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Need advice: Non-mechanical woman who loved her truck, now its spoiled

18K views 97 replies 32 participants last post by  97hmcs 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi everyone,

I bought my 2015 RAM EcoDiesel Laramie Longhorn as the original owner. I buy cars for life. My garage has a '56 VW and a 2004 MiniCooper. I put a lot of thought into this purchase and traveled to Wyoming from California to get exactly what I wanted. It wasn't cheap. I am one year from paying it off. I wanted something nice to keep forever.

I come from a ranch background and have been around trucks a lot but I am somewhat "green" in my thinking and wanted something with decent mileage that could also tow well. I have loved this truck since the day I bought it. I used my private funds from an inheritance. I recently went through a tough divorce lasting 3 years and have been working multiple jobs to survive and be able to keep the truck, make the payments. When I climbed in the truck, it was my happy spot in a sea of stress.

I didn't focus on special tuning, any type of mods. I was happy with it as it was built. I have maintained it exactly as recommended at the local dealer.

I stupidly agreed to have the AEM update two weeks ago. I hadn't followed the threads or the issue. There was a big representation that performance and mileage wouldn't be affected.

My beautiful truck and happy spot are gone. The performance is dismal. I am a creature of habit that does the same 80 mile commute daily. I go up the same hill out of my driveway daily. I gas up at the same gas station every two weeks or so. Nothing is the same now.

The truck used to fly up the hill cold or warm barely pressing on the gas. Now it barely chugs along, stops in mid hill and even flooring it, there is uncertainty about getting up the hill. I can only imagine what would be happening if I was towing a trailer. There is a constant lag hot or cold going from stopped. It is dangerously slow. I am afraid to pass cars on a two lane road.

The mileage has decreased about 25% and dropping fast. When I filled up before my range was always 660 miles. Now it is in the low 500's and still declining. It is particularly bad if I am not on the freeway. I can practically see the needle dropping driving in town.

My computer is completely messed up in terms of mileage and range. When I start out it is at one number and then the range usually increases about 20-30 miles as I drive for 30 minutes, then it drops suddenly 40 miles, then it creeps back up again. I turn it off. When I turn it back on the number is 30 miles less than when I turned it off.

I have a bad feeling that whatever they did is not good for the engine and other parts. It ran so nicely before. The sounds are different. It feels like anything can happen now. I used to drive with complete confidence in the truck. No longer.

So, I feel my truck is ruined and four years of struggle to pay off something that I love is wasted. I gave up a lot in the divorce to keep the truck. The whole thing feels horrible.

Both the dealer and the corporate office are not encouraging. Well... maybe there might be a fix... we know some people are having issues... really?

If anyone can advise me if there are any fixes that I might pursue. I would like to return to the original software, forget the settlement check. I just want my truck back. I am not far from Nevada and wonder if going out of California to remedy this might be possible in some way.

This is not ok. I probably can't afford to drive the truck now. My green sensibilities are no longer happy. I can't imagine this is better for the air when I am burning more than 25% more gas to go the same distance.

I'm headed back to the dealer. I am a lawyer and may pursue legal recourse but am sick of legal battles. I just want my truck back. It was the bright light.

D
 
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#2 ·
A GDE tune would solve your problems but GDE won't sell to California residents anymore due to legal challenges. It's a total bummer. I have GDE in mine since I purchased before they pulled out of California. After reading your post I am extremely reluctant to have that AEM done to my truck regardless of how much $ they offer. My truck runs so good right now and I don't want to screw it up. Perhaps I'll wait until I'm ready for a new vehicle. Anyways good luck. I say collect your money and then seek a good tune from a reputable engine tuner.
 
#4 ·
I was looking at their website. I'm pretty dumb about this but it seems you can buy a fresh "board," have them program it with the proper "tune," and then install it. I would have one board with the AEM software and switch it for the GDE board? I can have it shipped out of state. Who would make sense to install it? Thanks for your help.

