Hey guys I have done some research and have found tons of good tuner but can't find what the gains are. I have a 2000 f250 with a 6" lift and 325/60r20s. I am getting around 11.5 mpg but would like to improve it and also get some more power. I don't have gauges but they are coming soon. If somebody could tell me what tuner they used and what the gains are, it would make my life so much easy. Oh and by the way I never tow, this is just my toy. Thanks in advance.

 

The following is for ALL tuners/chips/etc

Pros:
- More power
- Adjustable power
- Improvements in engine (Smoothness, sound, etc)

Cons:
- No noticeable increase in MPG
- Aftermarket Precautions (Voids warrantys, possibly bad for truck if you dont do it right)
- Possibility of increased wear items from more power
- Increased likelihood of speeding ticket

Keep all of that in mind when picking a tuner. Then narrow it down to a REAL tuner, not a walmart supplier like BullyDog or EDGE. Good names are PHP, DP, and Gearhead.

You also will note that your tires are a tad oversized, and your odo, and speedo are probably not calibrated for them. Some tuners can fix that for you and reveal your TRUE mileage.

Contrary to popular belief, you will not gain 25% MPG or whatever the big box brands boast. You will be luck to see a 1mpg increase. But you will notice more usable power, without a DECREASE in MPG. More power, same MPG, means the engine is running at a more efficient power output.

 

What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^!!!

Depending on your driving habits, 11.5mpg may be as good as it gets for your truck. The big killer for these trucks is pathetic aerodynamics - lifted with big rubber just exacerbates this problem. The faster you go, the more fuel ya burn. I have seen a 2-3 mpg increase slowing my 4:10 geared dually from 75-80mph down to 55mph - but I can't drive like that!!! The next thing is rolling mass. The faster you accelerate an 8-9k lb truck, the more fuel it will burn. The point is, driving style is by far the biggest contributor to MPG.

The next thing to consider is whether the truck is running RIGHT, before trying to make it work better. Make sure ya don't have boost or drive pressure leaks, verify injectors and HPO system are healthy, etc BEFORE getting a chip. Run gauges for awhile before the chip and get a baseline for how he truck runs and you'll have a more quantitative way to measure the increase in performance.

Keep us posted!

 

^ and ^^ right on!

 

Gauges... yup. I didn't know I had massive exhaust leaks until I had a boost gauge: "So that's why the truck is so loud." That alone gave me a quieter truck and a lot more power. These rigs have very respectable power, acceleration, and fuel economy when they are 100% and unmodified.

Tuners for turbodiesels have a profound impact on performance (at no cost to economy if you drive sane). It's not one of those "yea, I can feel it" things. It's an "Oh my freaking gawd" thing. But... more power means more wear if "All she wants to do is dance", and you might as well put a flush handle on your wallet at the pump. This was already said and seconded above... I'm just making sure the point is pounded into the ground but good.

 

Thank you for the advice. I have run the truck hard and soft and to tell the truth I haven't seen much difference on the mpg, maybe 20 miles less in the tank. Also my odometer was calibrated by the previous owner. And if I can see a mile per gallon gain I'm ok. So I'm guessing I should get the gauges first? How much can I get them for and how much to get them install, I live in Minneapolis, mn and its to cold for me to do anything on the truck right ow.

 

Hey tugly now that you mention it, I think I should get my exhaust checked because my truck is really really loud. How much was it to fix the exhaust leak?

 

This ought to be good...

 

Yes. Here's a link to a supporting vendor here. These gauges come with wiring kits that make install a breeze. I'd say you should be able to install them in a couple hours - mostly from inside the cab with the heat on. My recommendation would be a 4-gauge pod with Fuel Pressure, EGT, boost and an Aeroforce Scangauge (don't think Riffraff has the scangauge...). You'll have to ask for Fuel Pressure instead of trans temp and the 4-gauge pod instead of 3-gauge with this 'package':

Riffraff Diesel: RDP Triple Pillar Gauge Kit

The AF Scangauge can display any parameter the engine monitors including, trans temp, engine oil temp, ICP, IPR Duty Cycle, Exhaust Backpressure - as well as doing on-board diagnostics injector Buzz Test and Cylinder Contribution Test. This 'tool' combined with help from your forum friends here can likely prevent you from ever having to go to the dealer or mechanic to find out whats wrong with your truck. These can be found 'on sale' for $220ish from time to time...

