[rocket]

purchased a bullydog tuner last week. have a little problem with the connection at the OBD2 port. i have a tight fit at the port but when i hit a pot hole or any bump the tuner turns off by itself. i also have to hold the bullydog OBD connector in a sweet spot for it to work properly. does anyone else have a problem with this? called up bully dog and they told me the connector on my truck was bad. also im not sure i installed it right because i dont notice any difference in performance or gas mileage (14 MPG at best). i am able to keep it on long enough and installed the regular tune and removed the WOT. just curious what others are running for a tune. i have the 1.1.1.1 tune downloaded now. any tips will be helpful.

 

[Jeff024]

can you put 2 small zip ties around the connection to hold it in .Mine would turn off also sometimes but not very often.once its downloaded it doesnt have to be connected to work thats just for you to see the guages

 

[bimmernut318]

I removed my OBD connector from the bracket and zipped tied it up in the dash as well as zip tied the connectors together, I think the problem is that the HDMI cable that is supplied with the tuner is stiff and where it attaches it puts too much strain on things due to the cable having to bend as soon as it comes out of the OBD plug. I also had a shorter much more flexible HDMI cable laying around that works very well for my application. Mine is mounted to the round blank plate where the 4wd switch would have been.

I drive a lot so I am running the 87 tune, WOT removed, 2* advance, 50 rpm bump. After many gallons of fuel including a tank of premium running the premium tune I am averaging 17 mpg, before the BD it was 13mpg with the lift and tires, performance is much better, lots of fun with the premium tune but costly. Very much worth it for the gains.

 

[rocket]

ill give the zip ties a try. i removed my OBD from the bracket too and that has seemed to help some.

 

[severm]

If you continue to have problems with it, I'll take it off your hands for a "reasonable price".:laugh:

 

[adl1820]

I've never had any problem with mine coming undone. I have it set on premium with WOT enabled and i noticed a huge difference in power and a couple mpg increase...

 

[Newman]

Mines loose but hasn't ever come off.

 

[Zach]

No...

 

[z_frontier]

I love mine. Big difference in response, actually slower 0-60 because with the wot cutout it boils the back tires out of the hole on these crappy Fl. roads.
You have a problem with your truck or driving habits. My mileage picked up and running in the sweet spot with driving coach and hyper miling it I have milked 31mpg on my 17.5 mile trip from work.
Many variables affect fuel economy. Make sure your truck is 100%, and think about your driving habits/commute before you condemn it.

 

[rocket]

my morning traffic commute is about 8 miles one way with quite a few stop lights. 40 MPH. i set the tuner to 2* advance, WOT removed, idle up 50 RPM's, and regular tune since that is what i filled my tank with. have had this setting for about a 3 days and no real difference. i am coming up on 97000 miles so its getting close to changing the spark plugs. maybe after the spark plug change i will notice something.

 

[z_frontier]

That is the worst type of driving in our rides. Short stop and go commutes are brutal on fuel.
They are a heavy beast for a small truck. It takes a lot of energy to get them going, and then stopping uses energy also. I use the driving coach, really makes me aware of my led foot, and concentrate on driving smoothly.
My truck does very good on longer hauls, and the farther I drive it the better it does.
I work on Panama City Beach, and often in Springbreak traffic my mileage will drop to 9-10 miles per gallon because of conditions.
Maybe mapping out a different route would help you?
Some of the things Ive done to help my mileage are a custom side dump magnaflow exhaust, cold air intake that has thermal blanket installed, preheat bypass, Redline Racing synthetic gearoil,0w30 engine oil,tranny fluid, irridium plugs, and less agressive tire tread.
Switch stations. Different fuels make .5-1.5 mpg change in the fronty.
With your mileage, you may want to do as I do before installing plugs and use Mercury Marine PowerTune in the intake duct, and Quikkleen in the fuel tank. Coking buildup on intake valves and in chambers kills efficiency.
Also driving that short of a distance your cats dont have time to reach full temp and are coked up as well.
Have you ever bombed the fuel system? If not its time, while doing the service. Multi valve engines have to be cleaned out dont you will have troubles.
Mass air sensors and 02 sensors get dirty, and can alter a/f ratio.
What a/f value does your BD display at steady cruise?
Also, check your brakes for drag. Dosent matter if the BD makes 50 more ponies, you run around with the brakes partially applied its not going to help any.

 

[rocket]

thanks z. i try not to get a led foot at all. besides all of the snowbirds (older retirees) wont even think about going or getting to speed limit here. i will try some of the other things that you mentioned z and will get back about a/f values. how will i be able to check if my brakes are dragging? and what exactly is bombing the fuel system? ive never heard of that.

 

[z_frontier]

Yeah, here in Florida we have same problem, only worse. This time of year there are more Canadians from Montreal and places than Americans. For our healthcare system to be so crappy, there sure plenty of rich old people from socialist medicine countries come here to take advantage of it!
Bombing the fuel system is running an ultra concentrated detergent in the fuel tank, and using a combustion chamber cleaner through the intake tract.
Modern gasoline is terrible in the amount of crud and just plain dirt in it. Add to that coking from oil flash off and crankcase blowby coating ports and valve faces doesn't take long for buildup to cause drive-ability issues and or engine damage.
I have seen engines actually quit on the highway from sudden compression loss, pull them down and find valves stuck open in the guides from carbon buildup.
It is something I do as part of a tuneup on cars motorcycles outboards whatever. It is money very well spent for maximum performance and engine durability.
Just be very careful of what you use, use an actual detergent instead of a solvent. Some of the lesser stuff will damage expensive fuel system parts. I use the Yamaha Ring free and Mercury Quikkleen in the tank. Use 1oz. per 5 gal. on a half tank.
For the intake tract use the Mercury Powertune or Yamaha chamber cleaner with the straw stuck inside the intake boot where it clamps on to the throttle body. You will need someone to hold the rpm steady at idle while you spray the cleaner. Use the whole can let it sit for 5-6 hours, then take it somewhere and run the h*ll of it.
After this be sure to change oil, as alot of the carbon cut loose from the chambers winds up in the oil. Also dont be scared at the appearance of the sparkplugs, as they will often foul from the carbon bouncing around.
When you top your tank off add more of the injector cleaner to finish the decarb job, only use as recommended on the bottle.
I hope this helps.

 

[rocket]

my a/f ratio reads any where between 12.5 to 13 or so. its been rainy all day so i dont know if that makes a difference.

 

[z_frontier]

Try coasting the truck in neautral at common cruise speeds, see how far it will actually coast. If it dosent roll very far before stopping then you will want to check the brakes and wheel bearings further by getting them off the ground to where you can manually turn the wheels.
I ve noticed some of the other members on here with 4wd autos mileage being better even with being lifted.
I would def. do the tuneup, then go from there.

 

[Wrecker426]

Z Frontier, which bullydog do you use?
And where do you buy those cleaners i live just north of Panama City beach, FL?