# Calling all Duramax Owners!



## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Ok guys I need some help. Have a 2005 3/4 ton Duramax. ITs all stock. I'm not interested in going fast or more power, it has plenty of pulling power. I just want to get some of the 20+ miles per gallon I hear about. What do I need to get? Don't want to spend an arm and a leg, just an arm. Thanks for any info.


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

I found 2 used Bully Dog Triple power pup. Is this programmer any good? Anyone run it?


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

I know this is not the answer you are looking at but when I keep my foot off the accelarator I get very good fuel milage (21 miles per gallon). That is the very best I have done. This is on interstate holding at 1500-1600 rpms which is about 62 miles per hour. When I drive around town stop and go or push it up to 70-73 mph then I drop off to about 17-18 mpg.


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## remi19 (Feb 27, 2008)

i would try an intake system first, have had chips (edge juice) before and just not worth it.


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## farmdude (Mar 25, 2008)

you may try a K/N air filter, and like stated above...drive about 65 and try that


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## tail-chaser (May 5, 2007)

high end exhaust system and air filter, that will set you back around 800 to 1000 bucks for the right stuff and will help you about a mile or 2 per gallon.


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## farmdude (Mar 25, 2008)

http://www.knfilters.com/


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## Little Jimmy Cook (Oct 22, 2004)

*All I get*

The best I ever have is 17 but I have a Crew Cab 4 x 4, with only modification is K and N. I did not see much change when I changed the filet to it. I now have 183,000 miles.



redduck said:


> I know this is not the answer you are looking at but when I keep my foot off the accelarator I get very good fuel milage (21 miles per gallon). That is the very best I have done. This is on interstate holding at 1500-1600 rpms which is about 62 miles per hour. When I drive around town stop and go or push it up to 70-73 mph then I drop off to about 17-18 mpg.


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Thanks guys, I do keep it at 55-65 mostly all the time. Maybe the guage in the cluster isn't accurate. I gonna have to fill up and get the reading the old fashioned way. I just hear guys talk about 20+ mpg. Mine is stock with 23,000 miles. Keep the info coming.


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## POSIDEON (Feb 11, 2006)

well i dont have a duramax i have a 3/4 ctd but i was getting 17-18mpg...i added a stage 2 afe intake and straight exhuast and now im getting 21mpg...when im towing my boat it stays around 19.5


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## QUACK KILLA (Mar 26, 2008)

i have a 2002 durasmack with 182,000 miles on it and i have MBRP 4 inch exhaust, and edje juice programmer stock air filter and i get 19-21 mpg goin about 68-70 mph


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## Porter Lizard (Oct 2, 2007)

*duramax*

*hey guys I get a good 22 mpg consistantly and I pull a 31foot travel trailer and get 16 to 17 . I did install a superchip flashpak which does help. I have a 2003 2500 4 wheel drive.*


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## MJP (Dec 9, 2007)

Hotrod said:


> Thanks guys, I do keep it at 55-65 mostly all the time. Maybe the guage in the cluster isn't accurate. I gonna have to fill up and get the reading the old fashioned way. I just hear guys talk about 20+ mpg. Mine is stock with 23,000 miles. Keep the info coming.


My 05 Chevy diesel has the K&N cold air intake and is not 4x4 and I can only get about 18 mpg or so. Also the time, and oil life on the cluster does not work. They say they are not broke in till 80,000 miles. I have only 50,000. I hope the mpg increase soon with diesel 4 bucks a gallon!


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## Mcast06 (Apr 13, 2006)

The bully dog will help only if you keep it on the economy setting. My buddy has an 06 D-Max,crew cab 4x4, and gets about 600 miles per tank (26 Gallon tank). He also has Bully dog intake and 4in exhaust with no muffler or resinator. Just a side note the programmer on xtreme is alot of fun but eats some diesel!! Lol!!


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## stew1tx (Oct 15, 2004)

Dont go the bullydog route, go with a quadzila. you will never look back. Another good choice is a edge with attitude. Be responsible, drive sensible and don't pull anything with it on say more than 50hp and your good. If your real brave stack them, and beef up the tranny. Whatever you do, go up in size on the exhaust to protect your turbo from excessive egt's. Overall, remember these are not street cars so don't drive it like one and it will last a long time. Abuse it and race mustangs etc.. and it will live a short life. Yes they will outrun stuff that would really surprise you. BMW M3's, corvettes, mustangs, and about any rice rocket you put in front of it eith applicable mods.


