Export car? Down on power? PCM Services for BUX Export Modules...!

[Viper Specialty]

As many know, and some still dont... we supply a huge portion of the controllers and remanufacturing for the Viper market. We are now offering a new service, specifically for all of the Export controllers out there.

If you own a Viper that was built for the European market, you may be unknowingly down on power... by A LOT. These cars are routinely 50-100 horsepower down from their USA counterparts. This is primarily a combination of Intake and Exhaust changes, as well as accompanying PCM programming designed to limit output and work in concert with those alterations. Common to the market as a whole of course, are intake and exhaust modifications. However, PCM issues, especially for Gen-1... not so simple or easy to deal with.

Now we have the ability to convert these controllers to USA specification, and when combined with intake/exhaust, will actually make USA specification power output.

Affected PCM Part Numbers;
Gen-1:
4709238
4709384
4763556

Gen-2:
04848703A*
04854705A*
04848925A*
04865413A*
04865668A*

The generations are handled very differently. For Gen-1 cars, the PCM gets a full remanufacture w/longevity updates, along with a flash update during that process. For Gen-2 cars, we can simply reflash your controller- no need to remanufacture unless you are also having problems at the time.


Contact for more info. Many situations may differ, and many controllers in various cars may not be original!

 

[Goggles Pizano]

I have contacted the European EPA. They are very interested in this but said they get easily distracted by tacos and the shipping girl's taco.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Good info, Dan. As I regularly get calls from our European friends with a variety of questions, I am sure that some will contact you once they have read this post.

You may already be aware that there is an open Facebook group called Viper zones of Europe. A post in that group might help inform folks of your expanded service.

 

[ViperTim]

This is interesting as a Viper buddy of mine (who's car is actually only a few VIN's from mine) has told me about this.
We both have export cars where his is sold new in Berlin, Germany I believe and mine in Madrid, Spain.

But comparing mine to the US domestic (1B VIN) Vipers I feel no difference.
Surely the car had almost a 20 year long life before I bought it but it feels good. Just like the 1B counterparts.

And I've yet to see enough information regarding this to actually digest it as truth.
Also my friend with the car above told me these export cars should've had a computer from a Cherokee or something which sounds bonkers to me.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Hi, ViperTim.

The reference by your friend concerning "a computer from a Cherokee..." is likely referring to the JTEC (Jeep/Truck Engine Controller) which was used on the 1996 R/T 10 which was the last Gen I production motor for a Viper. Some loosely refer to this model as a Gen 1.5 with its rear exhaust, revised suspension, etc. This particular model also had a factory claimed 430 HP as opposed to the 400 HP the seen in 92-95 Vipers which all used a Single Board Controller (SBC) coupled with an Ignition Control Module (ICM).

The 1996 GTS came with the JTEC which continued to be used in Gen II Vipers through 2002.

 

[Viper Specialty]

This is interesting as a Viper buddy of mine (who's car is actually only a few VIN's from mine) has told me about this.
We both have export cars where his is sold new in Berlin, Germany I believe and mine in Madrid, Spain.

But comparing mine to the US domestic (1B VIN) Vipers I feel no difference.
Surely the car had almost a 20 year long life before I bought it but it feels good. Just like the 1B counterparts.

And I've yet to see enough information regarding this to actually digest it as truth.
Also my friend with the car above told me these export cars should've had a computer from a Cherokee or something which sounds bonkers to me.

It is a well known and well documented fact that BUX cars are significantly down on power. Their own HP sales figures confirm the same.

That said, BUX did not exist all years. First year versions with major changes did escape many of the BUX configurations. I have seen no 1992 BUX equipment, nor 1996, or 2002, due to the changes those years and/or phase outs. 93/4/5, snd 97/8/9/0/1, yes. (Hence all the affected part numbers above called out specifically)

To add insult to injury, these "parts bin cars" often had parts pulled to get them out the door that may not be entirely correct, and 30 years of things breaking means you might not even have the original parts regardless. You need to check your actual installed hardware to have any idea if you may really be affected or not.

Lastly, your friend is confusing the difference between an SMEC, SBEC, and JTEC hardware family and an actual Viper controller. They indirectly may be in the same family, but they have absolutely nothing directly in common. That just means they "look" the same, but internally are entirely different.

 

[GTSGEN2]

Hi. I have a 1999 euro spec gen 2 and the pcm number is 04848925AB. Does that mean that my car is down on power?

 

[Viper Specialty]

Hi. I have a 1999 euro spec gen 2 and the pcm number is 04848925AB. Does that mean that my car is down on power?

Yessir, most likely.

 

[GTSGEN2]

Yessir, most likely.

It seems like the previous owner used a sct pcm flash device. Whats the difference between that and your flashing?

 

[Viper Specialty]

It seems like the previous owner used a sct pcm flash device. Whats the difference between that and your flashing?

For a *Gen2*, nothing, provided the code was changed over to a USA based variant in the process (which not everone will allow)... and in fact we can do this with SCT for those that dont just want a direct flash and be done with it.

For Gen1, its a completely different set of circumstances, as they are not flashable in that fashion.

 

[Goggles Pizano]

@99RT10GTS is a parts ball rubber and @Viper Specialty is a flasher! What is happening to this forum.

 

[ViperTim]

Absolutely looks like my export car has the stock ECU.
But I am doubting it’s down on power as we have dragraced, roadraced and A/B tested with a 1B owner driving my car and me (1C owner) driving theirs.
Obviously it doesn’t mean squat because it’s not any facts like for example dyno numbers. It’s just opinions.

Also my car has the rear o2 sensors deleted but I have had fault code about twice in 10 years ownership/20k km.
Both times I erased it and it was gone until next time months or years later - can’t remember.

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[Viper Specialty]

Absolutely looks like my export car has the stock ECU.
But I am doubting it’s down on power as we have dragraced, roadraced and A/B tested with a 1B owner driving my car and me (1C owner) driving theirs.
Obviously it doesn’t mean squat because it’s not any facts like for example dyno numbers. It’s just opinions.

Also my car has the rear o2 sensors deleted but I have had fault code about twice in 10 years ownership/20k km.
Both times I erased it and it was gone until next time months or years later - can’t remember.

You have to remember, just because your module is tagged as a 705AB, does not mean thats actually what it is. If someone else reflashed it in the past, its likely no longer a BUX controller.

For G1 cars, the module needs to be modified, and its number inside/outside would be changed in the process. So for G1 at least, chances are "what you see is what you have". For G2 cars, this is just a calibration change; hardware is the same for each year USA/BUX. In G2 cars... its hard to tell what you actually have unless you are the original owner of a bone stock car. The sticker will tell me the hardware version, but not always the calibration loaded.