Hemi MDS

why do you hate your mds???????????????

what is the MDS? i have an 04 5.7

It shuts down some of the cylinders for better fuel mileage while cruising. Once throttle is applied again all cylinders begin firig again for full power.

MDS stands for Multi Displacement System, which when at highway speed will shut down to use only four cylinders instead of all 8 to save on fuel consumption. When you step on the gas to climb a hill or pass another vehicle or just to hear that HEMI Roar, the other 4 cylinders will automatically kick back in. I love my HEMI with MDS.

If you want to disable it, just put your truck into O/D off or Tow-Haul Mode, then it will stay running 8cylinders.

i agree mds sucks, if you have a sct vcal tunner you can disable it it is a trs2431 code and it will disable the mds. and you will not have a engine light come one if u do it correctly. sct.com will walk you through the steps, hope that helps

i just bought the diablo predator and it does not disable the mds and if anybody knows how to make it disable mds let me know please.

i don't understand the problem here...my charger literally gets 29 MPG hwy with a little city thrown in if my foots not in it...you absolutely CANNOT feel the mds turn off and on...you're either feeling the overdrive kick off and on or you have a miss or timing issue or something...the computer disables mds in less time than it takes for the next deactivated cylinder to finish the stroke it's on.

well i dont know why people havnt caught onto this but, you can take it back to the dealer and for a small price they can just reprogram the computer and turn the MDS off it beats a predator tuner which are just about useless.

like i said in my first post!! the sct xcal tuner will disable mds if that is what your wanting to do.

I have to run my truck in tow/hual mode. I guess the 35's confuse the computer into switching the mds on at any speed

my mds turns on when ever im off the gas . even if you are going 30 mph . its a pain . i was thinking it was just me then i took a ride in 3 other 2010 rams at my dealership and they were all the same. i think im going back to have it turned off . my milage is just a little better with it on but not that good. other then that i love the truck

Soory, but I just don't get it.......if you put your foot in it does it go like a "raped Ape"? Mine will. What's the big deal, so it "vibrates" a bit.....so what. I have found that it will improve the fuel milage, by how much, I really don't care....IT'S A TRUCK!!

I have a 2009 Ram 1500 with the mds. It is constantly kicking in at low speed and periodically it will kick on while I'm attempting to accelerate. From time to time it lurches as the computer figures out to turn it back off. This has been happening since I acquired the vehicle new May 2009. There is a TSB out there that says to reprogram and that will "smooth out the transition." Had it done, worked a while, then back to the same. Like others I have not found that the gas savings are worth the hassle. Its a V8. I'll pay for the gas. If I want better mileage I'll buy a civic. Dealership was not helpful at all.

I never had a problem with the MDS untill I installed a performance exhaust on my '08 Hemi sport. It sounds kick-ass on 8 cylinders, but sounds like a UPS truck on it's last legs when in 4 cylinder mode. One friend asked me what was wrong with my truck, and if it was going to make it. Tow-Haul, and O/D Off kick it back to eight cylinders, but I want to be able to use O/D when cruising so I am most likely going to sacrifice a little fuel, and disable it.

Recently bought a 2011 Grand Cherokee Limited---between 30-65 mph while maintaining speed or slightly accelerating, engine misfires/hesitates frequently. Service Dept can't find anything wrong---service manager rode with me and felt the misfires---he stated that it had something to do with the cylinders shutting down to save gas and then firing back up for more power. Maybe so but this should not be doing this as much as it is. terribly annoying after I spent so much money on it. Filed complaint with Jeep customer service in detroit. they contacted the service manager who rode with me. they can't do anything unless they find something wrong on the computer---This is nonsense---Something is wrong with this hemi engine and probably with others---anyone else experiencing this problemChrysler customer service . After reading these posts I guess it is the MDS----I hate it--I will try turning it off with the haul.tow option---Had i known it was going to do this I would never have bought it.

I just bought my third Hemi with MDS on a 2011 RAM 1500 truck. Mine doesn't misfire but when the MDS kicks in the entire truck vibrates. Best gas mileage is 15 to 16 mpg. I agree something is wrong here and I hope the dealer can correct it before I go broke putting gas in it. I hate driving it thats for sure.

What octane fuel are you guys using? I had issues when I ran 87 and occasionally 89. Ran the best on 91. Even 93 seemed to cause issues with mine. It was really weird. But when I used 91 it ran perfect and I got 24 mpg hwy in my 300C.

This is direct from the chat with the Ram Hemi Engineers. To disable the MDS, put your shifter from D to 5 (as displayed on the EVIC or cluster). With the console shifter, this is just one hit to the left. With the column shifter you need to push the +- button - one time. Your trans will still shift up and down automatically through all the gears. Tow/haul button is not the correct method.

I have a 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 4wd with a column shifter... The display only has 1, 2, and D. There is not a +- button. Is there any way I can disable the MDS. Also, if this is such a customer issue, why not just disable the MDS feature when a certain throttle is applied???

The diablosport predator for one is awesome if done right. installed one on my 07 ram hemi and holy p1q490r!!!!! huge difference. But havent figured out how to disable the MDS either. I cant stand it. I have a magnaflow exhaust, I can hear it and feel it. I dont care about mileage, its a truck with a hemi!!! If I wanted mileage I would have bought a 4 cyl honda!!!

Wow, wish I had known about "disabling the MDS before I sold my 2011 (after owning 4 months) piece of junk Ram..it was horrible, completely unrefined...and just made driving it miserable...all the reviews are "rave"...I think people have "lowered their standards".

I love the Ram, just hate the MDS! wish I knew how to disable it.

I have the diablo sport predator, I still dont see anyway to disable it. I think when I disable the traction control, it disables it, But it also disables the cruise control, and alot of idiot lights come on. But hang on!!!!!

Boy, after reading all of these posts, I am somewhat relieved that I am actually not "crazy". When I contacted the dealer about my distaste for the "Gaspin Aspen", they said they didn't know what I was talking about. The GM truck I drove in '08 had the MDS and it was completely seamless...you never knew that they had tweeked the engine at all...ever! When I wanted to get up a hill with the pathetic excuse for engineering excellence (the Ram) my Hemi would gasp as if it was cutting out completely and then kick in...hated driving this gas sucking hunk of metal.....some "gas savings" City 12 Hwy 17....and I sold it after 6 months....Nice riding truck, that's it.............buy GM

I have a 07 HEMI Charger, I hate MDS. I have experienced the same lag or miss at highway speeds. It is not that noticeable, but it is there a slight bump or hesitation. I turned off the MDS with my predator tune and it runs like a V8 should now. I am about to go on a 10 hour trip and I believe I will turn it on again to see if I get any real gas savings. I will try the manual 5 speed option other than D as well. That was a good note for the none predator group out there for a manual fix.

MDS does shut down when in 5, but then the engine is reving higher at highway speeds. This system is just another liberal greenie weenie stupid attempt to dupe the public. There has to be a program to shut it down in 6th gear

Strange thing is - I had a 09 Ram with HEMI and MDS and it was completly seamless. Now have a 2012 and it is terrible with the vibration and low harmonic " buzz" when in 4 cyl mode and it goes imnto 4 cyl as low as 30 mph. I also had a 2005 Ram with a HEMI of course without MDS and the MPG is the same with or without the MDS. I have started driving my 2012 in 5th gear mode on the auto stick and it has not dropped the MPG even 1/10th per gallon - no differance at all and smooth as a whistle in straight 8 cyl all the time.

Correction to above post - I meant 6th gear on auto stick.

Has anyone had any luck from their dealers getting it permanently disabled? please chime in

Dealer told me it was not possible as it is an inherit part of the engine management computer. I have a very good relationship with them as it is a very small town dealer and trust and believe them. have bought 5 vehicles over the years from them.

to disable the MDS on 2009+ Hemi Ram 1500, with gear selector in drive drop out of OD, press toggle +- both buttons at the same time, will drop to 1, then just select highest gear to allow trans to up & downshift. this must be done everytime upon starting vehicle. works great. just don't complain about the mpg.

