SRT Chat HERE on March 18th!

[SRT Engineers]

One other quick question: In the Summer 2008 Viper magazine article "From street legal to track regal," author Matt Bejnarowicz on page 15 recommends "[f]ill[ing] the engine with Mobil 1 15w-50 for extra protection under higher stress conditions * * *" in the 2008-2009 ACRs.

I have a 2008 Viper convertible that I take to approximately 8 to 10 HPDE events/driving schools per year (not races or timed events). The events are typically single day track events with 4-6 run sessions lasting from 20 minutes to an hour per sessionwith 15 min - 40 min breaks in between sessions. The track events account for about a third of the vehicles' usage with the remainder being normal street driving. I am in the Pacific Northwest where temps are typically fairly mild (no lower than 20 degrees generaly in the winter and no more than 100 usually in the summer).

Would my engine (which is stock internally) enjoy extra protection using the 15w-50 Mobil 1 as opposed ot the factory fill 0w-40 Mobil 1 I have used exclusively thus far? Would there be any disadvantage or risks performance or wear protectionwise to using the 15w-50? Would it be adviseable to use the 15w-50 during the track/HPDE "season" (April through October) and then switch back to 0w-40 for the remainder of the year?

Engine oil is a frequently-debated issue on this (and other) forums and I wanted your expert opinion. Thanks for your help.

/Rich

If you are at the track, zinging the motor at high rpm for extended periods, like your HPDE events, you will get extra protection from the viscosity of 15W-50. On the other side, 20F is about the lowest you want to do cold starts with that thick of oil. Even at higher cold start temps, like 50F and below, you should let the 15W-50 oil warm up before you start loading the engine hard. So, as usual, it comes down to your useage, driving habits, and expectations, which is why there is no right answer.

If you want the best of both worlds, run the 15W50 during the track season, and 0w-40 the rest of the time.

 

[SRT Engineers]

+1 For my SSG ACR...We are paying for delivery and it has to go to Prefix anyway to get its AERO parts so whats the problem..?
Also can you ask if there is any news on Dodge releasing body colored drivers stripes for each color..? Kevin

Unfortunately federal laws keep us from allowing custom work before the car is totally complete.

We don't talk about future product but we are definitely listening to all the feedback.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Another -

Recently my car has been in storage for roughly 10 weeks due to a move. I did start and drive it about 5 weeks in but nothing since. I do have a battery tender on it but curious whether I need to do anything in particular upon the next start up.

The last time I started it after 5 weeks or so it struggled to idle for the first 5 minutes or so but after a drive it seemed fine.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Tom

Tom – In general, five weeks downtime really shouldn’t be a problem for your engine. As you noted, keeping the battery charged is important both for good starting and battery life. It is always a good idea to make sure that the engine gets up to full operating temperature before you allow your vehicle to sit for an extended time. You want to minimize any condensation that can occur after you shut it off. The coolant and oil should be hot and your exhaust should not be putting out any vapor. A fuel stabilizer may not be necessary but can’t hurt. If your car took a while to straighten out I would suspect that it could have been damp or your fuel system could have had moisture in it. If you can’t really get the car good and hot then not starting it is probably a better plan.

 

[SRT Engineers]

For those of us who are still on the fence anbout the new Mopar controller for 2008+ Vipers, what is your opinion of using octane boosters on a regular basis to achieve the 93 octane rating recommended with the ECU?

Here in Oregon we have 92 octane at the pump. According to manufacturers like NOS, adding one bottle of their race formula octae booster should be enough to bump octane from 92 to 93 in a roughly 16 gal fuel tank (adding the booster to a near empty tank and then filling up the tank with 92).

Would you use octane booster or are there risks involved (clogged injectors, catalytic converters etc)? Thanks for your feedback and for making a great car.

/Rich

Rich – The 2008/2009 Mopar off-road ECU is calibrated to give optimum performance when using 93 octane fuels. However, a lot depends on how you plan to drive and the atmospheric conditions. 93 octane is required for worst case conditions such as high barometric pressure and hot dry air. Conversely, if all you are doing is easy driving or parade laps on a given tank of fuel, a lower octane rating will be fine. Cool damp conditions and/or lower barometers (like at altitude) will significantly reduce the octane requirements of the engine. The 2008/2009 Mopar ECU does not disable the knock sensors and they will provide protection in extreme conditions or with low octane fuel.

We do not test octane boosters so we can’t comment with test data to back it up. In general, we would not recommend an octane booster for such a minor boost (from 92 octane to 93) and with today’s complex engine control systems and sensors, adding unknown chemicals to the fuel can introduce possible contaminates that could create other problems.

 

[SRT Engineers]

This question missed the last SRT Q&A so I thought I would re-post it.

I just read about the electronic data recorders (EDR's) on the Nissan GT-R. The most intrusive being, the vehicle status data recorder (VSDR) that records your every action for almost a week!

