Auto chip

[jimkottke]

I have 2001 8.1 gas engine chevy dully and get about 7 miles to the gallon when pulling my Big sky. Has anybody out there used a chip to help get better gas mileage? Auto chips direct.com said they can give you 3 to7 mpg if you install it. I know these chips work on diesel truck s but have not heard anything on gas.

[Tom S.]

From what I've seen and experienced in the diesel world, those claims are greatly exaggerated. People use the driver infor center on the vehicle for mileage and think - "Wow, this really helped!" The problem is, these device tend to throw those figures off, and if you calculate it by hand, and make sure the condisitons are the same when testing, you'll find no difference. Look at it from this perspective: the auto companies in their ever striving quest to meet fuel economy standards, would be all over these in a minute if they worked.

[kdeiss]

I agree with Tom

[mlh]

Got bad news for you a chip by its self is not going th help you very much. If you install a low restriction muffler a performance mass air flow sensor, cold air intake then a programmer or chip you will gain about 1 MPG, but you wont believe the difference in your truck. A pair of headers might help you as much as anything. I put a chip in my truck ant went from 350 HP to about 580+ hp didn't help fuel mileage much but you wouldn't believe the power.
Lynwood

[Art-n-Marge]

I had a chip installed in a prior truck. The increase in power didn't help with the mpgs because of how I then drove it. But being able to haul a trailer up a steep hill was AWESOME since it kept the mpgs the same and I never lost mphs meant the improvements were in different areas (no blocking of traffic, getting everywhere a little quicker). When I first got the thing I drove easy and the mpgs improved by 1 or 2, but that's not the improvement you'll really get.

I think before ANY engine improvements are done, an EGT gauge (exhaust gas temperature) is a must.

Since I retired and I have a new truck, I haven't done any improvements at all. First will be braking, then an EGT, then the engine, exhaust, etc. if anything.

[gr8330]

quote:Originally posted by mlh

Got bad news for you a chip by its self is not going th help you very much. If you install a low restriction muffler a performance mass air flow sensor, cold air intake then a programmer or chip you will gain about 1 MPG, but you wont believe the difference in your truck. A pair of headers might help you as much as anything. I put a chip in my truck ant went from 350 HP to about 580+ hp didn't help fuel mileage much but you wouldn't believe the power.
Lynwood

That is a LARGE gain with just a chip. Did you dyno the truck after the install or are you just going by what the installer told you?

[mlh]

I agree with Art. I monitor 10 different perimeters at once and can swich from screen to serene to monitor dozens more with the push of a button on the go. I have not noticed any increase in EGT over stock. Its my understanding stock EGT will reach 1200 1300 F during regen even when not under load. My EGT has reached 1200 F once when I got caught in traffic while going up a hill pulling my camper on I 81 when I could get back up to 70 it went right back down to about 1000 F in under 10 seconds. Art is also wright about the power, 580 HP is incredible.
Lynwood

[Champ_49]

Chips don't save fuel in my opinion either. Think about it, they improve horsepower, give you more torque. In order to receive that HP and torque it requires fuel. Fuel is where it all comes from. I will say the chip makes the use of fuel more efficient when gaining the power, but as far as saving fuel your looking at maybe 1 to 2 mpg. And thats the biggest gain you will ever see IMHO with saving mpg. But I would not pull without one unless I had a warranty on my vehicle that stated it negated the warranty.

Dave

[H. John Kohl]

I posted this on another topic. I agree with Dave, MORE POWER. If you don't use the power then you safe fuel.

