Looking in stopping MDS

[Anthmall38]

Looking to get ahead of lifter failures and the curse/plague that is the MDS. Im not trying to spend out the ass for a new turner and Im already aware im gonna need to get my ECM unlocked since my Rebel is past the 2015 mark. Any suggestions and possible decently priced tuner would be nice also a reliable place to send my ecm or order an unlocked one would be great.

 

[seems fishy]

Look up HPTuners,on the internet,since that is where you'll likely buy one from.The process is clearly explained there.Nothing is decently priced but somtime a used one is available.People prefer this over Diablo tuners,which I have.(Sometime unreliable for deleting MDS anyways,in my personal experience).
Your truck is 11years old so you are lucky,just use the buttons on the steering wheel to deactivate MDS, when you put your truck in gear.That is the most economical method and it works reliably.
It is honestly an,11year old vehicle so your a little late getting to the races,as far as your lifters/cam are concerned.However your not getting hemi tick from the sounds of it,so you should be happy . You CAN use a tuner for lots of other purposes,as well,which helps,justify the price.
You may not get too many responses here as the topic has been discussed for many years and can be looked up in the Archives.
Alot of people on the form have said deleting MDS,on an MDS hemi will bite you in the end due to the design of the heads.I do it anyway.
Also look up modifications to replace your cam and lifters with non MDS parts.

 

[GeauxinUp]

MDS ain't the cause of lifter/cam failures. If you're only looking into a tuner to turn off MDS, it ain't worth the price of admission.

 

[EdGs]

^^^This^^^

My cam/lifter failure was #5 cylinder, a non-MDS cylinder. Also had cam wear on both #8 lobes, also a non-MDS cylinder. Had 201k miles, I cannot complain at all, parts wear out.

If you are still set on the delete, do it properly. Use OE non-MDS lifters and a quality camshaft.

Depending upon your mileage, you may want to look at oil pump, timing components, etc., depending upon the wear you find. Be prepared to drop a some coin as well. Don't cheap out, reputable sources for parts, not Amazon or E-bay, IMO.

Good luck on your journey.

 

[Grams]

…,just use the buttons on the steering wheel to deactivate MDS, when you put your truck in gear.That is the most economical method and it works reliably.
…

Can you expand on that for us late-comers…? thx

(and how is that functionally any different than deleting via a “tuner” causing problems?)

 

[Mojo88]

......just use the buttons on the steering wheel to deactivate MDS, when you put your truck in gear.That is the most economical method and it works reliably. .......

Yep, this ^^^^^^^^ I did it this way for almost year, and it worked good. If you want something cheap (as in FREE) and easy, this is the way.

But I wanted to make a number of other minor adjustments (cooling temps, shift points, throttle sensitivity, timing, MDS), so I opted for the whole HPtuners setup. It definitely cost a few buck$$$ for everything, almost $1500, but I love it and I made all the changes I wanted without much trouble at all.

 

[GeauxinUp]

Can you expand on that for us late-comers…? thx

(and how is that functionally any different than deleting via a “tuner” causing problems?)

No real difference, other than having to do it every time you start the truck or shift in/out of park.
The process is simply engaging the gear selector button to where it shows -8 (or any gear for that matter) on the dash

 

[seems fishy]

Can you expand on that for us late-comers…? thx

(and how is that functionally any different than deleting via a “tuner”

You mentioned you prefer not spending lots of money to turn off MDS. Simply using you transmission buttons saves you a bundle of cash,at least.
I mentioned tuner products are capable of lots of other things.Initially I purchased my Diablo tunerware (if there is such a word ) because it was capable of increasing my idle rpm.(I had a good reason for that but my explanation really isn't required for this thread....my answer is long enough).The longer I had the tuner,I decided to use the 93 octane canned tune as well as the modified transmission tune,gas pedal sensitity,top/max. speed limiter,and I am happy.It gave me my monies worth.I also changed the cooling fan setting to compliment a cooler thermostat to help avoid heat soak associated with the 93 tune.It works very good and I have not had any pinging using 94octane gas. My attempts to have MDS tuned out were tried but I discovered that option is not working that well,using Diablo.It seems to only tune out the MDS,for a while,then mysteriously does not hold that deletion,and voila,MDS comes back.So I just use the steering wheel buttons.
I think MOST PEOPLE ,I am sure on the forum who have retuned their vehicle PREFER HP.It offers a better overall tune for those with a CAI,headers and other modifications etc.Diablo is okay if you don't modify any components,save catback exhaust. So If all you wanted was a tuner device,and unlocked computer to only turn off MDS( save $1500.00 or more ) do it with your steering wheel.
GeauxinUp ,and EDgs,has identified for you ,that deleting MDS does more harm than good,with a motor without,MDS delete lifters and cam,and there is very good information,and experience, to back that up.It is controversial,but they are right,as far as I understand.
AS I mentioned I prefer deleting MDS via my steering wheel buttons,(it is easy and I have an IGLA device so I already have to press buttons to enter a code,a few more dosen't hurt) and I have not modified my hemi with non MDS cam or lifters.I don't like the drone MDS creates on the turnpike with my MBRPcat backs.I do enjoy the way my truck is running.Iam pretty old so I am hoping my truck outlasts me and doesn't develop hemi tick till after I am in a geriatric care home.


[I tried making paragraghs to break up my answer but oddly when this was posted it came without paragraghs,sorry]

 

[Grams]

Thanks to Geaux and fishy …for those explanations.
I suppose I don’t want to run around in a lower gear than top-gear…so I won’t use the steering wheel electronic-shifter.

