xeon

Well I just hit 1000 miles on my 06. I hit 1k on the way home from work, and I just beat on it. Foot to the floor and shifting hard. Got home and I could smell that cummins! Didnt smell like clutch (good thing). I guess it was the smell of the radiator finally getting some heat, and the turbo gettig a work out. I let the truck idle for a minute or so to cool down.

My question is, what is the best thing to do with the truck to break her in? I have been reading, just drive it like you stole it. Which I do from time to time. But I dont want to break anything or take the life span off parts.

I have not seen a dedicated thread with your stories and so on. Please put your experience and advice. Thanks!

Oh, and I almost hit 19MPG the other day... My last tank I calculated was 15.9 MPG. This tank I am on now, I have 300 miles, and I just hit half tank.

boostjunkie1

After about 1500 miles I would hook something heavy like 8 to 10,000 pounds up and yank it around for a week or so if at all possible! Once I get my Gooseneck Hitch installed I will be towing my Hawke Dump Trailer loaded with dirt around for quite a while to break this Cummins in. Get her hot and keep her hot and you will break the mighty beast in quicker than just hammering it every now and then.

RAMROD2006

Remember YOUR first time?
You were wide open and thought you could do some damage and wear it out?
You couldnt.

Think of it as your truck.


Try to wear it out.......

runamuk

Yup what they said! Hook to a big load and run the heck out of it uphill if possible for about 5k miles then watch your mpg go up, up, up.

This is a medium duty motor and needs to be worked!! Hook 10-12k lbs and tow the crap out of it for a long distance. Watch your temp guage(stock I'll bet) and do not exceed 200 degrees.

Mine did not mileage until I hit 15k miles and really towed something!

Rick

12valve

you have to work it hard, before you start getting good milleage? is that what you meant?
interesting!!

bdo

Don't exceed 200 degrees? So, if I keep it pegged a notch above that for a couple hours at a time going up dirt roads in Colorado, will that help or possibly substitute the trailer towing? Whenever I go out, I am flat on every straight longer than the truck and that seems to keep the temp at or above (about the width of the stock needle) the 200 mark. And I keep it in 4H so I don't tear up the road or the rear tires.

drodgers

I personally don't think it much matters how you drive it to break it in. Some days I drive it like it was stolen, others I drive it normal (whatever that means ).
Mines my daily driver and always empty. But numerous times a month on the weekends I tow a loaded car trailer, or a loaded horse trailer, sometimes with the camper on their too.
Knock on wood, zero trips to the dealer for warranty items for me.
About the only real suggestion I would make is don't ever lug the trans, particularly in 4h or if you do tow something relatively heavy.

xeon

Anymore input on this subject?

Middle of October I might be pulling a 20' enclosed trailer for someone with a restoration car inside. About a 3 hour drive. So that should help work the Cummins. Cant wait to floor it on the huge hills on 80 .

runamuk

By watching the coolant temps you will not hurt it as High egts, like towing on a grade, also raise coolant temps! When your coolant temps, with a stock guage system go up, it usually means your Exhaust gas temp is too high. Back out and cool it off gradually.

Rick

xeon

Well the pull went great.


No issues. Besides dumb drivers. I watched the temp gauge and never went over middle mark. Pulled right up hills like it was nothing. Went down to 13.6 MPG. Doing 62 the whole way. Pulled up hills didnt loose speed (not used to that). Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I floored it up a few hills, you could hear the turbo working, but didnt really accerate much. So I backed off and went back to 62.

boostjunkie1

I have had my Hitch installed for a couple of weeks now and It is really amazing the difference between my dad's 05 Auto and my 06 6spd with the Dump Trailer in Tow!! Acceleration is slower with the 6spd but the hills is where the G56 shines!!!! I love the sound of the Turbo at full sing in 5th going up some of these 5% and 6% Grades we have here!!!!!!!! I will try to get a full tank with no Towing here in the next week or so to see if hte mileage is any better. My previous MPG's have been around 17.8 to 18.2 Hand Calculated with the Diesel all the way up to the filler neck hole!!!!!!!!!

I Love my Cummins!

nelrod

hey bstjnkie, I am near Hickory, where yall at? I love pulling with mine too. What do you think about your Brakesmart Controller and where did you get it? Jst put tow module in mine and love it so far. Kind of wanted more power but sure I would start wearing out driveline, as I wouldn't be able to control myself.

boostjunkie1

nelrod- - - - -I live in Lexington, NC!!! I run 109 and HWY 64 Going back and forth to some land that we have in Troy. The Brakesmart Controller is Great! There is a Digital Readout for the ease of use and a Gradual/Immediate setting on the side that allows more control of your braking habits.I got the Controller From Tom's 4WheelDrive in Lex-on the Welcome Exit!!!! I will be getting the QuadZilla XZT Tow Module for mine for the extra power and Mileage while running back and forth to work in Winston Salem!

3rdGen

Well I didnt tow anything to break it in, Im still getting 16-17 on hwy with 40,000 miles now. Kinda disappointing. Oh well, still love it!

67Charger383HP

I'd imagine that the engine computer kept you from getting too hot up the hill by cutting back on the fuel. I did the same thing you did going up the hill from Vegas to Pahrump with 10k and I could tell when the computer was keeping me from hurting myself. Asked the Cummins rep about it at the Mopars at the Strip show and he talked about how the engine could not be run too hot stock due to ECM defueling. He added that Pyro gauge was not needed stock because of this. He liked the idea however of a transmission temp gauge.