I want to see this mod...
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I think that the engineers at Chrysler have bent over backwards to try and supply a product that would (at the same time) meet the bs laws and demands that the government has thrown at them, and the demand for more HP from the consumer.
Read the forums (any v8, most v6, and some v4 vehicles) and look at the demand. More power go faster............and pick up 1mpg. That's what sells. Meanwhile, you have algorethm petioning the government, and telling them that the world is gonna end tomorrow morning if we don't start raping the land for lithium and cadmium immediately.
I don't know what to tell you other than that if engineers with many dollars and years of education could have drained another 1mpg out of our trucks on avg (given climaticle and elevation differences incurred with a mass produced vehicle with computer controlled fueling) then they would have. You ain't gonna do squat with a switch.
Read the forums (any v8, most v6, and some v4 vehicles) and look at the demand. More power go faster............and pick up 1mpg. That's what sells. Meanwhile, you have algorethm petioning the government, and telling them that the world is gonna end tomorrow morning if we don't start raping the land for lithium and cadmium immediately.
I don't know what to tell you other than that if engineers with many dollars and years of education could have drained another 1mpg out of our trucks on avg (given climaticle and elevation differences incurred with a mass produced vehicle with computer controlled fueling) then they would have. You ain't gonna do squat with a switch.
I am telling you that I am not demanding more HP, I choose the Ram because of the ride and other reasons, I really wish I could get the 5.3 Silverado drivetrain (75 HP less) in the 09 Ram - that would be my perfect pickup.
Anyways, you are mistaken about what can and can't be done. It is all about the dollar, creating markets, and how marketing thinks they can make more money (obviously Chrysler marketing team isn't doing very well). I know it makes most people feel better to dream that they are doing their best with what they can do with fuel mileage, and maybe they are, but I doubt it.
If it costs, for example, 10 dollars more to get 1 mpg out of these trucks, marketing might not choose to do it, they have production price targets, and they stick to them no matter what, or it might mess up thier styling, or believe it or not, they might not even want to get better MPG (they wouldn't want the Dakota or cars to look bad) I am not joking at all!!
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Let's take both sides of the argument. Let's say it would get better mileage. Even if it did, there could be other issues preventing it from being feasible, like NVH, reliability, safety (you forget you are locked into 4 cylinder mode and try to beat a train or pull out into traffic when the full Hemi mode would have done the job, bit not the MDS mode), etc. etc. This is also why you can modiiy the vehicle to make it have more power, ride better, play the front DVD player while you are driving etc, but the manufacturer can't or won't. It may give you better fuel economy though.
On the other side of the argument, often a larger engine will get better fuel economy. It's been proven in trucks and vans and even the new Prius gets better fuel economy, largely (according to Toyota) to the fact the new 1.8 engine makes more power than the old 1.5 and therefore does not have to work as hard.
Anyone here watch Top Gear? If so, I hope you saw the bit about the Prius vs. the BMW M3. If true (and I have no reason to doubt it) it certainly is food for thought. As the owner of 3 Sports Cars, 2 Full size crew cab trucks and 1 V8 4x4 sport utility I need all the support I can get. I am surprised the E.L.F. has not burned my garage down
On the other side of the argument, often a larger engine will get better fuel economy. It's been proven in trucks and vans and even the new Prius gets better fuel economy, largely (according to Toyota) to the fact the new 1.8 engine makes more power than the old 1.5 and therefore does not have to work as hard.
Anyone here watch Top Gear? If so, I hope you saw the bit about the Prius vs. the BMW M3. If true (and I have no reason to doubt it) it certainly is food for thought. As the owner of 3 Sports Cars, 2 Full size crew cab trucks and 1 V8 4x4 sport utility I need all the support I can get. I am surprised the E.L.F. has not burned my garage down
I did not see that Top Gear, what did they say about the Prius vs the M3??
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Joined: May 2009
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I agree, around town, I don't think that it would make much difference, but what if you are going on a 100 mile road trip, you could get up to speed, set the cruise at 60 and flip on the MDS. That way every little hill and gopher fart doesn't kick the MDS back out.
I did not see that Top Gear, what did they say about the Prius vs the M3??
I did not see that Top Gear, what did they say about the Prius vs the M3??
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Joined: May 2009
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From: Roblin MB
if you want to save gas drive the wifes car with the 4 banger, you bought a truck to pull trailers, haul garbage, move friends and if you were smart you got the hemi cause it makes you feel young when you put it to the floor and hit 60mph like a sporty car.
Record Breaker
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,567
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From: Richmond, Va
You are right many people are demanding HP. But not everybody.
I am telling you that I am not demanding more HP, I choose the Ram because of the ride and other reasons, I really wish I could get the 5.3 Silverado drivetrain (75 HP less) in the 09 Ram - that would be my perfect pickup.
Anyways, you are mistaken about what can and can't be done. It is all about the dollar, creating markets, and how marketing thinks they can make more money (obviously Chrysler marketing team isn't doing very well). I know it makes most people feel better to dream that they are doing their best with what they can do with fuel mileage, and maybe they are, but I doubt it.
If it costs, for example, 10 dollars more to get 1 mpg out of these trucks, marketing might not choose to do it, they have production price targets, and they stick to them no matter what, or it might mess up thier styling, or believe it or not, they might not even want to get better MPG (they wouldn't want the Dakota or cars to look bad) I am not joking at all!!