HemRam09- I have run my 2012 crew cab in 6th Vs the eco mds mode on same stretches of highway under the same conditions for thousands of miles as I travel a lot for work and it did not drop the fuel mileage one bit - not even a 10th of a mpg. not sure why as the mds is supposed to get you better mileage, but I could not live with the low hum/buzz/vibration when in mds/eco mode - it was very annoying. When driving at 72 mph ( speed limit 70) with the cruise on, I get 20.2 - 20.4. When I am in a slower state, say 60 mph, I get close to 22 mpg. These are not short trips as my average trip is 380 miles one way. In the city I average about 14.3 - 15.4 mpg. I burn regular 87 octane gas just fine, but I only use ethanol free gas - I will not use gas that has ethanol in it.

so unless you have a 2009 or newer you cant disable you MDS....... thats %$&@ing bull#$@! there has to be a way.

Ok try to keep up. prior to 2009 select tow/haul 2009 & up with truck running but move gear selector to Drive then press +/- select 4 then press +/- at the same time(its tricky) moves up to 5 then drops down to 1, then select whatever gear you want and as long as you dont turn the key off mds will stay off.

I have a 2006 Jeep Commander with a Hemi. I hate the MDS feature, I feel constant hesitation at many different speeds. I am just scared my transmission is going to fail. Can someone put my mind at ease, that its just going to fell like a shitty ride and not put me on the side of the road!

Ok guys I don't know if this will help i have a 2012 ram hemi i have a miss that i feel when idle i know that is the mds system and that great vibration and shutter that every one has bugs the crap out of me. All i do is when running around town i use the auto stick put in 5 gear and shift fine from 1 to 5 no mds working . and on freeway same but put in 6th no mds have not noticed any drop in fuel mpg when you are traveling at hwy speeds 6th gear only kicks in at 65 to 70 = anyway anything over 75+ eco mode does not come on unless going down hill . The around town driving is where i really notice the eco shutter/miss fire

Also Guys and Gals , Most cars/trucks now days have a self learning computer in them that programs the motor to the way you drive and if you did what i did test driving the truck the way i did seeing what the hemi could do and about the 1st week i owned it the truck learned that i am heavy on the gas peddle and programed the motor for best performance not mpg . the only way to fix this is pull the + term off battery and wait for 30 min or so for back up battery in computer to die reconnect the term and drive it like you want the best mpg no hard accel or letting the 390 hp loose do this for about 10 to 20 miles and then the computer will learn your driving habbits i did this when i noticed i could only get 15mpg from houston to la .The first trip i took in it when i was there i reset the computer and on my way home i got 18 to 20 .. Hope this helps

Hey all... note from Canada, Pretty good thread you have going here. I have a 2010 ram 1500 4x4 with a Hemi. I don't have a problem with normal driving... Where I notice the hesitation most is when accelerating and turning .... like when you're turning left at a set of lights and attempting to accelerate through the turn. I had noticed this hesitation on both the Ram 1500 when testdriving and on the Chevy Silverado with the 6.2 liter. The silverado had it worse. STill bought the ram. I'm not positive if it's the MDS system or if the truck is grabbing the next gear too early or.... if one of the nanny's is kicking in thinking that the truck is gonna rollover or something. I have been driving with the traction control disabled most of the time recently(I realize it's not totally disabled but at least you can goose the tires a bit if you want). Any ideas? I haven't been able to catch the hesitation while viewing the tach. As in a previous post the computer may be learning about my heavy foot and not hesitating as much now....or perhaps it's just hesitating more when i haven't turned off the traction control Long post i know.... what do you think? James

James, mine does the same crap it's the way the transmission shifts and it prob has something to do with the mds system to i wish they had never put that crap in the truck the gas miliage in my truck is about 1 mpg different between on and off its a truck with 395 hp I'd I wanted great gas miliage I would have brought a car . With the six speed trans that mine has the shift points are very close almost to the point where it shifts to fast and cause the motor to lug around my truck is only in first gear for about 3 seconds after start off and shifts to second as I am turning . And shifts pretty hard from first to second I have actually caught a chirp from the tires during the shift and from second to third I notice it a lot more with the 35' tires I have on mine .Hope this helps !

I think you're right Kenneth. Too many nannies in the truck. It's not as bad with the traction control off. I did try mid grade fuel but that made no difference. I guess I just have to keep my foot in it so it stays in the lower gear....ha!

Nice thread. I have a 2010 charger police pkg w/5.7 and MDS. I hate the vibration at speeds under 60. I thought that the cop that drove it beat the crap out of it but it shifts fine and is fast as hell. I have been turning auto stick on to get rid of it around town. I recently took it on a 1800 mile road trip and was floored that my avg mpg was 27 while drive 7 mph over speed limit.with a flipping hemi... I called the dealer and he said there is no fix or program upgrade, thats a bunch of crap thier has to be some program change out there, I guess I have to suck it up because I love my hemi.

Buy a superchips flashpaq tuner and update it then just plug it in go to advance settings and disable mds simple as that

Lot of info here. A thought. What happens with low gears, like 4.10 or aftermarket 4.56 ring & pin gears. Cause the MDS or Chevy's to stay on? Can you make it stay on longer or all the time. Seems like the motor would not need V8 much if rpm is high, like 2500-2800 rpm in 6 th gear. 150 lbs of torque & 80-100 hp in(MDS) 4 cylinder mode. That should be plenty to run down the road (truck only). Any thoughts? Thanks

I was informed by a mechanic that I spoke with that if switch to 10 w 30 motor oil that will shut down the MDS do to the thickness of the oil. He stated that the 30 weight will not allow the system to work properly.

I have a 2013 Dodge Ram 1500 Express that is having problems with the MDS kicking in and out. My truck is vibrating at all speeds. Not just a little but a lot. Enough to wake my daughter up while shes sleeping in her car seat. Ive taken it to the dealer and no luck there. it has 8,300 miles on it and I will never buy another Chrysler product.. To do a quick fix and deactivate your trucks MDS, just simply press the (+-) symbol your your gear shift. When your instrument cluster shows (5) your MDS will shut off. But remember while your cluster shows (5), there is no need to manually down shift or change to a higher gear... The computer system will do it for you. When you get to highway speed 55mph to 70 mph or so on, do your self a favor and manually shift up a gear which is 6th gear. AGAIN. no need to manually shift gears.. Negative thing about this. The truck will only shift to the highest gear showed on the cluster automatically. after that its up to you to add the gears. AND you have to select this feature anytime you turn the truck off or move the gear selection from drive to another gear,(reverse,PARK, ETC) hope this helps..

I love the mds and I think we need a way to lock the engine in 4 cylinder or 8 cylinder mode insted of the computer having all the control !!!

I also have a new Dodge RAM 1500, 5.7 with MDS. It is the worst ever. I only get an average of 12.7 MPG, so much for the GREAT MDS saving you fuel. I have spoke with the dealership and RAM itself, of course per them its all my fault due to my driving habits. I have been driving more than 40 years and never had this problem before. They should be sued for lying about the gas mileage they advertise. I hope someone can find a method for completely removing this MDS crap.

If anyone knows of a way to correct the MDS issue please let me know. My MDS cuts in at any speed. If you put the truck in neutral and step on the gas the engine will not rev up and almost cuts off. I had the RAM tech with me demonstrated this and also demonstrated how often the MDS cuts in from speeds ranging 5MPH to 65MPH. He acknowledged this and could feel it doing so but kept saying the truck was fine. REALLY?? Come on lets get something going to put a stop to this problem and I mean starting with RAM. I for one plan to contact our local TV station and let them get the answers to the very low gas mileage that is advertised. Please lets all get on board.

I have never had the problem you're experiencing... at least not to that extent. mine is a 2010. if I want fast response times when accelerating I use the triptronic tranny to gear down... once you gear down to 5th the mds does not kick in. one thing for me at that point is the tranny still gears way up to save fuel so if I am in a residential neighborhood I will gear down to 4th or 3rd ... just watch the revs don't get too high. I also click the traction control button to turn it off. To me your problem sounds software related. once my hemi had over 15k on it I could almost match the highway mpg claims but the city could only be matched by driving like an old lady... just like all other stickers.. they lie big time...

BTW, I can't take credit for the triptronic idea... that was suggested earlier in this discussion... when playing with the triptronic... first time you gear down it shows you the current gear and I was finding it kicking up to 5th and 4th gear at under 30 mph.

mds is the cat's meow. We have an '06 Ram 4d and routinely get 21.2 mpg at 70 on Chevron super. Our combined mileage with a large dose of towing (over 10%) a race car on an open trailer and loader is still 15 flat and that's with 160k on our stock original truck with the 20" wheel package. My wife's heavy foot can drag it to 12 around town but that's when she's driving like a teenager in a civic. The A/C runs almost as much as the truck since we are in SoCal. The buzz is easy to accept when you look at it this way. Or keep smashing the gas on and off like a neurotic nimrod and complaining like you more than likely do about everything.

