MDS question

[Txd33r]

I tried to search MDS or eco mode but nothing came up but in reality I know this must have been covered before. When I first got the truck in June it had 12k miles on it. Now I have 17k and before about 3 weeks ago I rarely if ever saw eco light on. Now it’s on all the time while cruising. Let’s say I’m going 35mph and the trucks in 6th and eco mode. The problem is I feel a slight hesitation coming out of eco mode it’s almost a little shutter and it sounds like it’s lugging the truck down. I’m not sure what to make of it. The trans seems to also be slow downshifting in this same time frame if that makes sense. I’ll come to a slow stop and still be in like 5th gear at 10mph then when I go to accelerate I feel it hard upshift to 3rd after a slight lag. Not sure what’s happening but it just started all this a few weeks ago. What’s y’all’s opinion is it the truck just getting a little more broken in? Seems weird to me might be a dealer trip.

 

[Dusty1948]

I tried to search MDS or eco mode but nothing came up but in reality I know this must have been covered before. When I first got the truck in June it had 12k miles on it. Now I have 17k and before about 3 weeks ago I rarely if ever saw eco light on. Now it’s on all the time while cruising. Let’s say I’m going 35mph and the trucks in 6th and eco mode. The problem is I feel a slight hesitation coming out of eco mode it’s almost a little shutter and it sounds like it’s lugging the truck down. I’m not sure what to make of it. The trans seems to also be slow downshifting in this same time frame if that makes sense. I’ll come to a slow stop and still be in like 5th gear at 10mph then when I go to accelerate I feel it hard upshift to 3rd after a slight lag. Not sure what’s happening but it just started all this a few weeks ago. What’s y’all’s opinion is it the truck just getting a little more broken in? Seems weird to me might be a dealer trip.

The 5.7 Hemi motors have a reputation for slow break in and the opinions vary as to how many miles. I'm not sure what say in your particular case. By now you realize that the engine will come out of MDS or ECO mode based on how much you accelerate or increasing the load on the engine. Other than the miles you've accumulated since purchase the only other thing I can think of that has an impact on what's happening is your driving style changed.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042882 miles.

 

[Buz]

Maybe you’ve eased up on your right foot now that you’ve put 5k miles on it?
I have a very light foot on the gas (egg between foot and pedal) and notice it constantly. I despise MDS.
I think the more easy you drive the hemi the more you’ll notice MDS bogging and kicking out of MDS. Pedal ‘mashers’ probably aren’t as bothered by it.
Good news is there may be a device available very soon that eliminates MDS permanently.

 

[Txd33r]

Maybe you’ve eased up on your right foot now that you’ve put 5k miles on it?
I have a very light foot on the gas (egg between foot and pedal) and notice it constantly. I despise MDS.
I think the more easy you drive the hemi the more you’ll notice MDS bogging and kicking out of MDS. Pedal ‘mashers’ probably aren’t as bothered by it.
Good news is there may be a device available very soon that eliminates MDS permanently.

Both of you guys might be right. I may just be driving more in light to light traffic and I’m normally not pushing the pedal down very much at all when that happens. Either way it’s annoying lol I just hope it’s not causing damage to the truck is all.

 

[Dusty1948]

Maybe you’ve eased up on your right foot now that you’ve put 5k miles on it?
I have a very light foot on the gas (egg between foot and pedal) and notice it constantly. I despise MDS.
I think the more easy you drive the hemi the more you’ll notice MDS bogging and kicking out of MDS. Pedal ‘mashers’ probably aren’t as bothered by it.
Good news is there may be a device available very soon that eliminates MDS permanently.

You can defeature MDS in the menu if you prefer.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042882 miles.

 

[Dusty1948]

Both of you guys might be right. I may just be driving more in light to light traffic and I’m normally not pushing the pedal down very much at all when that happens. Either way it’s annoying lol I just hope it’s not causing damage to the truck is all.

It's not. The person who bought my previous 2010 now has over 190,000 miles on it and it's still running strong.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042882 miles.

