What's a lifestyle of a programmer?

Whats the best programmer ?

• i have an 02 ram 3500 h.o. with a 6 speed what is the best programmer under $400 to buy

• Answer:

  The absolute best is the Smarty. Its not a chip its a downloader. I have one and can't say enough about it. The guys at Mads Electronics deal only with the Cummins and from what I've read on the forums, are much better and offer less trouble than Bully Dog. Bully Dog is a great bunch but they deal with everything, Mads deals only with the Cummins. With the standard Smarty you have 10 programs to choose from, from SW0 a half power (emissions) mode, SW1 a mileage tune, all the way up to SW9. You can adjust timing (advanced or retarded from stock, retarded is used for aftermarket injectors), fuel rate (rate fuel is added in proportion to boost). It is also a code reader, it displays trouble codes in plain english and it will erase trouble codes. It allows you to adjust the speed limiter as well as tire height. You can change the rev limiter, allowing a 4000 rpm redline if you have upgraded valve springs. You can also disable the wastegate if you have something besides the stock turbo. The Smarty also enables high idle and for 2nd gen trucks like yours also enables 3cyl high idle. 3 cyl high idle is exclusive to ISB's and alternately fires 3 cylinders so as to load the engine and heat up much faster than regular high idle. Cummins can enable it in other applications and it is a Cummins developed software. There are videos of this on youtube. Updates are free (unlike Bully Dog). The guy who makes it is an Italian named Marco who designed the software for the ISB in Europe. He deals through Mads Electronics and a guy named Bob Wagner. I have dealt with both and can say that they are very helpful and will go out of their way to resolve any problems or help with technical questions. I have one and can tell you there is nothing like the Smarty. Go to any site like http://www.dieseltruckresource.com, go to the forums and read about it. Just a word of warning though. Dont get the Smarty, Bully Dog or anything and turn it right up to its highest setting. To run the highest settings you need a clutch, airflow improvements like a bigger turbo or twin turbos, headstuds to handle the boost and a lift pump to keep your injection pump cool and lubricated. Most of all you NEED gauges. Do not fly blind with any of these products. What I'm going to say next really doesn't have much to do with any power product but you do need to know about it. 2nd generation Ram's with a 24V Cummins have a fuel lubricated and cooled VP44 injection pump. They are also equipped with a lift pump that is located on the engine block that has to suck fuel from the tank. This is really not a good design and often causes lift pumps to fail. When the lift pump fails it can't provide diesel to the VP44 to cool and lubricate it. One of the very best things you can do is get a good lift pump like a Glacier, Airdog or FASS system. It will let you keep good fuel pressure and allow the VP44 to live. Any power adder will make the problem worse because your simply using more fuel so its very common to see with VP44 trucks an injection pump failure soon after adding a power adder. So if you get any power adder for your truck I would highly recommend you get a good lift pump.