View Full Version : Diesel truck - tuner / program?
Jeffrey Lebowski
12-31-2014, 13:36
CTD just turned over 100K yesterday, and with that the end of the engine (and all) warranty.
Should I get a tuner / program / computer? I'm not looking for speed, it would be probably mileage setting. If so, which one and how soon to pay for itself?
This is a 2007 with a 6 speed manual. I'm right now getting about 17 mpg (as opposed to the 22 my 2003 auto got). Only drive it in bad weather, camping, bicycle races, etc.
Do I want one with a digital read-out or go ahead and get a guage pod? I hate seeing that on the A-pillar, so I'd be looking for one to go between overhead console and RV mirror. [Dunno]
mcantar18c
12-31-2014, 13:45
Do it! Its like driving a completely different truck.
I'd go for it. Should really make some differences for you in either power or MPG gains or both.
SouthPaw
12-31-2014, 15:46
Go for it. You will love the boost in MPG and the extra ponies.
Jeffrey Lebowski
12-31-2014, 15:54
Which ones do you guys like? Bullydog? Other?
SouthPaw
12-31-2014, 15:58
I loved my edge comp box but my cummins was setup to really run (big turbo, hotrod v44, big injectors, big pipe, built tranny, etc). Edge and Smarty both come to mind for CTD.
I've tried several and the only one I'd buy or recommend is the Smarty. If you're into tuning, EFI live but not completely sure it's out for your year. If you have the 5.9 in your 07, I have a Smarty for sale and you're more than welcome to come test drive it on your truck.
Jeffrey Lebowski
12-31-2014, 16:13
Oh thanks! Yeah, I should've mentioned this IS one of the last of the 5.9s. :)
I may take you up on that.[Beer]
Again, just not sure if this is worthwhile. I do have a car for usual daily driving and I don't expect even a chipped truck to touch it. I don't need power, I was just more thinking mileage, but [Dunno] I honestly haven't really thought much about this in (?) 6-7 years, so just hoping to get some thoughts and opinions.
The offer stands unless it gets sold. I'm just down the street in Arvada. Just like everyone who has put a programmer on their truck, you'll say why didn't it come this way from the factory.
With the Smarty you can tune injuction timimg, tq management and rail pressure. Pretty much all semi-custom tuning from mild to wild.
I run an H&S mini maxx. Love it. I heard the EPA came down on them pretty hard. Do your research. Some can be quite harmful especially on automatic trannys.
If you are going to get a tuner, look into Custom tunes as well. They will design a tune based on your needs that fits best with your exact truck. Worth the extra money.
blackford76
12-31-2014, 16:56
Get with DFBrews, get a custom tune, and loose the muffler. 26mpg and more is possible, with loads more power.
Haven't been up to date on the latest and greatest so correct me if I'm wrong. My brother in Utah has some buddies converting their trucks to natural gas and getting close to 30mpg.
Return on investment for a chip/programmer is approximately eleventybillion years.
Do it for the powa.
I put the H&S Minni Max on my 6.7 cummins. I did a 5" flow pro turbo back, with the Sinister diesel erg delete and the Dpf delete as well. I then added the AFE Momentum intake. It is an entirely different machine. I went from 14 mpg to 18 in town and around 19 to 20 hwy. will the increase in milage ever save me the money that all that cost, probably not. But my Dpf was in need of service as well as my Egr system, and I figured if I was gonna be spending all the money anyway, I might as well get some bang for my buck.
CTD just turned over 100K yesterday, and with that the end of the engine (and all) warranty.
Should I get a tuner / program / computer? I'm not looking for speed, it would be probably mileage setting. If so, which one and how soon to pay for itself?
This is a 2007 with a 6 speed manual. I'm right now getting about 17 mpg (as opposed to the 22 my 2003 auto got). Only drive it in bad weather, camping, bicycle races, etc.
