2016 Dodge Ram 1500 MDS

[antmar904]

Hello.

I recently purchased a 2016 dodge ram 1500 laramie and was not aware of what MDS was or that my truck even had it.

I saw a chip that is being sold on amazon that permanently disables this feature but was not sure if anyone has done this or if it will break anything or void factory warranty.

 

[Hookedup87]

Just manually turn it off with the gear selector on the steering wheel each time you head out. Very simple. Tons of videos on YouTube on how to do it.


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[AE5548]

Hello.

I recently purchased a 2016 dodge ram 1500 laramie and was not aware of what MDS was or that my truck even had it.

I saw a chip that is being sold on amazon that permanently disables this feature but was not sure if anyone has done this or if it will break anything or void factory warranty.

Yes, messing with the trucks engine computer will void that portion of your warranty. As Hookedup mentioned, just disable it manually. That being said, why do you want to disable it? It doesn't hurt your trucks reliability in any way and doesn't make your truck slower. What it does do is help improve MPG on the highway. The only reason i could see disabling it is if you want a loud exhaust and don't want to hear the drone when it switches on or if you are racing and can't risk losing a race from the 1/2 second it takes to disengage.

 

[kurek]

Man this is one of the most bizarre controversies concerning vehicles I've ever seen.. I've tried turning MDS off manually for a week at a time, then leaving it alone for a week and just driving around and I can never tell a difference... and it's silent when it does engage I can only tell by the eco indicator in the EVIC and if I have cruise control on and a long flat piece of road I can watch the MPG indicator move up a tick a half minute or so after I switch from manually selected 6th (my truck has the 6 speed) to drive. Maybe it depends on the exact configuration my truck is lightweight (reg cab short bed) and has the single side exit exhaust. When I was deliberately turning it off to see what I was supposedly missing, the truck never felt like it had any more power or was any more responsive to quick changes in throttle - the transmission always feels like the slowest part of that equation.

 

[Wild one]

Man this is one of the most bizarre controversies concerning vehicles I've ever seen.. I've tried turning MDS off manually for a week at a time, then leaving it alone for a week and just driving around and I can never tell a difference... and it's silent when it does engage I can only tell by the eco indicator in the EVIC and if I have cruise control on and a long flat piece of road I can watch the MPG indicator move up a tick a half minute or so after I switch from manually selected 6th (my truck has the 6 speed) to drive. Maybe it depends on the exact configuration my truck is lightweight (reg cab short bed) and has the single side exit exhaust. When I was deliberately turning it off to see what I was supposedly missing, the truck never felt like it had any more power or was any more responsive to quick changes in throttle - the transmission always feels like the slowest part of that equation.

Eco mode doesn't mean the MDS is engaged.All that means is you're driving in an economical manner.My truck doesn't have the MDS solenoids or even the wiring harness for them anymore,and the Eco light still comes on,lol

 

[kurek]

Eco mode doesn't mean the MDS is engaged.All that means is you're driving in an economical manner.My truck doesn't have the MDS solenoids or even the wiring harness for them anymore,and the Eco light still comes on,lol

Two minor points on this; first is that I've still never felt or heard any difference when driving the vehicle with 6th gear manually selected or just in plain ol Drive, when we would presume MDS should be operational and in particular I can see the MPG display change predictably if I get on a long straight road with cruise control on & then switch from 6th (manually selected) to D .

Second I think it's fair to say that removing the solenoids wouldn't have any bearing on whether the indicator reports that it's trying to switch MDS on or not - like I could take the headlight bulbs out of my wife's car and the blue "high beams" indicator would still come on when the switch is trying to turn the high beams on because the blue light doesn't indicate that it checked actual light output, only that the circuit for that to happen is switched on.

 

[Wild one]

Two minor points on this; first is that I've still never felt or heard any difference when driving the vehicle with 6th gear manually selected or just in plain ol Drive, when we would presume MDS should be operational and in particular I can see the MPG display change predictably if I get on a long straight road with cruise control on & then switch from 6th (manually selected) to D .

Second I think it's fair to say that removing the solenoids wouldn't have any bearing on whether the indicator reports that it's trying to switch MDS on or not - like I could take the headlight bulbs out of my wife's car and the blue "high beams" indicator would still come on when the switch is trying to turn the high beams on because the blue light doesn't indicate that it checked actual light output, only that the circuit for that to happen is switched on.

MDS is deactivated in my truck,i could have left the solenoids in,if i wanted,but i took them out and installed billet block off plugs,computor isn't telling my solenoids squat as it's been deleted in the tune,but i still get the eco light on when i drive it like grandma.Do a search,it's already been documented several times on here that you can have the Eco light on and not have mds activated

 

[Ridgerunner665]

An observation I've made since getting the Carven exhaust on my truck...

I never turned MDS off on my truck... sometimes I could sorta tell when it switched, but not often.

With the Carven exhaust, its really easy to tell when its on.... and I never knew until now just how often it kicks in and out...it really is seamless most of the time and can't be felt, most of the time.

