Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Edge EZ and fuel economy

[NETim]

New to the 24v world. (And yes, I AM aware of the LP issues. Have a fuel pressure gauge on the way)



I've been reading about the various fueling boxes and it would appear that one of the side benefits is increased fuel economy.



How much of a certainty that fuel economy will improve with say, the install of an Edge EZ?



My 3500 sports the ETH engine. Do ETH's respond as well as the ETC's to add on boxes?



The truck is stock.



Thanks,



Tim

 

[LSMITH]

I ran an EZ and did not gain any fuel economy, if anything I lost 1 MPG or so. I went back to a Van Aaken and gained 1-1. 5 MPG with stronger low end power and less noise. The ETH responds well to the EZ and VA type boxes, the wire tap boxes like the Comp or PM3 only add about 30 HP over the lesser boxes.

 

[Big White Beast]

It would depend.......

If your doing it for mileage your wasting your money. That said, I highly recommend them anyway.



As far as the EZ goes it does alter the timing. This seems to have a better effect on loaded trucks. On my 01 which is a 11K lbs daily driver the EZ gained me almost 2 MPG. But my starting point was 10. 5 MPG stock. Since, I've added injectors, new turbo, transmission upgrades, 4" exhaust and BHAF with no mileage change. At 2 MPG gain I will have to drive the truck for 3,000,000 miles to pay for itself. The good news is I can drive it really fast for those miles.



On the 02 we put an EZ on and saw absolutely no mileage gain. Then again it was getting decent mileage to start and is a light weight. The 275 injectors have made a little difference but are too new to make a full evaluation. Only one tank through them so far.



The milder boxes are your best bet. They perk up the truck, may give you a slight mileage gain and will work with most of the stock transmission's & clutches. Anything after that is strictly because you've become addicted to power... ... ... ... .



Garrett

 

[NETim]

OK

I picked up the truck yesterday, so I still don't know what mileage she's going to pull.



It would be an easier sell to the CFO if I could convince her that the box gets the rig better mileage.



The darn thing takes off like a scalded cat already in stock form IMHO. Mind you my point of reference is a box stock '97 auto.



I can feel the dark side calling me already but am afraid that if I go over, I will be forever lost.



Gotta get nerf bars and dumb stuff like that first anyway.



Thanks,



Tim

 

[Sticks]

Garrett,



With the cost of diesel, you only have to drive 1. 5 million now to pay for it.



Sticks

 

[Big White Beast]

Wow.......

I'm feeling better about all the upgrades already



Garrett

 

[Schmidt]

I see that the EZ and the VA seem to be more popular. .

I have found several places that sell the EZ, but where can I purchase a VA box???? Thanks...

 

[Uncle Joe]

I got an EZ,fuel mileage (towing 5k) went up from 12 to about 15 as you don't have to be boosted as much,boost went down from 10-13psi tp 5 psi at freeway speeds (part throttle). very happy with it!well worth the money!... ... ... ... . Joe

 

[NETim]

Aurora?

Schmidt,



Aurora!? Never heard of it.



I haven't been able to find a VA retailer yet either. Somebody must sell 'em.



Tim

 

[Silver]

I have a 2002 ETH. I installed the EZ about a month ago. (BD model) I've seen between 1 and 2 MPG gain. This is figuring mileage by hand because the EZ threw off the trip computer about 1. 5 MPG. The power gains are very significant Oo.



I would definitely recommend it. More power, better mileage, dealer won't know anything if you take it off before you bring it in. What's not to like???



PS I got mine at Houston Diesel Performance (I think that's their name) They were very professional, The price was right, and it arrived quickly. (I'm not affiliated with any vendors)



Go for it- you won't regret it

 

[RustyJC]

We tow a 13,500 lb 36' triple slide 5th wheel that puts us at 21,180 GCW (21,500 GCWR). I added the EZ to fatten up the mid-range torque of the ETH - in stock configuration, ours was dead below about 2000 RPM and then hit hard with a power spike from there on up. This was due to emissions-related fueling & timing.



