GDE Ecotune vs. Weeks Stage 1: The Numbers

ShaqDiesel · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2015 9:37 pm

I did some number crunching today to determine the total amount of required miles traveled to realize a return on investment from the GDE Ecotune and the Weeks Stage 1 kit. Both products eliminate the EGR, which results is about a 4mile/gallon boost in performance. Based on my experience, my mileage went from 22 mpg to 26 mpg on average. I have both products and have not seen an additional increase since I added the Weeks Stage 1 and 2 kits (had Ecotune first).

Other things to note: This calculation assumes the same mileage increase between installs of the Ecotune and the Weeks Elbow. Also, the cost of diesel is down currently, which means it would take longer to realize your return on investment if sustained

Average Diesel Cost over the last 5 years (2010-2014): $3.7094 Source: http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=EMD_EPD2D_PTE_NUS_DPG&f=A

Previous cost/mile (stock) at 22 miles/gallon = ($3.7094/gallon) / (22 miles/gallon) = $.168609/mile

Current cost/mile (modified) at 26 miles/gallon = ($3.7094/gallon) / (26 miles/gallon) - $.142670/mile

Dollar amount saved with GDE Ecotune or Weeks Stage 1 = ($.168609/mile - $.142670/mile) = $.025940/mile

Therefore, for every mile logged with a GDE Ecotune or Weeks Stage 1 Kit saves you a little over 2.5 cents per mile. Now, lets apply that to cost of each product and you'll get the approximate amount of miles it takes to realize your payoff.

GDE Ecotune cost: $500
Miles for return on investment = ($500) / ($.025940/mile) = 19,275 miles

Additional benefits of GDE Ecotune: simple install, engine life extended, linear fuel gauge, less use of viscous heater, engine oil stays cleaner, visible smoke reduced, and exhaust temps are reduced.

Drawbacks: None

--

<s>Weeks Stage 1 kit cost: $225
Miles for return on investment = ($225) / ($.025940/mile) = 8,674 miles

Additional benefits of Weeks Stage 1: engine life extended, engine oil stays cleaner, visible smoke reduced, exhaust temps reduced, increased access to glow plugs with Stage 2 install.

Drawbacks: complicated install, constant dash warning light w/o Ecotune install</s>

Thoughts on this? Let the fun begin.

flash7210 · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2015 10:05 pm

My thoughts are:

1. The GDE tune is designed to improve your fuel mileage and therefore reduce your annual fuel costs.

2. The Sasquatatch Motorsports stage 1 EGR delete kit is just a simple way of deleting the EGR from the intake path. It was not designed to improve your fuel mileage.

(I have installed both the stage 1 and 2 EGR delete kits and have not seen any improvment in MPGs, but I was not expecting any either)

ShaqDiesel · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2015 10:34 pm

flash7210 wrote:

My thoughts are:

2. The Sasquatatch Motorsports stage 1 EGR delete kit is just a simple way of deleting the EGR from the intake path. It was not designed to improve your fuel mileage.

(I have installed both the stage 1 and 2 EGR delete kits and have not seen any improvment in MPGs, but I was not expecting any either)

Seriously? By eliminating the exhaust gas recirculating into your intake, you should see a mileage improvement if you have only the Weeks Kit. I'd like to hear their take on it.

tcoilburner · **Posted:** Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:48 pm

I did the unplug the mass air flow sensor before I had the Ecotune. Never seen a mileage change. After the tune I am 2-4 mpg better then before. Now after a head gasket job I have the weeks 1kit and no change in mileage.

GreenDieselEngineering · **Joined:** Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:10 pm **Posts:** 1111

Turning off the egr has a minimal effect on fuel economy and not much on the oil cleanliness. GDE gains economy with remapping the engine combustion process to be more efficient. This also has the side benefits of cleaner engine oil and much lower soot production. EGR is the main cause for intake soot build up.

95Z28A4 · **Joined:** Sun Mar 30, 2014 9:53 am **Posts:** 297

I installed the GDE Full Torque ECO tune and saw a mileage improvement of 2-3 MPG. It also improved acceleration. The black smoke that spewed from the exhaust under hard acceleration was almost completely eliminated by the GDE tune. My wife likes the tune because it removed the "dead spot" in the fuel pedal off idle. The tune also linearizes the fuel gauge. The GDE tune is definitely worth the money.

In my opinion, the GDE tune is worth every penny. The Weeks kit is worth installing after you have installed a tune. If I had to choose between the two, the GDE tune gets my vote.

SJBrooks · **Joined:** Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:01 am **Posts:** 95

Shaq,

I too have tracked my '06 CRD's "numbers" consistently since I bought it used in the summer of '06 with 21,000 miles on it. Last summer, I installed the eco tune and Weeks Stage 1 kit at the same time, and the following are the results so far. For simplicity's sake, I just totaled the three costs (I bought the tune programmer too) together as my total investment to recoup.

