Power Chip in tow vehicle

msiminoff wrote:
Smarty is THE way to go for you '04 5.9L CTD!!! You can make a lot more power and do it more safely than with most other programmers. You can improve fuel economy considerably too... but doing that is entirely dependent upon the performance of your right foot. :W

I would not consider any tuner that increased rail pressure (e.g. the Economind)

If you don't already have them, I suggest adding EGT & boost gauges. As other people have mentioned, more power can be tough on the stock transmission so you may want to think upgrading the tranny first.

Before you spend a penny on engine upgrades you may want to spend a few days reading through the forum archives on the Dodge-centric sites like Diesel Truck Resource and Turbo Diesel Registry.

Cheers,
-Mark

Agreed!
Smarty is the best route to go. I would have one with UDC tuning, but my truck already had the Edge when I bought it.
You need to somewhat know what you're doing with the Smarty, because you can get stupid with it and cause damage. It isn't just plug it in and mash on the throttle. You get the options to adjust rail pressure, timing, fueling, adjust torque management, turbo wastegate control, power levels, read error codes, adjust for tire size changes (and the list goes on).

Adding a little bit of timing will get you some better fuel economy, but don't go wild with it. Too much timing can increase combustion chamber temperatures without showing up on the EGT gauge!

With my Edge, my fuel economy has improved ~0%. Removed vs installed, I only feel more power.