Does GDE totally void your warranty? I read it is basically illegal to be driving a CA vehicle with mods like this so there is that... thanks.
 
#5 ·
Lovely brook,

Here is my 2 cents: Sell it. Don’t fall in love with a truck....they are tools to get you a specific job done. Whether it’s from point A to point B or personal use.......they don’t reciprocate emotions, you think your truck woke up and said I feel sorry for brook after this fix was installed?

Save your emotions for people, animals, hobbies.

Not trying to be a *mule* but why waste time....we never get time back! Go dump the truck and get something else. Get a used truck if you can’t afford a new one.

Sorry to be blunt.....but you said you can’t afford to drive the truck any longer....cut your losses and move on.
 
#9 ·
Say what? I think she's way too early in this process to come to that conclusion. For one, I'd try a different dealer just to make sure that something else is not causing this issue. I'd also wait a bit to see if RAM comes out with a fix for this. First versions of almost any software are buggy and there have been enough complaints about lag that I would not be surprised to see RAM come out with an update. She also mentioned that she lived close to Nevada. Possibly a GDE tune could be purchased for her via a friend in Nevada? Those are just a couple thoughts. Way to early to cut your losses in my opinion. These are wonderful trucks and I'd exhaust all options before getting rid of it.
 
#21 ·
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Do you think the truck is getting harmed while I drive it in this condition?

If I go into the dealer for other issues, do I need to hide that that has been done?

Effect on warranty?

I am wondering about keeping one board for the dealer and this GDE one to use all the time... she said, flirting with the law....
Yes, that would be the best way to handle it.
I would get the factory updated one working properly first,
put the dealers toes to the fire, if the truck is that undrivable just look at the paperwork that came with the update ;
NO appreciable difference in performance or mileage,
it sounds like you have a major change therefor it's an appreciable difference.
 
#22 ·
Yes, that would be the best way to handle it.
I would get the factory updated one working properly first,
put the dealers toes to the fire, if the truck is that undrivable just look at the paperwork that came with the update ;
NO appreciable difference in performance or mileage,
it sounds like you have a major change therefor it's an appreciable difference.
At the risk of being charged with believing my truck is a sentient being, I have this fear that everything I do is being recorded on some master computer somewhere in the truck. "She drove to Oregon to get it fixed, then she took out the ECM, then she swapped boards.

The mechanic in CA gives me a knowing glance and says, I need to speak to you...."

I am about as honest as they come and if they ask me flat out what I have done, I will have a hard time pretending other than the truth. My brother, well, that's another story... great poker player.
 
#7 ·
Lovely brook,

Here is my 2 cents: Sell it. Don’t fall in love with a truck....they are tools to get you a specific job done. Whether it’s from point A to point B or personal use.......they don’t reciprocate emotions, you think your truck woke up and said I feel sorry for brook after this fix was installed?

Save your emotions for people, animals, hobbies.

Not trying to be a *mule* but why waste time....we never get time back! Go dump the truck and get something else. Get a used truck if you can’t afford a new one.

Sorry to be blunt.....but you said you can’t afford to drive the truck any longer....cut your losses and move on.


*****************************************************************************************************************

Thank you for your lack of support and lack of understanding of my situation.

Keeping a car for life is not stupid when you know exactly what that car has gone through, what has been done to it, and you have a mechanic you trust;. I have saved tens of thousands of dollars doing this for decades. I am not selling the truck. I am going to fight to get it returned to its original condition. This is BS. No one can unilaterally ruin my truck and cost me thousands of dollars.

Of course the truck is not real. But the truck gave me a sense of security and long-term utility and it plugged a necessary hole. I want those things back.

Thank you for reminding me why I got divorced.
 
#18 ·
*****************************************************************************************************************

Thank you for your lack of support and lack of understanding of my situation.