Also, my ‘15 Ram 1500 SSV was a police vehicle. it has 185K+ miles on it…with many many hours spent “idling”…. (one of the so-called reasons MDS fails)…. But the MDS works just fine on this truck…and there Is No discernable “droning” sounds when cruising with MDS active.

I’m coming to the conclusion that MDS problems are rare…and the appearance of it being a “common” problem here…. is because folks that are happy and have no problems with their trucks… Do not come to Forums such as this one and complain.

I suspect MDS must work fine for most owners. Mine certainly is doing fine after 10-years and almost Two-hundred-thousands of miles and lots of idling.

For Certain…..I’ll come back and post ..… if that should change.

Thanks again.

 

[EdGs]

I've been using my shifter buttons more lately, mainly because the MDS lugging at slower speeds I can hear more since I did the muffler delete.

When I did my cam/lifter job, I left everything stock. Cost me a bunch, yes it did, but I have new OE internal parts.

I would've spent a bit more for an unlocked PCM and an MDS delete, but I will save that for when I'm at 400k miles + and can think more about making a fun toy.

The MDS does not bother me in the least. I like getting 21+ MPG when I'm cruising, and the Hemi always makes me smile when I wake up the horses. It's a V8, mileage will vary depending on me, but I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[GeauxinUp]

I suppose I don’t want to run around in a lower gear than top-gear…so I won’t use the steering wheel electronic-shifter.

Not saying that you should or shouldn’t cancel MDS, but your understanding isn’t accurate. You can run the gear limiter up to top gear and there will be zero difference with the transmission shifting.

 

[crackerjack1957]

Thanks to Geaux and fishy …for those explanations.
I suppose I don’t want to run around in a lower gear than top-gear…so I won’t use the steering wheel electronic-shifter.

Also, my ‘15 Ram 1500 SSV was a police vehicle. it has 185K+ miles on it…with many many hours spent “idling”…. (one of the so-called reasons MDS fails)…. But the MDS works just fine on this truck…and there Is No discernable “droning” sounds when cruising with MDS active.

I’m coming to the conclusion that MDS problems are rare…and the appearance of it being a “common” problem here…. is because folks that are happy and have no problems with their trucks… Do not come to Forums such as this one and complain.

I suspect MDS must work fine for most owners. Mine certainly is doing fine after 10-years and almost Two-hundred-thousands of miles and lots of idling.

For Certain…..I’ll come back and post ..… if that should change.

Thanks again.

You can still select top gear......it's just the manual selection that takes it out of MDS mode.

 

[seems fishy]

I live in a rural area,where traffic is rare and stop signs [we boast two stoplights] are far apart. WITHOUT MDS , I have been getting cruising consistantly @ 11.5 litres per 100kms,with the 93tune which is about the high end of what the 5.7 is capable,for non city driving,and not driving aggressively,save for passing people who are going under the speed limit . It has been that way for the last month .I am NOT SAVING $$$, anything because the 94octane costs more that 91. I do like this tune ,though .

 

[04fxdwgi]

@Grams, When using the buttons, set it for 8th gear and will act normally like a regular automatic, shifting through the gears by itself. It aint complicated.

 

[Mojo88]

@Grams, When using the buttons, set it for 8th gear and will act normally like a regular automatic, shifting through the gears by itself. It ain't complicated.

Yeah, this ^^^^^^^.

Also, when I was using that technique and just driving locally, I would often set the gear selector at 6, this would do two things.... it would stop the MDS, and it would prevent the transmission from shifting into 7 or 8, something which I didn't want at 35mph.

Whatever you set the gear selector at, that's the highest gear number that the transmission will shift into. In other words, if you set it at 5, then the trans will only shift up to 5, and no higher.

 

[seems fishy]

If the truck is in a lower manually selected gear,the truck will override into a safer higher gear if you rpm it out of its range to note, however to prevent damage
...for example in first( or other lower gear )it will automatically go into a higher gear at hiway speeds if you aren't .

 

[RamDiver]

If the truck is in a lower manually selected gear,the truck will override into a safer higher gear if you rpm it out of its range to note, however to prevent damage
...for example in first( or other lower gear )it will automatically go into a higher gear at hiway speeds if you aren't .

Have you tested that theory?

During my Spring cleaning, I've managed somewhere between 5500 & 6000 rpm, and the tranny didn't switch before I tapped the '+' button.

.

 

[turkeybird56]

If the truck is in a lower manually selected gear,the truck will override into a safer higher gear if you rpm it out of its range to note, however to prevent damage
...for example in first( or other lower gear )it will automatically go into a higher gear at hiway speeds if you aren't .

NO NO NO. Whatever gear U set the limiter too is the highest it will go to. You are over riding the tranny gear selection that is normally does and setting the MAX gear it will go into.
IT just is not complicated or hard. Start truck, get ready to go, PUT your truck in drive, hit the gear selector to gear you want (called EGS by RAM) AND go. That's it. Just pay attention, and select "8", and you R set.

 

[seems fishy]

I AGREE,just set it to 8.
I did make a mistake once on the hiway (100kms) in a lower gear when I returned home after purchasing my truck At that time I didn't know what any of the buttons did and back then and cateracts prevented me from reading them.As I drove I was trying to familiarize my self to the array of buttons.I had been shown by the salesman a few days earlier but I did not remember everything.I Very STUPIDLY thought they were the volume controls.I knew nothing about the layout of the truck.The truck upshifted on its own,at that time after I was lowering the gear level accidently.

 

[Burla]

Just use tow haul it is safe to use 24/7, I used mine for the first 7 years to avoid low rpm shudder. It simply keeps trans is higher rpn's and shuts down mds.