RVGuy
Senior Member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2019
- Posts
- 356
- Reaction score
- 548
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
- Ram Year
- 2015
- Engine
- Hemi 5.7
Hey all,
I've had MDS turned off (manually by selecting gears) essentially since I bought my truck with 8 miles on the odometer. I had read somewhere that the MDS could cause damage to the truck, specifically the dreaded lifter failure.
That was almost 5 years ago and I've done quite a bit of reading (and driving, I'm at 158,500 miles now) since then and I'm not sure it's true. Is there any actual evidence that the MDS could be the cause of any long term damage to the engine? I mean the system has been out for, what, 14 years or so now? I'd think if it was some horrible thing there'd be huge uproar and widespread failures but I still see a lot of 3rd gens and pre-2013 1500s with the 5.7 rolling around here. Not to mention all the other vehicles with the MDS in them on the road.
I'm not trying to debate if the MDS really does anything for fuel economy. I've let mine run for a few tanks of gas here and there and for my driving style and commute is does actually make a worthwhile difference when I hand calculate my mileage. I'd like to just let the MDS run but I'm concerned about it doing harm to the truck. I want to milk as many miles out of this thing as possible before I buy another truck so to me longevity trumps fuel economy.
So, what's the verdict? Is MDS actually harmful to the hemi or is that an old wives tale made up because we just love to hear that V8 growl all the time?
I've had MDS turned off (manually by selecting gears) essentially since I bought my truck with 8 miles on the odometer. I had read somewhere that the MDS could cause damage to the truck, specifically the dreaded lifter failure.
That was almost 5 years ago and I've done quite a bit of reading (and driving, I'm at 158,500 miles now) since then and I'm not sure it's true. Is there any actual evidence that the MDS could be the cause of any long term damage to the engine? I mean the system has been out for, what, 14 years or so now? I'd think if it was some horrible thing there'd be huge uproar and widespread failures but I still see a lot of 3rd gens and pre-2013 1500s with the 5.7 rolling around here. Not to mention all the other vehicles with the MDS in them on the road.
I'm not trying to debate if the MDS really does anything for fuel economy. I've let mine run for a few tanks of gas here and there and for my driving style and commute is does actually make a worthwhile difference when I hand calculate my mileage. I'd like to just let the MDS run but I'm concerned about it doing harm to the truck. I want to milk as many miles out of this thing as possible before I buy another truck so to me longevity trumps fuel economy.
So, what's the verdict? Is MDS actually harmful to the hemi or is that an old wives tale made up because we just love to hear that V8 growl all the time?