MINIMAX Upgrades
Power Play
To address the power of the 2.8L LWN Duramax 4-cylinder engine, the crew at Merchant Automotive turned to the tuning experts at Duramax Tuner in Marengo, Illinois, for their EFILIVE tuning, and they use the Socal Diesel DSP4 rotary switch to select from the four tunes on the fly. The team at Duramax Tuner developed their calibrations for the baby Duramax engine and the 6L50 transmission to widen the torque curve while improving both the horsepower and torque available across the board. The tunes work with the stock components on the truck, including the emissions system, so it still operates as quietly and cleanly as before, but with more pep in its step. The broader torque curve allows the tunes to shift the transmission and engage lock-up at a lower rpm without bogging down the 2.8L Duramax engine, which ultimately delivers lower rpm and less fuel consumption.
The four power levels included with the tunes are Optimized Stock (+10 hp), Tow Tune (+32 hp and 30 lb-ft), Sport Economy Tune (+45 hp and 60 lb-ft) and Performance Tune (+52 hp and 80 lb-ft). Using the rotary selector knob, the driver can easily switch between tunes on the fly without having to re-flash the truck to make changes. Duramax Tuner does not recommend prolonged use or towing in the Performance Tune, but it is fun to select the added grunt when needed. The truck seemed to still get great
DURING TESTING, THE STEERING FELT SOLID AND SECURE AND THE POWER DELIVERY WAS SMOOTH