Ecodiesel Issues? Look out for?

[J-Cooz]

Way lighter. My payload is 1,680 !

Wow. That's probably why you can get such good fuel economy

 

[Willwork4truck]

That’s an amazing amount of extra weight added with air suspension and other toys and payload/towing ability lost!

Sheesh, I thought my limited 4x was low... payload pic below. (1475 lbs)

Guess that’s why it’s still accurate to call these “half-tons”...

 

[WXman]

I grew up a diesel fan. My father has been a heavy equipment mechanic for 45 years. I have driven many diesels, but I've only owned 2 diesel Jeeps and now this EcoDiesel. There is no question that this engine tows better and sounds amazing. I really love the industrial feel and torque.

Having said that, if I was doing it over again I would probably have kept my Gladiator. I could live with 12 MPG towing and 16 MPG unloaded to have $20 synthetic oil and filter changes again and zero emissions equipment fears. I was in love with the Gladiator and the Pentastar engine, whereas owning the EcoDiesel is a little nerve-racking because you feel like you never know when something very expensive is going to go wrong. I just can't feel relaxed owning this thing. I feel like I HAVE to buy the $12/quart oil, the $45 filters, keep detailed records on every single thing I do, try not to let it idle too much, pay attention to where I'm getting fuel, etc. etc. It's almost as if owning the diesel is a chore in itself, whereas owning the gas you can relax and not care. Just drive the gas and enjoy life.

Hopefully as time passes, this EcoDiesel will prove to be a fantastic engine. I agree with the guy who said FCA probably wanted to make sure they got this right. Another disastrous diesel engine would pretty much end the 1/2 ton diesel program for them. They really needed to get this right.

 

[J-Cooz]

Are

I grew up a diesel fan. My father has been a heavy equipment mechanic for 45 years. I have driven many diesels, but I've only owned 2 diesel Jeeps and now this EcoDiesel. There is no question that this engine tows better and sounds amazing. I really love the industrial feel and torque.

Having said that, if I was doing it over again I would probably have kept my Gladiator. I could live with 12 MPG towing and 16 MPG unloaded to have $20 synthetic oil and filter changes again and zero emissions equipment fears. I was in love with the Gladiator and the Pentastar engine, whereas owning the EcoDiesel is a little nerve-racking because you feel like you never know when something very expensive is going to go wrong. I just can't feel relaxed owning this thing. I feel like I HAVE to buy the $12/quart oil, the $45 filters, keep detailed records on every single thing I do, try not to let it idle too much, pay attention to where I'm getting fuel, etc. etc. It's almost as if owning the diesel is a chore in itself, whereas owning the gas you can relax and not care. Just drive the gas and enjoy life.

Hopefully as time passes, this EcoDiesel will prove to be a fantastic engine. I agree with the guy who said FCA probably wanted to make sure they got this right. Another disastrous diesel engine would pretty much end the 1/2 ton diesel program for them. They really needed to get this right.

Aren't you just leasing it?

 

[Scram1500]

Way lighter. My payload is 1,680 !

Just edging you out @ 1794. Might be higher since I swapped out the 20" for 18" rims. Probably higher due to no added weight from e-torque or 33 gallon tank

 

[Rhombus]

No way in hell would I buy an ECO Diesel, the risk is just to high that Fiat would make a trouble free Diesel. The previous ECO Diesel was a hugh risk, it was a hero or a zero, I guess time will tell, but Fiat is not known for their quality and are the lowest rated cars. Sorry to rain on everyone with my first post here, but I call like it is. I took a risk with the newer CTD with the Bosch CP4, but at least the CTD is a proven power plant. The ECO self destructs.

Have you owned one? I’ve owned 2., a 2014 and a 2020. VM Motori has been making diesels for decades. Unless youve owned one, you’re not calling like it is, you’re calling it like you e heard somewhere.

 

[bgmshrm]

I grew up a diesel fan. My father has been a heavy equipment mechanic for 45 years. I have driven many diesels, but I've only owned 2 diesel Jeeps and now this EcoDiesel. There is no question that this engine tows better and sounds amazing. I really love the industrial feel and torque.

Having said that, if I was doing it over again I would probably have kept my Gladiator. I could live with 12 MPG towing and 16 MPG unloaded to have $20 synthetic oil and filter changes again and zero emissions equipment fears. I was in love with the Gladiator and the Pentastar engine, whereas owning the EcoDiesel is a little nerve-racking because you feel like you never know when something very expensive is going to go wrong. I just can't feel relaxed owning this thing. I feel like I HAVE to buy the $12/quart oil, the $45 filters, keep detailed records on every single thing I do, try not to let it idle too much, pay attention to where I'm getting fuel, etc. etc. It's almost as if owning the diesel is a chore in itself, whereas owning the gas you can relax and not care. Just drive the gas and enjoy life.

Hopefully as time passes, this EcoDiesel will prove to be a fantastic engine. I agree with the guy who said FCA probably wanted to make sure they got this right. Another disastrous diesel engine would pretty much end the 1/2 ton diesel program for them. They really needed to get this right.

i dont care if the oil change is 400 bucks . still better than gas.

