Newly Released Software for Edge Insight Monitor to now control Smarty PoD Tuner

[War Eagle]

Just got an email update from Edge. They have just released a software upgrade for their CS and CTS Insight guage monitor. It will enable data logging on up to 10 different parameters and it will also allow your Edge to control your Smarty PoD features from the Edge monitor. http://mv.treehousei.com/Public/Online.aspx?msgId=7a8ca451-5c63-d995-f780-a0b401715039 This sounds like a very cool set of features. I am looking forward to downloading this new software and learning more about it.

[AH64ID]

Have you played with this yet?I have always wanted a CTS as my digital gauge but it's hard to justify the cost. I only set PoD 3-4 times a year max, but this would be nice and I am sure I would use PoD more.

[War Eagle]

Yes I played with it the last two weeks on my hunting trip to Montana.What is nice about it is that you don't have to pack the Smarty around and take the time to hook it up and load the changes you want. While I never tried the PoD feature with the Smarty you are supposed to be able to make adjustments on the fly. Not sure how that gets done while you are piloting the rig down the road at the same time.What I can do with the CTS is load the Smarty program I want (maybe SW9 if you like) and then adjust the power level of the program you want to use. So I have loaded SW9 (even though that is way more power than my truck can handle) and just crank the power level on the CTS down to 30% or 40%. The nice thing about the CTS SW is that you just have to have the truck stopped (not moving) and you just change the level by touching the adjust buttons on the screen (touch screen). Takes maybe 15 or 20 secs and then you are on your way again.Have to say that PoD program affects the shifting of your trans (auto). It makes the shifts at a higher rpm and you have to push the throttle more to get to the higher rpm and at any lower rpm then it doesn't shift unless you let up on the throttle. Like you would shift a manual, but it was more than a little wierd to have to do that with an auto.THe CTS doesn't allow you to change any of the other Smarty SW parameters (i.e., timing, torque management, etc.) only the power level. Therefore, if you wanted any other parameters (other than power) you would need to hook up the Smarty controller to make those changes. Another way to say this, is that once you load any of the adjustable parameters via your Smarty, then those settings remain through all the power level adjustments you would make with the CTS.The recent (I think May 2012) Smarty upgrades indicated a new base tune through all levels giving an increase in overall power levels of +/- 10% (in all bands) and a more linear distribution of power as well as better economy. So if I understand it right, my S6 PoD version now is potentially capable of not 170hp but maybe closer to 187hp. With that thought in mind I started the CTS PoD at 30% ( thinking this was likely to be somewhere around 50hp, since I had preloaded loaded SW9 onto my truck). I thought I would start there. First experinece out the gate was very flat response to the throttle. I had to use much more of the throttle stroke to get the truck to pull away from a stop. It felt like I was using half the throttle stroke to get moving when I pulled away from a stop. I thought I was having a dead pedal experience, but quickly realized that the PoD experience was not going to be a linear response on the throttle. (By design: the owners manual says it is not going to be linear). I drove to Montana (625 miles at the 30% PoD setting and then drove the return trip at the 40% setting.I liked the 40% level better than the 30% level because the truck was more responsive but it was still wierd to have to let up on the throttle to get it to shift as I was just driving to check my economy and was not accelerating to high rpms. I am guessing that If I cranked the PoD level higher I would get a more responsive throttle at the beginning of the pull away from the stop sign.I was not able to tell any difference in mpgs between these settings but to be honest I took it out of the PoD mode when I got home primarily because when I'm driving for economy having to take the rpms up and/or then having to let off on the throttle to get it to shift was just too wierd to deal with.But to answer your question the CTS SW does allow you to change the Smarty PoD levels without having to hook up the Smarty controller.

[AH64ID]

Thanks for the info.

I will make some suggestions thou. Think of PoD as a throttle limiter. What it does is modify the throttle signal. So under normal PoD99 driving your pedal has 100 positions, 0-99. When you set the PoD at 50 you are making each TPS position only worth 50%. So WOT with PoD 50 is the same as 50% throttle with PoD99. That's why your auto trans doesn't shift well. I have heard 60 is the lowest you want to go on an auto trans because of shifting issues, anything gained by the slower fuel rate is lost with the trans taking so long to shift.

The other issue with running PoD really low is that you lose upper rpm power very quickly. This could be a safety issue. When I have set my PoD down to 50-60 I am unable to get above 2500 rpms, which is not safe if you try to pass someone and can't!

The other issue with loading SW9 is there are ways it makes it's power that still may not be safe, such as timing and possible rail pressure.

PoD will not effect highway mileage, as it still takes "x" hp to do the speed your driving. PoD is designed to allow for smoother/slower fueling around town.

Look at the dyno below. On my truck I can run PoD85 and have 100% of the power of PoD99 but with a much softer pedal and it's much easier to drive. PoD 70 has all the power down low but starts to taper off above 2300 (the rpm limiting I was talking about).

So with SW9 PoD40 you have all the bottom end of SW9, until you hit the wall that 40% throttle would apply.

If it were my truck I would set the Smarty to the software which you can handle 100% of the power on. Then I would use the CTS and watch engine load vs TPS. Do a few slow WOT runs, and watch to see at what TPS the load goes to 100%. Then back the PoD down to just above that number. (On my truck I go to 100% load at 83% TPS, so my PoD is 85). This will give you a smoother driving truck, but not sacrifice any power. Then for winter/dirt/mileage driving I would go about 15% below that number, maybe only 10% with an auto.

What you will end up with is a much safer tune, and still get the benefits of PoD.

If I had a CTS I would run PoD 85 when towing, then as soon as I hit a dirt road drop to PoD70, then back to 85 for pavement towing.

Lastly, In Oct of 2011 SW9 was completely redone and is a 210hp tune, SW7 is 160hp.

[War Eagle]

Thanks John for the added insight.There is so much to know (so many possible combinations and characteristics) and understand that I sometimes wonder if I am making any progress.I haven't even begun to look at UDC yet, but can it be used under the PoD umbrella and would it even be desireable.

[AH64ID]

Yes PoD and UDC are compatible, and the 85/70 numbers I use are with UDC.