2020 EcoDiesel - I Know That's Not Diesel Exhaust I Smell!

[OleNavyMane]

Hello 5THGENRAMS,

I purchased a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel. Perhaps I will start another thread talking about how awesome a vehicle it is--but 1st; I gotta talk about the elephant (or dead dinosaurs) in the room. Unbelievably, I am getting diesel exhaust smells in the cabin while the truck is idling or parked with engine running. At first, I was like, this can't be, this has to be my imagination. But to my dismay, it definitely is diesel exhaust. There has to be an exhaust leak somewhere at the front side of truck at the engine compartment. I walked around to the rear of the truck while it's running and observed that the exhaust coming out of the tail pipes are clean and odor-free. However, when I raise the hood with the engine running, the diesel exhaust smell is definitely present; it isn't strong and over-bearing but more like subtly noticeable.

I took it back to the dealer today so they can get to the issue/root cause. Posting here to see if perhaps anyone else has observed this issue. Hopefully mine is just a one-off. It's funny because I did test drive the truck before buying. At the time of the test drive, it was a very windy day with wind gusts 20-25 mph. Otherwise I would have noticed it from the jump.

 

[mhoyt01]

Hello 5THGENRAMS,

I purchased a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel. Perhaps I will start another thread talking about how awesome a vehicle it is--but 1st; I gotta talk about the elephant (or dead dinosaurs) in the room. Unbelievably, I am getting diesel exhaust smells in the cabin while the truck is idling or parked with engine running. At first, I was like, this can't be, this has to be my imagination. But to my dismay, it definitely is diesel exhaust. There has to be an exhaust leak somewhere at the front side of truck at the engine compartment. I walked around to the rear of the truck while it's running and observed that the exhaust coming out of the tail pipes are clean and odor-free. However, when I raise the hood with the engine running, the diesel exhaust smell is definitely present; it isn't strong and over-bearing but more like subtly noticeable.

I took it back to the dealer today so they can get to the issue/root cause. Posting here to see if perhaps anyone else has observed this issue. Hopefully mine is just a one-off. It's funny because I did test drive the truck before buying. At the time of the test drive, it was a very windy day with wind gusts 20-25 mph. Otherwise I would have noticed it from the jump.

My 2009 RAM had this - three times in a row. On the hemi but I imagine the cause is similar in nature. Mine was driver side cracked header (all three times, same exact spot.) All in the first year. So agreed, you likely have an exhaust leak in the engine compartment (headers, header gasket, some joint) prior to the cats and wherever they inject the blue fluid...

At certain RPMS in certain sitations I could hear it, but I could always smell it. Drove straight to the dealer with my window open all three times.

I ordered a diesel but I don't have it yet or I'd look for you.

 

[myles]

Hello 5THGENRAMS,

I purchased a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel. Perhaps I will start another thread talking about how awesome a vehicle it is--but 1st; I gotta talk about the elephant (or dead dinosaurs) in the room. Unbelievably, I am getting diesel exhaust smells in the cabin while the truck is idling or parked with engine running. At first, I was like, this can't be, this has to be my imagination. But to my dismay, it definitely is diesel exhaust. There has to be an exhaust leak somewhere at the front side of truck at the engine compartment. I walked around to the rear of the truck while it's running and observed that the exhaust coming out of the tail pipes are clean and odor-free. However, when I raise the hood with the engine running, the diesel exhaust smell is definitely present; it isn't strong and over-bearing but more like subtly noticeable.

I took it back to the dealer today so they can get to the issue/root cause. Posting here to see if perhaps anyone else has observed this issue. Hopefully mine is just a one-off. It's funny because I did test drive the truck before buying. At the time of the test drive, it was a very windy day with wind gusts 20-25 mph. Otherwise I would have noticed it from the jump.

They might be able to do something, for the first 75 miles or so i kept getting a burning smell in the cab but no smell at the exhaust then it went away, 1700 miles now and everything seems good

 

[OleNavyMane]

My 2009 RAM had this - three times in a row. On the hemi but I imagine the cause is similar in nature. Mine was driver side cracked header (all three times, same exact spot.) All in the first year. So agreed, you likely have an exhaust leak in the engine compartment (headers, header gasket, some joint) prior to the cats and wherever they inject the blue fluid...

At certain RPMS in certain sitations I could hear it, but I could always smell it. Drove straight to the dealer with my window open all three times.

I ordered a diesel but I don't have it yet or I'd look for you.

Yeah, I tend to think something like a cracked header or split manifold is the culprit. The good news is that it is consistent vs intermittent. Just trying to be cool and prepared for them to come back with "we don't notice any smell", etc type comment.

 

[OleNavyMane]

They might be able to do something, for the first 75 miles or so i kept getting a burning smell in the cab but no smell at the exhaust then it went away, 1700 miles now and everything seems good

myles,
When you say burning smell, was it noticeably diesel exhaust or more like the residuals of a brand new engine going through its initial use phases that can throw off those expected burning odors? Thanks for replying and congrats on your truck.

