TV performance

[randye]

Good Day This is a question for all Dodge Diesel Truck Owners or other brands might give me the Information I'm looking for. With the high cost of fuel I'm looking into what is the safest and most cost effective way to improve mileage for the 6.7L Cummings Engine. I know it can bring up a huge amount of Opinions. That being said I still am interested in yours about this subject. As most of you we only have the Truck and use it for both pulling and driving while sationary. I have dialed it back on speed, when I can at 65 and it is helping some.I am looking at peformance chips, has anyone used the gforce chip? It is a simple install and small amount of HP and advertizing says 4.5 mpg possibilty. Thanks for you time and Opinions.

[jimcol]

Randye, Much discussion in the past on this topic on this forum. I own a diesel but I'm not a mechanic. A diesel mechanic with 40 years experience once told me the way they come out of the factory is the best way to keep them. He was talking specifically about the Cummings. He also told me peak performance in terms of MPG for my truck is 62. I don't know if that is correct because I elect to sacrifice MPG for time. His opinion was anything else you change to gain HP or mileage is going to affect something else. Might not see it immediately but down the road it's going to cost you. As for the advertizing claims, most advertising is written by people trying to sell something. I would ask them if they would take the product back if it doesn't deliver their claim. LET THE DISCUSSIONS BEGIN!!! Jim

[mlh]

I have a 08 F250 6.4 Ford with a Spartan tuner set for 210 extra rear wheel HP. I get an extra 2 to 3 MPG. I don't know what is available for your 6.7 Cummings but I can tell you a tuner will without a doubt make a different truck out of yours. The first thing you wont to do is get rid of the DPF. If you drive like you have a brain a tuner will not hurt your truck and will actually help it, but you will probably void your warranty. I would doubt an extra 4.5 MPG. I would suggest you go over to the Dodge diesel forums and to a lot of research before you buy anything.
Lynwood

[ragdoll]

Lynwood whats a DPF?

[mlh]

It's a filter on the exhaust to trap the soot. It is as big as a small trash can. Don't worry about it, you don't have one. They started putting them on diesel trucks in January 2007.
Lynwood

[ragdoll]

Thanks Lynwood I believe I have a cat which does that. I just had 4in exhaust put on and he started from the cat back w/a new muffler. thanks Jack

[Sierra 117]

I have found the best way to conserve fuel while hauling is to keep the engine rpm at maximum torque while using minimum horsepower. With the Cummins 6.7 this event occurs at 1500 rpm. So maintain a highway speed that keeps the engine close to 1500 rpm. Avoid rapid acceleration and deceleration as much as you can. Always drive with the exhaust brake on and if driving an automatic transmission use the range selector to keep the rpms up in when driving in town. The exhaust brake won;t help with mileage but it will help keep the turbo from sooting up.

[mlh]

No Jack your Cat filter does not trap soot. Look at your tailpipe ends, they are black with soot. A truck with a DPF the pipe will be white glove clean.
Lynwood

[CORattler]

DPF= Diesel Particulate Filter
It traps the soot which is periodically burnt off by a "regeneration" wherein fuel is injected during the exhaust stroke creating EGT (Exhaust Gas Temperature)sufficient to burn off the soot accumulated in the DPF.

[hookman]

I never found a need to increase HP and the minimal amount of mileage increase to me is not worth it. My truck will pull most hills at the speed I want and the mileage is about the average of most trucks I have seen posted. I was a HD mechanic for over 30 years and never see one of these power boosters on commercial trucks to increase mileage and power.

[kingdaddy]

I have spent a fair amount of time looking into improving the fuel efficiency and power of my truck and am happy with the mods I have made thus far (see sig).
Most of my research has come from reading a LOT on a couple of the diesel forums...mostly www.cumminsforum.com
My focus has been on relatively modest performance gains, improved mileage and efficiency, and lower EGTs while towing. So far, so good.
As far as tuners, there are a lot of good ones out there...I have a Smarty Jr. which a lot of Cummins guys like. Not sure about the mileage gains compared to stock (too many variables) but I can do close to 20 mpg at 65 mph and still put down about 450 HP with the tuner cranked up a bit! I have it set more at a mileage setting though with diesel at over $4.00 a gallon. Plus I don't want to hurt the transmission which is the "weak" point if there is one.
Hope this helps.... good luck with your choice!

