Intro and MDS Question - 2016 Big Horn

[GSchwizzy]

Hello All.

This is Gregg from SE WI... I just converted back over to a Ram owner, bought a 2016 Big Horn 5.7 over the weekend. I'm sure I'll have some questions on the vehicle over time... and it looks like this is a good place to go!

Anyways... I have one question that's been driving me nuts since I bought it, and can't find the answer anywhere. Again, thought folks on here would know...

Excuse my ignorance, but do all 2016 5.7s have the Multi-Displacement engine in them? I'm still learning the layout of the instrument panel, etc... and do not see any sort of 'ECO' indicator showing that ECO mode has been enabled. I checked the owners manual, and unless I missed it (totally possible) it doesn't say anything either...

Did the dealership lie to me? They said it had it.

Now, I know there's a lot of 'back and forth' on the topic... so I don't want this to turn into one of "those" threads, just looking for someone to point me in the right direction for the correct answer. If it doesn't have it, it doesn't have it... I guess the 8-speed will help out with fuel economy. We travel to central WI quite a bit in summer, and while I'm not towing my boat... it would be nice to save some gas. That is, if MDS does actually do that. My wife and I had an 06' 300C (5.7) and we LOVED the MDS on there... that tank got 26-28mpg on the highway!

Ok, enough rambling. Thanks in advance to all for any info you can share. Take care,

Gregg S.

 

[Jwithing]

Hello All.

This is Gregg from SE WI... I just converted back over to a Ram owner, bought a 2016 Big Horn 5.7 over the weekend. I'm sure I'll have some questions on the vehicle over time... and it looks like this is a good place to go!

Anyways... I have one question that's been driving me nuts since I bought it, and can't find the answer anywhere. Again, thought folks on here would know...

Excuse my ignorance, but do all 2016 5.7s have the Multi-Displacement engine in them? I'm still learning the layout of the instrument panel, etc... and do not see any sort of 'ECO' indicator showing that ECO mode has been enabled. I checked the owners manual, and unless I missed it (totally possible) it doesn't say anything either...

Did the dealership lie to me? They said it had it.

Now, I know there's a lot of 'back and forth' on the topic... so I don't want this to turn into one of "those" threads, just looking for someone to point me in the right direction for the correct answer. If it doesn't have it, it doesn't have it... I guess the 8-speed will help out with fuel economy. We travel to central WI quite a bit in summer, and while I'm not towing my boat... it would be nice to save some gas. That is, if MDS does actually do that. My wife and I had an 06' 300C (5.7) and we LOVED the MDS on there... that tank got 26-28mpg on the highway!

Ok, enough rambling. Thanks in advance to all for any info you can share. Take care,

Gregg S.

Welcome aboard! I had an '06 and '11 300C before my ram.

All modern 5.7 hemi's have MDS. The Eco light itself can apparently be turned off/on as shown in this video. http://www.ramforum.com/threads/does-mds-actually-save-fuel.118658/page-6#post-1707176

You can only turn MDS off with a tune. That thread is also currently going about whether MDS is providing value. May be worth a read.

 

[WilliamS]

Do you have the 8.4 screen? If so the setting is in the vehicle setting on the screen. If not I have no idea where they hide it. I dont know if it also requires you to have the luxury dash as well to see the dash.

 

[MADDOG]

I just looked at my 2017 Owners manual and see no mention of an "ECO" light showing when the vehicle is in or out of MDS mode.

 

[stimpy433]

I just looked at my 2017 Owners manual and see no mention of an "ECO" light showing when the vehicle is in or out of MDS mode.

The "ECO" light is completely different, it just tells you when you are driving "fuel saving" economically, and goes off when you floor it!!! It doesn't have anything to do with the MDS, other then it might come on while the MDS is engaged while cruising down the highway....

 

[Hemi Lonestar]

As already stated all 5.7 Hemi’s have MDS. The ECO light will tell you when the MDS is on, you can enable or disable the ECO light in the settings menu through the radio. You can disable MDS by pushing the “-“ button on the steering wheel and then pushing the “+” button until 8th gear displays next to the “P R N D” on the cluster. When I turn off the MDS this way cruising down the highway the ECO light instantly turns off.


