Bullydog

[cranksgarage]

Not much more to say but then BullyDog has been a huge disappointment. After trying to use their product I now have the P0601. After almost 3 weeks and a dozen phone calls in the end I got a " we are sorry"

 

[Yeret]

I have read that on really unlucky occasions, re-flashing a computer with an SCT tuner can grill it and put the engine OOC until the ECU is replaced. What makes that a bigger b**** is that SCT tunes are ECU-specific so if you kill your ECU and have to replace it, you'll have to pay to have your tune re-written for the new ECU.

Re-flashing a 20-year-old ECU is kind of a risk you take.

 

[cranksgarage]

That's true but did they need to string me along for 3 weeks. New ECM on order trying Solo.

 

[Yeret]

Well, that's pretty crappy customer service but no one wants to tell a customer "hey, our product might kill your computer and you're SOL if it does, LOL." I'm certainly not saying that it's right but we all know the ways of the modern world.

Have you considered hitting up Ryan for a tune? I'm plenty happy with mine and so is Pepper. You'll need an SCT X3 (X2 works too?) but they've been out of production for a while now. Ryan will sell you one with a canned tune for $450 but he was on backorder when I placed my order and I was lucky to get one...and that was last summer.

A lot of X3's that I see on eBay are either "married" to a specific vehicle or are setup for non-Dodge vehicles. I don't have the slightest what that really means or what you would have to do to set one up for our trucks. I always figured they just acted as a "bank" for specific tunes for specific vehicles and you could use the same tuner for different vehicles.

Not sure what you've got for other tuning options. Maybe someone else here can point you in a good direction.

 

[dudeman2009]

I have read that on really unlucky occasions, re-flashing a computer with an SCT tuner can grill it and put the engine OOC until the ECU is replaced. What makes that a bigger b**** is that SCT tunes are ECU-specific so if you kill your ECU and have to replace it, you'll have to pay to have your tune re-written for the new ECU.

Re-flashing a 20-year-old ECU is kind of a risk you take.

Maybe I should keep the PCM from my old engine then, incase tuning my current one brick it

 

[Yeret]

I'm not gonna lie, I originally wanted to pull my factory ECU, death flash and all and store it away and then buy a new ECU and flash that with a tune. My cash flow was a little weak then and by that point I was just so curious to see what a tune would do to my setup that I couldn't stand it, LOL, so I just took the chance with the old one. It worked out but this was the second time that my computer was flashed (the first flash was the "Authorized Software Update" back in 2006 or something. Could it survive a third flash? Will it just blow up the next time the engine starts? Is all this electronic tuning stuff really worth the trouble? All this and more on the next episode of "Gee, I should just bolt on a carburetor and call it a day."

 

[cranksgarage]

Yeah I am currently looking for a X3. Returning the BDX tomorrow and hoping that the Solo ECM goes smoth. I understand things go bad and crap happens just really pissed me off that they jeked me around for weeks.

 

[dapepper9]

BDX...does not...support...JTEC.

Who or what told you that you could use the BDX?

Reflashing the PCM isn't really a risk depending on who you go through or how it's done. Ryan for example is probably the safest option for custom tunes and Superchips/EDGE/Hypertech are all guaranteed to be safe and can be warrantied if they are the reason for failure.

 

[cranksgarage]

BULLYDOG told me that they could support my truck on the BDX platform. I have spent many hours on the phone with them trying to get it fixed. I was told they are gearing up for a full product release this week. Whatever that means. Sean at Hemifever said he has programed a few of the Gen2 truck's .

 

[dapepper9]

Bullydog has never even offered a product for our trucks. Their sister company, SCT, does. Until I hear from Marty Fletcher and Ryan Hogan who are both pretty high in SCT product discussion and SCT actually announces they support it, I would not even bother purchasing. BullyDog shouldn't be telling people they support something they don't.

Sean is **** compared to Ryan. Ryan got his start from fixing Sean's and others tunes. #FEVERcured for example is one of the things that's been passed around after Ryan's work.

 

[Flyinryan]

I have read that on really unlucky occasions, re-flashing a computer with an SCT tuner can grill it and put the engine OOC until the ECU is replaced. What makes that a bigger b**** is that SCT tunes are ECU-specific so if you kill your ECU and have to replace it, you'll have to pay to have your tune re-written for the new ECU.

Re-flashing a 20-year-old ECU is kind of a risk you take.

The tunes are PN specific, but if you are using a PCM for the correct make/model/year vehicle....it should be the same as previous. The reason for this is that in almost all cases, there is only 1 (maaayyyybe 2) supported PNs per classification of make/model/year/engine/trans combo. I don't charge to re-send tunes or even to re-write for a new PCM, so this is a non-issue.

 

[cranksgarage]

I will update the status on this topic next week when I receive the replacment ECM and the X3. Thanks to everyone for your responses.

 

[Yeret]

The tunes are PN specific, but if you are using a PCM for the correct make/model/year vehicle....it should be the same as previous. The reason for this is that in almost all cases, there is only 1 (maaayyyybe 2) supported PNs per classification of make/model/year/engine/trans combo. I don't charge to re-send tunes or even to re-write for a new PCM, so this is a non-issue.

Whew, that's all nice to know. If my ECU ever decides to grill itself, I'll at least have that peace of mind.

 

[cranksgarage]

Update I got my replacement ECM from Solo Automotive Electronics installed and it seems to be good (no CEL). Exchanged my BDX for a SCT x3 from Sean Powell so far so good running the 89 octane tune and it feels great. BullyDog still left me hanging on the cost of the new ECM.