 

[Txd33r]

That’s good to know thank you sir. The de feature is it just the +- deal on the wheel or tow haul mode?

 

[User_3336]

You can defeature MDS in the menu if you prefer.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042882 miles.

There is no "menu" to "defeature" MDS.

You can use the +/- buttons on the steering wheel however.

 

[jkm312]

Put your right foot back into it a little bit more. Not excessively. You bought a truck not a fuel sipper. The truck has adjusted to a lighter driving style and is choking a little.

 

[Neurobit]

There is no "menu" to "defeature" MDS.

You can use the +/- buttons on the steering wheel however.

^^^ This ^^^

 

[Dusty1948]

^^^ This ^^^

I stand corrected. In the menu you can switch off the ECO display in the cluster. This does NOT defeature MDS. Thanks for catching that error.

Best regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042884 miles.

 

[Dusty1948]

That’s good to know thank you sir. The de feature is it just the +- deal on the wheel or tow haul mode?

Selecting Tow/Haul will keep you out of MDS, but will delay the upshifts. If you want it to shift normally but not go into MDS, use the - + buttons on the steering wheel to put it into the Electronic Range Select (ERS) mode (manual mode), until an "8" is displayed in the cluster.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042884 miles.

 

[Txd33r]

Put your right foot back into it a little bit more. Not excessively. You bought a truck not a fuel sipper. The truck has adjusted to a lighter driving style and is choking a little.

I wonder if that’s the side effect of having the pedal commander on since I bought it. It takes very little input to make the truck haul balls. I tried it with it off today and it really sucks going backwards haha. It feels the same when it’s off as a transmission slipping to me really need to mash it comparatively when merging into interstate etc. But with it on you can look wrong at the gas pedal and go 40mph.

 

[RamCares]

I tried to search MDS or eco mode but nothing came up but in reality I know this must have been covered before. When I first got the truck in June it had 12k miles on it. Now I have 17k and before about 3 weeks ago I rarely if ever saw eco light on. Now it’s on all the time while cruising. Let’s say I’m going 35mph and the trucks in 6th and eco mode. The problem is I feel a slight hesitation coming out of eco mode it’s almost a little shutter and it sounds like it’s lugging the truck down. I’m not sure what to make of it. The trans seems to also be slow downshifting in this same time frame if that makes sense. I’ll come to a slow stop and still be in like 5th gear at 10mph then when I go to accelerate I feel it hard upshift to 3rd after a slight lag. Not sure what’s happening but it just started all this a few weeks ago. What’s y’all’s opinion is it the truck just getting a little more broken in? Seems weird to me might be a dealer trip.

Hi @Txd33r
We certainly understand how these experiences may lead to concern. If you are not able to determine a solution based on suggestions from your fellow forum members and you decide to address this with your Ram dealer, please be sure to follow up with us via private message. We would be more than willing to escalate your situation to a specialist who can work alongside you and your dealer.

Kathryn
RamCares

 

[Buz]

Put your right foot back into it a little bit more. Not excessively. You bought a truck not a fuel sipper. The truck has adjusted to a lighter driving style and is choking a little.

Where I come from what you are suggesting is called a workaround.
I don't want to alter my natural driving style in order to avoid engine bogging. I, like many of us, just want the bogging 'feature' to go away.
Pressing the gear select buttons every time I change the transmission setting is also a workaround.
I want 'set it and forget it'. (No MDS)

 

[Neurobit]

Where I come from what you are suggesting is called a workaround.
I don't want to alter my natural driving style in order to avoid engine bogging. I, like many of us, just want the bogging 'feature' to go away.
Pressing the gear select buttons every time I change the transmission setting is also a workaround.
I want 'set it and forget it'. (No MDS)

Agree fully.

 

[mikeru82]

I want 'set it and forget it'. (No MDS)

Don't we all... LOL
Actually there are many who like MDS. I'm not one of them. I'd really like to have the ability to permanently turn it off. I believe you can do that with a tuner like Diablosport or Bully Dog. Unfortunately, using those has a tendency to void power train warranties. I've gotten to the point that using the buttons is as automatic as putting on my seatbelt. Along with disabling auto stop/start.

