Recommendations for clean tuning
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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So is it better to tow with a tune or not? I think the truck drives fine stock and Im happy with stock mileage. I just bought the tuner to improve on whats there. If it does not do that safely, then Im fine running stock. Ive noticed that the performance tune is not as smoothe as stock but I left the transmission settings in stock not performance. I have not tried the street or tow tune yet as it takes about 20 minutes to change a tune....
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: San Jose, CA
A tuner will disable regens. So for sure, you'll save, in my case, about 5-6% fuel consumption. When EGR used, it supposedly costs 5% economy, so figure about 5-10% increase over stock when driving empty with a tuner. I see EGR used a lot (up to 20% opening) when I'm under load accelerating onto a freeway or hauling up a hill. Otherwise there isn't much used (2-3% opening, or none at all in cold weather) when driving empty on straight flat freeway
If you're towing a lot, then significantly reduced backpressure under load from a missing DPF should help quite a bit more.
If you asked me, the ROI on a tuner is quite a few years if you drive a lot. Longer if you don't. Don't buy one thinking you'll save $$ measured in miles/gallon. Buy it for the smiles/gallon.
If you're towing a lot, then significantly reduced backpressure under load from a missing DPF should help quite a bit more.
If you asked me, the ROI on a tuner is quite a few years if you drive a lot. Longer if you don't. Don't buy one thinking you'll save $$ measured in miles/gallon. Buy it for the smiles/gallon.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Georgia
If you asked me, the ROI on a tuner is quite a few years if you drive a lot. Longer if you don't. Don't buy one thinking you'll save $$ measured in miles/gallon. Buy it for the smiles/gallon.
__________________
With the country's leadership (I use that term lightly) having a stated goal of gas pricdes at 7 or 8 bucks a gallon, where will diesel be? I think we could see 5.50 or 6 this summer. So the ROI might come faster than we think.
__________________
With the country's leadership (I use that term lightly) having a stated goal of gas pricdes at 7 or 8 bucks a gallon, where will diesel be? I think we could see 5.50 or 6 this summer. So the ROI might come faster than we think.
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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Ok, so Ive had the SCT 3015 tuner on my truck for 2 days now. I bought it thinking I would get better mileage. I had no idea how much faster it would make the truck. I drove my truck easy before and never really floored it much because I wanted to save on fuel. Now its hard to stay off the pedal because I keep wanting to test how fast it feels..... Shifts feel good but I left transmission setting on stock. I have only ran the performance tune with the traction control off so far. It takes about 20 minutes to switch tunes which is my only complaint but for the cost I cant complain.....
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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SCT 3015 tuner for sale or trade. $300. One week old. I like the tuner but tow often and it takes about 20 minutes to reprogram. Will trade for a banks 6gun +$ or sell outright. If now I will continue using. Thanks
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From: Frederick, MD
Not selling mine..but there is more at bankspower.com
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From: Frederick, MD
I got your pm. Your settings won't allow me to reply.
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Junior User
Joined: Oct 2003
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Clean Tuner
Ok, I sold the SCT. Probably too soon. I miss it. It was a good tuner. I wanted shift on the fly. Now I can start from scratch. I dont want to do a dpf delete or change current exhaust. Just looking for plug and play.
The Banks 6 gun looks good and automatically downgrades to protect the vehicle.
Any other suggestions out there or is this really the best way to go?
The Banks 6 gun looks good and automatically downgrades to protect the vehicle.
Any other suggestions out there or is this really the best way to go?
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2005
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From: San Jose, CA
I think the Banks is the hands-down best choice if you want to leave everything stock and DPF-on
Reason why I say it is... After putting 2 and 2 together and reading numerous threads over the past few years, it seems to me DPF-on tunes from the other tuners tend to be based on an earlier factory stock cal. It's not clear to me soot output was a major consideration because quite a few dpf-on folks were complaining about more frequent regens. The tunes are more than likely based on whatever the current factory cal that was available when the tuner guys started working on the tune....meaning they are based on an '08 tune since that's when our trucks first came out and DPF-on tunes started being available.
A tell-tale symptom of a DPF-on tune being based on a early factory cal is the behaviour of regens. If regens race the engine at 1200rpm while stopped at a stoplight, that was something that happened on early '08 calibrations and was later changed by the factory for sure before '09.
Banks doesn't actually overwrite the factory cal, so you are guaranteed to have your existing calibration's safeties, shift schedule, etc by design. And if you get your truck updated at the dealer, you're guaranteed to benefit from the latest features from it as well
Reason why I say it is... After putting 2 and 2 together and reading numerous threads over the past few years, it seems to me DPF-on tunes from the other tuners tend to be based on an earlier factory stock cal. It's not clear to me soot output was a major consideration because quite a few dpf-on folks were complaining about more frequent regens. The tunes are more than likely based on whatever the current factory cal that was available when the tuner guys started working on the tune....meaning they are based on an '08 tune since that's when our trucks first came out and DPF-on tunes started being available.
A tell-tale symptom of a DPF-on tune being based on a early factory cal is the behaviour of regens. If regens race the engine at 1200rpm while stopped at a stoplight, that was something that happened on early '08 calibrations and was later changed by the factory for sure before '09.
Banks doesn't actually overwrite the factory cal, so you are guaranteed to have your existing calibration's safeties, shift schedule, etc by design. And if you get your truck updated at the dealer, you're guaranteed to benefit from the latest features from it as well
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