OK, yesterday I installed my Hypertech 180 stat. What a beaaatch!! Anyway, I drove it yesterday and this morning and everything seemed fine. I noticed a bit more power. Today on my way home the engine light comes on. It is the 1281 code (not reaching right temp). I ran the engine with the rad cap off and the heat on after I put the stat in to burp the system. I believe it got up to temp. The needle was between the first line and the 2 on my temp guage. Is that where it should be? Why would I be getting a code now? I don't want to have to pull it back out at this point. I have no more time for that. Any suggestions? Will it hurt anything if I just leave the engine light on?

Any help would be great. Thanks

 

reset the pcm and start it back up from a cold state, take it out for a spin and see how long it takes to get up to temp. what's the outside temps where you are? did you drill a hole in it? (too big a hole and it'll have the problem you describe). Ryan (shott) had a hypertech break on him, keep that in mind.

the code will not affect anything, but your milage will suffer a little...

 

i havent checked my check engine light codes yet to see if mine has that same code... my check engine light has been on for a good 2 months now for that evap problem.. and everytime i take it to the dealer i need to pay 100 bucks even though its under warranty.. they changed the gas cap but the light came back on 3 days later.. sorry to steal the thread but what else can i look for for the evap problem???

 

read the faq at the top of the forum, there is some evap stuff up there. it may help narrow it down.

 

yeah.. gas cap and the t-section thing on top the gas tank.. but no idea how to get to it... does it hurt preformance or anything.. having a evap leak?? (i hope not)

 

No I didnt drill a hole in it. Outside temp is between 40 and 50 degrees. I reset the pcm and took the radiator cap off again, started it and let it get up to temp. The needle on the temp guage didnt get past where it was before (between the first line and the 2). Didnt see any bubbles come up. I drove it around for a few minutes and the temp guage didnt move so I am assuming it was as hot as its gonna get. The light didnt come back on. I'll see what happens today. Is that about what the guage should look like?

 

I snagged this pic off of someones Ram page, but this is where my gauge sits with a 180* Tstat.

[IMG]local://upfiles/29576/391D60579F1A4FD789453392CA536001.jpg[/IMG]

 

Out of curiosity, what prompted you to put in a lower temperature thermostat?

 

yea dude .. that hypertech stat came apart on me.... be careful!!!!!!!!!!! it was stuck open and the truck woulndt be able to warm up..

also make sure you didnt put it in wrong... not sure if you could do ,,,, but the spring goes down in the coolant

 

the hypertech will make the motor ping worse then it already does... the stat is saposed to help that