Neighborhood Yard Find for me!

[njsteve]

Awesome find! Make sure you get some Michelin PS4 tires for it and throw away the Poorellis if they are still on the car. The Michelins are THE go to tire for these cars and can handle the horsepower with predictability. The Pirellis are fine for a 300 horse car but not a 700-800hp car. Totally unpredictable in their traction and handling characteristics at higher power levels. And yes he was right: Make damn sure you're pointing in a straight line before releasing the horses, otherwise those horses head straight for the forest, or the guardrail, or the nearest telephone pole.

[GM Powertrain]

Originally Posted by njsteve

Awesome find! Make sure you get some Michelin PS4 tires for it and throw away the Poorellis if they are still on the car. The Michelins are THE go to tire for these cars and can handle the horsepower with predictability. The Pirellis are fine for a 300 horse car but not a 700-800hp car. Totally unpredictable in their traction and handling characteristics at higher power levels.

That's the plan along with taking the necessary safety precautions necessary to avoid the car from being stolen (not that it's going to be out of my sight when it's out.) Sadly these cars are dwindling in numbers due to theft and crashes. Get 'em now while you can.

[njsteve]

Here is the 2015 TSB on the RF Hub lockout procedure that blocks any future keyfob cloning (the current easiest way they steal them) that applies to your car. The thieves plug into the dash and with a laptop and then add a new key to the system that starts the car. With the TSB done that ability is forever blocked. The downside is that if you ever lose your keys they have to replace the RF Hub module and keys and charge you around $500 plus the cost of each keyfob. You have to sign a waiver when you have this done that you are aware of that possible future cost not covered by warranty.

You also need to get some RFI blocking pouches (mini Faraday bags) to carry your keyfob in (and the other keyfobs stored in your house). This is the other way they steal them: with an antennae that captures the signal your keyfobs are putting out 24/7 and they then clone your keyfob. There are Youtube videos of people walking around houses where hellcats are parked, while holding up a big metal ring. All they have to do is walk close to your front door, where you have the key hanging on a hook inside and they can capture the signal. The Faraday pouch blocks the signal from going out.

These are the ones I just got. And make sure you test them. If you can sit in the car with the keyfob in the pouch and the car refuses to start and says "no key present", then they are working. I bought another brand set and one of the four pouches allowed the car to start while the fob was inside. I immediately threw that one in the trash. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also, make sure you turn off the option for "keyless entry/auto unlock on approach". That reduces the amount of signal being bounced up and back between the car and the keyfobs.

Oh, and one last thing. DO NOT let any dealer try to charge you for the TSB repair. And they will sure try! Simply tell them that this was a known defect when the car was within its 3/36 warranty but Dodge did not have the fix created until 2022, seven years after the car was produced. Therefore, it could not have been done in the original warranty period. It's like having the transmission on your new 2022 C8 blow up under warranty and Chevy not being able to provide you with a new warranty transmission until 2025 because they are all on backorder. Does that mean that suddenly you are on the hook for the cost in 2025 when it is replaced beyond the 3/36 timespan? If you need to find a dealer that can do the TSB reach out to me. 90% of the service departments have no clue how to access it and will just say "Oh, the programs were all updated automatically when we plugged it in." Nope. There is a specific procedure that a knowledgeable tech has to go through to get to the RF Hub module programming lockout page in the computer. If they still insist it was done, then demand they show you the mandatory waiver from the prior owner who requested it. It will be in Dodge's digital warranty record for the car. If they cant show it, that is proof it wasn't done.

Oh, and there is a really good website for hellcat enthusiasts: https://www.hellcat.org/whats-new/posts/3514739/. I'm on there under the same name as here.

:-)