I went on a test drive with a VERY knowledgeable mechanic (30+years) at my local Dodge dealer during a recent visit. He was very open for discussion regarding our Challengers. Here's what I learned: First, the Challenger is a great car, there are very few repair issues with the engine, tranny, and in general. He mentioned there was a problem with the 09s regarding a whining sound, but that's about it. I started talking about the mods I did so far. He said the exhaust sounded great, and definately provides a less restrictive path for exhaust gasses, and the CAI really does get more air into the engine, as the intake tube is much larger than the stock setup. So better breathing in and breathing out are a good thing for the Hemi. He mentioned that the Mopar CAI was designed specifically for this car to allow for significantly better air flow to the engine, and testing has shown increases in gas mileage of 2=3 MPG. Said he could feel a diifference, and he did get on it as we were on a freeway on ramp. So then I asked about the #2 fuse thing. He said that fuse does NOT reset the PCM settings for learning where the idle and WOT are, that could only be done with dealer tools (Star something??). He then stated there is no such thing as "adaptive throttle", the car never changes it's shift points based on how we drive, again, it only "learns" where idle and WOT are. And the "key trick" where you calibrate the pedal does nothing at all, you are wasting your time. So then I asked about predators. Absolutely these units can reset the shift points in fully automatic mode, but why would you want to when you can do that with the AutoStick, that is, shift when you want. I asked about warranty issues when using a predator, and he said generaly the dealer doesn't even care if you are using one, unless something is damaged, and the dealer can point to the programming as the cause. Ok, then we talked about ESP mode. He flat out asked me if I wondered why it's so hard to spin the tires on my R/T. So I'm like yes! Please tell me more! Well, it's hard coded into the PCM for safety reasons, and government regulations, and pressing the ESP button only changes the sensitivity a little. Same with the "trick" where you are rolling, and turn the key to start, lighting up the BAS and ESP indicators. I have verified this. No matter what combo of things you have set, the R/T is reluctant to spin her tires. Some pavements will let you, but in general, if you punch it from a standstill, you are not gonna spin the tires. My mechanic said it would take some serious mods to be able to do this. Doing a wheelstand is a sure way to light em up however.
I present this info as informational only, YMMV, I like all of you, want to separate fact from fiction.
I present this info as informational only, YMMV, I like all of you, want to separate fact from fiction.