Unapproved Flash after CEL

sbohner · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:01 pm

After the ECM was flashed resulting in the poor performance for the 25 mile test, it has been at the dealer now for 10 days without the dealer being able to restore the performance. :roll:

I’m planning on picking up the CRD from the dealer this week and taking it on a trip to Baltimore to test out the adaptive learning component of the system. This should indicate if the performance reduction is permanent or a function of the learning process. While from what I have read and heard from others that have had the F31 and F37 flashes, I've remaining open to what the trip's results are. I will post my impressions afterwards.

I’m eager to test this out and was wondering if anyone had any ideas on anything else I should be cognizant of during the trip.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

BVCRD · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 1:10 pm

sbohner wrote:

After the ECM was flashed resulting in the poor performance for the 25 mile test, it has been at the dealer now for 10 days without the dealer being able to restore the performance. :roll:

I’m planning on picking up the CRD from the dealer this week and taking it on a trip to Baltimore to test out the adaptive learning component of the system. This should indicate if the performance reduction is permanent or a function of the learning process. While from what I have read and heard from others that have had the F31 and F37 flashes, I've remaining open to what the trip's results are. I will post my impressions afterwards.

I’m eager to test this out and was wondering if anyone had any ideas on anything else I should be cognizant of during the trip.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Well, just the same stuff. Shift points at what rpm. Fuel economy. Seat of the pants feel. Don't expect too much untill you get 500 miles on the reflash. Air up your tires to 40 psi. Have a good, safe trip.

sbohner · **Posted:** Sat Mar 03, 2007 5:52 pm

Thanks BVCRD.

These were the things I was planning, so thanks for the confirmation. I noticed on the first test that the shifting was smoother, but with a bit more hunting. This was curious since the TCM was not changed. Hopefully, the shift points didn't change as the flash was to the ECM. Anyway, thanks again for the well wishes.

no-blue-screen · **Posted:** Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:03 pm

sbohner wrote:

After the ECM was flashed resulting in the poor performance for the 25 mile test, it has been at the dealer now for 10 days without the dealer being able to restore the performance. :roll:

I’m planning on picking up the CRD from the dealer this week and taking it on a trip to Baltimore to test out the adaptive learning component of the system. This should indicate if the performance reduction is permanent or a function of the learning process. While from what I have read and heard from others that have had the F31 and F37 flashes, I've remaining open to what the trip's results are. I will post my impressions afterwards.

I’m eager to test this out and was wondering if anyone had any ideas on anything else I should be cognizant of during the trip.

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Hey, if you are going to be in Baltimore, let me know if you want have a beer...I'll buy you one....I normally frequent the bars in the essex area since most of my family lives up there..and I pretty much know everyone who owns all the bars in the area.

Also, are you sure they didn't flash your TCM? If you had F31, then your TCM most certainly would have been flashed.

sbohner · **Posted:** Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:04 pm

Hey no-blue-screen,

I'm fairly sure that they didn't do the TCM. I'm headed up there in a few minutes and will inquire further. Thanks for the offer and once I know the schedule of things perhaps we can meet. Have a great week.

sbohner · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:29 pm

I arrived back from my trip on Friday evening and have tallied the results of the trip.

The good news is that, for the most part, the shift points remain largely the same:

1st to 2nd at ~11mph
2nd to 3rd at ~20mph
3rd to 4th at ~37mph
4th to TC lockup/OD at ~53mph
4th to 5th+lock/OD at ~63mph

In the beginning, the shifting was smoother and sometimes mushy. As miles racked up, the shifting became a bit more positive. However, there is still some seeking and some shaking after longer trips a higher speeds -- the CRD reminds me of when I would have dirt in the SU carbs of my old Mini Cooper S (1968).

The CRD does still have lower performance than before the ECM flash.

The acceleration both in town and on the highway remains down from before the ECM flash. The fuel mileage is significantly off. My average highway mileage (across all of the trips I’ve taken since owning the vehicle) has been 25.14mpg. My average for the trip to Baltimore and back was 20.89mpg; a difference of 4.25mpg. :shock:

This may not be all from the ECM flash. The trip was taken with temperatures down in the 10s and 20s on the way up and 20s and 30s on the way back, where most of the earlier trips were during temperatures 45+ degrees Fahrenheit. Both tanks that I filled had similar mph measures (20.80mph and 20.98mph). I tended to drive between 70mph and 75 mph most of the way using the cruise control regularly (similar to previous trips).

The end result is that the performance has changed substantially and I’m considering my options. :roll:

I like the CRD and with some fixes, I think that it could be a great vehicle for the long term. However, I’m tiring of the game of delay and denial that DCX is playing to get this sorted out.

The latest information from the District Service Manager is that the ECM cannot be reprogrammed back to the previous configuration due to EPA policies and regulations. Somehow, this one does not appear to be right. I haven’t found this one as part of the EPA’s online material. Does anyone have any information regarding this claim by DCX?
:?:

Ranger1 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 17, 2005 7:40 pm **Posts:** 1137

If that statement by the DSM were true, how did the EPA approve the prior flashes? I have a difficult time believing this to be the whole story. If a new flash restored the prior shift points and engine performance, but still kept the NOx to the T2Bin5 requirements, how would that make any difference? It did it before the F37 flash or they could not have released it.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2007 10:56 pm

These flashes had NOTHING to do with emmisions ... there should be NO PROBLEM from the EPA to put them back to the original parameters ... which were by the way the ones that the EPA originally approved for certification... DC makes no sense

Unapproved Flash after CEL

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