Keeping a car for life is not stupid when you know exactly what that car has gone through, what has been done to it, and you have a mechanic you trust;. I have saved tens of thousands of dollars doing this for decades. I am not selling the truck. I am going to fight to get it returned to its original condition. This is BS. No one can unilaterally ruin my truck and cost me thousands of dollars.

Of course the truck is not real. But the truck gave me a sense of security and long-term utility and it plugged a necessary hole. I want those things back.

Thank you for reminding me why I got divorced.
Wowza...slow down..a) no one called you stupid and b) if the truck gave you a sense of security and plugged a necessary hole, I am sorry if a truck can do that.

You asked for opinions. I gave you one. You said you can’t afford to drive the truck, I gave you my 2 cents to move on.

My apology if it’s not what you wanted to hear. Please do what makes you happy. If it’s chasing FCA to fix your truck, that’s your time and you decide where to spend your time.

Best of luck....didn’t mean to remind you why you got divorced, but that was not the intent when you asked for “what to do?”....

Moving on......
 
#10 ·
I COMPLETELY understand it being the place you feel most comfortable in. I drive my truck at least 60,000 miles a year. I'm literally in it more than I'm in my own bed. I spend the week in hotels and the weekend in my truck. It has everything I need and has taken me all across the country. It has been a very reliable truck, now reaching 222,000 miles. It was broken into last year Memorial Day weekend and I just felt angry, the one spot that has been all mine had been violated. I can't help you on the topic you asked about because I will not being doing the AEM due to it already being tuned and deleted but I can totally relate on a much more personal level as to how important these "tools" are to my livelihood and sanity. I'd hate to lose that sense of security as you did.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I can't find the thread .. but someone had AEM done , truck turned into a turd ,
was a canadian guy , went for a ride with his son across the border , to GDE located in MI ,
GDE told him the AEM was only " HALF applied " .... maybe your AEM tune was not done properly ...
..
sort of a interupted update
get the dealer to do it again , once at least .
..
very suspicious that some get AEM and fell the truck is fine ,others lose all fun in driving

Edit : Found it , post # 30 in here :https://www.ram1500diesel.com/forum...sions-modification/64504-aem-after-gde-2.html
 
#12 ·
Thanks so much for the support! Sorry to have a mad reaction to his post. It felt bossy and insensitive.

I have many friends in Oregon and have lived there numerous times. Nevada is about 1.5 hours away. What would I do? Contact a private mechanic to install it? I know of people who will be happy to receive a package in both states.
 
#16 ·
... I know of people who will be happy to receive a package in both states.
they also have to pay , :eek: , then you pay them back , or in advance , once actual module is replaced with GDE module , put old one in return box ,
and return to GDE for core refund , (+/- $650 for that core ) , ship from that state.
 
#17 ·
I have the same experience and I just dropped off the truck at the dealer for them to troubleshoot. I'll let you know if it is successful.

The dealer claims that I'm the first person to complain so assuming they are not lying, I'm hopefull that it was an install issue and they can fix it.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk
 
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#26 ·
Just glancing through this post it screams scam.
I didn't want to say it, but that was my first thought too. A lawyer who has been buying new vehicles and keeping them for decades, who is poor but has two other vehicles stored in a garage somewhere and even though is a lawyer is working multiple jobs ...

Anyway ... it's what it is.

cheers
 
#29 ·
I think if reaching classic status with this truck is your goal, then you most certainly should eliminate the EGR. Take solace in the fact a properly tuned truck will use less fuel?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
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#30 ·
Yes, I have this constant question in my head wondering how the emissions can be better when it is using 25-30% more fuel than before to go the same distance. I need to learn about the EGR. Was trying to avoid a full dive into emission mechanics but it seems necessary now.

Is it naive to assume that great gas mileage is a good "green" strategy overall in terms of total emissions per mile?

Thanks for your help.
 
#32 ·
Sorry to hear about your truck's lack of performance after the AEM. There are so many positive posts following the AEM flash I would suspect you got a bad flash (if that's possible). I'm more concerned about the GDE tune advice you have received.

