I had the 0245 code last week and took the truck in to the dealer last Thursday. The dealer told me I could wait for it as it would only take 45 minutes to perform the latest flash update. 30 minutes after they put the truck in the bay, svc manager came to me and said there was a Cummins engineer and Dodge engineer in the shop that wanted to drive my truck and perform some tests after the flash update. I wanted to talk to them but the svc manager said they were forbidden by Dodge/Cummins policy to talk directly with customers.

Anyways, I said OK and was able to watch through the shop window as they hooked up 2 small test boxes under the hood (which stayed there after the hood closed) and 1 much larger 1 in the cab. Then they drove off and didn't come back for almost 1 hour and 43 miles on the trip odometer. I watched as they removed all of their boxes, everyone seemed to be smiling.

So, the service manager comes and tells me the new flash is installed, EGR was fine and didn't need cleaned, and the Dodge/Cummins engineers were happy. They put 10 gallons of diesel in my truck and gave me a $25 gift certificate for a local restaraunt. Interesting to say the least.

I left Friday morning towing my 6K lb boat from Denver to Lake Powell, up over the Eisenhour Tunnel (12K feet) and Vail Pass (11K feet). The truck ran fine, same as it did before the flash. I usually mash my foot to the floor and hold it there until we get up and over the top. I was usually able to hold 70-75 mph over these passes with a few times down to 65 when some goof would pull out in front of me and kill my momentum. I never saw EGT's go over 1250 (pre-turbo) and that was only for a few seconds. Maximum boost shown was 28 with it usually being in the 23-25 range. Engine temps never went over 210, usually stayed around 200 and it was a hot day. The power and performance of this rig towing is very impressive.

Distance from my house to Bullfrog Marina is 515 miles one way. Over this distance (mostly I-70) you have probably 165 miles of steep mountain passes and long up/down grades and the other 350 is relatively flat interstate driving with the cruise control set on 75 mph. My hand calculated mileage, round trip, was 11 mpg. Considering the load, the way I drive the mountains, etc I thought that wasn't too bad. My rig is a stock 2500 4x4 with auto tranny, running the stock BFG 265 tires set at 50 psi. All I've added is the Commander gauge and 65 gallon fuel tank.

Basically, the truck ran great, but it was like that before too. I saw no difference in power/performance, EGT's or fuel mileage, but the CEL stayed off(so far). The only thing I noticed is, it has a throatier/deeper exhaust sound at idle and seems to idle/rattle a little louder (which is good).

One item of interest: I have found when towing a trailer with hydraulic surge brakes, especially on steep/long down hill grades, using the exhaust brake in tow/haul mode is too firm and will make your trailer brakes drag & heat up. If you shift out of tow/haul into normal mode the EB will still hold you back enough you will never use your foot brake, but it does it gently enough that the trailer surge brakes won't apply.

 

I wonder what they were doing or checking. Have you had many issues with the truck? Did the mileage change or is it still about the same?

 

quote:All I've added is the Commander gauge End quote.

they did not say anything about the commander and warrenty????


just 1 turbo guage on my truck and 1 dealer said they would have to report it to DC and i would loose my warrenty if they pulled it in their shop.

I hope they learned some great stuff on their ride! thanks for the info!!

 

What flash did you have put in?

 

To answer all of the replies above:

1-I have no idea what they did other than "put the latest flash into it".

2-I couldn't get a part number or TSB for the flash, but it's the one that came out 2 weeks ago to specifically address the 0245 code and a few others.

3-I had a CEL light for the first time 10 days ago. It went out by itself after about an hour but I swung by the dealer and they read it and saw the 0245 code, thus I made the appointment to go in last Thursday.

4-This is the only problem I've had with the truck, 4400 miles so far and it runs great. Fuel mileage seems about the same as before, not wonderful, but not too bad considering what and how I pull.

 

And the one other comment I forgot to address: The Commander gauges. I had the dealer ask me 1 time if I had put a chip or module into it. I told them "no" these were gauges only. They have never said a word since then and even asked me where I got the gauges in case other customers wanted to buy similar gauge sets through the dealership.

The fact that the Dodge and Cummins engineers crawled all over my truck for an hour or two and didn't say a word about the gauges confirms it can't be an issue.

Anyone who is telling you adding a gauge will void your warranty is terribly mis-informed. They can hassle you about stuff if you let them, but in the end they cannot deny warranty coverage unless they can prove that something you added to the truck caused the damage. Obviously adding a gauge can't do that unless you seriously screw up the install someway.

 

I wish i could get a couple of chrysler reps to drive my truck...............drive my truck back to the factory and keep it!!!

 

Thanks,If .....IF!! We pick up the 08 when it shows up .i will not put anything but a guage in it. the 06 has a programer and i like the power.