I just got a 05 Dodge 2500 5.9 Cummins. I am new to the diesel thing but have been wanting to get into it for a while. I work all the time but dont need the truck to do it. I want some suggestions on where to go from here. I have looked into the Bully Dog and Banks thing. The motor is all stock. I pull a 1976 27' camper for hunting only and a pontoon boat that weights nothing. I am looking for MPG and fun when I want it. THANKS FOR YALLS HELP!

 

I also have a 05 CTD I bought new. just turned 70K miles. I installed a low restriction muffler to help keep EGT's down. I've tried 3 different programmers, tuners, etc. none increased mileage unless you believe the overhead console. My highest mileage is 17 mpg when it was new, empty, on the highway. normally i get 12 mpg local driving.. since low sulfur fuel I now get 10 mpg. I've had a bully dog. Quadzilla tow module and presently for the past 3 years. and the most reliable, trouble free- Diablo Sport tuner and puck. all 3 gave power improvement.

 

I just traded up from my 02 which got around 22-24 on summer fuel with an edge ez 4" exhaust I ran my first tank on the 04 and I penciled it out to 21.67 no where close to the 28 on my overhead, atleast the 02 was only off by 1 mpg. I just installed a edge w/ attitude on the 04.5 I'll have to see how it goes with the first few tanks.

 

Thanks for the info. Let me know how you make out with the new add ons. I'm getting around 14.7 mpg without anything being done to the stock 05 5.9.

 

On my 05 the best mods I did was an intake, diamond muffler and running power service every other take. I did not like any of tuners, the power was nice but the 48RE is so fragile to start with that I was always nervous of frying the stock TC and input shaft. I averaged 14.5 in town and 18-20 on the hwy with mine. Had 72,000 mi without a single problem. Traded in December for 06 1500 mega cab hemi due to diesel prices.....biggest mistake I ever made. The 05 cummins was probably one of Dodge's best years. The only other thing I could suggest would be BD Diesel's lockout switch. The 05 can't lockout OD and it was a real pain towing trailers in varied terrain. Tranny temps would hit 245-260 in no time.

 

i average around 18-19mpg hand calculated/speedo GPS adjusted with my smarty jr.

 

i have a 06 5.9 with a smarty jr and tried all settings a i get about a tenth better on fuel mileage. I avg. 14.3 to 14.6 and over head reads 18. with stock tires it would read 20-21

 

There are not a lot of mods that will reliably increase fuel mileage. And none that will also give more power. You can't have both. To make more power, you have to burn more fuel.

 

i agree with .bob. but stock i only see 15 so not a really loss here. I think that is somewhat decent for as heavy and big she is. My 03 with a 6speed use to see 17-18 and that was its best.

 

285/75R17 tires 60 pounds or more of air, synthetic oil, change the hubs to manual locking, a U S gear aux trans (an overdrive unit), better intake and exhaust. I get better mileage with my Edge J/A on drive mode than I do stock.

 

About what MPG do you get with the 285's and the Edge?

 

Some of those changes are big bux - like the aux trans and manual hubs. You would have to drive a lot of miles to make that pay off.

And that's always been the problem with any mods for any vehicle that 's designed to improve mileage. You have to balance cost vs. return. The aux trans may improve mileage by 4-5mpg on the highway, and costs about $3k or so. How many highway miles do you have to drive to break even? And with your particular driving habits, how many years would that take? Personally, I would never break even. Certainly not worth it to me. YOu have to do the math for you and your truck before spending money.

Some people say overinflating the tires is a free mod that gives better mileage. Over inflated tires on any vehicle is a bad idea. It comprimises ride, handeling, braking, and transient response in avoidance manouvers. Over inflated tires also wear out a lot faster, because you're placing all the weight of the vehicle on 50-75% of the tread. You save on gas, but lose on tire replacment costs. You're much better off buying a narrower tire and inflating to the proper pressures. You get the same benifits as as the over inflated tire, none of the detriments, and a lower purchase price. As a bonus, it's a lighter tire/wheel package.

 

I removed the muffler, put a 4" pvc elbow in the bottom of the airbox, drop in Amsoil filter, and run a Quad X2 on 60hp. I recently went to 285/75-17 Toyo ATs and I am averaging 20mpg. I had the ecm updated for the new tire size, a must do for larger tires. The tires suck down the mileage in town, but are awesome on the highway.

Driving habits are also going to be a factor. Do you take off from a stop with a heavy foot, or wait till the last minute to stop ?

As far as the 48RE, it is not the strongest but it will last if you take care of it and don't abuse it. Buy a built tranny or a converter and VB if you want to throw more power at it. I roll into the power, not mash the pedal from a dead stop. Eventually I will upgrade, but it is holding fine right now.

 

I have an 05 that I bought with 10K on it. It now has 37K and has been a GREAT truck. I run a Smarty Jr and it does do a great job improving towing power and highway mileage, I have documented about a 1mpg increase on several hwy trips. The EGT drop is the best in the industry as well. Much better bang for the buck than BD or Banks.

Since I bought the truck I have put on 27K miles with an average of 16.49MPG. A worst of 10.77 (towing my TT with a 30mph head-wind), a best of 19.71 (have had a handfull over 19). I have towed 3200 of those miles and average about 14 when towing.. So a 16.49 average is pretty good.. Probably above 17 if I don't count the towing.

 

Thank you all for your info.

I will be getting a smarty jr but what air intake and exhaust would yall suggest?