Love my 2009 Ram with Hemi, love the MDS, hardly notice when it kicks in, Good mileage, Great truck.

I should add that I think my Ram is Great as well. The only problem for me was how it would hesitate for a second when you accelerate... just in certain situations... combo of the mds and the tranny sitting in a higher gear. I would buy another ram in a minute... but I'm looking to get at least another 7 years out of my 2010 quad cab trx4. I'm from Canada and achieved 10.7liters per 100km that's about 27 miles per gallon using imperial gallons(not us gallons) on a highway trip going 65 mph. Obviously that was perfect conditions because that's the max on the sticker when I bought it.

I bought a 2013 ram 1500 2WD Quad cab my 5.7 Hemi does the same thing it comes in at any speed , it vibrates the drive train at times it doesnt do a thing for the fuel milage the colder it gets the worst it gets I have been as low as 12.0 mpg in the Pittburgh area . U would think they would after all the YEARS they have been putting these Hemi's out on the road the engineers would have there stuff together but all I have to say is this is my first Dodge in thirty years and my dam last I will be in a F-150 ASAP .This MDS is a pain in the carcass .I will give credit to the ride and the in cab quietness the comfortable seats are really nice but what yawho that can up and programmed the computer software needs there brain taken out and reprogrammed another Chrysler screw up.

Three trips to the dealer, and week with a rental car, a refund of my monthly truck payment, and a case with Chrysler. Engineers came out to look at my truck. They stated that the MDS is working properly but one side affect of the MDS is the heavy vibration. They also said there is no way to fix it, because if they replaced the entire system that the new electronic system would more than likely do the same exact thing. Most people that complain about the MDS like I do is because its not a little vibration, its much more. For the others that talk crap about us complaining about our mds. Im glad your truck runs great (as it should). But dont sit here and talk crap to us because the manufacture of our trucks cant get their shit together and produce a good quality vehicle. I for one got in hand writing from a Chrysler Rep, and Engineer that the heavy vibration is from the MDS which is working Properly. I tried to trade it in for a brande new ride and the dealer just laughed and asked what i did to the truck. When I told them about the MDS, they told me I would have to get proof because they couldnt buy my vehicle cause it was unsafe. As i showed the the proof, they told me that they still werent interested in my truck because of its mechanical problems.

wow, that really stinks man. I've been lucky only problems ... some hesitation fixed by gearing down with the triptronic on occasion. Perhaps you can talk to the Chrysler rep about trading your truck in. Chrysler should take ownership of something like this.

Mike, I absolutely hate the MDS. I have a 2013 5.7 and you would think I want driving a damn washing machine. No matter what you do or say at the dealership or with Chryslers Consumer Department we are all getting the same damn canned answer. Mine has a 6speed Automatic and I drive in 6th. I have only noticed about a 2/10ths of a gallon change in MPG when doing this, but that is ok by me since I only get 12.7 MPG anyway. RAM has really screwed over its owners. As soon as I can this truck is gone. The lied about the MPG and Lied about the MDS.

I think we all need to rally and get RAM put in there place. I plan to contact our local TV station and have a report ran on this, with the dealership and there BS and then RAM for lying about MPG. We all work hard for our money and bought something we did not think was a piece of crap.

I have a 2012 RAM with a 5.7 and MDS system. The system sucks! For the first 14,000 miles it was ok hard to get used to the sound when the system is engauged and bucks, hesitates when coming back in. Almost feels like all 8 dont come back in at same time. Took it to the dealer, so far they have replaced the throttle position sensor which is the entire gas pedal assy, the brake light switch (dont ask me why on that one) the torque converter, now it finally threw a code p0304 misfire cylinder 4, so they replaced the ignition coil pack and the injector for #4 cylinder. Picked it up tonight same thing bucks vibrates and if it does it while shifting it bangs. Truck has been in and out of dealer since begining of october. Clainm filed with chrysler. It still feels like a misfire and have heard that #4 cyl is one that shuts down with MDS. Lemon law seems like i will have the same issues with a new truck and cost me more out of pocket money. What is wrong with dodge! 50k for a truck and hate to drive it def something wrong with this picture. At least i am not crazy after reading these posts, i think ram is crazy for installing this. They have to know there is a issue with it.

DAN HI Merry Christmas I have a 2013 as of right now mine is a little better where i was having my problems is I put Mobil sae 5-20 super 5000 in for oil at 1270 miles and the recomended oil is Pennzoil sae 5- 20 Pennzoil works with Chrysler and all of there oil is formulated for Chrysler engines ( Imagine that ) so I had to flush the engine five oil changes to get that oil totally out of the engine . Now the Hemi also has VVT Variable valve Timing and it is controlled by a specific oil viscosity thats why they recommend you use only Pennzoil 5-20 ( Yellow ) Bottle SAE so the MDS and VVT work properly . NOW I still get the vibration from the driveline and also doesnt come out of the 1 4 6 7 right a way but I have 6500miles and changed oil 5 times already . it is still annoying and it is not functioning properly but i have been talking to a lot of ram owners and everyone that notices it is dealing with it Another MOPAR screwup I havent and didnt know this and also havent had a doge truck in thirtie years , I will not by one ever again I will be back in a Ford ASAP my F-150 and Expidition were the best two trucks i had ever owned. It is jaust a wonder on how many of these hemi s are out there and they still havent corrected it what a shame it could be a hell of a truck. Mine is a 2WD quad cab and the ride , comfort , and quietness is great but this MDS sucks . Pat.

Pat - Thanks for the info. I have had dodge trucks my entire life, still have my very first one 87 w250 only 50k on the clock its mint. My 04 2500 5.7 hemi never a problem this one which has every option dodge offers and then some is horrible, as far as the mds goes. I am going to try putting in 5th gear vers d to shut down the mds system, i tried the tow/haul switch still does it. The dealer just says "normal" had it done it at test drive i would have walked away. have driven plenty of other dodge products with the system and it does not react like this, even my 08 grand cherokee with a 5.7 doesnt do it. Has to be something with the 1500 trucks and i can not believe that dodge is not doing anything about it, they have to know. My next step is try and get the dealer to buy it back. Do not know what else to do and will not drive it this way. Hope yours gets better. The oil was just changed today with penzoil from the dealer.

Hey guys--I am the one who started this thread in 2010-2011 with an MDS issue on my 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, Hemi Its amazing that after all these posts Chrysler has not done something about it. After several bouts with the company and their Tech reps nothing was ever done to fix it. I will never buy another Jeep Hemi. I just put up with it now and it drives me up a wall every time it starts that hesitation crap. If anyone hears of a real fix please let us know. Merry Christmas

Someone said , that if you cut and cap a wire , it will turn off the MDS, IS this true or, just talk, because Im really sick of my MDS... iM Buying a diablo sport, hoping it will turn it off, but if that wire thing would work , Im all for it

Stryper I called the dealer where i bought my 2013 2WD quad cab the service manager has a total of 28 years Dodge mechanic 8 years of service manager and he told me I cant do anything with it my truck has a NEW wire system in it There is no way of turning off the MDS in the 2013 trucks . ALso if I change my gear ratio there is no way to correct the speedometer for the different ratio .I dont know what year u have but this is what I bought a completly sealed unit ,That is what the Federal government is doing u have no way of changing anything they dont want u to touch nothing . But I can say one thing i will be buying a FORD F-150 in the Next 3 years . I dont have any complaints about driver comfort quietness the front seats are the best i've sat in roomy up front but this annoying MDS is a pain in the ass, it causes the truck to vibrate , lug down like a stick shift truck u didnt downshift sometimes it doesnt come out of mds right a way but thats getting a little better. The oil makes a big difference as does the gasolne , u got to use 5-20 sae pennzoil yellow bottle and in my area BP gasoline 89 Octane that makes it run a lot better. Now one thing in winter in PA i am getting crappy fuel milage 13-14 mpg summer i get all over 15-16 Highway so far in summer 18.5mpg . Thats about all i can tell u and anyone of my experience so far from august 30 th to now. hope it will be some help Pat.k

Thanks for the info

Just bought the Diablo sport. and programed That MDS out of there...Life is Good

I have a 2012 Ram 1500 Longhorn, and agree with everyone who hates MDS, it is not smooth at lower speeds, use only for highway. When it engages the engine struggles and feels like it has no power, there is an annoying delay to pick up when you press the gas. The fix is easy, just knock the gear lever across to 5 or 6, instant relief. I love the truck, I just hate this feature, I have driven Chevys with this feature and they are seamless, the RAM engineers have some work to do.

