MDS

[tones2SS]

I can tell every time it activates and it makes me cringe. If I’m going on extremely long highway trips it definitely helps to save on fuel, but in the city it drives me crazy and it’s completely unnecessary. I wish Ram had put it as a menu option to have it enabled/disabled. The roundabout way to disable it (using the +, - gear buttons) is fine, but just annoying to have to do every time.

^^Spot on brother!!!

 

[texasfan88]

I'm just going to post this one update. Remember, this is only my own personal experience with my own truck so I certainly can't speak for anyone else or their truck. Anyway, I decided to deactivate the MDS by pressing the gear selector buttons. What are the results of this vs. leaving the MDS active? Absolutely zero difference whatsoever in the way the truck sounds, drives or feels. When I step on the gas, the truck gets louder. When I let off, it gets quieter and I can feel the transmission downshifting. So again, I can't speak for anyone else but from my own personal experience, either the people who say the MDS feature is really annoying are over-analyzing a very minor feature and blowing it way out of proportion because or something is actually mechanically wrong with your truck. Perhaps on the 2018 models, the MDS is more seamless and less noticeable or perhaps, although very unlikely, the MDS on my truck doesn't even work and it's just always in full v8 mode. If that's the case, I'm surely not going to complain. All I can say is that with my truck, the feature is completely undetectable and anyone riding with me or driving my truck can attest to that. Again, my own personal experience so just take that for what it is. In no way am I trying to imply that any of you who do have problems with this feature are just making this up because subconsciously, the idea of an almost 400 hp v8 engine even having an eco mode makes you cringe.

 

[indept]

texasfan88,
Couldn't agree more. I can tell when it's active but I'm not losing any sleep on it. If it saves me 3 oz of gas / tankfull thats 3 oz I can burn with my foot on the gas passing someone. As you say it's personal experience. I think it's crazy to spend hundreds on a tune to turn MDS off but if someone wants to do that thats their choice. I love driving my ram especially with my pedal commander in sport +2 with or without MDS.

 

[ram1500rsm]

Flowmasters and 4 cyl... lol, you should make a video going behind your truck when MDS is active, sometimes is the only way to know why people try with all their hearts to get rid of that noise

 

[tidefan1967]

My truck also has the factory dual exhaust. Every single time I get in it and put it in gear I also manually put it in 8th gear that way the MDS doesn't engage until I want it to which is consistent speeds above 55 MPH. Yes it does sound terrible with aftermarket mufflers to most people and it does seem to make the truck more lethargic especially at lower speeds. At least with RAM you can disable it even if its only temporarily. Try that with a GM truck.All their engines including the 4.3 V6 have it and you need an aftermarket device to disable it. If you get used to turning it off every time it will become second nature and it won't cost you a dime.

 

[corneileous]

Mine is a 2018 too, and even with my new Carven Progressive muffler, the MDS sound when it switches to 4-banger mode, really isn’t that noticeable to me like I had thought, and was told so much before I pulled the trigger on upgrading the sound of my exhaust. Granted, I haven’t gone on any long trips yet, but the few 1 hour drives I’ve made since then aren’t that bad. If it ever does, it’s nice to know I can just simply use the gear selector buttons on the steering wheel to turn it off if it ever does become annoying but so far, it’s hardly noticeable.

Now, on the 2008 Ram Hemi I had; I’m glad I was able to use a programmer to shut the **** off on that truck because it was very noticeable. Almost to the point of being downright unacceptable. Even the guy that bought my truck said that it was a pain in the ass sound. Lol.


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[zogg]

I put a magnaflow on my 2018 Hemi....I don't care for the gurgling sound it make in MDS mode, but it's not awful. I have tried selecting manual shift mode, which does shut it off, but it's not worth it to me to be bothered with it.....

It does appear that the MDS mode makes so little difference in fuel mileage that the lie-o-meter cannot detect any change over 300 miles....just more stuff to go wrong if/when the lifters hang up.

The ECO light can be turned on or off with the dash settings...another waste.

My next truck will be 1979 F150 with a 390 v8, three speed ford-o-matic, and roll up windows....probably an AM radio too!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fatbob Frank]

Could you still get a 390 in 1979?
I had one with the 302 and another with a 351.
My favorite year Ford truck...

 

[tidefan1967]

Could you still get a 390 in 1979?
I had one with the 302 and another with a 351.
My favorite year Ford truck...

I think 1976 was the last year for a 390 in the F100. I'm pretty sure they went on a few more years in the HD trucks.

 

[tones2SS]

So,....maybe Ram finally fixed the stupid MDS vibration/noise on the 2018 models? It seems that way from the posts here.
That would be good!

 

[corneileous]

So,....maybe Ram finally fixed the stupid MDS vibration/noise on the 2018 models? It seems that way from the posts here.
That would be good!

