The wait is over! Worst in class lag?

[WXman]

Mine has 3.92 gears and the lag is HORRENDOUS. Worst lag of any turbo vehicle I've ever driven. It's bad at any speed and any gear, but, it's worst in 2nd gear at low speed then trying to give throttle input to gain speed. In that situation, I am not exaggerating, there's a good 3-4 second delay between throttle input and engine actually doing something. I can't believe FCA actually shipped these trucks to dealerships with tuning this poor.

I LOVE this engine so far, but I hate the software programming.

 

[WXman]

Mine has 3.92 gears and the lag is HORRENDOUS. Worst lag of any turbo vehicle I've ever driven. It's bad at any speed and any gear, but, it's worst in 2nd gear at low speed then trying to give throttle input to gain speed. In that situation, I am not exaggerating, there's a good 3-4 second delay between throttle input and engine actually doing something. I can't believe FCA actually shipped these trucks to dealerships with tuning this poor.

I LOVE this engine so far, but I hate the software programming.

Funny, because I stumbled upon an article from August 2019 on the Diesel Power magazine site, where they got the chance to test drive the new Gen 3 EcoDiesel. They noticed exactly what I have been trying to describe:

"One driveability peculiarity we did notice involved initial throttle application. If we were cruising along and wanted to overtake a slower vehicle, there was a slight but noticeable delay between applying the throttle and the truck accelerating. After prodding some engineers, we were informed that the behavior is part of the truck controlling the emissions output. If you lived with the truck every day, you'd likely eventually not notice it, but it does seem more prominent here than with Ford's 3.0L Power Stroke."

Thankfully, the aftermarket is already working on tuning to correct FCA's errors.

 

[VernDiesel]

WX even if there is no tune available yet you can get pedal commander to resolve your lag.

 

[WXman]

WX even if there is no tune available yet you can get pedal commander to resolve your lag.

Who makes it? Banks? I searched their site last week and couldn't find it.

 

[go-ram]

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I have a loaded 2020 Laramie Longhorn with Ecodiesel and 3.21 rear gears. Payload is down to 1100 lbs, towing 7700 - that's what I mean when I say it's loaded - I mean the truck alone is heavy.
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It certainly is not zippy, but it is quiet & smooth, and it's strong and torquey once it gets spinning. I accelerate away from lights moderately, hence I am not disappointed with my 2020 ED and 3.21 rear gears. When I need to accelerate at highway speeds, I account for a wee bit of lag and I don't get myself into scary situations. If hot performance had been my primary objective, I would never have bought the ED. You have to drive a diesel where IT is in the spectrum, not where your wishful mind is at.
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Anyone who bought an Ecodiesel and drives it hard off the lights made a huge error in judgement, should have bought a Hemi. No, the ED is not as responsive as the new GM Duramax 3.0 L straight-six, but then, if that's what y'all wanted, you should have bought that GM/Chevy.
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I love my "liesurely Laramie Longhorn" ;-) Amazingly quiet, smooth and comfortable. To my eye, the 5th-gen Ram 1500 body styling just blows away the current Ford & Chevy/GM half-tons. Amazing workmanship - the fit & finish are 99.9% flawless. Sure, I wish the ED had zero lag, but more than that, I wanted the decent fuel economy combined with smooth ride and a comfortable, high-end cabin.
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Oh, yeah, the transmission on mine was definitely built in Germany:
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[Aseras]

I haven't driven mine that much yet, but I really dont notice much lag for a dino fueled car. Feels very similar to a tuned TDi. Coming in from a PHEV with 375+lb of torque at 0 rpm, most dino fueled cars feel like dinosaurs.

 

[go-ram]

I haven't driven mine that much yet, but I really dont notice much lag for a dino fueled car. Feels very similar to a tuned TDi. Coming in from a PHEV with 375+lb of torque at 0 rpm, most dino fueled cars feel like dinosaurs.