 

[myles]

myles,
When you say burning smell, was it noticeably diesel exhaust or more like the residuals of a brand new engine going through its initial use phases that can throw off those expected burning odors? Thanks for replying and congrats on your truck.

I would say more new motor burning in rather than diesel, but the wife thought it smelled like diesel, it was very noticeable though if i let the truck sit and warm up

 

[OleNavyMane]

I would say more new motor burning in rather than diesel, but the wife thought it smelled like diesel, it was very noticeable though if i let the truck sit and warm up

Understood. In my case, it definitely is the very familiar diesel exhaust smell (however faint). And yet, the tail pipe exhaust odor is clean; something is off. I hope to hear from the dealer soon that the issue was determined and a remedy is or will be applied.

 

[mhoyt01]

Exhaust leak aside, what mpg are you getting. My ordered truck is basically idendtical to yours except I went with the 3.21 (which literally not one on any lot has) since I wanted better mpg. That meant anti spin instead of e locker was the only option. Otherwise I will have your truck with black appearance.

 

[OleNavyMane]

Exhaust leak aside, what mpg are you getting. My ordered truck is basically idendtical to yours except I went with the 3.21 (which literally not one on any lot has) since I wanted better mpg. That meant anti spin instead of e locker was the only option. Otherwise I will have your truck with black appearance.

Congrats on your truck order. I have less than 300 miles so far but with that, I'm seeing 23 mpg in town and on the two highway trips (from and back to the dealer) I'm seeing 29 mpg @ 70mph. No fill ups yet so those numbers are per the trucks calculations. I'm in the same camp as you regarding the 3.21 for improved mileage but I thought what the heck, I'll live a little with the 3.92s.

 

[rorischak]

I am getting about 22 in 2 lane country road driving with lots of traffic. I have the 3.92. Not sure why you say that you had to get the 3.92 with elocker. When I was configuring you could do either the off road package with the 3.21 unless something has changed. Either way I wanted a little more low end power and went with the 3.92 and will sacrifice some fuel.

I have to look but I think I am around 2k RPM at 65mph.

 

[OleNavyMane]

I am getting about 22 in 2 lane country road driving with lots of traffic. I have the 3.92. Not sure why you say that you had to get the 3.92 with elocker. When I was configuring you could do either the off road package with the 3.21 unless something has changed. Either way I wanted a little more low end power and went with the 3.92 and will sacrifice some fuel.

I have to look but I think I am around 2k RPM at 65mph.

I'm at approximately 1850-1900 rpm @70. Perhaps the 22inch wheels play a favorable role.

 

[tyresmoker]

I'm at approximately 1850-1900 rpm @70. Perhaps the 22inch wheels play a favorable role.

I posted this somewhere else recently...250 mile trip (mostly highway) 27.8 mpg.

 

[OleNavyMane]

...might be getting somewhere with this. After 3rd visit to dealer, they say they have found the issue; it's an EGR tube problem. It must have been defective from the factory because I had begun noticing the diesel exhaust odor before hitting 50 miles on the odometer. They have the truck now awaiting parts. Will update.

 

[RamCares]

...might be getting somewhere with this. After 3rd visit to dealer, they say they have found the issue; it's an EGR tube problem. It must have been defective from the factory because I had begun noticing the diesel exhaust odor before hitting 50 miles on the odometer. They have the truck now awaiting parts. Will update.

Hi rbdennis,

If it would be of interest, we are more than happy to escalate a case on your behalf to connect you with a specialist who can work alongside your dealer for the rest of the time your truck is in service. Our team is just a PM away to get the process started.

Mark
RamCares

 

[OleNavyMane]

Hi rbdennis,

If it would be of interest, we are more than happy to escalate a case on your behalf to connect you with a specialist who can work alongside your dealer for the rest of the time your truck is in service. Our team is just a PM away to get the process started.

Mark
RamCares

Already working with a Ram Customer Care Case Manager; she and the dealership are doing their thing so I can get back to doing mine.

 

[RamCares]

Already working with a Ram Customer Care Case Manager; she and the dealership are doing their thing so I can get back to doing mine.

I am so glad to hear this, rbdennis. Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any trouble getting in touch with your case manager moving forward!

Mark
RamCares

 

[Rhombus]

Hello 5THGENRAMS,

I purchased a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel. Perhaps I will start another thread talking about how awesome a vehicle it is--but 1st; I gotta talk about the elephant (or dead dinosaurs) in the room. Unbelievably, I am getting diesel exhaust smells in the cabin while the truck is idling or parked with engine running. At first, I was like, this can't be, this has to be my imagination. But to my dismay, it definitely is diesel exhaust. There has to be an exhaust leak somewhere at the front side of truck at the engine compartment. I walked around to the rear of the truck while it's running and observed that the exhaust coming out of the tail pipes are clean and odor-free. However, when I raise the hood with the engine running, the diesel exhaust smell is definitely present; it isn't strong and over-bearing but more like subtly noticeable.