Do I want one with a digital read-out or go ahead and get a guage pod? I hate seeing that on the A-pillar, so I'd be looking for one to go between overhead console and RV mirror. [Dunno]
Do you have 4.10 gears? That could explain the difference in mileage with your 2003 (assuming 3.73 rear end).
On topic - I had an 04 w/ the HO Cummins (305hp/555tq). I ran it very successfully with a Predator Power Puck. It's a simple install with a two-mode switch you can run into the cabin. One is the tow-haul mode and added (on mine which was the 5.9L) 60hp/100tq. The other position was the performance tune. I don't remember the specs off the top of my head but I never used that setting because the fuel economy was better w/ the tow-haul setting. Won't overwork your injector pump either. I also had an AFE full cold air intake and flow through muffler (but this was before emissions equipment was added to the 2004.5 model year). That was enough to satisfy me, and with routine maintenance, kept my Cummins humming along well into 150k when I sold it.
FWIW, unless something has changed, I believe nearly any RAM 2500/3500SRW with a factory LS rear end setup is going to be 4.10.
FWIW, unless something has changed, I believe nearly any RAM 2500/3500SRW with a factory LS rear end setup is going to be 4.10.
My 03 had the LS and had 3.73 gears.
My 03 had the LS and had 3.73 gears.
That's odd. My 98 (2500 gas NV4500) and my 04.5 (CTD 5.9HO 48RE)both had LS and the only factory option to get LS was 4.10 gears.
Perhaps it was a later model year AUTO thing? Was your 03 a stick?
That's odd. My 98 (2500 gas NV4500) and my 04.5 (CTD 5.9HO 48RE)both had LS and the only factory option to get LS was 4.10 gears.
Perhaps it was a later model year AUTO thing? Was your 03 a stick?
Nope came from the factory with a 47re which was later swapped for the 48re.
mtnrider
01-05-2015, 21:25
Return on investment for a chip/programmer is approximately eleventybillion years.
Do it for the powa.
^ This.
Don't believe all the people saying they are getting 10000 mpg after a tuner and some small mods. Just isn't happening and they are victims of the common core math system.
I have a 06' 5.9 and I run a Smarty S06 and Edge CTS for gauges (gauges are a must with a tuner) And after playing with all the tunes and combinations of options the best I gained is around 1 mpg, maybe 2 on a good day and I drive very conservatively (all hand calculated not going by the "lie O meter").
Now power is a different story. It will really wake up your truck and give it some extra pep. With that said you need to be careful running the high hp tunes as you can start to do some damage on a stock motor.
Look around you can usually find used Smarty's for sale. Just make sure it is not locked to the previous truck. If your patient they can be found for around $300-$350.
68Charger
01-05-2015, 23:30
I used a die grinder and finished with 400 grit sandpaper... But my truck is a bit more old school [Coffee]
Jeffrey Lebowski
01-06-2015, 06:53
Do you have 4.10 gears? That could explain the difference in mileage with your 2003 (assuming 3.73 rear end).
Yep, and I'm sure you're probably correct.
^ This.
Don't believe all the people saying they are getting 10000 mpg after a tuner and some small mods. Just isn't happening and they are victims of the common core math system.
Sort of what I'm learning more I read. I don't help my case on mileage at all, but I'm also just not looking for speed and power. I don't tow and I have a car.
I'll need to think on this more. I did a bunch of reading about this for my old truck, then haven't thought about it forever until now. Now I am again, but I think I'll have another expediture here soon that'll eat this "entertainment fundage."
mtnrider
01-06-2015, 10:06
I would say if you can pick a Smarty up cheap give it a try but don't do it with mpg gains in mind. Like I said you may gain 1 or 2 if your lucky but it does make the truck more "drivable" in my opinion. My truck seems much snappier on the low end now which makes it easier to drive around town.
Again you need gauges on top of that so extra expense. EGT gauge/probe is a must and also something to watch rail pressure etc. That's why I went with the CTS, covers all of them in one package.