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[Ramm5.7]

I drive my 17 bighorn 95% of the time with mds off by using the plus/minus buttons on the right side of steering wheel. Ocasionally will engage it when just cruising along. The "eco" would be in the red circle and as you can tell i have the MDS off by 8th gear indicated.
Like above posts say, check in 8.4 screen for vehicle settings?

 

[GSchwizzy]

Thanks for all the quick replies... I appreciate it. I will check out that video, along with a lot of the other threads on here like the preferred oil to use in the 5.7 Hemis.

Anyways, yes, I do have the 8.4" screen... and I will certainly check into the Settings.

Thanks again. Still learning here!

Take care.

 

[Ramm5.7]

Oh, and....

 

[GSchwizzy]

Thanks guys.

I'm gonna sound like a real 'noob' here, so my apologies ahead of time.

I watched the video in the link posted above, and read all the replies and I'm even more confused now. Maybe I can explain my confusion...

1.) So this is where I am confused the most. I 'thought' the ECO light turned on in conjunction with the MDS kicking in, to tell you (me) that 4 cylinders out of the 8 have shut down... which means, saving gas when basically cruising.

2.) I checked the Settings in the Nav display and didn't see the ECO light display setting, but I think I was in the wrong menu... I will check for it when I go home today.

3.) I'm also not understanding this "-/+" button thing on the steering wheel. So, am I correct in saying that when you first start the vehicle (and in 'D'), you can press the "-", then the "+" and set the transmission to use all 8 gears? Why isn't the transmission using all 8 gears all of the time? I'm failing to see the reasoning behind having to set the 8 gears, and when is it beneficial to NOT use all 8? Very confusing to me, sorry.

4.) For the record, I'm not looking to disable or permanently turn off the MDS, I just wanted to know if I have it... and how to know when it kicks on/off, which is what I thought the ECO light was for.

Am I making sense here, or am I the one out in left field? If it's the latter of the 2, that's ok... I'll keep diggin'. Thanks to all for the replies. Much appreciated.

 

[GSchwizzy]

I will get to adding/updating a signature here soon... just busy. Thank you!

 

[Ramm5.7]

I will answer as best I can but I'm sure other more knowledgeable members will chime in.
1: im sure mds is on all the time. Its my umderstanding that eco icon is related to gas pedal pressure/location. Cycling thru settings with up/down buttons on left of wheel gets you to a green graph (MPG). This (i think) is in conjunction to eco icon? Others will correct me.
3: The transmission ALWAYS is using all 8 gears in drive ( including mds). The only way to shut off the mds is by using the plus/minus buttons on the steering wheel(other than a custom tune in the computer). Basically the buttons are the equivalent of a manual shifter for our computer controlled Rams without a shifter
3: As far as if you have it, you do! If all else fails drive with the windows down, cruise along letting tranny shift normally and you will hear the exaust note change and truck kind of putting along.
Hope this helps some

 

[indept]

You have it so double check the menus to make Eco turn on. When MDS is active the Eco light will be on but the ECO light on doesn't always mean MDS is active. It also comes on when you're using light throttle. You can hear a different " tone" in the exhaust when MDS is on. To hear it get on a fairly level open road & set the cruise control to 30 mph. When it activates you will hear a change in the exhaust tone and the mpg indicator on the dash will go to about 30 mpg.

As for the 8 speed, it automatically uses all of the gears, the +- buttons are manual shift, when activated the trans will only go as high as the max gear you select and that shuts off MDS. Tow haul mode also disables MDS.

 

[1500canoe]

The +/- gear buttons just let you set a MAX gear to use. So if you set it to 5th, your transmission will be limited to no higher than 5th gear. Setting it to 8th is the same as how it normally runs, no limit. The only difference is that it disables MDS.

Typically I only use the +/- buttons when I want to disable MDS or when using the trans/engine as a brake on a long hill descent.

 

[Jimmy07]

Couple of corrections to some of these posts:

Activating tow/haul mode DOES NOT disable MDS

The ECO light DOES NOT have anything to do with MDS.

ECO is not a “mode”. It’s just a light that comes on to inform you that you’re driving economically. It just happens to come on when MDS is activated because, well...you’re driving economically. But, you could also be driving economically with MDS deactivated.

