Plug-in chips are small devices you can add to your car that help it run better and faster. They change how the engine works to give it more power, but they can also cause issues if not used correctly.
A tuner is a gadget that helps your car's engine perform better by changing how it runs. It can make your car faster or more efficient, but you have to be careful with the settings.
Exhaust gauges are tools that show how well your car's exhaust system is working. They help you see if your engine is running too hot or if there are any problems.
Towing mode is a special setting in some cars that helps them pull heavy things, like trailers. It makes the engine work better for towing, so the car doesn't get too hot or hard to control.
An exhaust temperature gauge tells you how hot the gases are that come out of your car's engine. It's important because if the gases get too hot, it can mean there's a problem with the engine.
Exhaust temps refer to the temperature of the gases that come out of the engine. Keeping an eye on these temperatures is important to make sure the engine is running well and not overheating.
Miles per gallon (MPG) tells you how far a car can go on one gallon of gas. Higher MPG means better fuel efficiency, which is important for saving money on gas.
The Dodge Challenger is a famous muscle car that was popular in the 1970s. The 1973 version is one of the earlier models, known for its strong performance and stylish design.
The compression ratio tells you how much the engine squeezes the fuel and air mixture before it burns. A higher number means more power, but it can also mean you need better fuel to avoid problems.
A hotter spark plug is one that gets hotter during use, which can help the engine run better. It's used to fix problems like fouling, where the plug gets dirty and doesn't work well.
The compression ratio is how much the engine compresses the air-fuel mixture before igniting it. A 13-to-1 ratio means the mixture is compressed 13 times, which usually requires special fuel to avoid engine damage.
Term
E85
E85 is a type of fuel that is made mostly from corn and is mixed with regular gasoline. It can help high-performance engines run better because it has a higher octane rating.
Cam2 racing fuel is a type of gasoline that has a higher octane rating than regular gas. It's used in race cars and high-performance vehicles to prevent engine knocking and improve performance.
Octane is a number that tells you how well a fuel can handle being compressed in an engine without causing problems. Higher numbers mean the fuel is better for powerful engines.
Detonation is when the fuel in an engine ignites too early, which can make a knocking sound and harm the engine. It can cause the engine to run poorly and wear out faster.
A carburetor helps an engine get the right mix of air and fuel to run. It's like a mixer that combines these two ingredients before they go into the engine.
When an engine is said to be running rich, it means it's using more fuel than it should compared to the amount of air. This can cause problems like bad gas mileage and can even hurt the engine over time.
The BMW 3 Series is a small luxury car that is fun to drive and has a lot of nice features inside. People talk about it because it’s known for being sporty and stylish, and some versions of it need special fuel to run their best.
The needle and seat are parts inside a carburetor that help control how much fuel goes into the engine. They work together to keep the fuel level just right.
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This is Under the Hood.
Welcome to the Under the Hood Show. We are glad to have you with us. Russ Evans is here to answer your automotive questions.
Thanks for joining us Under the Hood.
Shannon Nordstrom is here to do the same.
Welcome hoodies. Thanks for tuning in so we can help you tune up.
I'm Chris Carter here to answer your calls at 866-594-4150.
866-594-4150.
866-594-4150.
Let's talk to Greg. You're on the Under the Hood Show.
Greg, what can we do for you?
Hey guys.
Kind of 2018 GMC one ton.
And I wanted to get your opinion on, you know, looking at these plug-in chips that a guy can put on them for better performance.
Better performance or better fuel mileage?
Well, probably more of the fuel mileage.
I also tow a big fifth wheel down south during the winter.
And so if I could increase mileage, that would be great.
Just wanted to get your opinion on whether those are a good idea or not.
I wasn't trying to be difficult. I just want to make sure.
We all knew what you were saying.
Diesel, correct?
Yes.
Just wanted to make sure because they're starting to throw the gas motors, but I don't think they're quite doing it yet in 18.
You can get a tuner for it.
You can buy a tuner.
It's going to cost you between six and $900 for one.
And you've got to be conservative and put it on the right setting because there are settings available.
The factory has to tune it for the average driver, which means some are going to be more aggressive.