I dunno, maybe they did do a quick redesign to the MDS system for the 2018 models that makes it less noticeable, even with an aftermarket, louder muffler because even before I put my Carven Progressive on, you had to really be paying attention because the transitions were that smooth. Almost to the point that if you didn’t have the Eco light turned on in the Uconnect settings, you’d be hard pressed to know the difference.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[tones2SS]

I dunno, maybe they did do a quick redesign to the MDS system for the 2018 models that makes it less noticeable, even with an aftermarket, louder muffler because even before I put my Carven Progressive on, you had to really be paying attention because the transitions were that smooth. Almost to the point that if you didn’t have the Eco light turned on in the Uconnect settings, you’d be hard pressed to know the difference.

That's awesome!
Good on Ram for fixing this!!

 

[joshuaeb09]

I put a magnaflow on my 2018 Hemi....I don't care for the gurgling sound it make in MDS mode, but it's not awful. I have tried selecting manual shift mode, which does shut it off, but it's not worth it to me to be bothered with it.....

It does appear that the MDS mode makes so little difference in fuel mileage that the lie-o-meter cannot detect any change over 300 miles....just more stuff to go wrong if/when the lifters hang up.

The ECO light can be turned on or off with the dash settings...another waste.

My next truck will be 1979 F150 with a 390 v8, three speed ford-o-matic, and roll up windows....probably an AM radio too!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really miss my 79 SCSB 302 3speed. If I had my way I'd be cruising that restored with a 460 crate motor and a built AOD.

 

[indept]

You guys crack me up. You'd take an old 390 3 spd with less horse power, torque, towing capacity, and performance not to mention those crank windows and did that include air conditioning??? Rather than hear the ocassional MDS drone...good luck with that. Hey I have a 19" crt tv I'll trade you even up for your 65" high def tv....

 

[MileHighRam11]

I have just a bit of drone when cruising around town, but nothing too bad. It may have gotten louder since I added the flowmaster outlaw muffler. More recently and unfortunately, I've gotten misfires in cylinder 2 and will be replacing the camshaft, lifters, gasket, etc. I've read MDS causes a lot of premature wear on multiple engine components so it may be worth the time and money to get it removed.

 

[tones2SS]

So, I was asking a forum member on another website if and how they deal with cylinder deactivation. They did and they sent me a link to this product. Seems really awesome.
I'm going to email them first thing Wednesday afternoon as soon as I get home to see if they have one available for the 2016 Ram Sport. I didn't see the 4th gen Ram on the list, but I think they haven't updated the website.

https://rangetechnology.com/

 

[joshuaeb09]

So, I was asking a forum member on another website if and how they deal with cylinder deactivation. They did and they sent me a link to this product. Seems really awesome.
I'm going to email them first thing Wednesday afternoon as soon as I get home to see if they have one available for the 2016 Ram Sport. I didn't see the 4th gen Ram on the list, but I think they haven't updated the website.

https://rangetechnology.com/

The start sequence is kinda finicky if you ask me and they have no documentation for remote start compatibility unlike their GM product. For free you can also perform a specific procedure by using your gear selector buttons each time you shift into D which personally is just as specific.

https://rangetechnology.zendesk.com...986-How-do-I-install-and-use-the-MDS-Manager-

I know these deals work fairly well on GM's, outside of the occasional dead battery, but their FCA product leaves something to be desired. I do realize this is likely the fault of FCA, but still.

 

[tones2SS]

The start sequence is kinda finicky if you ask me and they have no documentation for remote start compatibility unlike their GM product. For free you can also perform a specific procedure by using your gear selector buttons each time you shift into D which personally is just as specific.

https://rangetechnology.zendesk.com...986-How-do-I-install-and-use-the-MDS-Manager-

I know these deals work fairly well on GM's, outside of the occasional dead battery, but their FCA product leaves something to be desired. I do realize this is likely the fault of FCA, but still.

Wow, I didn't know all that about the remote start. I didn't know it shuts the remote starter off. I need that living in the Northeast. I did read that about the battery usage, but they state that it is minimal. But, who knows, right?
I do use the gear selector on the steering wheel for disabling the MDS and it does work great. Just the way the truck should be.
Thanks for your reply!

 

[joshuaeb09]

I think remote start still works, but since you're not gonna be doing that key procedure from your remote it negates their MDS manager if you remote start a lot. I know a few GM guys who have tried this gizmo and some like it, but most ended up tuned anyways. I started with the Pulsar on my Ram myself (Going up in the for sale forum soon), but I'll be putting an unlocked PCM in it as soon as it arrives tomorrow.

 

[tones2SS]

I think remote start still works, but since you're not gonna be doing that key procedure from your remote it negates their MDS manager if you remote start a lot. I know a few GM guys who have tried this gizmo and some like it, but most ended up tuned anyways. I started with the Pulsar on my Ram myself (Going up in the for sale forum soon), but I'll be putting an unlocked PCM in it as soon as it arrives tomorrow.

Nice!!! Good for you.

I really don't want to go with the new PCM, but we'll see. I have the extended warranty on my truck. For another 2 years, anyways.
Maybe I'll just bear it and just keep shutting it off via the gear selector on the steering wheel.
After reading about other's feelings with the AFM on the Chevy and GMC trucks, I don't feel so bad about it on our trucks, although I think it still sucks big time. LOL