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Indeed, the nature of the torque & power delivery of today's electric traction motors in EVs is, in general, inherently better than IC (internal combustion) engines with conventional multi-gear mechanical transmissions with torque converters. Both types of vehicles have their place, neither type is the be-all and end-all, but when it comes to responsive delivery of controlled traction, electric motor vehicles trump ICE vehicles with conventional transmissions.
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A classic example is getting up our steep driveway. Our 2005 Prius handles it way better, both forward & reverse, than any and every conventional powertrain vehicle I've ever brought up the driveway. Our 2020 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel trying to go up our driveway in reverse is actually embarrassing compared to the Prius with its electric motors. Lots of noise and comparatively little go with the Ram, swift silence with the Prius.
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As I said, each type of vehicle has its pros & cons, and each has its intended application. I absolutely love our 2020 Ram 1500 Ecodiesel, but strictly in terms of response off the line, the Prius is more drivable. Interestingly, the Prius is getting 40-45 MPG in daily driving during the cold months, but our new Longhorn Ecodiesel (3.21 rear end), driven moderately, is getting 22-25 MPG under the same driving conditions & driving style. And it's infinitely more comfortable and satisfying to drive than the old Prius.
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[Aseras]

That's why I just don't understand why there has not yet been a PHEV truck besides the Via Trux. It makes sense. Stick batteries under the bed, use a small diesel as a generator and give it power export.

Market it as jobsite power, backup electricity for your home or business or just a Truck with stupid amounts of torque that would destroy all but the largest diesels. The hardest part is getting your load moving. Just what a EV motor is made for. It's why trains are diesel electric for decades.

I'd kill for a 100 mile range empty/ no cargo PHEV truck with power export.


Instead you get the halfway baked etorque system running off a serpentine belt.....

The Pacifica Hybrid would probably make a great light truck platform. Make a PHEV Dakota out of it.

 

[alamgirian6329]

That's why I just don't understand why there has not yet been a PHEV truck besides the Via Trux. It makes sense. Stick batteries under the bed, use a small diesel as a generator and give it power export.

Market it as jobsite power, backup electricity for your home or business or just a Truck with stupid amounts of torque that would destroy all but the largest diesels. The hardest part is getting your load moving. Just what a EV motor is made for. It's why trains are diesel electric for decades.

I'd kill for a 100 mile range empty/ no cargo PHEV truck with power export.


Instead you get the halfway baked etorque system running off a serpentine belt.....

The Pacifica Hybrid would probably make a great light truck platform. Make a PHEV Dakota out of it.

I thought thats what Rivian R1t is all about - although they are marketing it more as adventure vehicle ,rather than truck - but capability wise, I think it can hand truck jobs.

If I am not mistaken, Ford put in more than a billion dollar investment into Rivian - and *** I suspect*** the new electric F150 will be Ford body+chasis and powertrain largely based on Rivian R1t.

And then theres .... Cybertruck ! enough said

 

[Partime43]

Are you buying ED to drag race or tow something regularly, if you want a drag truck then Hemi it is.towing go ED or step up to the big dawg Cummins.

 

[hunter1234]

I test drove 3.92 - most if not all of the ED on the lots are 3.92. There was someone on the forums here who had ordered an ED early on with 3.21 , not sure what he exactly got.

Just ordered a 2020 eco with the 3.21 rear, factory order versus on the lot. I have the 3.55 in my 2016 but willing to give up a little tow power on the new one to gain MPG as my driving is mostly long commutes of about 150 miles round trip a day and my towing is weekends or occasional days with a 5,000 lb or less load and mostly slight rolling hills - no mountain passes to climb here. Never had a problem and not really expecting one with the 3.21 rear end. Time will tell - if and when they deliver the truck as production I heard has started up again.

 

[go-ram]

Just ordered a 2020 eco with the 3.21 rear, factory order versus on the lot. I have the 3.55 in my 2016 but willing to give up a little tow power on the new one to gain MPG as my driving is mostly long commutes of about 150 miles round trip a day and my towing is weekends or occasional days with a 5,000 lb or less load and mostly slight rolling hills - no mountain passes to climb here. Never had a problem and not really expecting one with the 3.21 rear end. Time will tell - if and when they deliver the truck as production I heard has started up again.

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We have a little over 1,000 miles on our loaded 2020 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 Ecodiesel with 3.21 differential ratio. For me, it is perfectly drivable, but not what I'd call zippy off the line - but then, if I had wanted that type of performance, I'd have opted for the 5.7 L Hemi. Two fill-ups so far, first tank was 22.9 MPG, second tank was 24.9 MPG; both a 50-50 mix of city & freeway. I don't drive any vehicle hard, I watch the road ahead and get off the throttle as soon as I see a traffic light ahead turn red, I keep my equipment in good shape, so I tend to get a little higher fuel economy than the average bear. Haven't towed with it yet.
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[Aseras]