I just finished a 1060 miles and averaged 10.6 mpg. There was probably 50 miles not towing during that trip.
That calculation is tank fill ups to the top of the neck, not by the generous computer.
I have the Banks tuner. I like it for the extra power and use it. I do not feel it is cost effective for fuel economy.
I did find driving at 55 mph does increase the fuel mileage for my 03. On this trip I drove the speed limit off the interstate and held it between 63 and 65 on the interstate even when the speed was 70. On one trip a few years back I got 8.8 mph running 75 on a 600 mile speed run with a 35 mph head wind.
Cummings has done a study on big trucks and found 55 was the transition from rolling resistance to wind resistance. Every mph over 55 they claimed .1 mpg loss.
Best of luck

[c214dick]

I agree with John on the mpg analysis. I also have an 03 3500 but no 4x4. John, how does the banks tuner compare to a more conventional chip? We will be doing some mountain driving later this year and would like the extra pulling power.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

I agree with John on the mpg analysis. I also have an 03 3500 but no 4x4. John, how does the banks tuner compare to a more conventional chip? We will be doing some mountain driving later this year and would like the extra pulling power.

You're not after HP, you're after torque. Most truck tuners (including Banks, Bully Dog and Diablo) have a setting for this called Tow Mode (or something similar). Trust me, it will provide all the grunt you'll need. In Alaska, we stopped for fuel at a station. I couldn't tell when I pulled in, but as soon as you left the station, there was a very steep and long climb just around the corner, so basically, we were hitting it from a dead stop. The truck did just fine.

[H. John Kohl]

quote:Originally posted by c214dick

I agree with John on the mpg analysis. I also have an 03 3500 but no 4x4. John, how does the banks tuner compare to a more conventional chip? We will be doing some mountain driving later this year and would like the extra pulling power.

My Banks is the six gun and has six switch positions. I can not compare to any other since banks is all I have ever had. I tow in setting three or four.

[Trailer Trash 2]

quote:Originally posted by Champ_49

Chips don't save fuel in my opinion either. Think about it, they improve horsepower, give you more torque. In order to receive that HP and torque it requires fuel. Fuel is where it all comes from. I will say the chip makes the use of fuel more efficient when gaining the power, but as far as saving fuel your looking at maybe 1 to 2 mpg. And thats the biggest gain you will ever see IMHO with saving mpg. But I would not pull without one unless I had a warranty on my vehicle that stated it negated the warranty.

Dave

I agree with Dave also, every time this topic comes up. and I have always thought and posted it, More fuel = More power = More heat = wear and tare on drive train, and on and on it goes.
7 to 9 MPG is average for a gasser pulling a load, along with the gear ratio 4:10's or higher you probably have one of them. on my old 96, F350. 10 to 12 mpg is the best I got for it towing, and I had everything Banks made for that 7.1 power stroke, the power was real nice, but now I look at it as a lot of money spent for nothing. I now have a newer truck all stock I get 11 to 12 MPG towing 18 to 19 not towing hwy, I got gobs of horse power and pulling the same trailer.

[richfaa]

We do not need any more power. On steep grades we usually need to back off to keep the EGT down to around 12/1300 degrees.

[mlh]

br8330
Sorry I didn't answer your question before. No I did not dyno my truck. To do so I would haft to run it wide open and I don't treat my equipment like that, but lots of people will and that is the horse power that you get with the 210 setting on a Spartan tuner. Remember this 210 HP is rear wheel gains and you loose at least 10% through the drive train, more like 15%. A 350 HP truck will pull less than 300 rear wheel HP. Their 310 HP chip will pull close to 580 rear wheel HP. With the 310 tune loaded one of these 8000 pound trucks will run a 1\4 mile in less than 13 seconds with a stock transmission, ant it will last quite some time. The Ford 5R120 and 6R140 will handle 1200 and 1400 pound feet of torque.
Dave
Every body that has one of the Spartan tuners, that has tried all of the about 10 settings from stock without DPF to the 350 HP setting, say the higher HP settings give the best fuel economy especially the 275 HP setting.
I would even argue there is less wear on the engine. I don't have the DPF dumping fuel in my oil. And if we are traveling down the road pulling identical campers at the same speed it takes exactly the same HP to pull each camper. I have 580 HP but I'm not using all of it, just enough to pull the camper.
Lynwood

[Champ_49]

I have the Superchip and if I had it to do over (which I probably will) I would not go with superchip. Its not an on the fly change settings, it has no gauge package on the screen etc. It does the job and I installed a separate gauge. The thing I don't like about it is it doesn't protect your engine like the other chips as in when you start to get to the danger zone as far as exhaust temps. it doesn't automatically detune the engine. Which is ok if you are paying attention because you can do that yourself with the throttle. My personal choice right now is down to two different ones. The Bully Dog and the Edge with an Attitude.