You know, half are more aggressive, half are less aggressive.
So you're going to get what you're going to get.
But with a tuner, you can fine tune it.
But if you set it for too high a setting and you don't have exhaust gauges and things to look at while you're driving, you're going to burn that engine up.
So you can put it in a towing mode.
Almost all of them come with a towing mode and you're pretty safe there.
It'll watch the temperatures for you and shut it down.
But if you put it in a performance mode or a racing mode, which some people do because they say, oh, wow, I've got all this power.
It's great.
Then you burn the head gaskets out of it or melt cylinders and things like that.
But you can get a little increase in fuel mileage and power by going with a tuner on one of those.
You just got to decide, do you tow enough to justify six to $900?
Are you going to save that much in fuel over, let's say, a two or three year period by doing that?
You might get one to two miles per gallon better out of it and a little better towing.
And some people do it just because when they drive up a slight hill on the interstate, the cruise stays on and it doesn't downshift and it's more comfortable to drive.
That in itself, I tell you what, that would be more worth it to me to spend $900 on a device than saving one mile per gallon.
And a lot of the it's like, okay, I'm going to save fuel.
That's great, but it's really not justifying the cost.
But is it going to give me more comfort and a better ride?
Well, what's that?
What's the value of that?
That's worth, you know, whatever dollar you put on it.
So sure, lots of people are doing it.
You've got to have an exhaust temperature gauge.
That's the first thing you can hit the button on that dash.
I'm driving one.
No, I'm not.
I drove it to work this morning, but that was a 15 and it had that same dash in it.
So it has, you can look at the exhaust temps and everything right from the dash on that one.
So yours should have that.
But then you've got to go to that screen and leave it on that setting.
So you can see it.
And if you like to see other things, get yourself a set of gauges that go up on the post or something.
So you can see the exhaust temps.
Very, very important to watch exhaust temps on diesel.
I guess the question for correct me if I'm wrong for Greg, Greg, do you, is this something that you think about the mileage?
Is this every day you think about you wish you were getting better mileage every time you're driving it or just in certain cases?
Well, it'd be nice, but the biggest thing is when obviously when I'm tolling the camper, tolling the fifth wheel, it'd be, I mean, that's the biggest thing, right?
You go from 17 miles a gallon in a diesel, 17, 18 to, you know, down to eight or nine, right?
And you're driving on, you know, driving 1500 miles one way, 3000 a winter, right?
It can add up.
Yeah. And you're probably, you're probably looking at, you might gain a mile per gallon with a tuner if you don't push it really hard.
Then you still got to slow down because when you're going up a hill, it's going to have the ability.
What does a tuner do?
It gives it more fuel and more boost.
So it's going to burn more fuel on flat ground.
It's a little different, but it's, it's made to burn, to burn more fuel.
The biggest thing that kills those trucks is that diesel exhaust fluid and all the emissions they've got on there.
They make them much cleaner, yes, but they also cause them to burn more fuel per mile, which I don't know.
It almost seems like a contradictory self.
Yeah. And I'd have to look at that data, but I would bet, you know, if you've got a vehicle that burns, let's say that thing burns a gallon of fuel per mile.
I'm going way out there, but it burns one gallon of fuel per mile and now you put, and it puts out a ton of emissions.
You know, let's say, and now we burn a gallon and a half per mile and we put out half a ton of emissions.
Well, okay, we've cut our emissions down a little bit, but we're burning more fuel.
So now we've added to the emissions.
So how much did we really save and how much did it cost to put all that extra stuff on there and how much pollution was created by making all that extra stuff?
And then what happens when it goes bad?
There's just so many variables involved in that.
And if I can't figure it out as a mechanic, how can the people in the Congress and the Senate, you know, that voted on getting these things done, created the committees and the EPA and all that to do it?
How do they get it if a mechanic doesn't, you know, can't put all those things together very quickly because they just go blow through those things so fast.
But it's, yeah, that diesel, and they vary a lot too.
If you have three people with your truck, they'll all get different miles per gallon.
I'm just going to say kind of a statement.
Typically people don't get what they expect when they buy one as far as their expectations exceed the reality of what actually happens when they start using the vehicle.