1. Investment cost: $935

2. Pre-mod: 83,000+ miles driven with an avg mpg of 20.31

3. Post-mod: 16,000+ miles driven with an avg mpg of 21.8

4. $ saved (@ 21.8 versus 20.31) so far: $203.47

5. $ saved per mile so far: .013

6. miles to go @ current savings rate to recoup investment: 56,272

Of course, as discussed, there are many other benefits of doing the mods I've done other than (hopefully) long-term cost savings. I will say the CRD has run SO much better since doing the mods that that alone makes it worth the cost.

Steve

ShaqDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Aug 02, 2015 1:44 pm

SJBrooks wrote:

2. Pre-mod: 83,000+ miles driven with an avg mpg of 20.31

3. Post-mod: 16,000+ miles driven with an avg mpg of 21.8

Steve

These numbers seem low. Do you have a lift kit, roof rack, larger/wider tires, or something else that would affect your fuel economy?

ShaqDiesel · **Posted:** Sun Aug 02, 2015 1:46 pm

Well guys, my "Newbie" has again been confirmed. Thanks for setting me straight on this. I think the numbers on the GDE Ecotune would still be valuable for someone considering a purchase, though.

racertracer · **Posted:** Sun Aug 02, 2015 4:05 pm

At first I had those numbers with my GDE tune also and was puzzled. But when the dealer replaced my torque converter under warranty with the latest and greatest updated torque converter, my MPG shot up and are now 24.5 city and 29.3 highway +/-, previous MPG's 21mpg average.

SJBrooks · **Joined:** Tue Mar 11, 2014 11:01 am **Posts:** 95

Shaq

Yes, I've got a JBA lift and run aggressive 245-size tires. Those, combined with a lot of in-town driving (it's my wife's daily driver), must contribute to bringing the mpg down some.

Steve

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2015 8:24 am

I have both and I'm getting 20 to 22 mpg "around town" which is in stop n go traffic, back roads, 9 mile one way work commute, and a little highway here and there. I have not got better than 30 mpg highway ever since I lifted with the OME kit and 245/75 all terrain tires. before it was lifted I was able to to get 33 highway on 245/70 all terrain tires. only got 26 on my last camping trip but then I was pulling a pop up and had a kayak on the roof.

flman · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:23 am

OP you forgot to mention the tune is paid for many times vs replacing and EGR valve multiple times. So how many miles you need to drive to pay for it don't really play into the equation totally.

mikey1273 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:33 am

an EGR valve alone is over $200 on rock auto add in labor and Diagnostic cost if you dont do it yourself and maybe other parts and your up to the tunes cost easy

APC9199 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 03, 2015 1:59 pm

That is definitely an apples-to-oranges comparison, but it would be interesting to compare the GDE tune with the DIY tune being offered by members in the CRD tech section. It seems like it is still a work in progress, but it has worked well for me, being on a tight budget at the moment. It has definitely increased my MPG and throttle response. It is not nearly as encompassing as the GDE tune and does not offer all of the same additional benefits, but it would be worth a comparison for those who are on the fence about purchasing a tune.

weeks101 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 30, 2012 3:29 pm **Posts:** 747

ShaqDiesel wrote:

I'd like to hear their take on it.

I don't think the two products are directly comparable, since they do different things and have different benefits. But they complement each other nicely and they both address different flaws of the VM 2.8L in this application (KJ), all of which will effect cost of ownership over the long term, whether via efficiency improvements, economy gains, better reliability, increased engine longevity, or a reduction in labor and maintenance. As long as your EGR system is active, soot is mixing with oil vapor, causing a reduction in engine performance and economy over time. It's like a slowly-clogging artery. Our delete kits are designed to eliminate this problem, and as others have said, make additional design improvements like a higher-flowing elbow and improved glow plug access. For these reasons, I would argue our product leads to a lower cost of ownership and an improved ownership experience. In the long term it will pay for itself.

That said, we have had many customers report significant MPG gains, here are a few examples:

Quote:

An increase above and beyond the GDE EcoTune of 2.7 MPG calculated over 2,300 miles: "Ok, just back from a tour around Germany, Austria and Belgium (stopping off in Bastogne). Distance just over 2300 miles. With GDE, Weeks kit and Vortex exhaust, autobahn fuel consumption at a fairly steady 65-70 mph was 7.1 – 7.2 l/100km. Works out to about 39 mpg (imperial gallons that is). I did much the same trip and distance last year but before the Weeks kit was fitted and the best autobahn mpg was 7.9 l/100km or 35.75 mpg(imperial). With the cost of fuel here, the Weeks kit is a definite bonus if you do any decent mileage." This translates to 29.8 mpg (US) before and 32.5 mpg (US) after. Source: viewtopic.php?p=846337#p846337

A few more examples:

- viewtopic.php?p=829481#p829481
- viewtopic.php?p=827019#p827019
- viewtopic.php?p=843884#p843884

GDE Ecotune vs. Weeks Stage 1: The Numbers

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