The EZ really made a difference in towing performance. The ETH pulls hard from 1400 RPM up to probably 2300 where it starts falling off. I saw about 0. 5 to 1. 0 MPG improvement, but I could probably see more if I could keep my right foot under control. Unfortunately for fuel economy, I tend to use the EZ's fatter mid-range torque curve... .



Rusty

 

[John Berger]

Re: It would depend.......

Originally posted by Big White Beast

As far as the EZ goes it does alter the timing. This seems to have a better effect on loaded trucks. On my 01 which is a 11K lbs daily driver the EZ gained me almost 2 MPG. But my starting point was 10. 5 MPG stock. Since, I've added injectors, new turbo, transmission upgrades, 4" exhaust and BHAF with no mileage change. At 2 MPG gain I will have to drive the truck for 3,000,000 miles to pay for itself. The good news is I can drive it really fast for those miles. Garrett

3 million miles, huh? Are you gonna run Amsoil or Dino? :-{} :-laf



Sorry, just couldn't resist.



Three million miles. Oo.



I'm running the Edge EZ and 275's. It's a great towing combination. The four inch exhaust system makes it really throaty. Go for it. As to fuel mileage, I haven't seen any improvement that I could attribute to the box. For me, slowing down a bit seems to be the only thing that has helped to improve fuel mileage while towing. I didn't get the box for fuel mileage improvement, I got it for improved response when pulling the trailer.

 

[lcaruso]

Think long & hard on the Van Aikin. Just went through hell with BD. Had mine go south on me last month after only a little less then 2 years. Truck started sputtering like Ihad bad fuel. Soon as I removed it the truck ran fine. Took every precaution when I bought it brand new after reading posts here, on failure because of moisture. Siliconed it before I installed it. You MUST have a invoice showing proof of when you bought it or they don't even want to know you. When mine failed I called them explaining that I have a 2001 and can show them the truck was not even 2 yrs old. They had me ship the box to them. I sent a letter with it explaining that if they were not going to cover it under warantee at least let me know why it died. I got it back last night in the same box, poorly packed with no explination or response as to why it quit. $650 for a less then 2 year life span is a bit much. I'm going to look at the edge plug in... .

Don't want to see any one else get burnt. Happy hunting

 

[socal_rattler]

When I bought my EZ at a local performance place, they said they stopped carrying the VA cause of all the problems they had been having with them (didn't elaborate cause I didn't ask). They stick with the EZ now.

 

[HC]

My 2001 ETH showed a slight mileage loss with the EZ. I had significant smoke when first accelerating, regardless of jumper setting. The EZ also interacted with my electronic high idler, sometimes sending my engine into "limp" mode. This NEVER happened when the idler was "off", only when it was set to "on" which some find reduces cruise control over-response. I don't blame either the idler OR the EZ - I was using them in a way not "approved" by the makers. I am simply reporting an observation of how the boxes worked when both were on my truck at the same time.



On the positive side, the increase in power was dramatic, and it took a lot of willpower to remove the box, which I did because mpg and long life are my reasons for buying the diesel. And the smoke was only momentary - once the turbo spooled up it disappeared. But I did sometimes leave large clouds hanging at intersections.



If you want power, get the EZ but don't kid yourself about mileage. It's a 50/50 shot, up or down. If you want mileage and just a touch of extra power, go with 275 injectors. If you are happy with power and want just the mpg, stay stock and give DC no excuses for voiding your engine/drivetrain warranty. And of course, this is JMHO. It's not about what makes me happy; it's about what you want.

 

[PHX ATC]

Tim



By adding my EZ, my fuel mileage went up between . 75 and 1 mpg per tank. I don't flog the crap out of it and do 75% highway driving. Towing, it went up a solid 1. 5 mpg.



I calculated them by hand.



Worth it regardless of mileage increase. EZ is the way!



Toby

 

[PHX ATC]

Tim



By adding my EZ, my fuel mileage went up between . 75 and 1 mpg per tank. I don't flog the crap out of it and do 75% highway driving. Towing, it went up a solid 1. 5 mpg.



I calculated them by hand.



Worth it regardless of mileage increase. EZ is the way!



Toby