Improve mpg of Cummins

[Vettezuki]

My mom has a 98 Dodge with the Cummins. It's bone stock. This summer it's going to be going cross country and back. Are there any relatively easy/cheap ways to improve mpg over stock other than just keep your foot out of it? Guy mentioned something about tuning the fuel system that gives more power and mpg, but I didn't get how that would work.

[Shaolin Crane]

http://dodgeram.org/tech/dsl/more_power/Power_ve.htm

[blackax]

Chip it, You can get way more power and way more MPG

[Damian]

Bullydog and Banks make tuners that you can change the tune with a little screen that you mount inside the cab.

[Vettezuki]

It's mpg, not power I'm after really because that trans is a weak link (much more than the Allison in the GM trucks). I'll check the tuner products and see if any can be had cheap enough to make sense. Trip is basically to Milwaukee and back.

[Shaolin Crane]

Bullydog and Banks make tuners that you can change the tune with a little screen that you mount inside the cab.

Fuck both of those tuners. If you do get a tune don't cheap out with a canned boxed piece of shit and go to a reputable tuner.

[Shaolin Crane]

It's mpg, not power I'm after really because that trans is a weak link (much more than the Allison in the GM trucks). I'll check the tuner products and see if any can be had cheap enough to make sense. Trip is basically to Milwaukee and back.

Generally anything that increases power on a diesel increases mileage. largly due to injection timing and whatnot. Heavy foot it and you'll get shitty mileage, light foot it and it gets better.

[Damian]

Fuck both of those tuners. If you do get a tune don't cheap out with a canned boxed piece of shit and go to a reputable tuner.

Why? Both make really cool setups for him. Both units can go from fuel economy to performance settings really quickly.

[Shaolin Crane]

:bang:Why? Both make really cool setups for him. Both units can go from fuel economy to performance settings really quickly.

Because they're all flash and aren't worth the plastic they're made with. Better tunes from reputable tuners than the generic shit that simply raises the rev limiter and fuel amount. My dads Banks tuned truck can't touch mine with a 3 truck head start and he's got "better" parts.

[blackax]

:bang:

Because they're all flash and aren't worth the plastic they're made with. Better tunes from reputable tuners than the generic shit that simply raises the rev limiter and fuel amount. My dads Banks tuned truck can't touch mine with a 3 truck head start and he's got "better" parts.

You mean your truck with a broken motor? :pot_stir:

[Shaolin Crane]

You mean your truck with a broken motor? :pot_stir:

No, I mean big blue. The old POS 97

[Damian]

:bang:

Because they're all flash and aren't worth the plastic they're made with. Better tunes from reputable tuners than the generic shit that simply raises the rev limiter and fuel amount. My dads Banks tuned truck can't touch mine with a 3 truck head start and he's got "better" parts.

Banks and Bullydog are pretty big for selling crap. This is for his mom anyways, I don't think she cares about huge HP numbers, just better fuel economy.

[Shaolin Crane]

Banks and Bullydog are pretty big for selling crap. This is for his mom anyways, I don't think she cares about huge HP numbers, just better fuel economy.

Dollars are dollars, if he's spending the same amount or less he might as well get what's good from the get go.

[Vettezuki]

I actually don't(!) want to increase power hardly at all. That transmission is notorious for not holding up to anything marginally beyond stock power. There is no cost benefit if I/we have to drop >$1k into a trans as well. It doesn't get driven that much overall. Stock power is fine for the work it does on occasion.

[enkeivette]

Getting rid of the DPF seems to be a universal 2-5mpg improvement. Especially if in triple digit mileage, because there is a good chance it will be clogged.

[Shaolin Crane]

Getting rid of the DPF seems to be a universal 2-5mpg improvement. Especially if in triple digit mileage, because there is a good chance it will be clogged.

DPF is only a new diesel thing. this truck be old.

[enkeivette]

But Im with Guy, if you get a tune, flash the ECM. Do not get one of those add on boxes, they just dump fuel to make more power and wont help your mpg