Have a 2007 Ram 1500 5.7 Thunderroad and today the check engine light came on and read P3400 and after looking it found out it could be MDS sensor. Took it to AutoZone they gave code and didnt know what it meant and then took it to my area Dodge dealer and they said they would have to put in shop to determine what the problem could be. That is when I decided to come home and look up code myself and see what other people say. My truck shakes and I know oil needs to be changed but will have to wait until this weekend when I can get to it. I have feeling after reading on what everyone else has experienced is that it is the MDS sensor because I was going slow because of traffic and the fact that I was hauling something in the back of the truck that was sticking out past tailgate. Thought about having problem fixed at dealership. How is it disabled on 2007 Ram 1500 5.7 Thanks for info and help

I had a code come up 3weeks ago, same code p3400, the dealer told me it was the MDS solenoid, bank 1, I bought it , cost $57.00, Then I read that you have to have 5-20 penzoil, yellow bottle, as crazy as it sounds, I put 5-20 , filter , and drove it and it was perfect, now as an old school mechanic, I was saying to myself, how could the wrong oil, make it run bad, Boy was I wron, and yes I was way over the limit of an oil change, like 20,000 over, So give that a shot before you try anything else..

I went ahead and changed the oil tonite and see if that would help. I disconnected the battery to clear code so time willtell if that helps. I believe it will since it has been awhile since I changed oil myself. Looking back I probably been using wrong oil myself by reading yours and others on the subect. Thanks forthe help and info. Stryper43

willf2 yes i noticed a real change on how it the MDS comes in and with the 5-20 conventional Pennzoil but it took 5 oil changes at give or take 1000-2000 mile intervals to flush it out but it helped a lot smoother coming in and out of the MDS . Now for the real stuff I called a finally got ahold of diablosport tuners, and just like stryper43 stated above the trinity and the intruit dcx i think that was the other for the 2013 model year take that and turns it off i will have one real soon goin on jegs web site real soon to get a price on it and to order my tonneau cover . I hope that some or all info i have been obtaining has been helpful to you guys and if any girls with you're Ram 1500 Hemi dilemma maybe we r fixing Rams engineering blunders again on our own. And thanks to any other info I got from this forum I will keep checking e-mails to chat talk to soon again. Stryper what oil did you have in it that was giving you trouble I had Mobil super 5000 sae and it did not like it. Just to mention what the oil causes if it is not right is the viscosity is not stable enough to work the Lifters and the Variable Valve Timing the Lifter shut down and all the excess oil goes through multiple extra oil passages in the block back to the pan so it does not make the lifter hard there is a hole in the lifter to bleed off also there is a motor on the front of the block that activates the VVT it turns a cylinder like tube in the front of block to a determined hole to advance or retard timimg as the computer tells it to you could not pay me enough money to work on one of them engines it sounds like a nitemare. so thats what my service manager sent me pages from the service book or bulletin his secreatery sent to me so pictures how they both work. well thats it for now talk to you guys soon. .

I don't know what Oil I had in the engine, when I bought it , the person before me just changed the oil for me, it was running great when I got it, I think my problem was , stupid me, I didn't change the oil , until 20,000 miles later, I think. the dirty oil had something to do with my problem, its still not perfect, I say 80 percent better, but I will change the oil again at 1000, miles, hoping to get better... cheers....

Finally got truck back from dealer today after being there on and off (mostly) on since April 10. I insisted there was something wrong and was more than the MDS system, which i still and always will hate. After screaming at the dealer and ram and filing complaint they finally drove the truck with a recorder on it. I was right there was a problem. Again cylinder 4 was misfiring. They replaced the cylinder control solinoid and the pdu. They said ram has issues with #4 solinoid controling the MDS for that cylinder, also having issues with the pdu's. With these issues repaired and now the engine has penzoil in it lets hope that it gets back to what it was. They kept saying what i was feeling was the MDS and did not want to hear anything else. The truck would not throw a code or a check engine light. I wonder how many other vehicles are out there with this issue? MDS sucks no doubt but the "slow" solinoid controling #4 made the MDS not want to disengauge. I also hear that in near future MDS will be on 2500 series trucks as well.

Dan that info is well kept for the future I have not been having any issues with the disengagement of the mds Unless im going real slow and the convertor locks up, then when it chatters the drive line it is like a stickshift that needs shifted real bad on a lug down pull if I let off the gas a go back on it, it will come out of the MDS and the lock up and go . I am going to get a Diablosport intune DCX tuner for it asap JEGS sells them and it will shut the MDS off it has 4 Programms it for different levels of performance and fuel economy . I am also going to put a Volant air box and snorkel pipe down from the box for clean air (outside air ) from the bumper and a flowmaster exhaust ,tonneau cover to try to get the best MPG I can . I figure if the parts work with the shutting off of the MDS gas milage should improve pretty good. Pat.k

I want to go on record as another dissatisfied owner of a 2013 Ram crew cab with 5.7 liter hemi. The vibration and buzz/hum that kicks in when the mds turns on is unacceptable. Chrysler's lame attempt at disguising their knowledge of an issue when making a complaint is absurd. Don't buy this truck if you are looking for a new vehicle. Go with the F150. I had one for 7 yrs prior to this truck and loved it. Now I have $45k, sharp looking truck that Chrysler tells me is supposed to vibrate and hum when working properly. They can take that answer and shove it right up there ass!

Huntsalotaducks i couldnt agree with u more but i have to say if people keep listening to sam elliot sell these ram trucks for the m and dumd ass people like us get sucked in by advertising and sales there not going to fix it .who would figure u fthat a dealer wanting u to come back and buy another vehicle would lie through there teeth i bought mine an 1 hr 45 min from home so i call ram hot line for them to tellm me where to get the best s ervice they tell me one of my local dealers to go to the dealer told me since my truck is a tradesman 2wd my hemi did not have the mds so it started a complete different approach to diagnoising the problem so after fore times i called the dealer i bought it from and the service writer had the service manager call me he looked up my truck b for calling me and said u have the mds vvt hemi so the dealer that chrysler sent me to jerked me around wasting my time . The only thing u have to do is u must use 5-20 sae pennzoil conventional oil so the mds vvt works properly . And if u run in 5 th 6 th gear manually the mds wont come on or u have to buy a diablo sport tuner either the trinity or intune dcx i hope this helped to ease the greased rear end we got from mopig back to Ford or Nissan or Toyota.

I wonder how many of you aren't using the right oil and gas. My hemi liked Mobil 1 0w20 and 89+ octane. Running that I had zero issues any of you are describing.

Yes i have and been using 89 octane since day one and only BP gasoline my hemi will not use Sunoco gas i have not tried any other. Now getting to the oil issue first oil change i put 5 20 mobil super 5000 sae conventional in it and the vvt and mds when bazerk dealer changed it out and ran better but would not tell me that the mds was making me think i was having a miss or sputter so i eventually found out through my dealer i bought it from that it was the mds. It is a shame that they r showing no response to all these complaints after all these trucks and several years since 2007 ive seen people bitching a bout this problem. U either have to drive it in manual 5 6 gear to not let themdsto engage or buy a diablo sport tuner trinity or intune dcx. I guess we all trusted dodge b cause of all the advertising sam elliot convinced us and we believed they had something . I have nothing bad to say about the ride comfort quietness seats i luv it the traction control is great posi rear mine 2wd drive goes great in snow but MDS sucks...... pat

Pat...you ran the wrong oil. There is a chance it damaged something. Same goes for anybody else who did the same.

Then What is the correct oil to use, everybody says something different, I just put what the dealer told me to use 5w 20 penzoil yellow bottle, should I change it ??

Must be full synthetic oil. Nit sure what "yellow bottle" is. 5w20 should be fine. I like the ultra from Pennzoil. Its what I run in my Camaro now. That's silver/gray not yellow. Its their best oil imo. The one right below that is also solid. Also silver/gray colored. I think yellow is conventional oil which is not ok for the hemi.

