting with different software settings and the settings within the software settings (torque management, timing, and duration) I gathered some good information from the Smarty S03 Can Bus Fueling thread. Some things that I have learned from that thread or on my own: * Torque Management (TM – 1 through 6) higher numbers mean increase of torque in the area from off-idle until turbo spools. * Timing (T – 1 through 4) higher numbers mean more advanced timing. * Duration (D – 1 through 5) higher numbers mean more fuel added. Other things I have learned: Regarding torque management, timing, and duration – “zero” is a default setting, but no one knows exactly where that fits in any given software setting (SW1 through SW9). In SW3 the full range of the TPS (0 -100%) is proportional to the actual position of the throttle through the full stroke of the throttle. Any software setting higher than SW3 reaches 100 % TPS as early as one half stroke of the throttle. A lower number for a torque management setting means less smoke accelerating from a stop while in the turbo lag area. If any of the above conclusions are incorrect, please let me know. With my original stock injectors I settled with SW5 – TM (5 or 6), T-1, and D-5. This combination seemed to work well empty or towing netting good power and good fuel economy. Now that I have installed the RV275 injectors I will have to do some trial and error testing. First, I set the Smarty back to stock so I could get a feel for the new injectors. Then, I picked the settings that I posted (TM-4, T-1, D-2) as a place to start. I picked a low timing number because I am being conservative, probably overly so. Also, timing rattle annoys me, but I can be okay with more advanced timing as long as performance is improved without risk of engine damage. I have since raised the TM to 6 for two reasons. One – with a manual transmission I prefer to have lots of torque available at low rpm’s during upshifts since almost all boost is lost during the shift. This is especially true getting the truck up to speed on a grade with a heavy load from a stop. Two – again with a manual transmission, I like the reliable control of the throttle to match engine rpm’s to road speed during shifts. So, for these two reasons I would rather use my right foot to control the smoke in the turbo lag region and to control throttle during shifts. @pepsi71ocean, back to your point regarding timing. How do I know how much is too much advanced timing? From what I understand, an engine under a load (towing for example) generates more heat (and pressure) in the cylinders and transfers less heat into the exhaust manifold at a more advanced timing, while an engine under the same load with a less advanced timing generates less heat (and pressure) in the cylinders and transfers more heat into the exhaust manifold. Please let me know if this is not true. Early next week I will be taking the truck to Baker City and back (about 700 miles round trip). The truck will be empty and am going to set the Smarty on SW1 with TM-6, T and D on default settings. I know this will have much more advanced timing than I was using and I will report back the results. Any input will be appreciated. Thank you, - John

@pepsi71ocean, I appreciate your observations. I will respond later when I have time to provide a thoughtful response. I do want your input. I continue to refer to the Smarty S03 thread in which you, @Me78569, @notlimah, and others provided a considerable amount of information regarding how the Smarty S03 operates. - John

Reading through this thread, I do not see any information describing your truck, so a lot has to be assumed. On my truck, the CAD unit (center axle disconnect) has to be actuated to turn on the 4x4 lamp. The switch for the 4x4 indicator lamp is located on the end of the external vacuum operated portion of the CAD unit. If the 4x4 indicator lamp operates properly (off and on when it should be), then a vacuum leak is not likely your problem because the rod that the vacuum motor operates is what contacts the 4x4 lamp switch. So, if the lamp lights when four wheel drive has been selected, then the vacuum motor has doen its job. Likely there is a damaged shift fork or collar inside the CAD unit on the front axle. - John

I have waited as you have both suggested and now there is no sign of fuel seepage on the injector line that was troubling me. I appreciate your tips. I am enjoying the RV275 injector performance. I definitely had to de-tune the Smarty, but I have found a setting that gives lots of torque on the low RPM end and the turbo spools quickly. I am sure that some of the improvement is just because the injectors are new. I have put on about 1200 miles, none towing - only one tank checked for fuel mileage and that was 19.5 mpg, so I'm not complaining. - John

