Best Temps & RPM range for driving in mountains with 8 speed tranny?

[mazboy]

chips DO NOT VOID WARRANTIES:
'Consumers of aftermarket products are protected by the Federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act. The Act provides that if something breaks on your vehicle and you take it in for warranty repair, the dealer must honor your warranty unless whatever modifications you have added to your vehicle directly caused the problem in question.'

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by mazboy

chips DO NOT VOID WARRANTIES:
'Consumers of aftermarket products are protected by the Federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act. The Act provides that if something breaks on your vehicle and you take it in for warranty repair, the dealer must honor your warranty unless whatever modifications you have added to your vehicle directly caused the problem in question.'

So, your transmission "takes a crap" (you've got a chip to alter the transmission shift points) and you take it in for warranty repair. What's Chrysler going to tell you????

[notanlines]

This is quoted from Superchips.com website:
"Our products do not cause damage to a vehicle when used as intended in accordance with the User Manual and SHOULD NOT void your vehicle’s manufacturer’s warranty. However, the reality is that many dealerships have been known to improperly void warranties on vehicles that use aftermarket products as a matter of policy. This applies in particular to those aftermarket products that produce horsepower, such as performance enhancement “chips,” modified intake manifolds, or aftermarket exhaust systems, regardless of product brand."
Noticed I have the "should not" in caps to highlight the idea that they did not use the phrase "will not."
Chip your new truck all you like, but better that we don't have to listen to you whine when the crap hits the fan.

[jack65]

If you take the performance chip out and clearing the record with a computer scanner BEFORE taking your truck into the dealers, how are they gonna know you were using a chip?

[pakuma]

Originally Posted by jack65

Boy, now I'm confused... a friend of mine back east who really knows cars, and tows his Show Corvette on a heavy trailer a lot had this to say:

As a retired Chrysler dealer Service Manager, installing a chip is a bad idea because it will compromise your powertrain warranty. I have a 2011 Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi that I use to tow my Cougar Fifth that weighs just under 10,000 pounds loaded, and before someone asks how can I tow it with a 1500 I verified what I could tow with Ram tech. I have had no issues towing anywhere including the Rockies with my truck. Again I would strongly recommend not adding a chip or any performance modifier, as this could (as one customer of mine found out) can be a very expensive modification in the long run.

[kfxgreenie]

Originally Posted by jack65

If you take the performance chip out and clearing the record with a computer scanner BEFORE taking your truck into the dealers, how are they gonna know you were using a chip?

Techs can tell exactly how many times the ECM has had software wrote on it.

JRTJH is spot on, a "chip" will void any powertrain warranty you have as far as the manufacture is concerned. Dealers can spot a "chip" relatively easy even if it is removed.

[ctbruce]

Originally Posted by jack65

If you take the performance chip out and clearing the record with a computer scanner BEFORE taking your truck into the dealers, how are they gonna know you were using a chip?

Nothing is ever that easy. There are more ways to tell you did it than there are ways to hide you did it. You cant win this one because it comes down to Dealer/Manufacturer money vs. Your money. They'll make sure it's your money.

[jack65]

As far as I'm concerned, DEALERS are ripoffs. They legally steal from their customers. Their charges are at least twice as much than my mechanic for the same job and he has been in business for over 40 years, serviced my cars the last 15 years. More and more the dealers have the newer cars/trucks setup up so the local mechanics can't work on them anymore, only Dealers. It's the same way on the warrantees, how can they get out of fixing the problems, always the fine print.

RANT over...

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by jack65

As far as I'm concerned, DEALERS are ripoffs. They legally steal from their customers. Their charges are at least twice as much than my mechanic for the same job and he has been in business for over 40 years, serviced my cars the last 15 years. More and more the dealers have the newer cars/trucks setup up so the local mechanics can't work on them anymore, only Dealers. It's the same way on the warrantees, how can they get out of fixing the problems, always the fine print.

RANT over...

Yes, dealers charge stupid amounts of money to work on your cars. But don't blame dealers for making it to where your local mechanic can't work on them. That is the manufacturers doings. Dealers have to send their techs to the manufacturers schools to learn how to work on the newer cars and trucks. And, somebody has to pay for that. Plus the software that reads the vehicles computers. Somebody has to pay for that too. A friend of mine that works at a Porsche dealer told me another shop was working on a Porsche and called him, asking for a computer code so they could get a read out on the car. He told them, sorry, I can't give you that information. We pay over $400 a month for software access and if you want it fixed you'll have to pay just like everyone else.

[JRTJH]

Just to "add insult to injury" about what a vehicle computer shows, I had my new Slingshot in for routine maintenance today. The service writer and I were chatting when the mechanic came up with the paperwork for my bill. He commented to me, "So, you had it up to 96 MPH, how'd it run?" I asked him how he knew, he showed me the vehicle data report that he pulled from the computer using the Polaris Digital Wrench. I'd strongly suspect that if Polaris has the capability to know how fast I drove my Slingshot, what day and what time the event occurred and document all the vehicle "sensor information" for that moment in time, it's a sure thing that they can identify every time the computer software is overwritten. After all, if you go to Windows Explorer on any PC, select the "details tab", it'll show you when the computer file was last modified. If that "mod date" is not the same as the last time the auto manufacturer last accessed and overwrote the file, it's a "sure sign" that someone else has been "tinkering with the vehicle software"....