I just purchased a 2007 with Hemi. After market high flow exhaust really exaggerates the difference in sound when MDS kicks in. I told the dealer I could hear and feel a drop in power. I stated that it felt like it was dropping cylinders. Finally got a mechanic to hear it but he said there was no loss of power and it was just the MDS. I asked what MDS was and he said the engine drops to 4 cylinder operation. I did not say this to him but...hello... If you drop to 4 cylinder operation there is definitely an element of power loss. Anyway Im glad my initial description was exactly what was going on, I just did not know it was suppose to do that. I have not had the truck long enough to see what difference MDS makes but I can deal with it. For those who have stock exhaust and are complaining just be glad you don't have aftermarket. The difference in sound is extremely drastic.

yes the Mds Is a pain, I put a tester on my car 2 months ago,I do have a charger but same hemi..came up as #1mds solenoid mal function, I canged the oil , and it was a lot better, but still in the 4 cylinder mode, still shakes alittle, So I was thinking that , mabey the #1 mds Sol. was still no good, So just last week I bought 4 brand new Solenoids , very fast change, took me 1 hour. on and off, , and still doing the same thing , So again, as long as I feather the gas to get thru that mode, I guess that's all I can do.....

Stryper43 sorry took so long to give a reply been dealing with some health issues , idk what area u r from but i found that if u use 89 octane BP gas it will run a lot bettr then Sunoco my hates Sunoco so run it out to the bottom fill it up run a complete tankful through it and then go to parts store and get enough of SEAFOAM fuel injector cleaner it has water dispersent in it to 1oz per gallon to how much u r tank holds u can put a little more in it wont hurt, wont o2 sensors and cats use it all the time in mine my is due at oil change . Are u using 5- 20 pennzoil conventional or semi synthetic or full synthetic i will be going to one of the later next week. what ive been doing in after it shifts into hi gear i use the manual button and shift it into 5 or 6 so the mds goes of got a little bettr milage also, like i said before i will be getting some of accessories soon a intune dcx tuner shuts off the mds permannetly so u can leave it in automatic mode and not shift it . let u know if any thing comes up i here. i will be checking with the service manager next week on any bulletins get back to u. Take care. Pat

The 89 octane is reccomened by Ram. Pat

RJ Bish I was told by a guy I ran into with a 2013 short bed 2door he said exactly what ur talking about when mds kicks in the performance exhaust inhances the sound idk if the 2007 has a way to shift it manually but in my 2013 i can put in to manual and when u do it shuts the mds off and doesnt let it activate.if u can do that it wont be a pain in ur rear the only other thing to do is buy a tuner from diablosport hope that will help. Pat

Lookin u r manual see if they recomend 89 octane use BP if u can and run the 5-20 pennzoil in the motor. Sunoco will not run in mine it has to much ethenal in it. Pat

Funny, my issue is I cannot tell when my engine goes into MDS mode. I am installing a green LED indicator on my dash which will light up when the PCM send voltage to the MDS solenoid so I can tailor my driving to be in MDS mode as much as possible. My engine is so smooth, now I'm concerned maybe my MDS is not working. I run Mobil 1 synthetic 5W/20 and 89 octane.

A real Hemi doesn't have MDS!

I have really come in tune with the MDS on my 07 Ram 4x4. Having the aftermarket exhaust makes it easy for me to know when its activated and I make use of it daily. I am averaging nearly 18 mpg with 1/3 of my daily travel distance being city / winding mountain uphill / downhill. I have noticed the MDS will not operate immediately after a warm start. For example if I turn truck off to refuel and then get back in and start up. It will take about 5 minutes before I can force it into MDS operation. That is really the only thing I do not like about it.

maliblu got a question does anyone have any experience with the ram 1500's with the 8 speed torque flight transmission i have a chance to upgrade to a express 1500 with the package i want and it has the 8 speed in it and wanted to go for that if it is a good choice or not thanks let me know . thanks

I went through this same issue with my 2010 Dodge Ram 1500, very noisy MDS and found out only certain tunners shut off the MDS so ask before you buy the wrong tuner for your truck. Also called the dealers and they cant disable the MDS. So the diablo Itune 1000 for a 2010 works great and the MDS is gone!!

Have a 2010 Hemi 4x4 and have had another 2008 Hemi 2x as experience. I have used Mobil 1 5-20 and run regular gas most of the time. I personally love the MDS as I do a lot of highway driving. I have noticed a few things about it that need mentioning. You must change out your plugs every 30-35K. If not they will foul and your MDS performance will greatly suffer in both MPG's and shifting performance. On both of my trucks I experienced a little bit of shifting cycle problems. Both times the truck downshifted too early. Both times I went back to the dealer under warranty and they reprogrammed the computer and it was fine. I hate to hear about all of the major problems with MDS but I have had two so far and love the 20+ MPSs on the hwy. My only complaint is that it doesn't seem to have the instantaneous torque that the trucks had when new. I was thinking that maybe some carbon is building up in the heads.

It's been a few weeks now and I have learned how to optimize use of the MDS. I'm averaging 19 mpg on the 60 mile round trip to work. Typically it's calm on the drive to work but coming home I'm usually fighting head wind and that is the only thing keeping me from averaging 20. That's not great mileage but I think it's pretty good for a Hemi 4x4

Texasmg did u look at ur manual about octane of the fuel it says in mine that u can u 87 but 89 is recomended if i use 87 it runs like crap . i dont know about u r 08 but the 10 i would check if it needs 89 it will run cleaner . I will be getting rid of my 13 i m going to a 2500HD 4x4 at the end of the month I have only got the best of 19.6 or 19.8 never hit 20 on a trip yet but didnt have a chance to put a tonneau cover on this one yet on new one i will .

Malibu, I have always run 87 in my gas hogs and save the hi octane for the BMW! To me paying a quarter a gallon premium for a truck fuel is against my religion! Obviously the truck does run a little better on higher octane(I have tried it a few times) but overall is not worth the difference. I still manage to get 20+ hwy which I am happy with. I have noticed that the different seasonal grades of fuel affect the running and mileage quite a bit. Has anyone out there ever tried removing the carbon from the cyliner heads remotely? Has it worked and does it help the get up and go? Also, I find it hard to believe that the engine could be that sensitive to know the difference between Pennzoil 5-20 and Mobil 1 5-20. I could be wrong but isn't that why automotive engineers set viscosity standards to start with?? Isn't the viscosity of an oil a universally measured unit quantity based upon flow parameters and one that is the same in England as it is in the US?

Texas the difference is only 10 cents a gallon in Pittsburgh area . The 87 -89 difference in my truck 2013 is very noticable. Yes the seasonal summer may to Sept socks u loose 1 to 1 1/2 mag in that time frame. Every 2-3 month I put two cans 16 oz sea foam in the tank to clean it all up. And if u ever saw the diagrams on how the mds and the vvt works u would understand why the engine is so picky on the viscosity of a certain oil . Gm has there own oil. Ford gas the own oil. But Chrysler recommends pennzoil it is formulated for all Chrysler engines .I went to it haven't had a problem since. That's my understanding of all the Chrysler thinking I guess.

i have a 2010 ram 1500. i love the truck great power i have every option very comfortable truck but the mds is sucks ass. i have stock exhaust so not worried on the noise but the vibration at lower speeds sucks. what is the best tuner to use? not worried of price just want best performance and the mds delete is a must

Hi i checked with diablosport they have tuners now im sure the 2010 is a different one from the 2013 ram 1500 i had so give them a call and they will direct u to the right choice jegs automotive sales them. Around 440.00 i couldnt take the mds at all so i did take a little hit but i went to a ram hd 2500 2014 so now im happy. Pat.

I came here looking for a way to turn MDS on more! I've complained to dealer about the rattling since my '08 1500 quad was new but never knew it was the MDS. I drive speed limit, no hard acceleration, and always get the truck serviced at the dealer, but average 12-13 GPM. Who knew!?

chuckie the MDS is when on turns 4 of the 8 cyls off on the engine and it is suppose to increase fuel milage by using less fuel but mine was doing the same thing rattling the chassis and not unlocking the torque convertor so in turn a very much pain in the rear end to the driver. the other way to correct it is to by a tuner from diablosport. and shut off the mds or drive it in manual shift mode where u shift it u rself it will not engage then. try it for a while and i think u will get better fuel milage with it not engaing.

I had a 2010 ram 1500 laramie that got awsome gas milage with the mds but i only had 38000 kilometers on it and it had 5.7 hemi with 6 speed trans, i traded it for the 2013 that is suppose to get better gas milage with the 8 speed trans vs the 6 speed and i have 19000 kilometers on it now and i get worst gas milage on the 2013 no different in my driving or anything else exact same laramie setup....