A loud exhaust changes that of course because you can hear it....but I was honestly surprised that it switched back and forth so often and so smoothly.

MDS doesn't bother me....I do turn it off now, with the loud exhaust, sometimes on back roads.... on the big roads I just let it do its thing.

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[ramffml]

Man this is one of the most bizarre controversies concerning vehicles I've ever seen.. I've tried turning MDS off manually for a week at a time, then leaving it alone for a week and just driving around and I can never tell a difference... and it's silent when it does engage I can only tell by the eco indicator in the EVIC and if I have cruise control on and a long flat piece of road I can watch the MPG indicator move up a tick a half minute or so after I switch from manually selected 6th (my truck has the 6 speed) to drive. Maybe it depends on the exact configuration my truck is lightweight (reg cab short bed) and has the single side exit exhaust. When I was deliberately turning it off to see what I was supposedly missing, the truck never felt like it had any more power or was any more responsive to quick changes in throttle - the transmission always feels like the slowest part of that equation.

The problem with MDS, is that it works differently in different trucks (either that or some owners are just oblivious). In my truck, when MDS activates it sometimes "tugs", and same thing when it deactivates, little tug/fish bite. Annoying to say the least. And while it is active, the loss in power is obvious as well, have to push the pedal more to keep power on slight slopes or when traffic speeds up.

Now say you're in traffic and you need to speed up a bit (to pass someone or whatever); you're in MDS and hit the gas. First the truck "jerks" as MDS switches off, then another surge when downshifting ; it's not smooth and seamless in every truck.

There are some luck truck owners who do not have this effect. But if it happens to you, it can trigger an OCD like response and just bugs the everlasting cr_p out of me. Childish to be upset over something so small, perhaps, but I cannot stand it.

I also do not find it to be effective, as in, if I'm doing 1 hour of highway driving in 8th gear, ECO might be active for a grand total of < 5 minutes spread out over that hour. And since it only activates when I'm pretty much holding steady anyway and using very little fuel, trying to reduce that fuel even more doesn't mean you're saving that much.

Finally; I do not like it when an engine lugs, and that's the feeling I get when MDS activates.

 

[kurek]

I also do not find it to be effective, as in, if I'm doing 1 hour of highway driving in 8th gear, ECO might be active for a grand total of < 5 minutes spread out over that hour. And since it only activates when I'm pretty much holding steady anyway and using very little fuel, trying to reduce that fuel even more doesn't mean you're saving that much.
.

I'm curious is your truck modified at all?

I lifted mine and added slightly larger tires (265/70r17>285/70r17) and drove it like that for a long time without correcting the speedometer, I would just use the speedometer on my nav unit to tell how fast I'm going so it didn't matter that the speedo was off ~4%. It wasn't a very big change and MDS still worked but later when I corrected the tire size using JScan I noticed immediately that the eco light would turn on earlier and stay on longer on my same commutes. I know that people say the eco light isn't a 100% MDS indicator and I do not care to get into that debate but surely they overlap to some extent.

It's possible that with accurate speed information the engine computer is better able to compare throttle input and speed and how much work it's doing. That would probably not change anything at all about how MDS feels or sounds when it happens if yours is an unlucky truck but it might change how often it flips back and forth.

 

[46RamMan]

Say what you want...... BUT if I wanted a 4banger truck I would have bought a *** truck.. just saying!!!

 

[shadowhawk]

I did it in my tuner options

 

[ramffml]

I'm curious is your truck modified at all?

I lifted mine and added slightly larger tires (265/70r17>285/70r17) and drove it like that for a long time without correcting the speedometer, I would just use the speedometer on my nav unit to tell how fast I'm going so it didn't matter that the speedo was off ~4%. It wasn't a very big change and MDS still worked but later when I corrected the tire size using JScan I noticed immediately that the eco light would turn on earlier and stay on longer on my same commutes. I know that people say the eco light isn't a 100% MDS indicator and I do not care to get into that debate but surely they overlap to some extent.

It's possible that with accurate speed information the engine computer is better able to compare throttle input and speed and how much work it's doing. That would probably not change anything at all about how MDS feels or sounds when it happens if yours is an unlucky truck but it might change how often it flips back and forth.

My truck is stock, with the exception of adding tow hooks, sumo springs, and a hellwig swaybar, none of which would effect MDS though.

I also run 89/91 octane, and redline 5w-30. I have noticed that MDS was far worse when brand new, I would literally feel every tug from activating and deactivating. After switching to 91 octane I no longer felt as many activations, but deactivating is still there. With the redline switch over, the activations decreased as well as the deactivations, but it still happens far too often for my liking. I have 28,000 KM on the dial at this point, so I don't think things are going to get any better than they are right now.

(And I'm not sure whether the octane/oil is actually making the symtoms better, or whether it's just "breaking in" better through time naturally on it's own, but that would be an interesting test as well, go back to standard 5w-20 oil and 87 octane and see what that does).