 

[jkm312]

Where I come from what you are suggesting is called a workaround.
I don't want to alter my natural driving style in order to avoid engine bogging. I, like many of us, just want the bogging 'feature' to go away.
Pressing the gear select buttons every time I change the transmission setting is also a workaround.
I want 'set it and forget it'. (No MDS)

I wouldn't call it a workaround to my way of thinking. I call it working within the design parameters of the way the truck was originally designed to operate. This is the most complicated truck I have ever owned. I don't pretend to know the finer points of how it works. I just want it to work like it should. To that end I just drive the truck within reason, use quality 89 octane gas, change the oil religiously, don't push the haul or tow limits. So far I've been pretty fortunate and not had any serious troubles that haven't been resolved. The MDS for me has been flawless, I see the indicator on the dash, but never notice when it kicks in or out.

The AC was a little weak for awhile. Got it evacuated/recharged and reprogramed, problem solved for me. In that conversation with the mechanic I learned my truck has 16 on board computer/control points. They are all interconnected sharing information to operate the truck making adjustments on the fly. For that reason I stay out of that part of the truck, it is beyond my skill set.

I learned a lot from my Grandfather who made his living as a mechanic. Torn down my fair share of engines with him in simpler times. His famous saying was if it isn't broken don't fix it. 50 years later I still apply that piece of advice.

I've read some real horror stories here for some us with these trucks. My last truck was one of "those trucks." I understand the frustration with them.

 

[Buz]

I wouldn't call it a workaround to my way of thinking. I call it working within the design parameters of the way the truck was originally designed to operate. This is the most complicated truck I have ever owned. I don't pretend to know the finer points of how it works. I just want it to work like it should. To that end I just drive the truck within reason, use quality 89 octane gas, change the oil religiously, don't push the haul or tow limits. So far I've been pretty fortunate and not had any serious troubles that haven't been resolved. The MDS for me has been flawless, I see the indicator on the dash, but never notice when it kicks in or out.

The AC was a little weak for awhile. Got it evacuated/recharged and reprogramed, problem solved for me. In that conversation with the mechanic I learned my truck has 16 on board computer/control points. They are all interconnected sharing information to operate the truck making adjustments on the fly. For that reason I stay out of that part of the truck, it is beyond my skill set.

I learned a lot from my Grandfather who made his living as a mechanic. Torn down my fair share of engines with him in simpler times. His famous saying was if it isn't broken don't fix it. 50 years later I still apply that piece of advice.

I've read some real horror stories here for some us with these trucks. My last truck was one of "those trucks." I understand the frustration with them.

All good points except trying to convince me that altering my driving style to not notice MDS isn't a workaround.
You are fortunately from the other group of Ram owners that don't really notice MDS. I'm 99% convinced members of your group are more heavy on the go pedal than members of 'my' group.
You cannot drive an MDS Hemi engine delicately and not notice MDS kicking off. It's a very non-smooth experience every time it occurs.
But I digress....

 

[Dusty1948]

All good points except trying to convince me that altering my driving style to not notice MDS isn't a workaround.
You are fortunately from the other group of Ram owners that don't really notice MDS. I'm 99% convinced members of your group are more heavy on the go pedal than members of 'my' group.
You cannot drive an MDS Hemi engine delicately and not notice MDS kicking off. It's a very non-smooth experience every time it occurs.
But I digress....

I'm almost as old as dirt. Never in a rush to go anywhere. Prize gas mileage over acceleration. I drive about as tender as one can get and I never hear or feel the MDS kicking in or kicking out.

Regards,
Dusty
2019 Ram 1500 Billet Silver Laramie Quad Cab 2WD, 5.7 Hemi, 8HP75, 3.21 axle, 33 gallon fuel tank, factory dual exhaust, 18” wheels. Build date: 03 June 2018. Now at: 042963 miles.