What Do Diesel Performance Modules Do? Part One

You’ve probably heard a lot of talk about diesel performance modules and all of the benefits that they can have for your diesel truck. Many of them claim to give you more power and higher top-speeds while others say that they can help improve your mileage. It can be hard to determine exactly what claims to believe and how to tell one diesel module from another. In this blog we will cover some of the basics about what a module can do, how that changes the way that your truck will perform, and why the Dr. Performance module is the only logical choice if you want to improve not just your miles-per-gallon but also the overall performance of your truck. If you’re ready for a better ride, shop with us today.

The Basics

Let’s start off by defining some very basic terms so that we’re all on the same page when we continue this discussion. If you’re well versed in all of these terms, feel free check out the next entry in this series or stick around and refresh your knowledge with the rest of us.

Torque

Torque is defined as the measure of a turning force on an object. In truck terms, think about it like this: torque is the force that is generated by the engine that turns the wheels of a truck, via the crankshaft. More torque equals more moving force to the wheels. Torque is needed by any vehicle or machine that needs to start moving after stopping. Torque helps a truck tow heavy objects because it gets the wheels of the towing vehicle (and the trailer or other vehicle it is towing) moving more quickly which helps it gain and keep momentum. (This gets a lot more complicated when you bring in gear-ratios and a multitude of other factors, so we’ll leave this as-is for now.)

Horsepower

Horsepower is the result of a formula that is designed to show you how much torque is required to do a certain amount of work in a certain period of time. Phrased another way, horsepower is a way that we can measure how quickly the work of a truck can get done. The formula that was developed a long time ago defined horsepower by how much weight the average horse could lift in a given period of time. It was determined that it would take one horse one minute to lift 33,000 pounds one foot.

The formula used to determine the horsepower of trucks and cars is this: Horsepower = Torque x rpm/5252. (The 5252 is a constant for time and distance of the rotation in this equation.)

(It’s important to note that the horsepower ratings on all vehicles are only true within certain RPM bands. Idling trucks produce far less horsepower because they aren’t really doing any work.)

Performance Modules

Performance “modules” are devices that change the way that the computer that controls a truck performs some of its operations. These modules can have one or more specific data sets “written” on them that changes or “tunes,” the engine in one way, while other modules or diesel performance chips are able to adjust settings as you’d like. The way that most modules work is by adjusting the common rail fuel-injection system to change the timing of an engine, to add more or less fuel into the engine at any given time, and the ability to adjust the pressure of the fuel being injected into the engine. By manipulating these parts of the engine, a performance module can maximize fuel efficiency or increase power across the RPM spectrum.

Now that we’ve covered the basics, stay tuned for the next entry where we will go into why the Dr. Performance module adds much more to your diesel engine than other options. If you’re ready to order an engine module that increases your fuel efficiency while simultaneously offering you more power in the RPMs that you spend the majority of your drive time in, pick up A Dr. Performance product for diesel trucks now. We have seen a great increase in MPG when people use our modules, as well as a much more pleasant driving experience. Shop with us now.