Not quite, but headed there. I am the original owner. First VP44 got the P0216 code at 64,000 miles. I figured out how to drive around the limp mode for another year and 23,000 miles (to 87,000 miles) before the Dealer replaced the VP44 and did the in-tank lift pump conversion - all under warranty. I am at 305,000 miles on the truck now, so that makes about 218,000 miles on the second VP44 and still going strong. Interesting. We have the same year trucks with the six speed transmission. Just curious, did your VP44 have the timing piston failure, too? Did Dodge warranty your pump and do the in-tank lift pump conversion? - John

I'm glad you found your problem. I knew that there had to be a reason it was hard starting. I had a 4BTA in a 1/2 ton 1991 Ford F150 for over 200,000 miles when I lived in Leadville, Colorado. Elevation is 10,200 feet, so cylinder compression is much lower. Never used any starting aid until it got down to around 20 degrees. It is interesting that you mentioned an ether starting system. If it is installed correctly, it is an excellent starting aid. There should be a very small line going to a fitting on the central part of the intake plenum. Inside the plenum should be an atomizer that is sized for the engine displacement. The push button should only have power when the starter is engaged You can push the button as much as you want while the engine is cranking, but only a metered shot of ether is allowed each time you push and release the button. I had this system on my 4BTA engine. When I needed it at 20 below zero, it was so smooth it didn't even sound like an ether start. Hardly any ether is used because of the efficient way it is set up. One small screw-on bottle lasted me 1 1/2 years. - John

If you don't have a rigid sleeve inserted into the BHAF (something for the clamp to squeeze against), then BHAF clamp will always be loose because the clamp is compressing and deforming the material on the BHAF outlet. Dirt will likely enter here. I modified a short piece of exhaust pipe to just under 4 inches in diameter (and 7 inches long to reduce intake noise) to slip inside the BHAF. Dripley calls it the "BHAF muffler". - John

Understood. Thank you. - John

If you weld that bracket, it is crucial that it is in exactly the correct position or undue stress can be placed on the VP44 when it is tightened down. My truck is a pickup, not a van. I think Treed meant to write "cam" gear. - John

I will recommend to the owner to not use the programmer. Again, thank you for the detailed information, you have been most helpful. - John

I agree. There was no work done on the injector itself - the truck owner just replaced the solenoid, unfortunately, incorrectly, as in he didn't swap the ball and set screw from the defective solenoid. I have already recommended injector replacement with new Bosch units. I did a resistance check for the harness under the valve cover, but not the whole wiring harness from the ECM. I will do that, that way the connectors will be included. I would agree if the parts were exchanged in the high pressure part of the injector, however, they were in installed in the injector solenoid - this part only sees return line pressure. The ball and set screw were a perfect match. I am quite confident that this has corrected the fuel dilution problem since I witnessed the fuel coming out of the top of the solenoid while the engine was running before and without the ball and set screw installed. I think that there are two issues with this truck: * First issue: Cylinder #5 solenoid was defective (the codes and follow up resistance checks confirmed that) The owner installed a new Bosch solenoid, but without the ball and set screw in place. The engine cranked but did not start after the repairs. The next day the owner hooked up jumper cables and primed the fuel system with the bump start method and the engine fired right away and ran smoothly. Of course it was pouring return fuel out of the top of the solenoid, but the owner did not know that. The truck was driven a couple of days around town for about 15 miles. At this point the owner informed me of the high and diluted engine oil level. I instructed to not start the truck and I went to his house. This is when I witnessed the fuel coming from the top on the #5 injector solenoid. So, I corrected this problem and the engine has not started and ran smoothly since, but I know the fuel leak has been corrected. * Second issue: I have been puzzled as to why the engine didn't start and run right away after the #5 injector solenoid was replaced (without the ball and set screw). And when it did start the next day, why did it start many times and operate smoothly for the next 15 miles even though fuel was unknowingly leaking out of the top of the solenoid? And now with the missing ball and set screw put back into the injector solenoid, the engine does not even fire at all. Then after several cranking intervals the engine does attempt to start and barely run and you can tell that only one cylinder is trying to carry the whole load, and that cylinder is detonating as if it has extremely advanced timing, meanwhile heavy white smoke is coming out of the tailpipe. This is where I am thinking that there has always been an injector leaking fuel into a cylinder, even before the original problem occurred. My thoughts are that one leaking injector is pulling down rail pressure so no injectors will fire. Then after several cranking attempts, enough fuel is collected in the cylinder with the leaking injector and that cylinder fires prematurely and attempts to run the engine on its own (not with injected fuel, but leaking fuel). Just my theory. I will get the tool 04Mach1 recommends and I will get a tool to read rail pressure to see if I can find out which is the problem injector. The engine oil and filter has been changed and the truck has not been started yet. When we do get it to start, the oil and filter will be changed again within a few minutes. The name of the programmer is Ag Diesel Solutions model 20100, not familiar with that programmer. It is currently disconnected. Thank you very much for your detailed response. Your information is greatly appreciated as well as others. - John