In the long run, you're thinking...
That's the reports I typically get back.
Can they get a better fuel economy?
Yeah, like Russ said, little here and there.
But they probably give it up somewhere else.
The empty fuel mileage in those with the tuner is usually increased pretty good.
But once you start pulling, that's what I'm getting at.
Let's say you use this for camping, but then you use it as your construction truck just to run all over town.
It was your daily driver every day.
I bet you could make up in fuel mileage of daily driving in, let's say, 20,000 miles a year.
What you're going to lose pulling that camper a few times a year.
Does that help you out at all, Greg?
Yeah, a little bit.
Appreciate you guys talking me through it.
You bet.
Thanks very much for the call. 866-594-4150.
That's the number to reach us here.
Let's talk to Don. You're on the end of the hood show.
Don, what can we do for you?
Hey, I have a direct question for Russ.
I'm offended by that, Don.
Shannon and I will just sit over here.
You know what? We're going to take our headphones off, Don.
You go ahead and talk to Russ. Have fun.
No, come on.
All right. I have a 73 Challenger.
It's a 440 with a 13-to-1 compression block in it.
I've been dealing with this problem for quite a while, but I switched over to a hotter plug
to try to get the engine to stop the pinging, stop oil-coated plugs.
I haven't figured it out, but am I in the right direction or wrong direction here?
Because the engine's C2 now is running about 11 to 1 where it will run on 93,
but it may need a couple points behind it.
This is what the guy told me.
It's a 13-to-1 engine.
If it's a 13-to-1 engine and you've not been running Cam2 racing fuel in it
or E85 with special jetting in the carburetor, I would be shocked if it doesn't have piston damage to it already.
I would look in there with a camera to see because if you're burning oil and getting oil on the plugs,
that usually means a piston's been damaged.
13-to-1 will not run on pump gas. It won't run on 93 octane pump gas.
Yes, the heads are lifted and they did a bunch of stuff to detune it to run on pump gas.
So it's a 13-to-1 engine that is no longer 13-to-1?
Correct.
Because volume in the cylinders is volume in the cylinders no matter how they built it.
You're going to have to find out what that cylinder volume is and the stroke of the engine
and actually come up with the actual number for that that will give you a compression ratio
and then you can use that to determine what octane fuel you're going to need.
But it sounds like you've got it. If it's pinging, it's an octane problem.
We've got a tractor down here that's like 11-to-1.
You can run the highest octane. We've tried running 93 octane fuel in it and it won't run right.
You can't hear it pinging because the headers are open, but it's detonating.
It's running horribly. But if we run the racing gas in it, it runs perfectly.
It's just too high. You could find out pretty quickly if you stick a camera down in those cylinder holes
and look and you see piston edge damage to it.
Even with it detuned, it's still too high and you'd have to go a little further with it.
Could it be where it's damaged? It might be running fine now if the pistons weren't damaged
so that damage is there and you might be running the right...
It's a combination of octane, timing, fuel delivery, all of those things.
You can have too little carburation.
There's a machinist that builds an engine that really understands all that stuff.
I can talk the words, but I'm amazed by the people that just so simply can look at it
and say, alright, it's got this board, it's got this stroke, it's got this...
These cam companies and stuff, they ask you, what did you do?
Which head do you have? Did they shave anything off of it?
What size valves do you have? What crank is in it? What rods do you have?
Boom, okay, this is what the formula says, here's what you need.
An engine machinist is a person, an engine builder, a true engine builder needs to look at this
and say, alright, we're building it for this spec, it's going to have this compression ratio.
We're going to need to have this much CFM of fuel coming into it,
whether it's done with a carburetor or if you're putting a fuel injection system on it.
We're going to have to make sure the timing is set correctly.
And then the new engines now with variable cams and stuff in them, they're running.
Some of these are running 11, 12 or 12 and a half compression
because even some of the turbo motors are super high
because they can change that ratio based on where the cam's at.
And that might be an option for you too.
You may end up going, instead of tearing the whole engine down,
you may end up going with a different cam in it.
You're going to have to find out the volume of those cylinders first
so machinists can give you that answer.