GDE is no doubt a great tune but unavailable in Califunny. GDE tunes to your Vin number. As I understand the GDE process they always check the Vin number registration info and State. So all the advice about doing out of state would not work. I could be misinformed but I have not heard of any Califunny registered vehicle successfully getting the GDE tune via any devious method.

I am GDE tuned and called them yesterday just to ask a question. Their immediate response, after seeing on their screen that I was a 619 number, was "We do not support California vehicles", They did answer my question, the point is they are very aware and suspicious of "fake" requests. They want to be reinstated by California and are not about to jeopardize their integrity.

All that said,GDE is not the only tuner. SFT can sell into Califunny and their tune is installed via the OBDII port, you don't have to remove your ECU. And, they are in Las Vegas, close enough to you to have them do it for you. Because I am concerned about no help from GDE I am in the process of changing to SFT including their transmission tune. This site is very partial to GDE and demeaning of SFT so be prepared for negative feedback.

Good luck to you, hoping it all works out in your favor.

EDIT:
SFT is also less expensive than GDE plus they currently have a 20% off Father's Day sale
 
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#33 ·
Huge thanks. I appreciate input from another California person.

I need to take a breath and simply read and learn. The truck is now on "disability," sitting still, and I am driving the Mini. I do like the Mini, I'm just afraid of getting mushed because semi-trucks never see it and run me off the road when they change lanes.... I drove it every day for 11 years. That is another set of stories...
 
#34 ·
Mini's are not the only thing truckers runoff the road. Twice within 10 km's I had the same semi take over the centre lane I was in and I was right beside him. If he did a shoulder check out his side window he would have seen me. If he checked his mirrors he would have seen me. I was in my Avenger pulling a boat I had just purchased. Total length of car and boat on the trailer would be around 40'. If I had a 44 magnum that night there would have been 1 less trucker. I was fortunate the fast lane was open both times. People on motorcycles have to have their head on a swivel as well and not only for truckers. Good luck with you truck and repairs.
 
#36 ·
Post #12 said, "I messaged GDE today with this question. They said the billing and shipping address is used to determine the sale, they don't have access to registration."

If he is correct it could be possible for the Califunny folks to fraudulently get the GDE tunes. It would be nice to know if anyone has tried it and can confirm that it works. GDE monitors this forum, they may be putting steps in place to prevent any fraud which jeopardizes their position with the Califunny EPA.
 
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#42 ·
Wednesday Update

Well, they seemed to be avoiding my calls at the dealer yesterday so I called this am to say I was going to be dropping the truck off today.

Meanwhile I took my son to the bus, about a 25 mile each way round trip. My poor computer is going up, down and all around. Gas dropping like a rock. Again, could barely get up my hill. I am learning that things are the worst at slow speed and when going up any type of a grade in terms of mileage and crazy computer read outs. I went up a minor grade on the freeway between two towns, about 6 miles, and the range dropped 30 miles.

So I took the truck to the dealers and was afraid to go in because I was really annoyed on the phone on Monday. But they were nice. They have another truck just like mine that has "moved in" and is waiting to figure this same set of symptoms also. Yesterday they repeated his AEM update and it didn't make a difference. They said they are "waiting on corporate."

I basically handed them the key fob and said keep it until it is fixed, I don't want to see it anymore, it just makes me mad. The Mini and I are about to become reacquainted.

I have had a lot of really great advice here and lots of support and thanks from the bottom of my heart. I am keeping a sharp eye on all this information. There are some options. My biggest priorities are great gas mileage, ability to tow, and reasonable driving performance, in that order. I don't need to be first out of the gate! But it would be nice to feel like the engine is humming in a good healthy way and that parts are not being stressed to an early death.

I will update what the dealer does. For now, its time to stop sparring with John Bartley and let all this info to settle in. I hope those considering this recall update are very careful. I would not do it if I could reverse time.