Corvettes have an EDR also and GM claims that they will be able to shut down the vehicle through the OnStar System to assist law enforcement in the near future.

Do the 08 and 09 Vipers have electronic data recorders on board?
If so, what data is stored and are they downloadable with the tools that local police and insurance companies now have?

No... no EDR... or at least to the extent that you are referring to. There is an airbag recorder that captures seat belt use and pyrotechics... (ie whether that bag should have blown or not). It is an event recorder not a "flight recorder".

Owners manuals indicate which data are captured... see a 2006 or newer Dodge Charger or Challenger for example... very detail information there. They have "flight recorders and capture everything for several seconds prior to an event.

 

[SRT Engineers]

I read that the Saleen plant that we were invited to during VOIX in now under new ownership and they will no longer be painting new Vipers. Can you tell us who will be painting Viper body panels when 2009 production resumes? Also, will the paint process be the same?

Yes, Saleen is in the process of changing ownership. We are moving the paint operations to a company called Creative Liquid Coatings. The paint process will actually receive upgrades in a few areas and our target for paint quality is to be equal to or greater than Saleen. So far we are on track. Stay tuned.

 

[SRT Engineers]

I just noticed on the Tirerack website that the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 is now available in 295/30/18 size. When the PS2s on my 2008 convertible wear out, would there be a distinct benefit to using this new size over the OEM 275/35/18 size? My reasoning was that the ACr uses this front size but that is with the Sport Cups. Any dangers in using this setup such as dialing in too much oversteer? My main concern would be using this set up for track/HPDE events. What say you? Thanks.

/Rich

The Viper Spec PS2 is a different animal than the regular aftermarket, multi compound PS2. The Viper PS2 is a full two seconds per lap faster around a typical road course. It has Pilot Sport Cup compound and much more construction stiffness. You will get major understeer even with the bigger size regular PS2 on the front. Not recommended. If you do have the aftermarket spec front or rears, make sure you match them at the opposite axle.

 

[SRT Engineers]

who is painting the panels on the 09 cars when caap opens up at the end of the month?

See answer in #36.

 

[SRT Engineers]

I am having problems with my power steering pump leaking on my 93 Viper. It's a slow leak that can't be seen exactly where it is coming from. Even while under it with the viper started and the wheel turning you can't see exactly where it is coming from. It looks to be coming from in between the reservoir and the pump.

I have replaced the pump, reservoir, lines, etc. But the problem just stops for a while and then re-emerges later. I have even put some silicone on the O-ring to help stop the leak with no luck.

I am beginning to think that because the problem stops for a while after replacing parts that it is because I track (roadcourse) my car so often with out a power steering cooler that the fluid is getting so hot that it starts to leak again. And that the problem won’t be completely relieved until I put a power steering cooler on.

What do you think?

Are you sure it is not weeping out the cap at track events? If that is the case, try running it a little low (like full cold when hot) to increase expansion volume and slosh room.

 

[SRT Engineers]

My question is; what is the weight of the ARY option for the verts front splitter with hardware and the rear wing with hardware. Thanks.

Eagles

The net weight change on the ARY package is a little over 18 pounds (wing, splitter and hardware included). This includes deleting the standard front belly pan extension which weights 3.5 pounds.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Do you have any recommendations as far as upkeep for the convertible top for an 2004? Aside from the cleaning, I am curious about lubrication, type and where to apply. I do get some noise from the top behind the passenger seat and at the attachment point on the drivers side.

If the top mechanism works fine without sticking and making noise, don't worry about it. If any of these symptons appear, take it to an authorized dealer for a better diagnostic of the issue.

The noise on the front attachment point on the drivers side may be caused by the dowel pin interface with the windshield header. In this case, you can apply silicone or graphite as a lubricant on the dowel pin.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Is the CAAP reopening on March 30 as talked about and how long will it take for cars already on order to get delivered? Do previously ordered cars take prescedence over non order cars in the build sequence? Thanks.

The plant is scheduled to start production around the end of March or early April. Our goal is to build and ship as many cars possible in the least amount of time!

 

[Grailkeeper]

Sorry to be the resident post hog but I am trying to get my car ready for the upcoming HPDE/driving school season.

Question: Near the front wheel arch area of my 2008 Viper there are some short brake duct tubes pointed at the wishbone and brake assembly. For 8-10 HPDE events per year, would adding additional ducting or tubing to extend the stock system closer to the rotor/caliper assembly result in noticeable improvement in brake/fade efficiency? Thanks!

Indeed, the short tubes in the wheel wells are for brake cooling. In our production car we have to avoid interfrence with the wheel and tires. If the tube/duct is extended into the immediate area of the caliper will help. Remember during street driving you have to be a little careful about getting water in there.......

