Anyone know of a way to monitor the automatic shut down of the four cylidners to increase gas mileage? It would be nice to be able to tailor my driving style to maximize efficiency.

 

When your foot isn't stuffed to the floor, you're savin' gas and the smile is lacking...and when your foot IS stuffed the floor, you're savin' nothing but your smile is ear to ear!
Other than that, I've seen threads that say that certain exhaust systems resonate more when you're running on 4. That's kind of a crappy way to do it though.

 

Yeah, I have heard that guys with modified exhaust can tell. I am not prepared to do that until the exhaust needs replacing. I thought I heard that oil pressure is a factor in determining when the computer shuts those down. If that is the case, it would be nice to know the actual pressure that that happens at. It wouldn't be too difficult install an oil pressure gauge. It would also be really nice if some company came out with an A-Pillar package for the magnum.

 

I have a oil preasure gauge on mine. It actually come with one of the electronics options. You have to hold down the 2 inside buttons on the steering wheel for several seconds to access. I can definately hear mine kick in and out with the magna flow system. I will check to see if there is any noticeable oil preasure fluctuation.
I think it would be fairly simple to access the MDS control solonoid signal and wire in a relay and indicator light to come on when MDS is active. I'm surprised someone hasn't figured out a circuit and posted it.

 

I agree with Pentagon.
If your just cruising around: 4 cylinder.
Foot to the floor, no holes barred: 8 cylinder.

Waaa hahahahahaha

 

I paid some attention to oil preasure and the MDS mode at lunch. The oil preasure tends to rise 1 pound on the digital read out when MDS engages.

 

If you have the Electronic Convenience package it can display the average mpg. Then you can see what conditions (e.g. pedal position or load) causes the MDS to turn on all the cylinders, because the average mpg drops 4 mpg. You need to reset the average mpg frequently to see immediate differences.

 

That was great information. I have the ECG and I never noticed all of the extra information available in the display. While driving home last night I played with it. Thanks for the great input!

 

You may have missed what farhawk wrote above. For even more display functions, enter the diagnostic mode by holding the two lower inner buttons for 6 seconds on the steeling wheel (MENU and AUDIO MODE SELECT page 141-2). Then use the arrow buttons to scroll and you will be rewarded with useful (e.g. oil pressure) and odd functions (e.g. amount of gas in the left and right partitions in your gas tank).

Scott

 

Just a quick note....those of us with Magnums that rolled
off the line early last year, we do not have access to all
the data that those of you do in the later Magnums.