 

[Zoompastu]

On a sidenote… I do recommend for added protection performance and longevity adding a fuel additive at every fuel up of possible.

The ultra low sulfur fuel sold in the United States does not have very good lubricity. Using an additive during fill ups will increase lubricity for the fuel pump and injectors. It will help keep things clean and make everything last longer. I use the every day additive by Hot Shot. You can find it in AutoZone and the larger quantity bottle at love’s truck stop. Of course there are other additives out there like power service and Howe’s which is decent and certainly better than nothing.

 

[BigD]

Just edging you out @ 1794. Might be higher since I swapped out the 20" for 18" rims. Probably higher due to no added weight from e-torque or 33 gallon tank

I heard the etorque weighs 100 lbs. I have the standard gas tank. Either 23 or 26 gallon. Not sure.

 

[Scram1500]

On a sidenote… I do recommend for added protection performance and longevity adding a fuel additive at every fuel up of possible.

The ultra low sulfur fuel sold in the United States does not have very good lubricity. Using an additive during fill ups will increase lubricity for the fuel pump and injectors. It will help keep things clean and make everything last longer. I use the every day additive by Hot Shot. You can find it in AutoZone and the larger quantity bottle at love’s truck stop. Of course there are other additives out there like power service and Howe’s which is decent and certainly better than nothing.

I used a lot of Lucas myself when I had my 5.9 first gen. Also, on the advice of some old timers, some 2 cycle engine oil

 

[RVTRKN]

Have you owned one? I’ve owned 2., a 2014 and a 2020. VM Motori has been making diesels for decades. Unless youve owned one, you’re not calling like it is, you’re calling it like you e heard somewhere.

I've never owned a 6.0 Ford either, does that mean they didn't have failures. As I posted, hero or zero, many failures of the ECO. Factory rep I had a conversation with when the failures first started, stated that the fuel injector lines came unsealed in a box that got contaminated with cardboard dust, however that doesn't excuse the lower end failures.

 

[Rhombus]

As I noted. Someone told you. Quit bashing an engine you’ve never owned. Let the guy get info from people who drive them.

 

[RVTRKN]

OK, good luck.

 

[go-ram]

On a sidenote… I do recommend for added protection performance and longevity adding a fuel additive at every fuel up of possible.

The ultra low sulfur fuel sold in the United States does not have very good lubricity. Using an additive during fill ups will increase lubricity for the fuel pump and injectors. It will help keep things clean and make everything last longer. I use the every day additive by Hot Shot. You can find it in AutoZone and the larger quantity bottle at love’s truck stop. Of course there are other additives out there like power service and Howe’s which is decent and certainly better than nothing.

.
Just curious, as a former Ram service advisor, what are your thoughts on the fact that the Gen-3 Ecodiesel owner's manual states that engine oil level can increase after a regen?
.
I know some diesel manufacturers regen similar to the Ram, while others (e.g. Chevy Duramax V8) add a "9th injector" upstream of the DPF and regen the DPF with direct fuel injection in the exhaust system, lit off by the 9th injector. I freely admit I am ignorant of the inner workings of modern diesel emissions systems, but something in my gut kind of cringes in knowing that Ram's Ecodiesel method of regen floods the cylinders with extra fuel in order to achieve regen temperatures downstream in the DPF system, hence engine oil level can rise because it's running past the rings and into the crankcase. Which seems like it would just thin out the already thin motor oils we use today, which certainly can't be good for low-end longevity. In your experience, is Ram's method problematic?
.
I hope I'm not saying anything inaccurate above, but that is what I have been able to piece together so far, and I'd be interested in your opinion on Ram's method of regen.

.
Thank you.
.

 

[Zoompastu]

.
Just curious, as a former Ram service advisor, what are your thoughts on the fact that the Gen-3 Ecodiesel owner's manual states that engine oil level can increase after a regen?
.
I know some diesel manufacturers regen similar to the Ram, while others (e.g. Chevy Duramax V8) add a "9th injector" upstream of the DPF and regen the DPF with direct fuel injection in the exhaust system, lit off by the 9th injector. I freely admit I am ignorant of the inner workings of modern diesel emissions systems, but something in my gut kind of cringes in knowing that Ram's Ecodiesel method of regen floods the cylinders with extra fuel in order to achieve regen temperatures downstream in the DPF system, hence engine oil level can rise because it's running past the rings and into the crankcase. Which seems like it would just thin out the already thin motor oils we use today, which certainly can't be good for low-end longevity. In your experience, is Ram's method problematic?
.
I hope I'm not saying anything inaccurate above, but that is what I have been able to piece together so far, and I'd be interested in your opinion on Ram's method of regen.

.
Thank you.
.

I’m not gonna pretend that I know it all… But I do know this, oil change Intervals and preventative maintenance have been tailored more for marketing than longevity over the last 20 years (all manufacturers) You won’t find me running 10,000 miles services. Changing the oil more frequently will help avoid oil diluting. I’m targeting 7,500 services for me.