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We have a little over 1,000 miles on our loaded 2020 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab 4x4 Ecodiesel with 3.21 differential ratio. For me, it is perfectly drivable, but not what I'd call zippy off the line - but then, if I had wanted that type of performance, I'd have opted for the 5.7 L Hemi. Two fill-ups so far, first tank was 22.9 MPG, second tank was 24.9 MPG; both a 50-50 mix of city & freeway. I don't drive any vehicle hard, I watch the road ahead and get off the throttle as soon as I see a traffic light ahead turn red, I keep my equipment in good shape, so I tend to get a little higher fuel economy than the average bear. Haven't towed with it yet.
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the 3.21 and 3.92 are essentially the same but first and last gears. just 3.21 first gear is 2nd gear on the 3.92. and 3.92 is 7th gear on the 3.21 and the 3.21 has a taller 8th gear.

 

[VernDiesel]

However it will use that first gear jump and continue to out pull (trailer or no trailer) through the gears. Rate of acceleration. The 3.92 shows this and is rated to tow more because of it on and per the SAE J2809 tow tests & standards. So while what you say is true it sort of misses or undermines the real practical difference. If you can find the test results for both gearsets from the J2809 tests you will see what I am refernning to. This is not to undermine the 3.21 gear set which is best for highway mileage where as the 3.92 is best for acceleration and pulling. Which is "best" depends on the drivers priorities.

 

[Aseras]

I have to say after slapping a pedal commander PC78 on mine, sport -2, the lag is practically gone. Truck is ready to go but there's just enough play to baby it before it rockets off. I can chirp the 22" 285 tires if I want with a stab of the pedal.

 

[Aseras]

However it will use that first gear jump and continue to out pull (trailer or no trailer) through the gears. Rate of acceleration. The 3.92 shows this and is rated to tow more because of it on and per the SAE J2809 tow tests & standards. So while what you say is true it sort of misses or undermines the real practical difference. If you can find the test results for both gearsets from the J2809 tests you will see what I am refernning to. This is not to undermine the 3.21 gear set which is best for highway mileage where as the 3.92 is best for acceleration and pulling. Which is "best" depends on the drivers priorities.

right but with 8 speeds, come on, they couldv'e given everyone everything. We got by for 30-40 years with 3 and 4 speeds. They should have made 7th 3.92 in tow hul mode, and 8th an even taller than 3.21 to get the best mpg at highway speeds and slap it right in the torque peak.

 

[J-Cooz]

The should just offer a 3.55 or 3.73 n the diesel and make everyone happy

 

[VernDiesel]

I think offering both 3.92 & 3.21 does make everyone happy. Only use for 3.55 is if they were only going to offer one gear and had to make it a best compromise gear so to speak.

Could Ram have a made a taller jump into the second overdrive or 8th gear as Aseras suggested. Perhaps but it would become a struggle with gear hunting and bogging and such

 

[WXman]

I'm hitting 4,000 miles on the odo today . New problem has popped up just in the past week. At random times, I get a dead pedal. Typically it happens after driving and then coming to a stop waiting to make a turn. Upon getting back onto the throttle to make the turn, I get nothing. Like, a dead pedal. And as I sit there and hold pressure on the throttle pedal, all of a sudden it'll finally take off.

This is different than the lag that has been present since day 1. This is an actual loss of pedal response momentarily, and then an immediate return to throttle. It's all in the software, at least that's how it feels. VERY disconcerting when I'm sitting there waiting to turn across two lanes of traffic to hit an interstate on-ramp.

Good grief I wish FCA would revise the calibration. I checked with the dealer a couple of weeks ago and they said there isn't anything new yet.

 

[Skud]

I'm hitting 4,000 miles on the odo today . New problem has popped up just in the past week. At random times, I get a dead pedal. Typically it happens after driving and then coming to a stop waiting to make a turn. Upon getting back onto the throttle to make the turn, I get nothing. Like, a dead pedal. And as I sit there and hold pressure on the throttle pedal, all of a sudden it'll finally take off.

This is different than the lag that has been present since day 1. This is an actual loss of pedal response momentarily, and then an immediate return to throttle. It's all in the software, at least that's how it feels. VERY disconcerting when I'm sitting there waiting to turn across two lanes of traffic to hit an interstate on-ramp.

Good grief I wish FCA would revise the calibration. I checked with the dealer a couple of weeks ago and they said there isn't anything new yet.

I wouldn’t expect any improvement. You just described my 2015 exactly and the AEM for those only made things worse, not better.

People asked me how I liked my Ecodiesel. I would always tell them it’s like driving a gas golf cart.


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