 

[Y2K5SRT]

The Viper Spec PS2 is a different animal than the regular aftermarket, multi compound PS2. The Viper PS2 is a full two seconds per lap faster around a typical road course. It has Pilot Sport Cup compound and much more construction stiffness. You will get major understeer even with the bigger size regular PS2 on the front. Not recommended. If you do have the aftermarket spec front or rears, make sure you match them at the opposite axle.

That being the case, any idea how we get those Viper-specific tires ordered for replacements? Many buy from local tire retailers but don't know the ordering process for those particular tires. Thanks for all your help!

 

[mr. anderson]

simple question, I have an 05 Ram SRT-10 6 speed. what are the stock injector specs (flow rates per hour, high or low impedence)?

thanks in advance!

 

[SRT Engineers]

The passenger window on my 08 Coupe hits the door window frame when I close the door. It is rubbing off the paint on the top of the door frame. Is there a way to adjust how much the window goes down when you open the door so this wont happen?

Thanks,

Flash

Your dealer should be able to diagnose your issue by checking the mechanical hard stops for the glass and also for proper function of the smart glass feature.

 

[Martin]

Here's another one for you. I have a '97 GTS and it seems to be getting in the habit of losing pushrods lately. I drive the car hard, but not up against the rev limiter, don't miss downshifts, etc. Three times now I've lost an exhaust pushrod (on different cylinders each time). Is this common? I haven't done a compression test since the last pushrod went south - is that engine an interference engine where the valves could be hitting the pistons? The car idles and runs fine (when the pushrods aren't all bent to heck) so it doesn't sound like my timing chain is stretched or out of whack.

 

[SRT Engineers]

That being the case, any idea how we get those Viper-specific tires ordered for replacements? Many buy from local tire retailers but don't know the ordering process for those particular tires. Thanks for all your help!

The Tire Rack is your friend. We know those guys and communicate with them often. Brand/vehicle specific tires are quite common across the industry. If a tire retailer doesn't know that, maybe they aren't good enough for your Viper.

 

[BlknBlu]

The Viper has very specific characteristics that put it in a class by itself. Magazine reviews do not put the car in a positive light and favor it as compared to other cars that are in it's price range are even way above it. Is the SRT division proud of thier accomplisments and how do you feel about how magazines rate the car?

 

[Gary Weeks]

I have the off road PCM installed with headers on my 08 that I use for track events. If I put the factory PCM back on do you think the car will pass a state emissions test that uses the OBDII connector?

 

[SRT Engineers]

I've been researching the reduction of the oil additive ZDDP in all the new motor oils due to new regulations that catalytic converters need to remain effective beyond 100,000 miles of service. Mobil refers to the additive as Phosphorus in their spec sheets. What I have found is that the new levels (~800 parts per million) are about half of the old levels of (1600-2000 ppm). This reduction has wreaked havoc on some older engines with flat tappet cam designs and some engines in racing applications. I've noticed that the new recommended oil for Viper (Mobil 0W40 Euro formula) has more Phosphorus (1000 ppm) than many of the other Mobil 1 products. Mobil also just announced a new synthetic racing oil with phosphorus levels back in the range of the good old days (1750 ppm). My question is, would our Viper engines (particularly the 600hp Gen 4 with the cam-in-cam technology) benefit from oils with higher ZDDP/Phosphorus levels? Also, does the reduction in the additive level have anything to do with Dodge's/SRT's recommendation not to start a GenIV Viper if the temperature is 32 degrees or below? Of course, I understand that oils with higher ZDDP/Phosphorus levels than currently allowed for emission controlled vehicles would be for off road use only.

EZ - Engines today are required to use API SM rated motor oils and our development and durability testing is done with SM oils. As you noted, these oils contain lower amounts of certain additives such as phosphorus and zinc. These particular additives were used as anti-wear agents for high friction high load conditions such as flat tappet cams however; the introduction of these additives into the exhaust (which will naturally occur) can cause durability issues with sensors and catalysts. Since Viper engines use roller tappet cams they will be fine with any of the quality SM rated oils and will not benefit from “older” API rated oils.

The owner’s manual recommends not starting your 2008/2009 Viper at temperatures below 0 F (not 32 F). The design clearances for the cam and block required tight tolerances to control oil flow to the cam and VVT system. With a worst case stack up (very unlikely but possible) at 0 F, there could be a slight interference fit between the block and cam. Once the engine has break-in miles this is generally never a problem. Don’t lose any sleep over this one!

 

[Grailkeeper]

I have a 08 ACR I am getting bellanger headers and the controller installed today. What is your opinion on the controller in testing so far?

08....

I'm assuming that you are referring to the Mopar controller. If that's the case it would be reasonable to expect 20 to 30 hp increase.....GK

 

[SRT Engineers]

I have the off road PCM installed with headers on my 08 that I use for track events. If I put the factory PCM back on do you think the car will pass a state emissions test that uses the OBDII connector?