Happy Wednesday
 
#44 ·
Update. The dealer confirmed my truck is not right. At least I don't have to argue that point. They have 4 like mine very messed up. One is so bad it lost all power in the middle of an intersection and was a big safety issue. So they are on our side but not much corporate support it seems. One day at a time.
 
#45 ·
If things have gone haywire on the upgrade for this dealer 4 times I would be suspicious of his capabilities or if they are a big dealer and have done many more perhaps it is one technician that did them all wrong.

I have a small dealer that also sells Fords and claims to have only sold 2 Ecodiesels which I believe. Few people special order trucks here and he keeps his lot well stocked with Bighorns and sells from stock. Anyhow, when I called to schedule my update the service advisor said he needed to check if they had everything they needed and if the tech had done the training. He called me back and said they would have the paperwork packge from FCA the following week and we scheduled an appointment. When I got there he said they had done one Ecodiesel and I would be the second. He said they had test driven the first one and it was fine and the owner was happy with it also. Mine was done and a a few other outstanding recalls and a 3way valve warranty replacement so I left the truck and got it the next day and it was fine. Truck holds gears longer before the upshift and therefore it feels peppier to me than before. No change I can discern in the mileage.
 
#48 ·
Obviously something going on at that dealer. I dropped mine off for the update yesterday and it was in and out very quickly, and since the update included something for the TCM as well, I think my truck might be driving even better than it did before. Seems to shift smoother, although I never had an issue with the 8-speed before now.

Good luck getting it straightened out - hopefully the dealer can take care of it so you don't have to extend the hassle and stress you're going through.
 
#52 ·
Here's an interesting story I was told yesterday. I didn't hear it from the Ram owner but I heard it an involved person. This fellow bought a used Ram Ecodiesel and it has several problems. He got the AEM flash but it did not complete it because the dealer could not get the regen to complete. Regardless, FCA approved it (an interesting side note). The owner had more problems after the AEM flash. Problems including the type other owners have reported. The owner is livid because they can't fix his problems. He escalates his complaint to some higher level at FCA. Here's the point of the story - the higher level person tells the owner to have patience as they are coming out with another flash. I don't know if those were his exact words but that is what the owner understood.

I was ready to do the AEM flash but now I will wait until I the deadline. Here in Califunny the deadline is my next registration date (3/2020) because the AEM (V08) flash has to be performed before they will re-register the vehicle.

Don't know if the "higher level" was patronizing the owner or whether he knew what's happening at FCA - time will tell.
 
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#53 ·
I hope you are right. Something is going on at the corporate level because here, the truck that is the most impacted (lost all power in a busy intersection) is the truck they are focusing on to figure out the problem and hopefully once they fix that one, they will know what to do for the rest of us. So, they say they are doing various tests and working with corporate. And I should be patient. They are going to provide me with a rental at no cost and I said I was planning a car trip in August and they said, well, you can probably take the rental if you need to... So, the time frame is concerning. I'm not sure how long I am going to wait before considering my own fix.
 
#54 ·
If you have the money, sue CA, DOJ, and EPA. FCA is just finding the "best" solution to the situation they have put themselves into.

I doubt you will win without the expenditure of millions just for the scientific research to prove once and for all if the EPA is barking up the wrong tree when it comes to emissions.

In other words, it won't happen. I sorry. It's just reality.
 
#55 ·
The AEM is software. No software is perfect. It is entirely possible that there are bugs in the AEM that are the root cause of the varied experiences post AEM. We will not know until FCA issues an updated version (if ever). There ARE ways to make software nearly perfect. It is called formal validation which uses mathematical processes to validate software at each stage of development. It is incredibly time consuming and costly which means this technique is reserved for use-cases where the consequences of software failure are catastrophic (think nuclear reactor). I'm pretty sure FCA did not use formal validation for the AEM. :))
 
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