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## punchbait (Jan 23, 2008)

we r geting a new chip thats is made for better mpg so when we get it i will send you a pm telling you if it works or not


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## Hotrod (Oct 11, 2006)

Cool guys thanks for all the help. Punchbait let me know how it does.


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## Castaway Rods (Aug 15, 2005)

stew1tx said:


> Dont go the bullydog route, go with a quadzila. you will never look back. Another good choice is a edge with attitude. Be responsible, drive sensible and don't pull anything with it on say more than 50hp and your good. If your real brave stack them, and beef up the tranny. Whatever you do, go up in size on the exhaust to protect your turbo from excessive egt's. Overall, remember these are not street cars so don't drive it like one and it will last a long time. Abuse it and race mustangs etc.. and it will live a short life. Yes they will outrun stuff that would really surprise you. BMW M3's, corvettes, mustangs, and about any rice rocket you put in front of it eith applicable mods.


That's the ticket now! I "had" one on the exact same same model you are talking about. At 70 mph and a small tail wind, got 24 mpg hwy, hand calculated. Easily all day any day, got 21 mpg on the hwy. City was 16 - 17 mpg. Pulling a 12,000 lb. Cargo trailer loaded down got 14 - 16 mpg hwy depending on speed and wind. Pulling a 25' Ultra Cat down the highway and got 17 mpg.

All I did was put the setting on the 70 hp setting, no gauges, no air intake, no exhaust, nothing other than the chip.

Good luck. If you call to order one, tell Quad, Jimmie Dooms said hello.


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## Palmetto (Jun 28, 2004)

Mcast06 said:


> The bully dog will help only if you keep it on the economy setting. My buddy has an 06 D-Max,crew cab 4x4, and gets about 600 miles per tank (26 Gallon tank). He also has Bully dog intake and 4in exhaust with no muffler or resinator. Just a side note the programmer on xtreme is alot of fun but eats some diesel!! Lol!!


Wow. I have the exact same truck, and we get around 350 +/- mi per tank. 4" ex., and AFE intake. No chip.

Never trust the DIC (driver info center) when running a chip, always hand calculate!! Sometimes the chips make the computer give higher than actual mileage readings.

When we first bought the truck it had 26k miles on it, and the DIC read 15.4 MPG. My wife always hand calculates her mileage when she fills up, and kept getting 16.5. So I reset DIC mileage calc., and now it reads out 16.5. I guess it was averaging in some terrible pulling MPG's or something. No telling.

Later.


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

I checked my 2007 DuraMax again recently. I have 25,000 miles. Going from Pasadena to Lake Fork (east of Dallas) early in morning pulling 20 foot bass boat. Set cruise on North 610 and did not have to let off till I got to Corsacana (1600 rpm at 65 mph). Filled up in Canton and hand calculated 14.8 mpg. Sunday took ride from Pasadena to Groveton (not pulling anything). Road around back roads looking at old deer hunting grounds then headed to Woodville. Drove around lease 30 minutes (let idle 20 minutes while checking stands, gates, etc,) then headed back to Pasadena. Filled up again and hand calculated 20.4 mpg. This is stock everything.


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## KillaHookset (Jan 6, 2005)

For what your trying to do paying for a new intake will not gain you anything in MPG, There are some mods you can do to your stock airbox to increase flow but in its stock form its good up to about 500 hp and stick with the OEM AC Delco Filter it preforms as good or even better than most all aftermarket performace ones. 

Chip/tuner, do yourself a favor and go with something 90 hp or less anything beyond that you will limp your transmission and everytime you limp it the easier it is to go into limp mode the next time.

Look up something like the PPE Economy tuner, and then something like MBRP 4 inch turbo back exhaust system both should run you roughly $600-$700 range

If and only if you can keep your foot out of the pedal you will see an increase in mileage and much lower EGT's due to the omission of the very restrictive kitty and a much faster spool up time on your turbo when you need to punch it.

2000+ RPM will be a killer for your mileage so again, if your in no hurry you will save also.

Lastly take a look @ a bedcover for your truck if you dont already have one. I found a used undercover bed cover weighs about 60 lbs and reduces drag by about 10%

Dont forget to lighten up your load if you dont need to haul around several hundred pounds of junk in your truck when you normally drive, it will save you along with keeping the proper pressure in your tires will work wonders and you may think about switching over to synthetic fluids.


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## n4sir32 (Oct 22, 2006)

I get high 20s. I fill up my truck at the begining of the week and at the end of the work week I still have around 3/4 of a tank. I do about 50 miles round trip a day. Trick is....Keep up with oil change/Air filter (K & N), Park it and drive a second vehicle, perferably a four banger..... Sorry hard to resist! I feel your pain  So whens the next fishin trip?


