General Challenger DiscussionThis section contains general discussion about the Dodge Challenger. If it does not fit into a more specific area, it probably belongs in here. (Dodge Challenger General Discussion)
I have a 2012 SRT8 w/auto trans. Does the system that drops the engine down to 4-cylinder operation during highway use need to be activated, or is it automatic? And when it's active, is the EVIC supposed to notify as such with a message or an icon on the instrument panel?
the evic will read "ECO" you have to be in auto drive not using the slap shifter as well. I found that when i had my rt it went into eco and shut down to 4 cylinders very easily. with the srt8 you have to be going down hill or barely pressing the gas for it to kick in. If you decide to get an exhaust you will be able to tell the difference in the exhaust sound switching from 8 to 4
You would be surprised how fast four cylinders will move you.I got to 88 mph before I had to brake due to traffic conditions.Another poster said he reached 100 mph, I dont doubt it, either.
__________________ In the order I installed them K&N drop-in,suitcase replaced with two magnaflow double offset 2.5" in and out, Jet 180* thermostat. Predator 93cai tune, clean air tube, resonator delete , Fastman ported throttle body..Dyno 8-17 ,102.18* F,, 334 rwhp. torque 359 ft.lbs.A/F 12.6 , SRT8 suspension up grade, Hood struts Best 1/8th mile 2.01 60 ft.,8.49@83.78, DA 88 Only 1/4 mile 2.11 60 ft.1/8th 8.71@82.77 1/4mi.13.41@ 105.49
in the town i live in the highest posted speed limit it 30 and its only on 4 streets, it used to be only two, but the state of cali threatened to take away their radar detectors because it they weren't really necessary.... so anyways basically every where I drive is 25mph. The ECO is pretty much always on, just stay in the first inch or so on the gas pedal and cruise down hills the car will hold second gear too its actually really nice. and these big blocks LOVE low rpm cruising (like you would on the highway). There is a feature i believe in the Personal Setting on the EVIC to turn it off and on though. and anytime you got the paddles or sport mode on it won't activate.
even our four cylinder setup is bigger than most average 4 bangers... remember you're in a 6.4L and even if you're only getting 3 of those litres on ECO thats a lot.
I have a 2012 SRT8 w/auto trans. Does the system that drops the engine down to 4-cylinder operation during highway use need to be activated, or is it automatic? And when it's active, is the EVIC supposed to notify as such with a message or an icon on the instrument panel?
Thanks.
It will take control without your intervention
When you need more power it will revert back to 8 cylindres automatically.
It is really a great feature!
__________________ 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8
1st 2012 Challenger SRT8 in Abu Dhabi
Mopar T handle shifter - Parking Sensors
GardX Paint & Leather Protection - Vcool tinting
Well just bear in mind that it is mds, but not all mds in all models behave the same. The mds that is in your SRT8 behaves like it does because that is how they programmed it to behave in the SRT8 (for better or worse). Who knows what the priorities involved were, but I suspect they were simply shooting for minimal intervention given the max performance aspirations of the SRT8 model. It's not a matter of what it can sustain, rather simple programming on the threshold it would stay on.
Besides, it's not really saving much fuel if called upon for "heavy" output (relative to what an mds can ultimately achieve). It saves fuel when the engine load is very light...about as light as you can get before the engine is shutting down, altogether. Basically it is good for when the vehicle is already just rolling, and you just need something to keep all the accessories spinning w/o dragging down the drivetrain. Beyond that, it will suck down a commensurate amount of fuel to generate x amount of output to move the car...no real fuel savings compared to a full v8 at work, and the v8 will get the velocity increase sooner, to boot. Over time, that means less fuel used compared to a v4 straining to do the same over a longer time period.
So maybe the Dodge engineers were actually responding to lessons learned from how the mds operates in the 5.7 L, and trimming the thresholds even further back where there would not have been a fuel economy benefit anyway? No need to run it just to have it running, right? It's counterintuitive to the laymen, to be sure. The laymen would suspect that the more often it is running, the more fuel will be saved. What they don't realize is that just running it is not enough...the engine load condition has to be "right", or it will happily use fuel voraciously just running it, just as if you were running a v8. It will save fuel when you run it AND the engine load is very light (where a large displacement v8 will necessarily have poor efficiency and the fuel consumption cannot fall "below the deck" or cylinders just won't light off reliably).
It's not that I really needed 370 hp...but having 150+ hp riding shotgun at a moment's bidding w/o a 6000 rpm moonshot is what makes me feel like I'm in the right car for me. The roar of a v8 seals the deal!
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Well, I would argue it is effective on more than that if you are willing to drive in a manner that leverages the mds effect (even if you don't have a long straight road). If you do nothing special at all, then yes, a long straight road is a natural for letting it do its thing.
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