Tuner vs gear vendors for mpg

[Mechanic1994]

I want better mpg out of my 03 dually. It’s kind of embarrassing but I pulled my camper over the weekend and only got 10mpg highway (although wind speeds were high, 15mph+) Anyway I wish my 48re had one more gear so I think a GEAR VENDORS would help greatly. But guys at work are telling me EFI LIVE will show better results... opinions are welcomed

 

[B-ram]

Sorry man, no EFI live for an 03. What kind of mileage does it get empty? 10mpg our of a dually, with a cab-over in high wind sounds about right.

 

[promisedland]

HP Tuners or Smarty UdcPro will provide great tuning ability.
I feel your pain in lack of gears....

 

[Mechanic1994]

Sorry man, no EFI live for an 03. What kind of mileage does it get empty? 10mpg our of a dually, with a cab-over in high wind sounds about right.

It gets about 18 empty on highway if I drive 68-70. Average about 14-15mpg combined city/highway empty. Are you positive no EFI Live for a 03 common rail?

 

[SnoKing]

Slowing down cost nothing and gets the best mileage increase available.

 

[cerberusiam]

It gets about 18 empty on highway if I drive 68-70. Average about 14-15mpg combined city/highway empty. Are you positive no EFI Live for a 03 common rail?

That mileage empty is not bad for a dually, neither is towing mileage. EFI Live bailed on all the non-CAN trucks years ago, HP Tuners and UDCPro provide an excellent platform to tune them.

 

[Jim W]

It gets about 18 empty on highway if I drive 68-70. Average about 14-15mpg combined city/highway empty. Are you positive no EFI Live for a 03 common rail?

I agree no EFILIVE available for that model year!

BTW the mileage you get is the approximately the same as I get with my Smarty S67 in my 2008 truck. Pulling my trailer I will see between 10 and 11 MPG's most of the time. I have even recorded a 8.5 MPG pulling my trailer into a head wind. Just remembered a trailer acts like a wind brake behind you as the frontal area is so large on them

 

[NIsaacs]

I would not use a Gear Vendors on a 4x4 truck, if that is what you have. Note how long they are, they can/will break the t-case. There is no support for the Gear Vendors, they just hang there.

 

[AH64ID]

UDC Pro or HP Tuners are your best options, as stated, but your mileage isn't bad for what you are doing.

I don't think you would see even a 10% increase in mileage empty, and only maybe when towing. The 03's aren't leaving a lot on the table tuning wise.

 

[Mechanic1994]

Hey guys I appreciate the input. Good to know others get the same mileage. Guy at work has a beautiful early 07 5.9 manual, fu**er gets 17’s mpg pulling his gooseneck. But I love my truck and I’ll stick with her I think

 

[AH64ID]

Guy at work has a beautiful early 07 5.9 manual, fu**er gets 17’s mpg pulling his gooseneck.

Best way to improve your mileage is to lie about it.

But the trailer profile has a lot to do with mileage.

 

[NIsaacs]

Best way to improve your mileage is to lie about it.

But the trailer profile has a lot to do with mileage.

I agree, I have no complaints about the fuel mileage on my "01. With this load to Clay Center, Kansas 2148 mile round trip, I got 14.6 empty trailer over and 10.6 loaded on the return. I am fine with that.

 

[CBari]

I always knew head winds played a huge roll in mileage, I just never realized how much. Last week I made a 70 mile trip on an empty two lane road one direction I had a 30mph head wind on the return trip the wind had let. Watching the idoit meter on the truck driving the same speed with the cruise on the duration of the trip both ways. 64mph by the way. Going it was 17.5 and return without the wind it 23.5. I kept looking for other reason for such a drastic difference but couldn't find any. About two days later made the same trip with no wind both ways and it was 23. Granted this was without a trailer in tow, but the speed of the wind his the greatest factor on mileage both towing and empty. PS your mileage with your 03 is very close to mine with a smarty on it also.

 

[Mechanic1994]

Well I’m pretty sure I’m goin to do an edge evolution cts2 programmer.

 

[AH64ID]

Well I’m pretty sure I’m goin to do an edge evolution cts2 programmer.

If you want a programmer get a MM3 with a custom UDC Pro tune.

I’ve never been a fan of any Edge tuning on a CR.

A UDC Pro tune is custom to what you want, not a box tune that works for some/most people.

 

[Mechanic1994]

If you want a programmer get a MM3 with a custom UDC Pro tune.

I’ve never been a fan of any Edge tuning on a CR.

A UDC Pro tune is custom to what you want, not a box tune that works for some/most people.

The udc pro tune? Is that what some refer as the “jr smarty”?

 

[AH64ID]

The udc pro tune? Is that what some refer as the “jr smarty”?

No. The software is from the same company, but it’s a full custom tune just for your truck. Kinda like the EFI Tune you were asking about

 

[Mechanic1994]

I don’t really think the tuner will help much due to reading some previous responses on fuel mileage, the udc just one tune? The edge sure is “generic” for my year but I interested in the screen package for monitoring trans temp and a few extras, and if I see a improvement sweet ya know

 

[AH64ID]

I don’t really think the tuner will help much due to reading some previous responses on fuel mileage, the udc just one tune? The edge sure is “generic” for my year but I interested in the screen package for monitoring trans temp and a few extras, and if I see a improvement sweet ya know

The MM3 will show more data on the screen than the Edge.

The MM3 can have 1000 tunes on it. Most people don’t need more than 1 or 2. 5 tunes with a small difference between each is part of being “generic”, and pretty silly IMO.

I had an MM3 on my 05 and a CTS on my 18... the MM3 probably has 4x the data. I have a CTS Insight on the 18 due to the warranty.

A tune probably won’t add a ton of mileage, but driving a custom tuned truck vs a stock one, or a generic box tune, is night and day. They are so much nicer with a custom tune. You can adjust little things like fan engagement, shifting (some 03’s), throttle sensitivity, grid heater, pilot injection, etc....

You came in asking about EFI Live and are now looking at Edge... two very opposite ends of the tuning sprectrum.

 

[Mechanic1994]

The MM3 will show more data on the screen than the Edge.

The MM3 can have 1000 tunes on it. Most people don’t need more than 1 or 2. 5 tunes with a small difference between each is part of being “generic”, and pretty silly IMO.

I had an MM3 on my 05 and a CTS on my 18... the MM3 probably has 4x the data. I have a CTS Insight on the 18 due to the warranty.

A tune probably won’t add a ton of mileage, but driving a custom tuned truck vs a stock one, or a generic box tune, is night and day. They are so much nicer with a custom tune. You can adjust little things like fan engagement, shifting (some 03’s), throttle sensitivity, grid heater, pilot injection, etc....

You came in asking about EFI Live and are now looking at Edge... two very opposite ends of the tuning sprectrum.

Haha yeah well without being able to run EFI Live I have to check out options and I do appreciate everyone’s input. Hey btw do you have a link for the programmer your talking about?