It depends on whether the downstream O2's are behaving, and whether the catalysts are functional. The factory PCM is only built to function properly against the factory catalyst loading and flow rates.

Changes to the emissions system are likely to cause issues at test time. (And such modifications for on-road use are subject to fines in many states).

As a method of checking readiness, you can use the procedure in the owners manual to see if "CARB readiness" has been achieved.

 

[JonB]

The Tire Rack is your friend. We know those guys and communicate with them often. Brand/vehicle specific tires are quite common across the industry. If a tire retailer doesn't know that, maybe they aren't good enough for your Viper.

Bless You, and the horse you rode in on. I have seen local dealers put all-season 265+315s on Vipers !!


THANKS FOR BEING HERE

 

[SRT Engineers]

What are the official weights of the different options/models?

03-06 Coupe, Vert?

08-09 ACR, ACR ********, Coupe, Aero Coupe, Vert and Aero Vert?

This is not easy to answer, for two reasons:

1) There are available options (wheels, radio, etc) for the models you listed that can affect weight.

2) Changes are sometimes introduced mid-model year. For example, the added grip of the ACR tires prompted us to use solid halfshafts. To reduce complexity at the plant, we started using solid halfshafts on all Vipers sometime in the middle of the '08 model year. This added about 6 lbs to the curb weight.

For Vipers with no other options, here are some relative weights:

03-06 convertible: 3430
06 coupe: 3438
08-09 convertible: 3442
08-09 coupe: 3448
08-09 ACR: 3408
08-09 ACR ********: 3368
08-09 Aero Appearance convertible: 3461
08-09 Aero Appearance coupe: 3467

 

[SRT Engineers]

The Viper has very specific characteristics that put it in a class by itself. Magazine reviews do not put the car in a positive light and favor it as compared to other cars that are in it's price range are even way above it. Is the SRT division proud of thier accomplisments and how do you feel about how magazines rate the car?

I'll quote Herb when he just read this question, "Your ****ing RIGHT we're proud of it!"

All the SRTs are our children. We all have tons of personal sacrifice in bringing them to life. We are definitely proud of them. They are not perfect, but they are all pretty awesome.

Our experience with auto writers is an alarming number are not ******** car enthusiasts and drive like hacks. Lots of people, writers included don't "get" the Viper and never will. That's fine. We don't make the car for them. We make the car for you, which is the same as saying we make the car for us, because we are just like you.

 

[SRT Engineers]

1) I had an 08 model year Viper and now have an 09. Both are brand new. On my 08, the doors were a cinch to close with minimal effort. The 09 takes considerably more effort to close both doors. Many times I feel like I am slamming them. Was there anything changed that would affect the closing effort on the 09's?

2) Ordered a yellow ACR about a month ago. Would you PLEASE consider offering the yellow driver's stripe as a factory option so I can add it to my options list?


A1) The door closing efforts on a new car should relax a little over time. There was no change in 2009 that should significantly affect the efforts. If you are still not satisfied after a few months you should have a qualified dealer look at it.
A2) We thought all ACR customers were all focused on track performance and not frilly stuff like colors. : ) We're listening to the feedback on color choices. As usual we can't comment on future product.

 

[Y2K5SRT]

On another SRT product ('06 300C SRT8), any idea what would cause the ETC dummy light (lightning bolt) to come on under WOT and cause the car to go into limp mode? Seems to only occur when it downshifts at around 25 MPH. Love the car to death, but it drives me nuts when this happens and the local dealership is stumped.

 

[SRT Engineers]

Here's another one for you. I have a '97 GTS and it seems to be getting in the habit of losing pushrods lately. I drive the car hard, but not up against the rev limiter, don't miss downshifts, etc. Three times now I've lost an exhaust pushrod (on different cylinders each time). Is this common? I haven't done a compression test since the last pushrod went south - is that engine an interference engine where the valves could be hitting the pistons? The car idles and runs fine (when the pushrods aren't all bent to heck) so it doesn't sound like my timing chain is stretched or out of whack.

Martin - If you are bending pushrods then you could very well have valves hitting pistons. The other possibility is that your valve springs are weak or are set too close to or at coil bind. Do you have stock heads, valves, springs, cam, piston drop? Have the heads been milled which will put the valves closer to the pistons? Is the cam timing correct? Something is wrong with one or some of your components so I’d suggest checking all of them; this is not a normal condition.

 

[Grailkeeper]

On another SRT product ('06 300C SRT8), any idea what would cause the ETC dummy light (lightning bolt) to come on under WOT and cause the car to go into limp mode? Seems to only occur when it downshifts at around 25 MPH. Love the car to death, but it drives me nuts when this happens and the local dealership is stumped.

You probably need to put that second fuel pump fuse in so it's not fuel starved..ha..ha...GK