I found it took over 20k before my 2010 ram started to improve mileage wise... Do you know if the two trucks had the same differential? Mine is a trx4 with a 5 speed so i wouldn't get the mileage you got on either truck. the trx4 came with a different diff ratio. Good for towing and offroad but not so good for mileage...

i have a 09 dodge hemi 4x4 it started missing and jerking ,i pulled the MDS seloids out one at a time the screans were stopped up so bad the oil would hardlely drip out of the screens.i replaced all 4 of them now it changes better .now i use 5w20synthetic oil.

My 10 hemi now has 65K on it and is doing great. Just clocked over 22mpg the other day doing 70 over a 200 mile hwy trip. I was thinking about buying a new 14 for a tax write off but now you guys have me scared! I do think that running 89 octane is much preferable during summer months though due to seasonal blends.

I had a 1500 2013 5.7 hemi2wd with Mds I didn't like it it was staying in Mds and not coming out of lockup wasn't working right they word not do any thing with it because no check engine lites or codes nice comfortable truck ride nice like that but hated to have to deal with it. So I botched they gave me deal on a 14 had 2500 5.7 hemi I luv that truck no Mds to worry drives strong.

I NEED HELP¡¡ I have a durango 2006, whit hemy 5.7 and MDS system but the check light is on with code p3401 cylinder 1 deactivation control circuit. I already changed the oil and even changed the solenoid but the code remains. We cleared the code but it comes back on, there are no other codes present. If anyone can help me it will be very much apreciated.

2014 Ram 1500 5.7 4X4 with 8 speed, outdoorsman package with 20" rims. At 10,000 KM I decided to test with MDS off vs on, easy to do with the shifter at start. Drive same route each day, 90% highway, tested for week, MDS on 11.8L / 100KM, MDS off 10.3 !!! Tested again at 20K, same results, drive same route, same speed (110km/h). MDS appears to be BS, at least on my truck.

how do you turn the mds off in 2013 ram 1500 laramie 5.7 with 8 spd does anyone know how

lakidd i dont believe with the 8spd u can turn it off the only thing on my 6sp 1500 5.7 that would shut it off was to use the manual shift mode i dont know if u have that with the 8spd . i hated it so much i got rid of the truck and went to a hd 2500 ram and luv the truck. now i talk to a guy i ran into he has a 2014 1500 5.7 with 8spd and 3.92 gears and he said he has had no problems my understanding is that it depends on the gear ratio , tire size how the mds acts on a perticular truck . now i might be getting mywife a 1500 in spring and it will b a 3.92 gear ratio with 8spd and i most likely for her will not get 4wd if i can find 2wd. hope this could be of help.

I hate it my 2013 Ram 1500 4x4 runs like a 3 legged dog when it kicks in and it doesn't downshift soon enough pulling a hill and the shake, I want Chrysler to take it back, it didn't run like this new, now the mechanics say its supposed to run like that. If they don't buy it back next week, a tuner will be under my Christmas tree, one that turns it off!

I have a 2013 Ram 1500 4x4 Tradesman short bed, single cab, 6 speed trans. I bought the truck about 1 month ago with 15k miles on it. I have added a S&B CAI and Magnaflow Catback exhaust (16869). I drive the truck a mix of hwy and city and I have NEVER noticed when the MDS is either On or Off. Perhaps it's been disabled?? The ECO light still comes on during hwy driving though. Maybe I'm missing something?? Although I do NOT tow or haul.

mine after the dealer will flash the PCM and the TCM i will run alright for about 2 months, but it will slowly start the downshift shake again, you guys may be able to put up with it but i'm not paying for a brand new truck that rattles the rear view before shifting, i got a lemon law lawyer, if that doesn't work, i will give in and buy the tuner, my dealer said they cannot by law disable the stupid MDS

One more thought, it is a brand new truck, no person buying a vehicle costing $30,000 should have to FN play around with the shifter, buy an aftermarket tuner, go back to the dealer every 2 months, none of this! Iwas a die hard Dodge man until this time, if i would buy another Ram it will be a diesel with a manual transmission, a lot less computers still

Agreed on having a SELECTED option for MDS. I too do not like being forced to use MDS. But like I said I have NOT had any issues so far. If and when I do I will diligently seek a solution to permanently disable It is what it is and it will only get worse as the EPA pushing their agendas on ALL manufacturer's.

You ain't kidding there ! There are class action lawsuits in 2 states on 5.7 MDS problems, your lucky yours isn't one of the really noticable ones like mine

Fingers crossed Brother!!! lol!! Keep us posted on your final resolution. May need to replicate,

I'll be here, lol

Well, I just went out and bought a new 2014 5.7 with the MDS so we will see how it goes. As mentioned previously, I had no major problems with the MDS on my 2008 and 2010. I did have to have the computer reburned (due to early downshifting) on both but the MDS system seemed to always work. One caveat is that the MDS pass off and on will noticeably be affected by faulty spark plugs which need to be replaced every 30-40K. Pain in the ass but I guess is worth it when you get in the low 20's mileage from a 400 HP motor. I am curious to see how the 8 speed works out. So far the only drawback I have noticed is when it is cold...... seems the shifting is not as precise.

You must live somewhere flat, i drive 54 miles on an interstate near pittsburgh, i average 15.5 mpg

One more thought, it is a brand new truck, no person buying a vehicle costing $30,000 should have to FN play around with the shifter, buy an aftermarket tuner, go back to the dealer every 2 months, none of this! Iwas a die hard Dodge man until this time, if i would buy another Ram it will be a diesel with a manual transmission, a lot less computers still

I have found that on the highway I have averaged in the low 20's in and around moutains. The 2008 was about at 20, the 2010 was at 21 and the new 2014 has been around 22 thus far. I have read lots of negative things on the MDS but have just not experienced the major downside yet. Sure, you can feel the system kick in and there is a slight hesitation for less than a second before it will turn off due to torque demands, but I view that as worth it in light of the economy gains.

Mine hesitates for a few seconds, stepping on the throttle easy , rpms drop to 600 before it does anything, and the fuel economy is only 15.5 , it doesn't do anything for me but p--s me off

I feel bad you guys have had these problems. My experience with my 2010 trx4 with the 5 speed tranny is just the slight hesitation that for my model can be mostly taken away by switching into 4th gear max in the city and turning off the traction control. my mpg is normally around 19 mpg (us gal) at around 65mph. I have beaten the sticker's claims in perfect conditions and no hills. City mileage is pretty bad but part of that is my heavy foot and the colder weather here in canada. I will mention that this truck gets much better mileage than my previous 2002 dakota with the 4.7 liter v8. No cylinder shutdown on that engine... lots of torque but bad mileage... Good luck guys.

Just purchased a 2015 Ram with the Hemi 5.7 MDS system. Only 400 miles on at at this point and it has been flawless. Light in instrument panel shows that the "Eco" system kicks on and off very frequently and absolutely seamless. Can notice no difference in sound, power, or performance. Traded in an 09 Ford F150 and at this point the Ram is a better truck and costing a few thousands less.

It depends on a 6 or 8 speed auto as well, mine was great for the first 7400 miles, then had to be flashed , good till 11,575 , then did it again, it is starting to act up again 16,500 , i won't take it back again, the attorneys will deal with it now

So, good luck I hope you got a good one!

Installed a S&B CAI and Magnaflow Cat Back (16869) and LOVE IT!!! NO Drone at ANY speed, can NOT hear any change in MDS mode and sounds AWESOME when you get on it! FYI :)

I'm not sure what s&b cai is, but i didn't want to install anything extra $$$ i just wanted the truck to run like when i bought it, lol

S&B Cold Air Intake... Sorry not really germane to the topic, but just wanted to share a FYI, if anyone else was looking to do any performance Mods.

I don't think I have an issue with the MDS transition, but I do think I have an issue. I bought a '11 Ram with the 5.7 Hemi a month ago with 52k on it. It doesn't idle smooth at all. Beyond that even when the rpms are up at cruising speed the rpm gauge jumps up and down by about 100 rpm. What worries me even worse is at cruising speeds when the truck is under a small load, ie going up a slight hill and not in MDS, there is a pretty loud rattling noise coming from the engine. It's intermittent, but can be replicated fairly easily. It does it right around 1500 rpm at cruising speeds in 5th gear, not in MDS. Any suggestions? I took it to the dealer and the service tech took a ride with me, he said he had no idea what it was. He said he would fill out some sort of report to send to the engineers. I'm not sure if he was b.s.ing me or not. That's been 2 weeks ago and I haven't heard anything from them since.

