I picked up a used Edge Evolution from ebay. It arrived today. Is it too cold to install it on my truck? It's 9* here today. What do I need to do?

 

Yes, too cold. I would wait till it's warmer. Seems like there is something about that in the manual.

 

I have programmed it in that temp before but the problem is leaving the edge in the cold. I have had pixels go away from being in the cold. If your guna try it hook up a charger to the battery in the truck and don’t leave the edge outside over night.

I have brought mine in for the season. We were down in the -25 for a week straight and i didn't want to take a chance.

I would agree with Bluejay and just wait to be on the safe side

 

We've discussed this on the PHP Forum. You need to make sure the PCM is warm. It does not program properly if really cold. Drive the truck until everything is nice and toasty. Keep your programmer in the house, at room temperature too, till you're ready. Then, to be on the safe side, if you have a charger (with a 10 amp or less output), hook that up to the battery to make sure the voltage stays up. You don't want low voltages during any of these activities.

You should be able to program the PCM if you follow these guidelines.

You MAY need to bring the Edge in after you have programmed the PCM though. The screen doesn't like really cold temperatures and the unit will not initialize properly. It's only a monitor at this point though, so it doesn't matter if it's on or off the truck.

- Jack

 

Thanks Jack, that makes sense, and sounds like a good plan.

 

Jack,
You always post great advice.. This is why unfortunatly im going to wait alittle longer to order my Gryphon.. I dont use my truck but once or twice a week and for short distances.. This has been the coldest winter in NJ in years and weve been getting snow at least once a week. I cant wait to get this winter over and get the ball rolling. I do have a question though.. I do realize i can bring the PCM in the house after its programmed. But when you say.. "Then, to be on the safe side, if you have a charger (with a 10 amp or less output), hook that up to the battery to make sure the voltage stays up". Do you mean while programming the PCM only or all the time even afterwards?.. Reason i ask is i have an original battery in my truck goin on 5years in May. It has died 2 times this winter but that was after a week or so of not starting it and below zero.. Wondring if i should also get a new battery. Whats your opinion..
Thanks..
-Tony

P/S How are the puddle lamps working out for you..

 

I wouldn't attempt to program if your battery has given you trouble previously; without a charger attached during the actual programming.
I found out it takes some juice to do the programming and my battery could not start my vehicle after programming. If you loose your battery completely during programming you could corrupt your PCM and require professional help to get it back. I believe you mean bring your Edge indoors after programming.
If you drive your truck very intermittently; I would program and then keep the Edge in the house, after your truck is programmed. Even while the vehicle is off the Edge pulls some amperage off the battery all the time.

 

Wakethor's advice was spot on, I think. tg150, if your battery has already died twice and is OEM, I think it's probably had it. I'd replace it, trying to get one with even greater capacity. Costco sells a 100 month replacement for around $70, I think, and that's what's in my truck.

Cold weather is not nice to batteries. The CCA figure you see on there is for a battery at 32 degrees F - that's considered cold. Anything colder reduces the available power even more. A brand new battery will act completely dead if it's cold enough.

The Gryphon pulls 0.05 amps when the truck is turned off. I've found my truck pulls the same amperage when turned off even when the Gryphon is not installed. That means WITH the Gryphon, there is a 0.1 amp draw on the battery, or 2.4 amps per day. You'll lose over 50 amps in three weeks at this rate and at that point your battery is discharged. So, especially in cold weather, the advice to disconnect the Gryphon after programming is good. Since the Gryphon's screen MAY not work properly if it's VERY cold, and the unit may not initialize properly then either, it could be wise to bring it inside.

When I lived in Pennsylvania, just outside of Philidelphia, we got down below zero a few times. I think I'd have the Gryphon inside if those are your conditions. We left the area shortly after a 27" snowfall - I was never so glad to leave a place in my life.

Here in Arizona, it's not cold, but my truck sits a lot since I use it mainly to tow our trailer. I've bought a Battery Tender that I keep hooked up to it when it's living in my garage.

As Wakethor said, low battery voltage can cause programming failure. So can a cold PCM or Gryphon unit. To program, have everything nice and warm, and if you have a low amp charger, say 2-10 amps, it would not hurt to connect it before starting to program. I would not use a high-amp "starting charger" though. Its voltage output might be a little high.

Hope all this makes sense (and I know I've repeated myself some - it's called "beating a dead horse"). :o.

And, I almost didn't see it! The puddle lamps are working great! No problems at all, thank you very much!

- Jack

 

Jack,
So if im understanding everything correctly.. The main thing is to have a fully charged battery during the Initial Programming of the PCM? Is it when your programming it for the first time that it draws soo much current? And leaveing it in the truck connected of course..After programming it, if i disconnect it and take it into the house its ok?

Sorry if im making you repeat yourself over Jack but this is all new to me, im just trying to understand it all..

Thanks for your help
-Tony

 

Ty for your reply and help..
-Tony

 

Tony - The important thing is to have a fully charged battery ANYTIME you change the tunes in your PCM, and, you need a "warm" PCM and Gryphon too.

Once the PCM is programmed to ANY level, the Gryphon ceases to be an active player and it simply monitors outputs from the OBDII port. You can leave it connected, take it out, your choice. It MAY have trouble initializing when you turn the ignition on if it is VERY cold, and, it probably doubles your "system off" current drain if it's left connected when the truck is parked, so, those are the downsides to leaving it connected.

I took my Gryphon out of my truck after tuning it when I drove the truck into Mexico. I missed the gauges, but I knew it wasn't going to disappear when the truck was parked overnight down there. When I got back, I simply turned the ignition back ON (without starting) and plugged it back in. (You must ALWAYS have the ignition ON when connecting/reconnecting the Gryphon so that it can "read" the PCM).

I sounded like an "Ugly American" back there. We went to a little town called Mata Ortiz. The people there are some of the nicest I've met. I think I could have left the truck parked, unlocked, with key in the ignition! Next time we go, I'll leave the Gryphon in.

And Tony, when something is not clear, keep asking questions! How in the hell can any of us learn if we don't do that?

- Jack

 

I program in any weather. Start the slow uploading X2, go inside for a few min, go back outside, drive away.

 

I suspect some of us don't live in extreme climates! To be fair, the Gryphon manual recommends that you not program below 20 F or above 120 F. My guess is, you're probably ok quite a few degrees beyond those limits. But, if you have a weak battery, I think all bets are off!

And, I never had a programming failure either!

- Jack

 

As it turned out, I've been sick since Sunday, have not been out yet this week, and the truck has been sitting in the garage since then. Today I felt better, but the truck did not start due to a low battery. I put a battery maintainer on the truck and took my wife's vehicle to work today.

I don't trust that battery now, so I'll have the dealer look at it on Tuesday. I want that battery replaced before I hook the Edge up.

It was -1 this morning, but it may be up to 10* warmer in the attached garage.

 

Change the battery - from your sig, the dealer can do it with little or no cost to you. I wouldn't trust your battery for anything more than a doorstop.

And, drive the truck to warm the PCM before you try any programming. -1? Yuk! It's been a long time since I've seen anything like that!

- Jack