Factory Warranty or better MPG?

[Precision]

Dad's rig
5.9L mega cab with 4x4 and wide 35" tires

no chip . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 mpg highway @ 65 mph

Smarty Jr chip set for economy . . . . 20.5 mpg highway @ 65 mph 19.0 mpg @ 75 mph

skinnier tires and not 4x4 would be better

[Highspeed]

Really good friend of mine just bought a secondhand Mazda-6 diesel in the UK and while driving it back over here the ECU freaked out and went into 'limp home ' mode.
Guess what...clogged emissions filter...in this case in the exhaust. It's meant to be self cleaning but obviously isn't.
That engine has a horrific amount of extraneous emissions bullshit on it, stuff that I have only previously read about in the " California only model " sections of workshop manuals.

One idea which springs to my devious mind about this ' tattle tale ' feature in your ECU is that if something in the engine and transmission fucks up and you need to claim on your warranty then why not fix it so the ECU is in no position to talk ? Like dead men tell no tales, sort of thing...
Removing it and applying 110v instead of the 12.7v that the little stool pigeon is expecting would likely work
You have no idea why the truck doesn't work, it just stopped or wouldn't start...

[JAG2955]

One idea which springs to my devious mind about this ' tattle tale ' feature in your ECU is that if something in the engine and transmission fucks up and you need to claim on your warranty then why not fix it so the ECU is in no position to talk ? Like dead men tell no tales, sort of thing...
Removing it and applying 110v instead of the 12.7v that the little stool pigeon is expecting would likely work
You have no idea why the truck doesn't work, it just stopped or wouldn't start...

Because I'd have to buy a new ECU then as well if they don't buy it? But if it's something major enough, I would probably heed your advice and introduce the ECU to an extension cord. Might be worth the gamble.

[Highspeed]

Yeah, I only meant for major problems, like needing a transmission rebuild...

Probably a much higher voltage at lower amps would leave less of a signature behind when frying an ECU - the perfect excuse to build a Tesla coil or a hydrogen bomb

[JAG2955]

Pulled the trigger on it. The truck goes to Diesel Addiction on 8 August. About 1100 bucks, as I already have a Smarty. Total time to repay based on the current cost of diesel is approximately a year. Full EGR delete, fuel pressure regulator valve shimmed, and a Flo-Pro 5" exhaust with a muffler.

I'll have them set the tuning initially at least at a moderate level to help with the engine temps. I'll look into the additional monitoring and ask the diesel techs what they think when I'm getting the work done.

[blackeagle603]

A bit different issue for my 7.3L but (fwiw) have enjoyed every mile and minute of driving the Banks upgrades I had installed.

[Precision]

Pulled the trigger on it. The truck goes to Diesel Addiction on 8 August. About 1100 bucks, as I already have a Smarty. Total time to repay based on the current cost of diesel is approximately a year. Full EGR delete, fuel pressure regulator valve shimmed, and a Flo-Pro 5" exhaust with a muffler.

I'll have them set the tuning initially at least at a moderate level to help with the engine temps. I'll look into the additional monitoring and ask the diesel techs what they think when I'm getting the work done.

good for you. The fun meter just went up and if you can keep your foot out of it, so did the mileage.

[JAG2955]

So it's done. I've only recycled two tanks of dinosaur so far, but I'm looking at about 19.4mpg. Before I was at about 15.5-16.5, depending on how many short drives I did. I got 21.3 on the highway back from Wilmington. Smarty is set at level 3, the highest safe for a stock transmission. It appears that I get the best mileage around 61mph. I have 4.10 gears, but I highly doubt I'll step that up.

The truck is more fun, has much more oomph when I step on the accelerator. As a byproduct, having the EGR removed made it a thousand times easier to change the fuel filter. I've got all of the leftover parts still in my garage just in case I have to return it to stock. I'll probably just recycle the cat and sell the DPF to someone who wants to core it out to make a "stealth" delete in an otherwise banned state. Oh, and as for soot...when they had my exhaust off, just from handling it, there was a few tablespoons of soot on the garage floor.

I haven't done any gauges yet, and when I was there, the place was a clown show. Don't really feel like talking about it, but it took me 8 hours (quoted 3-4) of waiting to get it done. Some can do great things but suck at running a business. That was one of those places.

[Precision]

So it's done. I've only recycled two tanks of dinosaur so far, but I'm looking at about 19.4mpg. Before I was at about 15.5-16.5, depending on how many short drives I did. I got 21.3 on the highway back from Wilmington. Smarty is set at level 3, the highest safe for a stock transmission. It appears that I get the best mileage around 61mph. I have 4.10 gears, but I highly doubt I'll step that up.

The truck is more fun, has much more oomph when I step on the accelerator. As a byproduct, having the EGR removed made it a thousand times easier to change the fuel filter. I've got all of the leftover parts still in my garage just in case I have to return it to stock. I'll probably just recycle the cat and sell the DPF to someone who wants to core it out to make a "stealth" delete in an otherwise banned state. Oh, and as for soot...when they had my exhaust off, just from handling it, there was a few tablespoons of soot on the garage floor.

I haven't done any gauges yet, and when I was there, the place was a clown show. Don't really feel like talking about it, but it took me 8 hours (quoted 3-4) of waiting to get it done. Some can do great things but suck at running a business. That was one of those places.

Glad to hear you are up on mileage and fun.

It should stay that way and may well be the route I go when I get the chance to pick up another diesel.