Those different plugs will not be able to do anything in comparison to the problem
you might have with what's going on there.
And it could be, the whole thing could be,
you don't need anything mechanically changed other than jets
because of it like Shannon says, if it's running just a little too lean, it can detonate.
Well, the jet...
Yeah, the jet that it calls for is a 68.
I have an 86 in it right now because it wasn't getting enough fuel.
It's a six pack setup on the engine.
So I took the main out, that was a 68,
I changed it, I went to a 73 or...
We kept going up and up and up, so we got to 86
where we felt it was running really good,
but it's running super, super rich.
You can't even stand behind the car, you'll burn your eyes off.
If it's running rich and it's still detonating,
the compression is too high for the fuel you have in it.
So here's another thing you could try.
Do you have, where you're at, it depends on where you're at in Pennsylvania,
do they have E85 fuel available?
Yes, they do.
If they have it available and you're driving it where you feel comfortable
that you're not going to run out of fuel because you can find an E85 station,
change the E85 fuel and play with your jetting because that E85 fuel
is going to be a lot higher octane.
You might even try E30 if they have the E30 available
because that's going to be a higher octane too.
I've never seen that yet.
Okay, and you could mix it, you could play around with it
because you can get over 100 octane by doing that
which is going to put you up in that Cam2 racing fuel type range.
Is this, I'm going to ask this, we think we know this,
but this car is not original.
This is a car that the engine's been built and stuff
so they've probably got more modern components in the carburetors and everything
or is this still an original car?
The carburetors are 1969.
The intake is a 1970.
The car is 73.
I left you a comment on your page, Don, the one that says Don on it.
Do you have a YouTube channel with a car on it?
Do you have a concern, Russ, about putting an E85 in that car
without modifications to the fuel system?
I've done it and I have zero problem,
but if you have any concern with it,
you can pretty much every float you buy now a day to put in there.
That's why I mean I just didn't know if they'd been rebuilt or not.
Yeah, you would think they would from that old,
I don't know if they would still be running.
If they would have lived that long.
Yeah, at some point they've had to have a float.
If those carburetors are still all original,
I wouldn't put it in there without...
Yeah, and the worst thing that's going to happen in those typically
is that that little neoprene on the the pintle end of your float,
needle and seat, that'll start to get kind of deformed
and it may leak and run rich,
but you've popped the carburetors apart enough
that you can change all that out.
All right, we've got to guess the color of this Berkeley classic
73 Challenger with a 446 pack that's got a YouTube channel
that he was trying to get slit in there for us to mention.
So when you go to YouTube,
we got to look for the Under the Hood show and Don's 73 Challenger.
So I think his 73 Challenger is orange.
I was going to say orange.
I'll say lighter than orange, but on that hue.
You know, it's so yellow, I guess is really all that's left for me.
I had a 73 Challenger that was blue and white.
So I'll say it was, I say it's blue and white.
No.
No.
What color is it?
You're both right in a sense.
The original color was blue, B5 blue,
and then it went to panther pink.
Then it went to primer.
And when I got it, I bought it in 2011.
And I changed it to the 2011 mangled, tangled, toxic orange.
So at one point we were all right.
We're kind of all right.
Don, thanks very much for the call.
Good luck with that.
That is, man, and it's when it's causing problems,
you just got to sit there.
And it's such a drag when you've got the little problem
that you can't quite get started.
That's not a little problem.
No, for sure.
I rode along a lot of rides with my dad back in when I was a kid.
Him talking to different people trying to make the motor run in this tractor.
Talking to Corbett Midland and talking to Jerry Ross.
And they were constantly talking about fuel and carburetors and timing
and trying to figure out how to make that thing run.
So good luck Don.
Thanks for the call.
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About this episode
Listeners dive into a range of automotive topics, including performance enhancements for diesel trucks and troubleshooting classic muscle cars. A caller seeks advice on plug-in chips for better fuel mileage while towing, prompting a discussion on tuners and their potential risks. Another caller shares issues with a 1973 Challenger's high compression engine and pinging problems, leading to insights on fuel types and octane ratings. The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding engine specifications and the impact of modifications on performance.