If you don’t want to know or don’t care when you’re driving economically, then you can disable the ECO light through your user settings in the radio.

The “+/-“ gear selector is not technically “manual shift”. It’s called electronic range selection. When you put your truck in drive, and you select “7”, your truck will shift normally through all the gears UP TO 7, but it will not shift into 8. You can downshift through gears “on demand” using the “-“ button, but you can’t upshift on demand. People normally use the feature to lock out higher gears when hauling trailers through hills to keep the engine from lugging.

 

[Jwithing]

Couple of corrections to some of these posts:

Activating tow/haul mode DOES NOT disable MDS

The ECO light DOES NOT have anything to do with MDS.

ECO is not a “mode”. It’s just a light that comes on to inform you that you’re driving economically. It just happens to come on when MDS is activated because, well...you’re driving economically. But, you could also be driving economically with MDS deactivated.

If you don’t want to know or don’t care when you’re driving economically, then you can disable the ECO light through your user settings in the radio.

The “+/-“ gear selector is not technically “manual shift”. It’s called electronic range selection. When you put your truck in drive, and you select “7”, your truck will shift normally through all the gears UP TO 7, but it will not shift into 8. You can downshift through gears “on demand” using the “-“ button, but you can’t upshift on demand. People normally use the feature to lock out higher gears when hauling trailers through hills to keep the engine from lugging.

^ agree 100%

 

[GSchwizzy]

Got it... thanks to all. I understand everything better now, and just not used to having the "-/+" feature on a vehicle, but I guess can be handy when towing.

So... last question, when I'm towing my boat, what would benefit my mpg the most:

A.) Using the electronic range selection, to set to maybe 6th gear?
B.) Use the tow/haul button on the center console?

Or, are A and B above the same thing basically? I understand the "-" can aid in downshifting going downhill.

Thanks again.

 

[GSchwizzy]

One last follow-up here...

So we're heading out of town later today... driving mostly highway speeds (70-75mph), with a light load no towing of anything.

If I get in the truck and leave the "-/+" buttons alone, will that be the 'best' (i.e. most economical) way to drive up north since I won't be towing? I thought I read either here or some other thread (I can't find it) that once you turn the vehicle off and restart it, the settings you had set the electronic range selection are gone.

I just want to be sure I am using those correctly, and using the 8th gear... as I would "think" it would be the optimal way to drive without towing anything.

Sorry, I don't mean to beat the proverbial dead horse here.

Thanks much.

 

[Rampant]

Couple of corrections to some of these posts:

Activating tow/haul mode DOES NOT disable MDS

The ECO light DOES NOT have anything to do with MDS.

ECO is not a “mode”. It’s just a light that comes on to inform you that you’re driving economically. It just happens to come on when MDS is activated because, well...you’re driving economically. But, you could also be driving economically with MDS deactivated.

If you don’t want to know or don’t care when you’re driving economically, then you can disable the ECO light through your user settings in the radio.

The “+/-“ gear selector is not technically “manual shift”. It’s called electronic range selection. When you put your truck in drive, and you select “7”, your truck will shift normally through all the gears UP TO 7, but it will not shift into 8. You can downshift through gears “on demand” using the “-“ button, but you can’t upshift on demand. People normally use the feature to lock out higher gears when hauling trailers through hills to keep the engine from lugging.

Can you prove the top two things? Because I'll tell you what, I've used TH mode a LOT and the MDS has never kicked in one time. Also, the the eco light has never came on one time without the MDS kicking in. They are absolutely linked in my truck. If you have a CAI on a 6.4, there is zero chance you will mistake the sound it makes when MDS kicks in.

 

[Ramnewbie]

Can you prove the top two things? Because I'll tell you what, I've used TH mode a LOT and the MDS has never kicked in one time. Also, the the eco light has never came on one time without the MDS kicking in. They are absolutely linked in my truck. If you have a CAI on a 6.4, there is zero chance you will mistake the sound it makes when MDS kicks in.

Maybe it's the difference between the 1500 and 2500 or 5.7 and 6.4. my eco light comes on without MDS enguaged, which it appears they are not tied together. Don't k own about t/h mode, haven't checked that out.

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