Thank you. You are a star. This is the answer I was looking for. This tool should help me find the correct failing injector. I placed my original post on the TDR site as well, but the Mopar1973Man site wins! I will be recommending to the owner to replace all injectors with new Bosch units. But, for now at least he can start with replacing one or two as necessary to get the engine to run.. Thank you again, - John

The source of the fuel leak was the missing ball and set screw in the injector solenoid. That was fixed with a new ball and set screw. The engine oil and filter has been changed. I cannot do any tests that require the engine to be running. I don't believe any of the injectors are firing. I think that one cylinder has a continuous fuel leak from an injector and when enough fuel collects in that cylinder, the engine ignites that fuel and causes the harsh detonation and the ability to barely idle with lots of white smoke. To me it would make sense that a leaking injector could pull down the rail pressure enough so no injectors would fire. Does anyone agree? disagree? Am I crazy? If anyone agrees, than is there anything I can do to figure out which injector is leaking fuel? The engine is a 5.9 - I am sorry about not making that clear. - John

Great - glad you like it. I noticed that the switch you ordered is waterproof. I have a windshield on my truck, so I don't need waterproof switches inside. Actually the switch you ordered is a good looking switch with the illumination around the push button. I am jealous. - John

Although I have not resolved this problem, this article has given me a solid direction of diagnostics to narrow down the problem. Thanks, - John

