Howdy all,
I've been a First Gen'er for a long time now and think I understand those trucks fairly well,BUT I am now replacing my ole '93 with a 2004 QC 3500, 5.9L, 4WD, Laramie package.. and know NOTHING about these newer trucks..
I tow a fairly light boat(1800lbs) or a heavy 3-horse goose-neck with LQ( 12K gross weight empty) on most weekends, otherwise its gonna be a daily driver.
I am interested in being able to "dial-in" power when I need it and fuel efficiency when I dont.. so am thinking it would be a wise investment to buy a programmer, but never having even played with one, I realy have no idea how they work, what to look for or how they install..or if that is realy what I need..

School me please?

 

I would start with a smarty jr. But for true dial power your gonna need a smarty sr with pod and the UDC tuning.

 

Avoid any programmer that raises rail pressures.
The Smarty is a very good choice.

 

Also is it a auto or a manual?

 

Auto

 

Just to add my $.02

I would agree firgod4 on the Smarty Jr for multiple reasons:
- vast improvement in driveability over stock
- simple tuning (this is key for someone just starting out)
- allows for increased mileage, power, throttle response, etc...without having to invest in additional upgrades from the get-go (only suggestion here would be some gauges: Pyro, trans, boost...some folks throw the rail pressure in the mix here as well, but I have not added this one myself..."yet")

In all, it is a great programmer for someone that is looking to take advantage of some "mild" (I say that loosly...) power upgrades and unleash the potential of that Cummins without worrying about what all parts are going to fall apart around you trying to support the additional power (again, back to my point about the "need" for additional upgrades).

IF, you decide to go with the Smarty...you will find tons of advise on here with regard to seetings to take advantage of EXCATLY what you are looking to get out of your truck. My personal opinion would be to put it on the SW1 (+40 HP setting) and default timing & torqe, and let it ride for a while. You will be shocked at the diffrence in driveability and smooth throttle response even on this mild setting...as you get more comfortable you can turn it up to the SW2 (+70 HP setting with defaults) and really notice a big diffrence. (I would simply stay away from SW3 (+100 HP setting) for daily driving around town unless you have a lot more self control than myself! Without some significant trans mods...your truck will simply not be able to take advantage of this power level. However, if you are on a road trip (empty) and want to take advantage of better fuel mileage...you can acheive this on the SW3 level (sounds funny, but that is the case).
By no means am I an authority on this subject...I'm just looking to share with you my experince with this product considering I sounded very similar to your original post when I was "just getting started...HA"!
I think this is where I should warn you of the "slippery slope" of power mods, etc...
Good luck with your choice brother!

 

Thanks Stewart, that's the kind of info I I am looking for
Gauges are already planned, and I know about that " slippery slope" from my First Gen!' Lol
Now, does the Smarty mount in the cab? Can it be adjusted onthe fly?
How much wiring is involved in installing one?

 

Sorry brother, should have touched on that. Fortunately or unfortunately (depending on your preference), the Smarty is designed to plug and play. That said, it is used to simply update the computer (via the in cab ECM hook up under the dash) and unplug...no wiring or install required. Personally, I like that fact (nothing in the truck or on the dash). However, it does not allow for necessarily being able to change on the fly...there may be guys that leave it hooked up...but I don't, and know no one that does...at least that "I" know).
Again, I think this fact adds to the simplicity of the Smarty...
Hit me up on a PM and I will give you my number if you have any other questions. If I can't help you there are more than enough guys that I can hook you up with! Later...

 

I had the Diablo Predator/Puck stack (OBDII downloader) for 5 years. It worked very good for me but I have intake/turbo/exhaust mods. The only reason I stopped using it was the lack of tunes between 100hp and 170hp. 100 was terrific for towing and fun/daily driving. 170 (Extreme) was a blast but the hyper throttle response was over-the-top for me. I also got tired of keeping up with the upgrade and the hassle of downloading the custom tunes from the Diablo site. I used to be against having the gauges and tuner together in case I wanted to try a different tuner - that's just me. I switched to a TST PMCR last year cuz I decided I wanted to try true change-on-the-fly tuning and it has the gauges in the control module. The module is tiny. I mounted it on top of the column and I can still see the dash gauges. I have switched back and forth between the Diablo and the TST and I don't use the Diablo at all anymore cuz the TST does everything so much better. I improved towing mpg by 2 by using the change-on-the-fly and seeing the instant results. I tried the Predator tunes and used the PMCR just to watch pressure and the Predator didn't add any. Used Predators are good for a tight budget. The 100hp tune would only hit 1225 egt so I could have easily gone w/o gauges for that. All of them improve driveability and the power curve so you would probably like any of them. Craig