Dave

[richfaa]

Just curious . why do we need to run a fast 1/4 mile pulling a 5th wheel? If we would only use the HP needed to pull the rig then why chip the motor to increase the H.P unless one does not have the necessary HP to start with.

We do have the DPF and according to black stone do not have a unacceptable amount of fuel in the oil. We have been on board a truck with that tuner and the take off speed is impressive, Lays a nice streak of rubber but my question is ..so what...

Other than increasing the HP of a truck that is under powered what exactly are the advantages of the tuners.???

[Champ_49]

To me the power in the Bighorn Mountains, Rockies and mountains of that nature can use all the Torque, not HP I can have. The Chip not only gives you more torque and HP it also gives you better shift patterns in the tranny which also optimizes the heat of the tranny when pulling a long incline, use of fuel is at an optimum, and I could go on. Bottom line is, that yes the newer trucks are rated better than the old, the shift patterns are better. Also the older trucks do not have the gauges from the factory that they have now, so therefore these tuners also give you up to 11 different readings if you choose to do so. That also depends on the brand of tuner. So you see, its not just the HP or Torque........its all of the package that is nice.

On the other hand if you don't go out west there is probably not as near of a need for a chip here in the east. To me I like what the chip does for my truck. It also depends on the traveling you are doing. If you are going to one destination there and back once a year then there probably isn't a use for one in that circumstance either. I traveled over 10,000 miles last year and most of it was out west. I am not trying to lay rubber on the street, I done enough of that on the race track for 31 yrs. Besides racing is for the track not the streets. I travel 62 MPH with the trailer even if the speed limit is 80 with the chip. Its just an added tool you have at your choice if you choose to use it. If you research them you can see what they do.

BTW, there is several different settings as far as HP and Torque. Most give a stock option, light tow mode (for lighter trailers) Heavy tow mode, competition mode. Some have many more, again this depends on the application and type of tuner.
Dave

[junglejim]

I have a Bullydog PMT in my 06. It has four settings- stock,tow,performance, and extreme. With hp added as 325(stock),40+,95+, and 140+ respectively.

I agree with Richfaa for the most part. My truck has enough power to tow let alone normal driving. I mostly use the Dog to keep an eye on my paramiters. 99% of the time I drive and/or tow I leave it in stock mode. I will say this however, I do bump it up to tow mode(+40hp) when in the bigger hills. I look at it this way, I am not trying to get more mpgs per say. but if your truck can pull up a hill easier (alittle more power)than in essence your saving fuel because it is not working as hard to get the job done.

As far as looking for more mpgs the best thing I did was put a performance exhaust on. I have 4.30 gears and a 10k truck itself. My mpgs are 13-16 city empty,17-19 hywy empty, 10-11 towing hills and 12-13 towing flat.

P.S. The egts on my truck are lower when I have it turned up rather than stock and I feel that is because it is not working as hard. Keep in mind I don't drive like a moron, I never see speeds above 62.

[richfaa]

We do have a set of gages that monitors all the parameters in the 08 Ford and a pyro to track EGT. The ability to monitor all your parameters is of great value. We keep EGT and trans temps down on a steep grade and yes other rigs pass us but we have never ran out of torque or power. We would rather be kind to the drive train than fast on the grades. We have not pulled the really steep grades out west but have pulled most of them. There are some 9 and 9 1/2 % grades in PA between Breezewood and Gettysburg that match any grade out west and we did them with much howling and not very fast we had the power but to use it would be abusing the motor.

10MPG pulling near 24K GVCW is not bad..IMO... I don't think I will spend the money for a tuner for 1 MPg or so more. We do have RV friends pulling with the 7.3L Ford and in their case a Turner increasing torque and power was worth it..IMO