A friend of mine is the second owner of a 2007 Cummins 2500 truck, 4x4, auto transmission, - all stock parts. He purchased the truck in January of 2013 with 104,000 miles on the odometer. The odometer currently reads 205,000 miles. A tuner has been disconnected from the engine for troubleshooting purposes. Until recently, the truck has started and ran well. I am trying to assist him to diagnose the following problem. In early December, he notified me that the truck started to run very poorly just as he was arriving home. He recorded these codes: P0205 Fuel Injector 5 Circuit P2149 Fuel Injector Group 2 Supply Voltage Circuit Using a multi-meter he checked the resistance of all six injector solenoids for comparison. All were normal except for cylinder #5 which showed a high resistance. On December 15th he replaced that injector solenoid with a new Bocsh unit. After the repair was completed the engine would crank over, but would not start. He said the starter seemed to be cranking at the normal speed. On December 17th he was able to get back to the project. He primed the fuel system with the lift pump using the “bump the starter” technique for about 25 seconds. With battery jumper cables hooked up from another vehicle the engine started quickly and ran smoothly. All seemed well. He drove the truck for about 15 miles over the next couple of days. It is a couple of days later and he notifies me and says that “check gauges” light came on and the engine oil pressure was reading very low. He checked the oil level and found that it was way over the full mark. At this point I recommended to not drive the truck and I would come over to his house and assist. I checked the engine oil level – it was very high and diluted with fuel. I removed #5 injector solenoid to inspect the two o-rings. The one on the injector looked like it had a possible tear, so I installed a new one. The o-ring in the nut looked fine. I re-installed the injector solenoid and placed the valve cover on loosely, started the engine, and then shut it off about a minute later. I then removed the valve cover and restarted the engine to check for possible fuel leaks. Right away I noticed fuel coming out of the top of #5 injector solenoid. I realized then that the ball and set screw must be missing. Since my friend had already discarded the old injector solenoid, I removed #1 injector solenoid and removed the set screw and ball for a sample. We went to the hardware store and with luck we were able to identically match both the ball and set screw. We put everything back together and went to start the engine. The engine would crank, but not start (just like a few days before). Except, this time after many, many attempts it will not fire at all. We have now hooked up a battery charger to maintain the charge. A few minutes later I crank the starter for a longer period of time and the engine catches, but only on one cylinder and is detonating as if the timing was extremely advanced. I release the key and the engine continues to barely run in this manner. A few seconds later I turn off the key because none of the other cylinders are picking up. During the time the engine was running, heavy white smoke was coming out of the exhaust. A few seconds later I crank the engine, but no fire at all – just like before. I do a few more short starting attempts and have the same result – no fire on any cylinders. I am beginning to wonder if there is an injector leaking fuel into a cylinder causing low rail pressure and early ignition in that cylinder. I decide to do an experiment. I disable the grid heaters and remove a through bolt on the intake manifold so I can get close to the cylinders with a small shot of ether. The idea is to get the engine to spin faster to build rail pressure. I have my friend start spinning the starter and I give a quick shot of ether into the intake manifold. I hear the smooth clatter of all cylinders firing briefly and the engine begins run again on only one cylinder, barely carrying itself, and detonating just like before with white smoke out of the exhaust. At this point I am stumped. I am having trouble believing that replacing an injector solenoid would cause this symptom, especially after the truck ran fine for a couple of days despite the internal fuel leak. Is it possible for an injector to have been leaking a small quantity of fuel into the cylinder for awhile (even before the injector solenoid replacement) and is now showing its ugly head? I don’t have any access to the necessary test equipment to perform some of the tests that will probably be recommended on this forum. I would just like to hear from anyone who might be able to tell me if I am on the right track, or anyone who could get me started on the right track. My friend just called me and said he just read the codes with his newly purchased scanner. The only codes currently displayed are P0201 through P0206 (Fuel injector 1-6 Circuit) and the code for the disconnected intake heaters. I apologize for the long post, but I did not want to leave out any information that could help. Thank you in advance, - John

Those studs are threaded - I just don't remember the diameter and pitch. I do believe they are metric. I have a used bolt / nut / washer bin and I just sorted through the nuts until I found two that fit. You could probably find a nut on your truck that fits (not the one behind the wheel) and then match that nut to a couple of them at a local hardware store. Let me know how it works out and what you think. - John

"So from what you said, ecm must trigger power wires to energize coils and not the grounds" .... Yes. This brings another question that I may have asked, did you tie in both positive coil wires to a single switch? .... Yes. The two positive wires from the ECM are not used - I removed them and sealed the ends for protection. I ran a light gauge wire from a "hot" source, through a fuse (5 amp is adequate), and then to the momentary switch. From the switch, I ran a light gauge wire to one of the exposed coil terminals. I ran a jumper wire from that terminal to the other exposed terminal. So when you push a button you're energizing both grids? .... You got it! Now you can be the boss and tell them electrons when to flow! Your alternator will thank you. - John

I have used a toggle switch for operating grid heaters since my truck was new. My switch is a momentary switch that is fused to a hot source. This way I can engage the grid heaters without turning the key to the "on" position. Being that the switch is "momentary", the switch cannot accidently be left on. The two codes that are set are inconsequential. This setup has worked flawlessly for 17 years and over 300,000 miles. No unnecessary post heat cycles and a lot less stress on the alternator - I wouldn't have it any other way. - John