My attorney, lol, mine is acting up again, this mechanic said it is supposed to do that, i can't be much more help than that, i just sick of this truck

I have a 2011 Ram 1500, and my fuel mileage drastically drops when the ECO MODE (MDS) kicks in.

Every time mine goes back to the dealer, the mileage drops, the last time i got the "it's supposed to do that" speech, they said they didn't doanything to it, yet it is running better and averaging 15.2 mpg

Mark how much mileage do you have on yours now?

About 19,000 miles on the truck

I have the same problem, and now there's a HORRIBLE misfire when the MDS tries to kick off, think it might be the solenoid going bad (fantastic!) I do have a Bully Dog tuner that "supposedly" can turn the MDS off, so I guess I'll try doing that and bypassing the solenoid first. Based on the other answers from this thread, it doesn't sound like it was ever running correctly - but other than that I love my truck. Ugh!

I love the styling and features of the Rams, so to eliminate the MDS, I going Diesel and a 6 speed manual transmission, so there isn't any automatic tranny issues later

I took a trip last weekend and I guess because of the temperature the ECO mode never kicked in on the way home. On the trip up it kept coming on and I averaged 16 mpg. On the trip back it never came on and I averaged 18.1 mpg.

I wish mine was 16,I usually get 12-14 mpg. That 6 speed manual Cummins is sounding better and better all the time.

Btw, I HAVE tried putting the transmission in 5th (5 speed automatic) to cancel out eco mode, but I don't like doing it, because it doesn't let the torque converter lock up.

I thought about going Cummins, but if I do, I'm going to find a nice older 12 valve truck. Way less problems and you still get 20+ mpg.

My problem is "it is a brand new truck" i shouldn't have to turn on tow haul mode, drive in 5th, buy a tuner, plain and simple chrysler knows about the mds issues and needs to FIX IT! Or buy it back, i don't want it

Good point, mine is a 2007 so its a little older, but this is ridiculous. It's not hard to fix, just have to remove the intake manifold and disconnect a few things from the wiring harness, but I shouldn't have to do that.

Supposed to be a 6 way connector for the mds on the back of the driver side head.

Thanks! I'll keep that in mind. I haven't taken it apart and looked at it yet, but I have found that it only happens when the roads are wet. Guess I'll start with plugs, wires and coils and go from there. Maybe I'll do an oil change while I'm at it and see what that does - it definitely couldn't hurt at this point.

I've looked at mine (2011 Ram 1500) and the head sits so far back that I can't reach it. I've heard that switching to a slightly heavier oil works too. Guess I will try that. I run in 5th to keep it off, but that extra 200 rpm affects mpg's, but not nearly as bad as when "ECO MODE" kicks in.

Mine is averaging about 17 mpg and i do mostly highway driving, hopefully it will be gone soon

I had previously posted that I purchased a 2015 Ram 1500 reg cab, 4WD, 6 speed auto with 5.7 Hemi MDS. At 1, 000 miles thought I would give an update. MDS system is still working flawlessly-comes on and off constantly with absolutely no indication of it other than the Eco light in the instrument panel. As to mileage: had three ssparate trips today. First trip was for 79 miles on country roads with stops in town. Averaged 18.5 MPG. Next trip was for 38 miles on highway at 60 mph rate. Averaged18.8 MPG. Last trip was for 38 miles also at highway speeds. Averaged 19.4 MPG. I might add that I traded in a 2009 Ford F150 wkth a smaller V-8 that never exceeded 18 MPG on any type of trip. So far I am totally satisfied with this truck. I guess only time and mileage will tell.

I used to get 19-21 on the highway at 70-75 mph.....now if I get 16-18 at 65-70 I'm lucky.

I love the MDS on my 2008 5.7 Aspen. I wish I could lock the MDS in and keep the overdrive from down shifting and use it with a greater throttle input to put the motor in a more efficient BSFC. I also wonder how people are calculating MPG. I have an aftermarket scan tool that monitors instant MPG but the MDS throws it off. I think it actually reads 1/2 of what you are really getting, and the factory MPG digital gauge seems to do the same. SO cruising along in 8 cylinder mode the gauge will say 18 MPG instant. Then it goes into MDS mode and the "fuel saver" display comes up and the instant mileage goes down to 12 MPG. In reality it is getting twice that because it thinks 8 fuel injectors are pumping but really only 4 are. The problem I see is not very much throttle will cause it to kick back to 8 cylinder mode, even more throttle will cause a downshift. If I wanted to speed up that is great, but if you are just running down the interstate at a steady speed the added throttle with 4 cylinders and maintaining 2000 rpm is more efficient then less throttle and 8 cylinders. Even with the stock setup I got 18.1 MPG running 70 MPH from Spokane to Missoula over 2 mountain passes gaining 1500 feet of elevation. That was hand calculated the computer showed less.

I'm very happy for you. I have heard that lighter vehicles do not have the same issues, if you go back to my initial post, my complaint is that my truck does not transition from eco mode back to 8 cylinders smoothly, causing the truck to shudder and shake, it did not do this when it was new, yet " it is supposed to do that" is what i hear from the dealer. Also i have seen the mountain passes out west and yes they are higher, around Pittsburgh the hills are short and very steep my truck is going in and out of eco mode constantly. I could care less about the MPG if the truck would accelerate to pull a hill without shaking the filling out of my teeth first! Yes, i could shift it by hand, yes i could run it in tow haul mode, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO! It is a fairly new truck, these issues started at 7400 miles, i am at 20,500 and it still does it.

Hea Otter, Have you ever tried having your computer reburned/programmed? I had some minor issues with premature downshifts on both my 2008 and 2010. The reburn solved the problems. I have experienced a very small amount of the shuddering that you are speaking of when downshifting from the MDS. Sounds like it needs to shift out of MDS sooner than it is to avoid trying to put torque on four cylinders at very low RPMS. If you plan on keeping the truck I would do it tomorrow as it only takes the dealer techs less than an hour to do so. Otherwise I would get rid of it right now. As before I am on my third Dodge pu MDS truck and have been very happy overall with the saved fuel. 08,10, and now 2014.

That sounds great and exactly what it like what it does, my dealer thinks i'm crazy and don't even take it in the garage anymore, i will try and find someone else to do it

Mine is a 2014 1500 4X4 with MDS. My question is, does the ECO icon mean you're in MDS mode? I haven't experienced any vibration or anything. Another question, real time mpg should double once the MDS turns on, right? Mine does not double, which is why i'm asking if ECO is MDS.

Yes, when the eco light comes on the MDS is active but your gas mileage does not double since the 4 or the 6 cylinders are having to work a bit harder than half time which is where all of the torque issues come about at low RPM. At cruising highway speeds on normal terrain your mileage should go from the 15-17 area up to the 21-23 area. Mine does anyway!

Mine used to get the 22 mpg range, but those days are long gone, mine maxes out at about 18 now

Ok, if that's the case then my 5.7L goes in and out of MDS (ECO icon) pretty often and flawless. I don't see any hesitation when the ECO icon comes on and off. I have the Longhorn trim but not sure if that would matter; computer programming or something. I wonder if you can turn MDS off but still have the trans (mine's the 8) go in to OD?

That's why you won't have problems, the 6 speeds have the MDS shakes

MDS is multi cylinder displacement, yes it is the ECO mode it shuts off 4 cylinders making your Hemi run like a Neon, lol, no not really that good, at least in my case

On your fuel mileage monitor, the instant mileage is the horizontal bar that moves as you accelerate or decelerate. The average is the vertical bar above the instant mileage bar. When my ECO light comes an and it enters "helicopter mode", my instant mileage takes a big hit.

Thanks for the info!! I think i may mess around to see how much it helps with mpg and try to remove to see performance improvements.

Wish there was a way to disable it. I hate the thought of spending $400+ on a programmer that doesn't work.

On my way home today I found a way to disable the mds. Again I have the 5.7L with the 8 speed trans. What I did was on the steering column there are buttons for gear -/+. I hit the - to get it in "manual" shift mode but put it in gear 8. This made the ECO not come on and didn't seem to lower the mpg.