Aeroforce Technology Inc | Products - Interceptor

As for boost leaks (these are between turbo and heads), here's a good video on building a leak detector and how to use it:


Up-pipe (aka drive pressure) leaks are also common on these trucks. These are in the tubing between the exhaust manifold and the turbo. Get under the truck with a bright light and look at where the pipes go into the collector behind the turbo. If there is soot/staining on the pipes, the 'donut' seal at this connection is leaking and hurting your power and MPG. There are a couple ways to fix this and your ultimate goal will determine what is the best way to do it.

Keep us posted!!!!!!!!!

 

IMO your lift and tires is killing your MPG's.

 

as everyone stated above, make sure the truck is running properly,get gauges,then tuner..There is no reason you can't see 14mpg with your truck,if its healthy..my truck averages 14-15 mpg (driven properly)weight on the scales is 8440 with out me.....

 

Shake-N-Bake saw it coming.

andres0517 If you have exhaust leaks, it could be a few bucks for some donuts and it's done.

In answer to your question: I estimate mine was about $12,000 - $15,000. Your retort would likely be "But Tugly, I don't see how an exhaust leak can cost that much, and I would never spend that kind of money on the truck anyway." That's what we all say, as did I. Of course, PMS (Powerstroke Mod Syndrome) is what happens to crazy people on the web, not me. My total exhaust system was about 10% of that, with two new manifolds (both bad), bellowed up pipes, collector, 4" exhaust, with downpipe, muffler, and installation (I don't do stubborn exhaust bolts and all that metal-twisting to get everything to connect). "Wow, it's quiet and has a lot more spunk..." (I had a 60 HP tune at this time) "...but why does the acceleration fall off at higher RPMs?"

That's when I got real stupid and ordered AutoEnginuity software for the truck... and the Ford Power Control / Emissions Diagnostics manual from Amazon. "Oh my gawd, I can see everything going on in my truck." Being the perfectionist I am, (some call it Obsessive Compulsive, but I think they're just lazy and jealous) "Oh my gawd, my truck is sick and it's only giving me a portion of what it's capable of." Never let a person who matches the color of washer fluid with the radiator coolant have the tools to scrutinise a turbodiesel... he'll simply lose it.

AE says my ICP is low at WOT, and my IPR is reaching 100%. I'm in an esoteric acronym hell, but I don't know any better because I'm enjoying finding the answers to my questions. I buy a new HPOP, an FRx, 4 gallons of synthetic oil, oil filter, and order up gobs of O-rings. I'm off to tech day at woodnthings to rescue the world (under my hood). I crowd his driveway for an entire day and he jumps in to help because I am such a pathetic diesel mechanic. On the test drive home, I showed the first signs of my next syndrome: Permagrin. "Now why does the SES light wave at me when I get on it?" That's how it snowballs.

Facts:

• A new truck that can meet or exceed the capabilities of my current truck would cost about $50,000 - $60,000.
• New trucks cannot be worked on without lifting the body.
• The emissions systems on new diesel trucks that meet EPA standards are unreliable, complex, and fiercely expensive.
• They go about 200,000 miles before they need major work.
• It has been said by reputable people that 200K is about the service limit and it is no longer economically viable to maintain ownership of the truck.

"Stinky" has cost me money, but it's still a lot less than a new truck and I've already bet that my truck lasts longer than a new one for less money... but my marred knuckles need convincing.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^ loco...

The recovery rate is in fact very low from PMS. In fact, the only 'cures' I know of resulted from the inflicted having purchased one of those $60k trucks and no longer being able to afford the same level of PMS (or any other previously enjoyed luxuries ). The closest thing to rehab are forums like this one - and you can see how that's workin' for Tugly...

Fortunately, I can quit anytime I want.

 

Women have it easy, My PMS is 24/7/365... It's not as severe as Tugly's though. He should be hospitalized.

 

Only if he is allowed access to his truck and AE, so we can follow his exploites!