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## Cap-N-Red (May 21, 2004)

If you don't want to go faster and have plenty of pulling power now , I wouldn't add anything to it. My stock 2005 D/A GMC has 75,000 mi. on it. At 1700 -1800 RPM (60-63) on the highway (empty) gets 20 - 21 mpg. Pulling my travel trailer same speed it gets around 13-14 mpg. If you speed up to 2000 - 2100 RPM (70+) mph milage drops to around 16-18 mpg. Keep all your filters clean by changing them as recommended.


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## bumpin' gums (May 4, 2008)

Before you start buying parts, find out what rear end you have 3.73 or 4.11 it makes a big difference. Also, fuel mileage will improve as the engine gets broken in.


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## Cap-N-Red (May 21, 2004)

bumpin' gums said:


> Before you start buying parts, find out what rear end you have 3.73 or 4.11 it makes a big difference. Also, fuel mileage will improve as the engine gets broken in.


You are correct about gear ratio. However , the 2005 GMC Duramax/Allison in the 2500HD series was only produced with a 3.73 gear rear end. When I ordered mine I tried to get a different gear ratio only to find out that the 3.73 was the only one they would put in it.


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## txsyotehntr (Dec 5, 2007)

I have the K&N intake and the Predator Diablo Chip. I get 27 MPG hwy on clean oil and filters, and 19-20 city. Pulling a boat it drops to about 24 hwy. Pulling a backhoe it drops to 18 hwy. It is an '04 Crewcab Long bed 4wd SRW. I have 120k miles on it and am changing the exhaust to the 4" Stainless this summer.

All Duramax motors are 3.73 rear ends


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## el trout (Jan 18, 2008)

_wait a minute.. let me get my boots... _


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## drred4 (Aug 12, 2005)

txsyotehntr said:


> I have the K&N intake and the Predator Diablo Chip. I get 27 MPG hwy on clean oil and filters, and 19-20 city. Pulling a boat it drops to about 24 hwy. Pulling a backhoe it drops to 18 hwy. It is an '04 Crewcab Long bed 4wd SRW. I have 120k miles on it and am changing the exhaust to the 4" Stainless this summer.
> 
> All Duramax motors are 3.73 rear ends


I call a big BS on all that!!!


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## MJP (Dec 9, 2007)

The cluster on my 2005 3/4 chevy diesel stoped working about a year and a half ago. It reads total hours on the truck 0. So don't trust the mpg that the truck reads!!! The old fashion way won't lie to you.


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## gulfcoastpunk (Feb 14, 2005)

I Have a 2007 Duramax 4x4 with 60,000 miles on it and 285-75-16 tires. I put a Diablo Predator Programer on it and set to the lowest seting. On a recent trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming I adveraged 20.5 loaded with tools driving 70mph. The dash calculaters still said 11.4mpg the whole trip. Programers are nice because you can acount for larger tires and wheels and put it back to the stock setting if you have to take it back for waranty work.


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## shallowgal (Jun 11, 2004)

I have an '05 Duramax 3/4 diesel too. I get horrible gas mileage. Towing boats on highway only gets around 15mpg. Even riding empty I'm lucky to get 20-22 (going downhill  ) Diesel prices make me wish I could switch to a little 2-seat rice burner, but I don't think a Toyota Tercel will pull a 27' boat.


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## RubenZamora (Oct 19, 2005)

Did you guys notice a bigger gain going with a Programmer than anything else. I've heard that is usually the case. 

My Truck is straight piped from the Turbo Back and I have the Cheesebox Mod done on the stock Filter Box. I probably only gained about 1mpg. I'd really like to get in the 18-19 range constantly. Right now I go between 17-17.5.


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## llred (Jun 30, 2008)

check out dieselplace.com

I wouldn't use a K&N the oil from the filter can burn up the turbo


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## PasadenaMan (Dec 5, 2007)

Look at the Volant Air intake systems. I have a K&N on a 1500 silverado and it did not add more mpg, not even adding the granatelly mas air flow sensor. (800 bux total) It did add power though


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## RubenZamora (Oct 19, 2005)

Ya I'm a member over at Diesel place and its an awesome site.


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## SaltFix (Apr 16, 2007)

My 02 dmax/w 90K gets 21mpg empty on the hwy. I'm running AFE stage2, 4" banks pipes, Diablo Predator Programer set on economy mode. Also 305/75/16 bfg muds for tires. Last trip to the deer lease pulling a tractor and 2500lbs of corn got 14.5mpg. Pulling my 21 boat it gets around 16.5mpg.


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