I am telling you that I am not demanding more HP, I choose the Ram because of the ride and other reasons, I really wish I could get the 5.3 Silverado drivetrain (75 HP less) in the 09 Ram - that would be my perfect pickup.
Anyways, you are mistaken about what can and can't be done. It is all about the dollar, creating markets, and how marketing thinks they can make more money (obviously Chrysler marketing team isn't doing very well). I know it makes most people feel better to dream that they are doing their best with what they can do with fuel mileage, and maybe they are, but I doubt it.
If it costs, for example, 10 dollars more to get 1 mpg out of these trucks, marketing might not choose to do it, they have production price targets, and they stick to them no matter what, or it might mess up thier styling, or believe it or not, they might not even want to get better MPG (they wouldn't want the Dakota or cars to look bad) I am not joking at all!!
but, if you really want to do it, I ordered a service manual 2 days ago. When it gets here I will tell you if it can be done with a switch, and, if so, how to do it.
It is true a tuner can get rid of it, and that a tuner could tune the pcm so that the mds would come on at higher engine loads, but , there again, if you think that the engineers at Chrysler have not tested this system in that way you are fooling yourself. For the power that they put out, thier displacement, and the weight of the vehicle that they are put in the mpg's that these motors are getting is actually impressive. Our Caravan weighs 1000 lbs less and gets 22mpg with a 6cyl.
Professional
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 147
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From: Rio Grande Valley, Texas
WWWHAT!!! I thought my Hemi powered Ram is a hybrid, it burns gas and rubber right!! If you want to save gas, buy a Honda, I did. Our family took my wifes 07 Civic on our summer vacation when gas was $4 a gallon. Averaging 75 to 80 mph, it went 540 miles on 13 gallons of gas!! I was floored. You can't cheat the laws of physics, lighter car + smaller engine=better MPG. No matter how hard the Dodge guys tried our Rams do not fit in this equation. The only way I can see our trucks improving gas mileage is with small 6 or 4 cylinder turbo charged diesel engines like Mercedes Benz (lots of torque). Europe has been doing this for years. Now that Fiat owns Chrysler, would not be surprised if this is what's around the corner.
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 255
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From: Gilbert AZ
I knew it - someone would bring up "European Cars" as some idolized form of "better gas mileage". (sorry RGV... I know it wasn't exactly your point)
Fact: Fiat removed themselves from US Markets some 20+ years ago because they couldn't economically upgrade their safety gear to meet NHTSA requirements. Seems thinner / tinnier construction results in lighter weight cars that don't require as large motors - at the cost of relative crash safety.
Fact: European diesels have trouble meeting basic US Emissions standards - only the high-end Mercedes-Benz BluTec and VW TDI have yet been certified for US roads. They are good on Mileage and CO2 but bad on Particulates and NOx. Even the large European Cities are having real problems with their "diesel polution" - not meeting EU Air Quality Standards.
Fact: Fiat's best (EU CotY'08) Fiat 500 car would likely fit in the bed of a RCLB RAM if it weren't for the raised wheel wells - and that would probably be the safest the Fiat driver ever was on a road.
I dread what Fiat might bring to the RAM: 1.8L diesel 4-banger mounted on thin sheetmetal and honeycombed frame that folds in half when a 80lb bag of cement is tossed into the bed.
I wanted a Truck - I bought a Truck - I got the best combo of Mileage and Power available - I am Happy.
Fact: Fiat removed themselves from US Markets some 20+ years ago because they couldn't economically upgrade their safety gear to meet NHTSA requirements. Seems thinner / tinnier construction results in lighter weight cars that don't require as large motors - at the cost of relative crash safety.
Fact: European diesels have trouble meeting basic US Emissions standards - only the high-end Mercedes-Benz BluTec and VW TDI have yet been certified for US roads. They are good on Mileage and CO2 but bad on Particulates and NOx. Even the large European Cities are having real problems with their "diesel polution" - not meeting EU Air Quality Standards.
Fact: Fiat's best (EU CotY'08) Fiat 500 car would likely fit in the bed of a RCLB RAM if it weren't for the raised wheel wells - and that would probably be the safest the Fiat driver ever was on a road.
I dread what Fiat might bring to the RAM: 1.8L diesel 4-banger mounted on thin sheetmetal and honeycombed frame that folds in half when a 80lb bag of cement is tossed into the bed.
I wanted a Truck - I bought a Truck - I got the best combo of Mileage and Power available - I am Happy.
Professional
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 147
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From: Rio Grande Valley, Texas
I too bought this truck for real hybrid power, Hemi style. However, let me throw out a what if option. My previous ride was an 08 Jeep Liberty, and while looking at the Jeep line up, the Grand Cherokee had an option that really caught my interest. I test drove an 08 grand Cherokee with an optional 3.0L turbo Diesel V6. Before you write it off, at the time it had more torque than the 5.7 Hemi available for the same chassis. This engine only had 215 horsepower, but a whopping 376 lbs/ft of torque down low at @2K RPM. Only the 6.1L SRT Cherokee had more torque. It test drove great in stop and go traffic, and the sticker rated MPG at 18/23 vs 13/19 for the hemi. Only turn off for me was sticker price, but I was impressed. Wondered why this engine was not available in the Liberty, Wrangler, Nitro, etc. The 3.7L was extra wimpy, once you have a Hemi it's hard to look back.