I took it back to the dealer today so they can get to the issue/root cause. Posting here to see if perhaps anyone else has observed this issue. Hopefully mine is just a one-off. It's funny because I did test drive the truck before buying. At the time of the test drive, it was a very windy day with wind gusts 20-25 mph. Otherwise I would have noticed it from the jump.

I picked my 2020 Bighorn up about 4 weeks ago. I have the same issue with exhaust. I’m thinking maybe it’s related to the high side EGR as it’s worse when the truck is warming up in the morning. But it is DEFINITELY an issue. I have an apt on Feb 25 to leave it.

 

[OleNavyMane]

I picked my 2020 Bighorn up about 4 weeks ago. I have the same issue with exhaust. I’m thinking maybe it’s related to the high side EGR as it’s worse when the truck is warming up in the morning. But it is DEFINITELY an issue. I have an apt on Feb 25 to leave it.

Be careful with your wording when you take it in. If you sometimes but not all the time smell it in the cabin, that can be interpreted as intermittent. Instead, consider stating the problem something like this, "...there is a diesel exhaust odor at the front section of the vehicle; the smell can be noticed while idling.." Good luck, it took three visits to the dealer and involvement with a Ram Customer Care Case Manager to get them to take my issue/complaint seriously.

 

[Rhombus]

Hello 5THGENRAMS,

I purchased a 2020 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel. Perhaps I will start another thread talking about how awesome a vehicle it is--but 1st; I gotta talk about the elephant (or dead dinosaurs) in the room. Unbelievably, I am getting diesel exhaust smells in the cabin while the truck is idling or parked with engine running. At first, I was like, this can't be, this has to be my imagination. But to my dismay, it definitely is diesel exhaust. There has to be an exhaust leak somewhere at the front side of truck at the engine compartment. I walked around to the rear of the truck while it's running and observed that the exhaust coming out of the tail pipes are clean and odor-free. However, when I raise the hood with the engine running, the diesel exhaust smell is definitely present; it isn't strong and over-bearing but more like subtly noticeable.

I took it back to the dealer today so they can get to the issue/root cause. Posting here to see if perhaps anyone else has observed this issue. Hopefully mine is just a one-off. It's funny because I did test drive the truck before buying. At the time of the test drive, it was a very windy day with wind gusts 20-25 mph. Otherwise I would have noticed it from the jump.

Well, the dealer just called. I shared the exact exhaust smell issues, I even shared your issue and resolution. Their response? The technician pressure tested the system. There’s no issue. Everything you smell is normal.
FCA if you’re monitoring this. You need to get with Nyle Maxwell in AUSTIN. This is not my first diesel or even my first ecodiesel. Thus is NOT normal. Don’t you guys have enough bad press lately already without owners being told that exhaust fumes in the cabin is normal?

 

[OleNavyMane]

Well, the dealer just called. I shared the exact exhaust smell issues, I even shared your issue and resolution. Their response? The technician pressure tested the system. There’s no issue. Everything you smell is normal.
FCA if you’re monitoring this. You need to get with Nyle Maxwell in AUSTIN. This is not my first diesel or even my first ecodiesel. Thus is NOT normal. Don’t you guys have enough bad press lately already without owners being told that exhaust fumes in the cabin is normal?

The dealer where I purchased the vehicle is 2 hours away. I took it to them 1st for the diesel smell. They put me in a loaner, kept the truck for 4 days then informed me that they could not smell any diesel exhaust odor. The 2nd and 3rd visits were to my local dealer. The 2nd visit (1st visit to local dealer) yielded the same results; they said there was no odor that they could detect. I contacted FCA/RAM Customer care and informed them of the issue and the seemingly unmotivated responses from the dealerships. I setup a 3rd visit (2nd visit to the local dealership) along with a RAM Customer care case manager in alignment. On the 3rd visit, they were able to find the fault--this was with the aid of a referenced STAR case. The findings were as follows:



DTC P26FB: The service adviser says that the tech observed a physically bent/deformed EGR tubing. They estimate that it occurred at the factory during or prior to assembly.

I can tell a difference in the intensity of the exhaust odor, it has lessened. But, this is while at idle after the truck has been operating for a while. However, when I cold-start up the truck and until it warms up, the exhaust odor is just as intense as it was before the fix. Again, it's quite noticeable until the engine warms up.

So, it's back to the dealership for a 4th attempt along with informing RAM Care. I am trying to see the issue through on this truck--will see how long before my resolve is exhausted (a little pun); laughing to keep from crying.

Interim mitigative steps towards the pursuit of breathing clean air while driving the truck:
1. Remove the standard cabin air filter
2. Replace with Cleenaire CAF6831 The Most Advanced Protection Against Dust, Smog, Gases, Odors and Allergens, Double Carbon Cabin Air Filter For 16-18 Ram 1500 2500 3500 . I purchased this at Amazon

I don't detect any in-cabin diesel exhaust odor with this filter installed even though the odor still persist on the outside.