68Charger
06-29-2015, 17:36
ok, since my smart-ass answer early this year I've bought a 2007.5 6.7L for my wife... and it needs deletes after she towed horse trailer up to Holyoke over the weekend.
Anyone recommend someone that does EFILive tunes? I'd like to have my own autocal for datalogging if needed. I would also be looking for a delete pipe- but I'll make my own EGR setup (I've got a mill in my garage).
I've been wanting to delete my '14 and do EFILIVE but hard to do with only 20k miles. I still might but my warranty should be up in little over a year. When I do decide to do it, I've read nothing but great stuff about Higher Power Performance and their customer service is top notch!
http://www.higher-power-performance.com/
My Edge Juice is acting weird - locking up more than usual. Damn thing is 10 years old
Edge will give me 40% off on trade. Looking at just getting the new Edge Juice CS for $497 with trade... CTS is nice, but I would need so much more stuff - mount, new probe, etc. and the CS really does all that I need.
mtnrider
06-30-2015, 08:45
Are you looking to have the EFI done local? The only reason I ask is I think a lot of folks on the cummins forum go through Anarchy (I think thats right) to get EFI tuning but it's not local so they send you the stuff.
I would love to do a turbo back on my 5.9 but we have stupid emissions testing here in El Paso county.
On a side note, my F'n ball joints just went south on mine. Not looking forward to changing them this weekend. Not going to be a fun job.
DangerLee_Industries
06-30-2015, 09:32
I've been fiddling with these since the late 90's. The smarty is by far the safest off the shelf tune (if there is such a thing) for my gen vp44 I have seen. As mentioned the Smarty/ Edge CTS I think is the best plug and play combo too.
I didn't see a significant increase in mpg until I dropped in larger injectors, larger flow VP44, larger flow lift pump, cold air intake, larger exhaust and larger turbo. You can kinda see the theme there with the parts. My gen II cummins just rolled 260k and runs like a raped ape. I average 20.3 - 22.1 mpg depending on if I'm pulling my trailer more often through the mountains or just running to Wally World. Those numbers are with the stock turbo as well and when I ran a bigger turbo setup I gained another 1.2 on average. As items wore out I just replaced with stronger/better parts including my trans that can handle around 700 horses and I'll never come close to that. These stock 47re's in my gen tend to burn up quicker with hard shifts from a tuner hence the overkill.
The older the gen the more tuneable for mpg it is for sure. Once mine rusts out around my motor I won't buy anything beyond an early 07 with the 5.9. I managed a diesel shop here in Parker for a bit and all we saw constantly were Ford 6.0's and the Cummins 6.7's with the dpf/egr issues just eating up turbos all day long with only 20 - 70k in most instances.
After all these mods my MPG stays good only when I keep my foot out of it but what fun is that! If you happen to be this way come swing by and you can take my old girl for a spin.
DangerLee_Industries
06-30-2015, 09:34
My Edge Juice is acting weird - locking up more than usual. Damn thing is 10 years old
Edge will give me 40% off on trade. Looking at just getting the new Edge Juice CS for $497 with trade... CTS is nice, but I would need so much more stuff - mount, new probe, etc. and the CS really does all that I need.
Good chance I have all the wiring/probes you need sitting around nib for cheap. If you decide to go to the CTS just shoot me text and I'll dig around.
Good chance I have all the wiring/probes you need sitting around nib for cheap. If you decide to go to the CTS just shoot me text and I'll dig around.
I'll keep that in mind, but really, I'm finding it hard to justify the extra $150 (plus mount, etc.) for the CTS. I already have an in-dash DVD setup with backup camera (on the RV) and I don't really need the extra bells and whistles like tilt angle for a truck that doesn't really do much offroad, or all the extra gauge configs. The CS would be plug and play with my current pillar pod, etc.
I just want that little extra power and with it locking up on hard pulls, I'm also a bit concerned it's properly defueling if/as needed. I do not need a $15k motor swap right now.
I considered the CTS Evo with another box like smarty, but only the Edge gives me on-the-fly in cab changes.
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