Hey LMITOUT Duramax question for you

[Jungda99]

I just bought a 2006 Chevy 2500HD with the Duramax allision. WOW do they have power

I saw that you added an aftermarket Programmer and did some exhaust mods.

Which programmer did you use and what did you do to the exhaust. How much did it increase the fuel mileage?

Any information would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[LMITOUT]

I've been running an Edge Evolution (I was a beta tester) for a little over two years now. I see that they have some new products out now that may be worth looking into as well with a fancy display, etc, but don't know too much about those though.

The Evolution is a programmer while the Edge with Attitude is a "box" that mounts under the hood. The Attitude allows for changing your power levels on the fly while the Evolution does not. They have a similar in-cab display. I had the Edge+Attitude on my '03 and it was good too. The only drawback is you can't program the computer if you have different sized tires so that your speedometer is corrected. With the Evolution you can.

The Evolution can be connected to your PC and updated if Edge releases modifications. Their last update was great and has been in the works for the last couple of years as users gave feedback on the various power levels. It was really neat for a company to listen to the end user and make the changes to create a great programmer. It truly was an "Evolution" from the original product.

One thing they added in the last update was exhaust braking using the variable vane turbo if the "Tow Tune" is loaded and you have Tow/Haul mode turned on. The vanes in the turbo are computer controlled so the Evo program will close the turbo vanes to 90% when you take your foot off the gas. You almost don't even need to use the brakes.

I added a MBRP turbo-back exhaust this spring (no cat). Nice sound without being annoying. Opening up the exhaust brings the exhaust temps down quite a bit and removing the cat is the biggest contributor to that as well as helping the mileage in the process.

I'm not sure exactly how much these things helped the mileage as it can really vary depending on how you drive the truck (obviously). I think if you drive a lot of highway miles you could dial in the amount of increase/decrease a lot easier, but since my use is mixed city/highway it's hard to put my finger on a real number of how these items helped.

All I know is it's a lot of fun.

[Jungda99]

Thanks for the info.

My truck came with a 12 month 12,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty so I might wait for that to expire before I put the programmer in.

I have a buddy that has an 03 2500HD with the The juice with attitude and has been really happy with that.

Have you had any sercie work done since installing the programmer? Did they give you any grief because of it?

The power these things make shouldn't be leagal...it is rediculous. Even pulling my trailer loaded I can walk away from other vehicles at the stop lights. haha

Right now on the highway going about 60 I get about 20-21mpg. Going 75 I get about 18.5. So the mileage is already pretty good.

\

Pulling my trailer at 65 I get about 15.5MPG

and 11-12 going 70-75.

My old 06 chevy 1500 pulling my trailer I would get about 11 going 65 and 8 going any faster than that plus the it would run at 3000RPM non stop trying to go any faster than 65. Make for a long trip up north when cars are passing you on HWY35 the whole trip.

With the diesel that doensn't happen anymore.

sorry about the typing...for some reason the text box bounces all over the place so I can't see what I am typing. everytime I type a letter it jumps back and forth between the top and bottom of the text box. really annoyying.

[Valv]

Excellent writeup Lmitout, this is very nice.

Thank you.

[LMITOUT]

Thanks.

Another thing to remember when adding a programmer is to forget about the MPG displayed in the Driver Information Center (DIC). The programmer or box manipulates the quantity of fuel actually being sent to the injectors and the engine computer is calculating with factory values, so you're mileage can be waaaaay off. If I load up level #5 on my Evolution the DIC will show an average of around 25 mpg. I wish!

The other thing to keep in mind is that with added power comes added responsibility. What I mean by that is your transmission, while the best on the market today, is not built to withstand the amount of power that the programmers can throw at it when set to the higher levels. Fun? Sure, but your tranny isn't smiling as much as you are. The Allison in the '06 runs a little higher pressures to the clutch packs so it is somewhat more durable than previous Allisons but it is still not bulletproof. Rolling into the throttle while at highway speeds and not letting it down shift is the hardest on it since the clutch packs for 5th and 6th gear aren't large enough to take that excess applied power over and over again. They'll eat themselves up and eventually it'll start slipping and you're done. There are guys that have put a ton more power to a factory tranny then an Edge can put out and it'll hold it....but not for long.

[Jungda99]

So I guess the question is if I am already getting 20-21 un-loaded can I excpect a few more MPG?

What about towing do you notice a difference in MPG towing?

or are the programmers more about how much freakin fun it is to drive? haha can't wait? But $500-800 for the programmer is a lot of money if it really doesn't improve the MPG that much.

[LMITOUT]

You'll have to put a ton of miles on to ever get back what you invested in a programmer for the mileage increase you might get out of it. Yes they are fun, but they can also be beneficial for towing if you use the towing levels of the programmer.

[Valv]

One issue with programmers and any power enhancement tool is that the driver has to forget they are installed (which is impossible) and drive just like they did before.

Unfortunately any of us that installed one can remember vividly the grin we ALL had on our face when we tried it for the first time, then the second, third, etc., consequently our initial fuel saving was not the best achievable.

Best tool to save fuel is your foot, I am a Dodge guy but more or less the units are same. I always found a light increase of mpg with all the boxes/programmers I installed.

There are few brands that offer economical boxes just to aid fuel economy, and they are not too expensive.

As Lmitout pointed out it will depend you your total driving mileage to determine if it's feasible or not to add a box just to obtain better economy.

[Jungda99]

Well my truck isn't my daily driver so it will primarily be used as a "truck" haha hauling stuff, pulling the enclosed trailer for hunting or construction work on the side, or pulling the boat or wheeler.

So if it makes a drastic difference in the towing department that is really what I am looking for. It already has a ton of power but if I can increase MPG while towing that would be very benificial.

I pull my enclosed trailer to the hunting shack 6-8 times a year which is 200 miles one way. Then various goose/duck hunting trips with the enclosed trailer which is typically about a 5 hour drive one way.

[Valv]

A box or programmer will increase mileage in both empty and towing situations. You will just have to refrain to line up with a Ford at a stoplight and beat him racing, though....

[Jungda99]

Well I can do that without the chip