Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Hello, I drive a big truck and I like efficiency

JustLuckey · 06-03-2011, 01:32 PM

It's been awhile since I've posted...I had my first child (my son, William) 3 weeks ago and have been focusing on him most of the time.

Anyhow, since I last posted, I got my flex-a-lite electric fan installed to replace the mechanical one. It's definitely much quieter, but it's too early to know if it affected fuel mileage. I also purchased a used (cab high) ARE bed cap last weekend. I'm hoping the combination shows another 1mpg or 2. I'll have a better idea when we take a family trip to GA at the end of the month. Although we'll be stopping more to feed my little guy.

I'm not real keen on removing the wipers. One of my main goals is not to remove the functionality and normal amenities of the vehicle. I'd hate to remove the wipers (even on a nice day) and forget and try to use them to wash off the pollen (in full force here in PA) and scratch the glass. Good thought though.

Regarding the tuners (I actually have 2). The first one I got was the Quadzilla MPG-MAX, that I upgraded to a Xilalraider (SP?). This one has a bunch of different factory tunes to choose from. It mainly does 2 things. 1) adjusts fuel delivery (if you floor it, it won't gush the fuel, it will slowly buildup fuel flow- bad for burn outs, good for MPGs). 2) Boost Fool, it will turn off the boost limiter, allowing the truck to go over the stock (24psi, I think on mine) allowing better accell. The QuadZ plugs in under the hood to the fuel mgmt system.
My other tuner is a BullyDog GT (Gauge/Tuner). It allows 'on the fly' adjustments (Stock, Tow, Performance, Extreme). I noticed that anything higher than Stock, produces a good bit of black smoke (read, unburned fuel). So that's why I normally drive on the stock setting. When I want more power, I will use the Tow or Performance. I haven't used Extreme, as it warns about possible tranny problems/breakage if you're still running stock tranny and/or stock torque converter (which I am running stock of both).

I will update in a few weeks when I do my 850+ mile trip to GA.

And yes, I have the 34 gallon tank that comes with the short beds vs. the 35 gal in the long beds.

06-03-2011, 01:32 PM	#7 (permalink)
JustLuckey EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: NE PA Posts: 9 Big Blue - '05 Dodge Ram 2500 QC SB SRW Team Cummins 90 day: 16.86 mpg (US) Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	It's been awhile since I've posted...I had my first child (my son, William) 3 weeks ago and have been focusing on him most of the time. Anyhow, since I last posted, I got my flex-a-lite electric fan installed to replace the mechanical one. It's definitely much quieter, but it's too early to know if it affected fuel mileage. I also purchased a used (cab high) ARE bed cap last weekend. I'm hoping the combination shows another 1mpg or 2. I'll have a better idea when we take a family trip to GA at the end of the month. Although we'll be stopping more to feed my little guy. I'm not real keen on removing the wipers. One of my main goals is not to remove the functionality and normal amenities of the vehicle. I'd hate to remove the wipers (even on a nice day) and forget and try to use them to wash off the pollen (in full force here in PA) and scratch the glass. Good thought though. Regarding the tuners (I actually have 2). The first one I got was the Quadzilla MPG-MAX, that I upgraded to a Xilalraider (SP?). This one has a bunch of different factory tunes to choose from. It mainly does 2 things. 1) adjusts fuel delivery (if you floor it, it won't gush the fuel, it will slowly buildup fuel flow- bad for burn outs, good for MPGs). 2) Boost Fool, it will turn off the boost limiter, allowing the truck to go over the stock (24psi, I think on mine) allowing better accell. The QuadZ plugs in under the hood to the fuel mgmt system. My other tuner is a BullyDog GT (Gauge/Tuner). It allows 'on the fly' adjustments (Stock, Tow, Performance, Extreme). I noticed that anything higher than Stock, produces a good bit of black smoke (read, unburned fuel). So that's why I normally drive on the stock setting. When I want more power, I will use the Tow or Performance. I haven't used Extreme, as it warns about possible tranny problems/breakage if you're still running stock tranny and/or stock torque converter (which I am running stock of both). I will update in a few weeks when I do my 850+ mile trip to GA. And yes, I have the 34 gallon tank that comes with the short beds vs. the 35 gal in the long beds.