Only downside is you have to do it everytime you put the selector in D. Also, I have the knob style selector on the dash

I realize that, the tow haul mode does the same thing, but my point is , and again i'm going to say it when it first started acting up it was about 6 months old, 7400 miles on it, Chrysler Engineers are aware of the problem and have been working on a solution since 2010, I should not have to mess around with tow haul mode, drive with the + - selector, it isa new truck and it is not right, fix it or give me additional money toward trading it in i owed $29,000 on it the dealer would only give me $15,000, do you think they know something is wrong ???.

I have the 6 speed and it won't let me go into 6th without the MDS kicking in. Tow/haul makes my rpms run too high and kills my mileage.

Yea, I tried the Tow /Haul but that ran my rpms up higher than normal before shifting to the next gear. Do you have the 6 or 8 speed trans, otter69?

6 speed, it is not supposed to go into 6th in tow haul it is a second overdrive, also from what i have heard the 8 speeds do not have the MDS shake problem that the 6 speeds do, but we will see i have an attorney, and i am getting a diffrent truck, even if i have to quit paying for this one ! I will buy a 20 year old beater, they don't have MDS

I'm thinking about the beater route myself Otter69.

There were class action law suits in FL and TX on 5.7 Hemi 6 speeds, not all of them do it, but there are enoff

All I know is I'm getting the same mileage as I got on the 95 318 truck I traded in, and it was paid for!!

Sorry,I must have missed the post about the 6 speed. Well hopefully you all can get the issue resolved!!

Everyone that has an issue with theirs needs to go to www.dodgeramhell.com this is the best summary of issues and what is not being done about it

Thanks Otter69

Interesting read, huh ?

Very

My loaded Aspen with AWD and 20" wheels is not exactly light 5300#. Maybe 300 pounds less then a Laramie Quad cab 4x4 at most. Mine does shift in and out too much, Why I said I wish I could just lock it in. When it does shift in and out I can't tell except for the "fuel saver" light that comes on. Maybe they just put more effort into the Aspen being smooth. Then again I also couldn't tell it was running on 7 cylinders when a coil failed except for the check engine light. This is with years of automotive repair experience. Like I said, I love the MDS, just wish they made a way to keep it on more. My 2011 3.6 van has an "eco" button that really helps short shift the automatic while accelerating and hold overdrive longer before kicking down which I love also. Magazine testers hate that mode, but wider throttle opening with lower RPM (something that normally you need a manual transmission to obtain) put the motor in it's most efficient acceleration point on most BSFC tables. It's not best to turn in a quick 1/4 mile time but it is good for fuel economy.

Go to the website i listed above, if mine worked correctly, i would like it too, but it doesn't and neither does all the guys on that website, read what theirs acts like, mine is the same as theirs, i will give you mine you take it for a week and then tell me if you would buy it off of me ?

my 14 4x45.7L Hemi 8sp does not go into eco mode, no eco light. Dos this mean I do not have MDS VVT? My wife's 13 does have eco light. I believe hers id a 6sp.

My question is how do you tell visually whether it is MDS or not?

on my 2013 ECO shows up on the center dash display

I believe all 5.7 hemi's are mds, but if it is not consider yourself lucky

My 2008 Ram 1500 Big Horn 4x4 drove like a freakin dream. Steady, crisp, No aftermarket nothing, pure stock. Traded it in for a 2015 Ram 1500 4x4 and noticed that it shits like someone is sitting on the drive shaft and clapping 2 bricks together, slamming gears and just making for a noisy sloppy drive. Like teeth are missing and metal is just smashing into metal at retarded intervals... Truck has 3200 miles. 3200 miles. I will say that I miss my 2008. A lot.

Had a 2005 RAM w/HEMI when new. That was the year before VVT was introduced to the 5.7 HEMI. Ran like a charm, never had a problem. Towed my 6200 lb travel trailer without breaking a sweat. The 5-speed netted me 8 to 9 MPG towing and once on the Interstate, not towing, mostly downhill and strong tailwind, I got 21 MPG. Last week I picked up a 2015 RAM 1500 Outdoorsman Quad Cab 4X4. So far, with just over 100 miles on the clock, everything seems to be running just fine so I hope the noises Travis is experiencing don't materialize on my RAM. ;)

I wish you the best the 2010 up with the hemies in the 6 speed transmissions where the problem issues

Just got mine out of the shop after a MDS lifter failure that caused a chain reaction of failures. Number one intake lifter went bad, cutting off oil supply to the rocker assembly, causing the rocker to come off and bending a push rod. Took a week of arguing with Chrysler about oil changes, but they finally stepped up and repaired it. The problem with the MDS system has nothing to do with the transmission, but design flaw in the lifter itself. Some people are going as far as putting the 6.1 non- MDS lifters in their trucks.

Mine doesn't downshift properly causing the mds, to make the engine bog, only running on 4 cylinders, compounds the problem, by shifting the auto stick selector to "6" the ECO never kicks in and the truck runs fine, when the delay in the downshift occurs the 8 cylinders working does cause a bog

That's a computer problem, not a transmission problem.

I have a 2008, 2010 and now a 2014 Hemi MDS and the only times I ever had problems either down or up shifting, a simple reprogram of the transmission did the trick. I always read about all of these problems but the only ones I have ever had were either fixed quickly or due to bad spark plugs. I love it!

Yes, I agree, the PCM to be exact, the reason i mentioned the 6 speed, is because the class action lawsuits are with the 5.7 hemi and 6 speeds only, the issue is with that configuration

They have a pcm flash for the droning and vibration issue with the mds system.I am a tech at a dodge dealership we see this complaint alot the newer dodges not so much up to about 2012

Mine has been flashed twice, now they tell me " it's supposed to do that" where do you work, it's under warranty, i will bring it to you

What is it doing is it vibrating on mds or droning and do u have a aftermarket exhaust and I'm in south east texas

Well maybe i won't, lol, on the steep short hills in western Pennsylvania, at 27 mph, it will be in 5th gear, go to climb one of those hills and it acts like starting a manual transmission out in to high of a gear, gives a little shutter, rpms drop to about 800 then and only then will it downshift, if you run the truck in 6 on the auto stick selector, it will never do this, but i should not have to

Ps. Everything except the tires are the way it rolled out of the factory, and tires are same size just needed new ones

How many miles on it

34,500

Six speed or new 8 speed ?

6, from the class action lawsuit i read about the 6 speeds with the 5.7 are the only ones that do it

I've learned to live with it, the 6 on the auto stick selector keeps it out of eco mode, and no more shutter, i just won't buy another one. My next truck will be a 1990' Dodge Diesel, with a 5 speed, zero computers, essentially a tractor in a trucks body, i shouldn't have sold mine 93

Otter, on the Diesel you can go all the way to a mid 98 model. That's when they went computerized.

Thanks, it would be nice to find one for sale reasonable, lol, I'm not the only one that realizes what they're worth

If I'm driving a long distance, I noticed that mine will I guess train itself not to go into MDS mode. II went on a 200 mile trip and it only did the "MDS boogie" for the first 20 miles. After that I'd wouldn't do it until I shut the truck off and took off again.

Yeah here in Texas you can find them reasonable if you know where to look. There's an old man that has a used car lot out in the middle of the woods, and he sells them from anywhere of $3,000 and up. Usually they average around $4,500.

When you buy any. Car or truck Rule # 1 Research the INVESTMENT. Rule # 2 see rule #1 I OWN A 2010 Ram 1500 Quad cab Hemi with MDS Mopar Cold Air intake dual exhaust 5speed on column with paddle shift very nice. It runs fine very fast actually took out anew EVO a few vetts and some Porsche turbos as well as BMW. Be happy with what you have and stop being ungrateful in life. Life can be fun by simply being more.positive Well thats it for know im taking new patients next year in the meantime think.positive. Peace AL

It's not being ungrateful when something doesn't work properly and it costs you money.

How did he get a 5 speed? They don't make less than a 6 ? That must be why his isn't a POS

Much less factory paddle shifters on a Ram.

I just hit my shifter left once while in drive. It'll shift through all 5 gears despite reading 5 on the dash.(2011 1500 outdoorsman 5.7 hemi MBRP cat-back single exit k&n filter

He probably confused paddle with BUMP shift ^

But according to that guy his is a 5 speed, Chrysler only made 6 and 8 speeds, so i would imagine, that he doesn't have a clue about the entire conversation