 

[Adamcr68]

My truck is stock, with the exception of adding tow hooks, sumo springs, and a hellwig swaybar, none of which would effect MDS though.

I also run 89/91 octane, and redline 5w-30. I have noticed that MDS was far worse when brand new, I would literally feel every tug from activating and deactivating. After switching to 91 octane I no longer felt as many activations, but deactivating is still there. With the redline switch over, the activations decreased as well as the deactivations, but it still happens far too often for my liking. I have 28,000 KM on the dial at this point, so I don't think things are going to get any better than they are right now.

(And I'm not sure whether the octane/oil is actually making the symtoms better, or whether it's just "breaking in" better through time naturally on it's own, but that would be an interesting test as well, go back to standard 5w-20 oil and 87 octane and see what that does).

I didn’t see the year your truck is, my 15 ‘s owners manual recommends using 89 octane which I saw after using 87 for a year, I recently added a pulsar to turn off the mds but still use +/- on the steering wheel

 

[tron67j]

There are a number of threads on this, here is one that is a few items down from this one in same category.

https://www.ramforum.com/threads/mds-did-you-turn-it-off-or-leave-it-on.145418/

 

[Pull Ya]

If you have a 16 Ram 1500 I assume you have the 8 speed trans. If this is true you can simply manually put the trans in "7 or 8" and the MDS will not come on. The other way to get rid of the MDS is with a custom tune however you will have to buy a tuner and unlock your PCM to disable your MDS that way. The MDS and the "Eco light" are two separate functions, you can have both, or either one individually but they are not specifically tied to each other. If you install an aftermarket muffler on your truck and you drive on the highway with the MDS engaged your exhaust will sound like you're farting in a bathtub. It's horrible, to say the least. My MDS has been disengaged for years and I think my mileage went down about 1mpg because of it. These are my experiences---yours may be different.
Jay

 

[ramffml]

If you have a 16 Ram 1500 I assume you have the 8 speed trans. If this is true you can simply manually put the trans in "7 or 8" and the MDS will not come on. The other way to get rid of the MDS is with a custom tune however you will have to buy a tuner and unlock your PCM to disable your MDS that way. The MDS and the "Eco light" are two separate functions, you can have both, or either one individually but they are not specifically tied to each other. If you install an aftermarket muffler on your truck and you drive on the highway with the MDS engaged your exhaust will sound like you're farting in a bathtub. It's horrible, to say the least. My MDS has been disengaged for years and I think my mileage went down about 1mpg because of it. These are my experiences---yours may be different.
Jay

Perhaps for < 2019. 5th gens, ECO = MDS. Fact.

Also I tested tow haul mode, and it definitely disables MDS. You can verify this yourself, go for a drive and cruise just enough to engage MDS. Hold the speed/pedal steady, then flip the TH button, ECO light goes off and little "tug" and change in exhaust, MDS gets shut down. Keep holding speed/pedal, then disable TH. 2 seconds later, little tug, exhaust note changes, and ECO light comes on.

 

[craiger4233]

If you have a 16 Ram 1500 I assume you have the 8 speed trans. If this is true you can simply manually put the trans in "7 or 8" and the MDS will not come on. The other way to get rid of the MDS is with a custom tune however you will have to buy a tuner and unlock your PCM to disable your MDS that way. The MDS and the "Eco light" are two separate functions, you can have both, or either one individually but they are not specifically tied to each other. If you install an aftermarket muffler on your truck and you drive on the highway with the MDS engaged your exhaust will sound like you're farting in a bathtub. It's horrible, to say the least. My MDS has been disengaged for years and I think my mileage went down about 1mpg because of it. These are my experiences---yours may be different.
Jay

Is there a thread or sticky somewhere defining all the abbreviations and acronyms that are over my head?

 

[69GWC]

Perhaps for < 2019. 5th gens, ECO = MDS. Fact.

Also I tested tow haul mode, and it definitely disables MDS. You can verify this yourself, go for a drive and cruise just enough to engage MDS. Hold the speed/pedal steady, then flip the TH button, ECO light goes off and little "tug" and change in exhaust, MDS gets shut down. Keep holding speed/pedal, then disable TH. 2 seconds later, little tug, exhaust note changes, and ECO light comes on.

My 2016 will engage mds while towing a trailer in TH mode.
Only thing shuts mine off is to manually put it in 8th gear or lower.

 

[ramffml]

My 2016 will engage mds while towing a trailer in TH mode.
Only thing shuts mine off is to manually put it in 8th gear or lower.

That's very well possible. At some point (probably 5th gen) they switched things around.

My truck won't engage MDS pulling a trailer, regardless of TH or not. Towing just works the truck enough so that it needs more than 4 cylinders can give. It won't even shift past 7. Guess that depends on size of your trailer, most of the time I lock out to 6th gear, sit at about 2300 rpms and cruise around 63 mph.