If Polaris can do that, it would be a "far stretch" to think that Ford, GM and Chrysler don't have the capability to monitor the same types of data. So, I pulled out my 2015 Ford SuperDuty Owner's Manual, and right there on page 9 is this:
"DATA RECORDING
Service Data Recording
Service data recorders in your vehicle are capable of collecting and storing
diagnostic information about your vehicle. This potentially includes information about the performance or status of various systems and modules in the vehicle, such as engine, throttle, steering or brake systems. In order to properly diagnose and service your vehicle, Ford Motor Company, Ford of Canada, and service and repair facilities may access or share among them vehicle diagnostic information received through a direct connection to your vehicle when diagnosing or servicing your vehicle. Additionally, when your vehicle is in for service or repair, Ford Motor Company, Ford of Canada, and service and repair facilities may access or share among them data for vehicle improvement purposes. For U.S. only (if equipped), if you choose to use the SYNC Vehicle Health Report, you consent that certain diagnostic information may also be accessed electronically by Ford Motor Company and Ford authorized service facilities, and that the diagnostic information may be used for any purpose. See SYNC™ (page 323)."

Ain't technology wunnerful ?????

[jack65]

I guess I should have said: "As far as I'm concerned, MANUFACTURERS & DEALERS are ripoffs" Customers get "Screwed" & "Scammed" by the gross overcharges.

[JRTJH]

Maybe you're just a tad naïve about manufacturing??? Owners of factories are anything but a "non-profit". They are in the business to make as much as possible as fast as possible. It's been this way for as long as I can remember. When I was a kid buying wheel cylinders from the local Chevrolet dealer because nobody at the parts store carried them for my 1950 Turtleback coupe.... Essentially, you can build your own vehicle or agree to buy what someone else builds....

My dad, long ago told me something that rings as true today as it did when I was behind Sally saying GEE or HAW (we owned Sally and the bean field).... He told me, "If you don't own it, you don't control it".... So, since we don't own the auto manufacturers, they, not us, control the rules.... Agree with "their rules" or go buy something else.... Harsh? Yeah, but we don't own it.........

[Badbart56]

I'm sure that correlates to the decline in
"Chip Makers" over the past few years. But it's true, dealer prices are quite steep. I'm lucky, I know techs that do side work.

[jack65]

OK, after reading through ALL 33 post again, I won't be attempting to use a chip or programer. Thanks for all the input... it is always good on this forum.

[mfifield01]

Lock out 7 and 8th gear, put it in Tow/Haul mode. If it's flat, I will only lock out 8th. The peak torque on these engines is around 4200. The engine will run around 3500 while climbing.

[jack65]

Originally Posted by mfifield01

Lock out 7 and 8th gear, put it in Tow/Haul mode. If it's flat, I will only lock out 8th. The peak torque on these engines is around 4200. The engine will run around 3500 while climbing.

That's a good Idea. How do I lock out 7th and 8th gears on my 2014 Ram?
In the mountains, I've been manually shifting between 3,000-4,000rpms. I don't care about gas mileage when towing.

[mfifield01]

You probably are doing it now. I start the truck, put it in Tow/Haul mode. When I get up to speed, I hit the Gear + or - until I just see 6 in the cluster. This means that it won't shift above 6th gear. Both 7 and 8th gears are overdrive.

[jack65]

Originally Posted by mfifield01

You probably are doing it now. I start the truck, put it in Tow/Haul mode. When I get up to speed, I hit the Gear + or - until I just see 6 in the cluster. This means that it won't shift above 6th gear. Both 7 and 8th gears are overdrive.

Ah... I didn't know that. Thanks for the tip! I'll try it next time.
Anytime in the mountains and there are steep ones here in the NW, whenever I see the rpms going below 3,000 rpm, I'll manually shift to keep it between 3,000-4,000.

[sourdough]

Yes, you can lower the gear using the +/- button. Mine is on the gear shift.

[Ken / Claudia]

My opinion is not to put anyone down but, I think MOST people have always had vehicles with auto transmissions and ALWAYS put it in drive, park and reverse, nothing else. Use the brakes to slow on down grades, use the gas to speed up. Never moving the gear lever to any of those other gears. When getting into RVing do not understand towing heavy trailers and the need to find the correct RPM range by OD, no OD, TH, no TH and even shifting the auto transmission gears manually to keep the engine in peak RPMs to go up and down hills or even in stop and go traffic. That stuff should be in every vehicles manuals, it has been in all the pickups I have owned or used for work under towing.
I follow RVers on our mountain passes towing still doing the same thing, brakes to slow down, rarely do the brake lights go off unless they have a newer diesel.