If you want some peace of mind and a little fun start doing used oil analysis. Take a sample at 5k 7.5k and 10k and send them to Blackstone labs and they will tell you how the oil and motor is doing. They can also advise when it would be best for you to change the oil based on your samples for your driving scenario.

So the long and short is I don’t know the engineering reason as to why they operate regen the way they do but this is how we can negate any negative effects on the oil. And it may be fine... If the truck has to regen that frequently to where it’s Diluting the oil to the point where it can no longer lubricate as molecularly designed the truck is operated in a city environment and or too much idling in which case the diesel engine was the incorrect engine to purchase for that driver. #Hemi

 

[hunter1234]

No way in hell would I buy an ECO Diesel, the risk is just to high that Fiat would make a trouble free Diesel. The previous ECO Diesel was a hugh risk, it was a hero or a zero, I guess time will tell, but Fiat is not known for their quality and are the lowest rated cars. Sorry to rain on everyone with my first post here, but I call like it is. I took a risk with the newer CTD with the Bosch CP4, but at least the CTD is a proven power plant. The ECO self destructs.

As you mentioned there are hero's and dogs, I have been driving in a 2016 fully loaded Laramie ECO Diesel and love the engine, have a 125,000 miles on it. As an old fart that has too many miles on my frame I have driven almost everything through the years and have found a couple key factors, maintain the engine, even better than the schedule and in the case of the diesel do not buy it if the majority of your time is city driving. I commute 75 miles each way to work, each day. The benefits of the diesel are there for me and I get great towing from the engine. Had the opportunity to drive the big V8 and my truck (both same year, 4x4 crew cabs with 6'4" beds, standard gear ratio, no tow package other than electronic brakes) and used each to tow a 7000 lb dingo and trailer. Each pulled the load with no issue but the gas engine did whine a lot when going up the hill, the diesel never changed sound or acted differently. I did go through the EGR issue, FCA replaced the busted one for free, I did the software emission recall which did add some annoying lag in the throttle and FCA paid me $3,000 for that recall. Just ordered a 2020 fully loaded Laramie with the new Diesel so time will tell what this one will be like. They are not for everyone but if used right and maintained a diesel is a great choice.

 

[tyresmoker]

As I noted. Someone told you. Quit bashing an engine you’ve never owned. Let the guy get info from people who drive them.

TOTALLY AGREE! No substitute for 'sperence..!
Read all you want about the 6.4 PowerStroke..I had a 250SD Lariat back in '09..Turned it into the company fleet when I was done with it. Still going strong with over 200k miles on it and a plow hanging off the front...Cab never off the truck.

 

[VernDiesel]

Lol Fiat no more builds the ECO than the Hemi. FCA just now owns the financials of VM Motori like they do with Chrysler. What does Fiat cars have to do with how Ram trucks are built? The old ECO had emissions derived problems where Ram tried to slap on US gov emissions systems / requirements to an engine designed and built for Euro emissions requirements. Half that problem had to do with tuning when Ram didn't first get mother may I permission from the EPA about exceptions that otherwise would have been fine. (entirely different than the VW scandal)

Such as cold start conditions etc which became complicated and worsened when Ram was reported or "turned in" to the EPA by the college professor and his emissions testing students. However if you took the $3k settlement monies and got a proper market based aftermarket betterment tune & delete (not some type of coal burning race tune) it turned into a minimal problems great running super fuel efficient lil engine. In fact you could do it for half the money and keep the rest for your inconvenience.

For reference I transport aero TTs commercially with the truck from their plant to their north american dealerships. 672,000 miles on my 2014 as it tows like a big truck all day everyday and very fuel efficiently at that. To be fair some caveats. It tows a new dry typically 4 to 7k pound travel trailer to 65 mph very efficiently & comfortably. Typically with about 20 percent less fuel than a larger more robust 6.7 Cummins. A loaded 9k pound box TT and family or at speed.. not so much. Thats out of the practical scope of the half ton platform and the ED's stock HP & cooling system.

My truck went 371k miles before pushing a head gasket likely due to low coolant from a leaking EGR cooler. (gov emissions system part) At which time I chose to go with a new complete replacement engine as it made the most sense for me coming with a 24 month unlimited mileage warranty new high pressure fuel pump injectors and new turbo. Since then its went 300k miles with now what I would consider its first repair a bad reluctor wheel which costs about $1,100 to repair. Not hateful for an engine worked like mine.

Stock US gov approved tune, stock US emission systems, would it perform like this.. No, it first requires a small investment. To me it seems a shame that the hate burden and responsibility of this get puts on FCA (and GM & Ford respectively with their diesels) and not the EPA who doesn't have to do the things they do in the manner they do to get the results they claim to strive for.

 

[J-Cooz]

That's a crazy amount of miles and good to hear. Over 300k miles towing on an engine is no joke.

 

[VernDiesel]

Yeah over 300k on both of my motors towing. 325k on my buddy James ED also towing commercially.