According to Painless Performance
Product's design engineer, Mike Abbott, their Striker I performance
module combines power improvement with easy installation, and has
the advantage that it leaves no trace on your vehicle's ECU. "Striker
I simply modifies the engine control module's fuel and boost signals
in order to achieve a higher power level," he advises. Installation
should take between 15 minutes and an hour, depending on the vehicle
in question. The kits come with power module, necessary tie wraps,
and Velcro strips for ease of installation.
There are a total of six assembly steps to successfully install the
Striker I Diesel Power Module. First, it is necessary to disconnect
the OE Dodge Cummins fuel pressure sensor and MAP or boost pressure
sensors from the OE engine wiring harness. Next, reconnect them to
the male and female connectors on the Striker I wiring harness per
instructions. With that done, route the Striker I wiring harness
across the firewall using the provided tie wraps in the installation
kit. To ground the circuit, our installers used the 10mm chassis
ground wire bolted to the driver side of the inner fender panel,
as outlined in the instructions.
Next, route the wiring harness through the rubber grommet located
near the master cylinder on the firewall and pull the wiring harness
through the firewall grommet into the driver's compartment. Finally,
use the provided tie wraps and Velcro material to install the Striker
I module anywhere you choose inside the passenger compartment.
The module has eight mode functions, starting with the Stock Mode,
the Fuel Economy Mode, and Power Level Mode with power levels ranging
from 1 to 9. With Striker I, setting #10 is signified as the high
output, or H.O., mode.
Striker I also has a Fuel Pressure display mode that shows fuel pressure,
and a Boost Mode that displays boost pressure. There is also an
Idle Pressure Compensation mode that increases fuel pressure in the
fuel rails. That mode increases throttle response for off-the-line
acceleration. On Ford Powerstroke models only, Striker I also features
an Oil Pressure Mode, which is critical for today's high oil pressure
reliant turbo diesel engines. There is also an Anti-Theft Mode that
shuts out fuel at startup.
Users should expect about a 2-3 mpg increase in fuel economy, and
about a 100 hp increase in rear-wheel horsepower, along with a 150-200lb-ft
increase in useable torque at the rear wheels, Abbott told us. (See
accompanying chart.)
"Off/On throttle response will be significantly increased. When pulling
a trailer, you will immediately notice that you can get your rig
up to speed a lot quicker, ideally using Power Level 4, or 5," he
said. Like many performance modules, higher EGTs can result when
the truck is worked hard in a high-output mode. "Therefore, we do
not recommend that you tow a trailer in the High Output Mode," cautions
Abbott.
Striker I is available through participating Painless Performance
Products LLC retailers for approximately $500, and features a one-year
limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. For
about $100 less, the company offers the Striker II, which makes slightly
less power but has many of the same features.
Mike showed us how to install a Striker I Diesel Performance Module
on a 2005 Dodge 2500.
PRODUCT APPLICATIONS
1999-2003 7.3L FORD POWERSTROKE:
Striker 1, p/n 64065,
Striker II, p/n 64165
2003.5-early 2007 6.0L FORD POWERSTROKE:
Striker I, p/n 64066
Striker II, p/n 64166
2003-2004 5.9L DODGE 555 CUMMINS:
Striker I, p/n 64070
Striker II, p/n 64170
2004.5-early 2007 5.9L DODGE 600/610 CUMMINS:
Striker I p/n 64071,
Striker II p/n 64171
2001-2004.5 6.6L CHEVY/GMC DURAMAX LB7:
Striker I, p/n 64060,
Striker II p/n 64160
2005-2006 2.8L, JEEP LIBERTY CRD:
Striker I, p/n 64075,
Striker II, p/n 64175
1994 & later 7.3L NAVISTAR T444E:
p/n 64480 all conclusive.
The Striker I Diesel Power Module kit
is nothing if not simple. You have a well-detailed instruction
manual, the hand-held Control Module measuring 2.75 x 2-inches,
the wiring harness, plus necessary tie wraps and Velcro.
The harness has a male and female Fuel Pressure and Boost
Pressure Sensor hookup, a ground wire, and an enough armor-coated
wire loom long enough to run from firewall to passenger compartment.
As with any electrical component installation,
make sure that your Dodge's ignition switch is in the off
position.
Design Engineer Mike Abbott begins by
uncoiling Striker I's armor-coated wiring harness. Note the
male and female connectors for the Fuel Pressure and Boost
Pressure sensors.
Shown is the Cummins Dodge Fuel Pressure
sensor located on the diesel's fuel rail just behind the
intake manifold pipe. This sensor is located directly below
the engine oil dip stick tube, and mounted in the high-pressure
fuel rail.
Our installer disconnects the factory
fuel pressure sensor connector from the fuel pressure sensor
as shown.
After stretching out the harness to run along
the firewall, the Striker I female fuel pressure sensor connector
can be plugged into the Dodge Cummins OE fuel pressure sensor
like this.
This is followed with the Striker I male connector
being hooked up to the corresponding OE Cummins Dodge fuel pressure
sensor connector.
Next, the Boost Pressure Sensor (blue plug
just behind and to the left of the fuel pressure sensor) is disconnected.
This is followed with the Striker I male
connector being hooked up to the corresponding OE Cummins Dodge
fuel pressure sensor connector.
This is followed with the joining of the
Striker I male boost pressure connector to the corresponding
OE Cummins Dodge boost pressure connector.
With all engine sensor connections being
made, the next step is routing the armor-coated Painless Performance
wiring harness across the firewall.
You can bundle it to the existing engine
compartment wiring using the provided tie wraps.
At the opposite end of the loom you will
find a grounding eyelet which is attached to an existing grounding
point located at the corner of the driver side inner fender panel.
A 10mm bolt is used to make the connection.
The time has come to route the Painless Performance
Striker I Power Module wiring harness through the firewall, and
into the driver's compartment. You will find a large rubber grommet
located ear the maser cylinder on the firewall.
On the inside, you must also remove the plastic
decorative panel below your Dodge's steering column to allow
you adequate working room to route the wiring cable through.
With the Striker I cable fully extended into
the driver's compartment, our installer uses a small Phillips
screw driver to loosen the protective back cover on the Striker
I Power Module just enough to install the factory connector on
the power cable. Then everything gets buttoned back up again.
In this particular application, our installer
elected to leave the Power Module loose, sort of wedging it inside
the map storage area. You can also mount it to the dash using
Velcro for quick disconnect during on-the-fly power adjustments.
This series of dyno plots the extra engine torque
and horsepower typically produced, which varies by application.
The Striker I is designed to combine significant power upgrades
with easy installation and moderate cost, without tampering with
the factory ECM.
