We welcomed the news when we heard that Edge was releasing its Juice with Attitude for the 2013-2014 RAM diesel trucks. This product has historically been a great tool to enhance the Cummins engine and Dodge powertrain. But to be honest, we weren’t sure what to expect when it came to the newest RAM trucks. The ECM on these trucks seems to be pretty well locked down from the factory. And for the first time in history, since 2013, there’s no apparent way around a DPF and DEF. Lucky for us consumers, these trucks are really impressive in stock form with 850 ft/lbs. of torque and capacities that are generally above and beyond what most of us would ever use them for. But is “good enough” a term that should be in our vocabulary? We congratulate the OEMs for making these great trucks and we’re grateful for their passion to forge ahead each year in an effort to lead their segment. But surely we could benefit from exhaustive research performed by people who know how to tune a diesel engine and transmission, right? There’s a place in this world for people who take interest in enhancing the drivability and functionality of one of the most sophisticated power plants under the hood of a vehicle. Why wouldn’t we want to unlock this commercial quality motor’s potential to add a claimed 150hp and 360 ft/lbs. of torque? This is where Edge comes in with its new Juice with Attitude.
Unlock This…
We are currently testing the new Juice with Attitude CTS (Color Touch Screen) on our 2013 RAM 3500 (Aisin equipped) test truck. The first and one of the best things we observe about the Juice is the fact that we didn’t have to uninstall the ECM and send it away to be unlocked. We just followed the installation instructions and plugged the Juice into our OBDII port and BAM! Done. The install is easy to perform or most diesel performance shops will install the Juice for about a hundred bucks.
Best Screen
The CTS is the best display in the business. It’s good-sized—large enough to provide good visibility and a quick read on any data you’ve chosen to keep tabs on while you drive. It uses vibrant color with good definition and contrast between the numbers and dynamic gauge graphics and the black on the screen. The auto dimming function works well too. This is controlled by the screens ambient light sensor.
Tire & Gear Calibration
Our RAM has been appropriately re-geared with 4:10 gears to provide optimal hauling and towing power while rolling on 20-inch wheels with 35-inch tall tires mounted. Our dealer informed us that they can no longer calibrate your truck for different size wheels, tires and gears. The Juice does this for us with ease.
Drivability & Power
The Juice has five power settings that can be adjusted on the screen as you drive by pushing the up or down arrows. Each level increases engine responsiveness and fueling according the power level. A sixth “Hot” level is available for an additional fee and a mandatory waiver signature. Depending on how you’d like the truck to respond to your foot and the load you’re carrying, you can select the appropriate level. The truck becomes more responsive and fun to drive around town as well as on the highway. On full acceleration from a stand-still, the Cummins puts you back in your seat as the truck’s torque management struggles to keep tires hooked up to the asphalt. It’s impressive. We noted that the DPF pressure has not increased from where it operates at stock levels after around 2,000 miles of driving, indicating that the truck’s exhaust regeneration system isn’t being overwhelmed by the increased output of the Juice under normal driving conditions. We’ll continue to monitor this.
Economy
We’ve found the best gains in economy when it’s on level five. When using the driving coach function, we’ve seen our average economy with a good mix of highway and city miles go up by 1 to 2 mpg.
Footprint
No, not carbon footprint, silly! We’re talking about electronic footprint. We took this truck to the dealer for service with 17,000 miles on it and they were able to install all of the required updates to the ECM (there were a lot) without any issues. The dealer told us that because the truck was in stock form and they were able to report to Chrysler that the truck was kept up-to-date, that our warranty would remain intact. The Juice can easily be removed from the truck for service without leaving a traceable footprint for the dealer.
Conclusion
We’re a fan. The Juice with Attitude is staying on this truck for an indefinite period of time.
Sources
Edge Products
888-360-3343
www.edgeproducts.com