[seanjackmc]

Im with dumping the emissions equipment on newer trucks. All they do is suck power and gas. The high end tuners out there are all very good products. Im not talking about the inline chips you can buy at pepboys that promise 50 hp and 4 mpg. Not gonna happen. The good tuners ( I run Spartan) rewrite everything invloved in making power. Fueling, shifting, timing ect.. Since these tunes are "off road" only they dont have to deal with the epa and feds like he mocos do. I had my dpf delete pipe installed by a ford diesel tech at a dealership. He said the number one thing that can be done to make fords last longer and run better is to remove the emissions equipment. Ever look at fuel milage during a regen?
I run my 210 hp tow performance tune and love it. I monitor all important readings and dont ever see temps warmer then at stock.
I dont know what is out for dodge but Im sure there are some great products. I avg about 11.5 towing 12,500. Thats in my 250 srw with 3.55 gears. Unloaded on the highway ill do 18.5 at 70 mph.
Good luck

[richfaa]

Have no problems with those that use tuners or other performance enhancing devices. Your truck, Your Money, Your choice.

We choose to stay with the manufacturers specs and take no chances with the warranties. We now have the Ford ESP. We get @10mpg pulling @ 23K total. Sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less.
We choose not to spend the $$$ for a small increase in MPG, if any and we do not need any more power. Just our choice.

[randye]

Well, I thank all that have left thier OP's. I have come to the realization that I will leave well enough alone. I have found if I don't rush and stay around 65 mph, I get 18 mpg. That will make a differants at the end of the year. I am having the Trans and Differantials serviced 1/2/11. I will ask about what they think about a shift kit for the AT.I know it helped the Street Rods I build. A crisper firm shift is better for the Operation of the Auto Trans. Thanks again have a great spring.

[DarMar]

It's pure stock here today(3500 Dodge) and will be every day in the future with our 3500 Chevy, no more horsepower required in either case. To me the safest and most cost effective way to approach this is to adjust your driving habits, but as Rich stated "Your truck, Your Money, Your choice", enjoy!

[RickW]

Comparing my fuel logs of the year prior to the year after reprogramming my Ford I saw a increase in mileage of 8%. This translated to 1.35mpg increase in mileage. Now the truck computer said I jumped from 17mpg to 25mpg but it was easy to see when looking at fuel receipts that that was very far from the truth.

In order to pay for the cost of the programmer in fuel savings I had to drive the truck 70k miles in order to achieve the savings in fuel cost to make up for the cost of the programmer. I still drive the truck as my daily driver and now have 194k miles on it (114k miles with the programmer installed). So for me it has been worth the expense.

[richfaa]

That is a good point RickW. The miles needed to pay for the programmer. We have never had a truck with 100K on it.This one a 08 has@ 37K on it and we doubt it will see 70K before it is gone.

[DarMar]

Deciding the level of payback on the investment is a very good point and even harder to determine some times given the fluctuating price of fuel. In our case as well, when we get over that 100,000 kilometers(Canadian eh?) or roughly perhaps 70,000 or 75,000 miles we would be looking to upgrade. If we were to do it only to get our investment back then we just wouldn't bother with it in the first place, but that's just us!!!

[RickW]

It kinda like making Bio-Diesel. I can make Bio for $.90/gal. But that is only the cost of actual materials & electricity per gallon. That does not include what I actually have invested in the equipment. Let alone what time is worth. In reality homebrewing Bio-Diesel cost me as much or more than purchasing at the pump. Even at $4/gallon for Diesel.

IMO if you are only keeping a vehicle for less than 100k miles, any changes/modifications should be made because you want to, not because you think it is saving you money. In most cases you will find that it is not saving you money when you factor in the cost of the changes. Even if I got rid of the Ford before I had driven the 70k miles the mods would have been worth it to me for the extra power that came with the mods. But from a $aving$ point of view I still would have been in the hole.

[7.3Ford]

I agree with Rick. I had Edge A2 with Juice, which crapped out 3 weeks ago, and I have it disconnected right now. I have not decided if I want to pay to have it repaired on not at this point, since they no long make the A2. I do miss the EGT, Boost, etc. readings, but not sure it is worth the cost to get it fixed (if it can be).

I figure my mileage from fuel receits, and I have not see ANY improvement in MPG. Since they went to Low Sulphur diesel, my MPG has dropped 3-4 MPG empty.

Towing I run between 9.5 and 11 MPG depending on hills and wind. My truck does better at 65 MPH that it does at 58 MPH, but only .5 MPG.