Ecodiesel Issues? Look out for?

[JGRaider]

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)

So who actually designed and manufactured the 3rd gen EcoD? VW?

 

[SpeedyV]

So who actually designed and manufactured the 3rd gen EcoD? VW?

FCA. Designed in Italy, manufactured at FCA Centro in Ferrara (per Wards).

@VernDiesel is correct about the branding. VM Motori (not to be confused with VW) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of FCA.

 

[bill-e]

Except for a 6 month period after the AEM (which I resolved with 2 tanks of Diesel Kleen) I've loved my Eco since 2015 and I love this new one even more. During my ownership of my 15 Laramie I had 10 oil changes performed by my dealer at 46.50 each. Now it looks like the deal isn't so good but they're $105 each which is on par with doing it yourself. My '15 only had one warranty issue which was a leaking EGR at 30k miles.

 

[Aseras]

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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?
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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?
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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.

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Thank you.
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Under regen more diesel is injected to allow unburnt diesel to enter the dpf and cause temperatures to rise rapidly and some diesel is injected on the exhaust stroke and also directly into the DPF to cook off ash/soot. The extra diesel in the engine is unburnt and as a fuel oil can enter the engine and dilute the oil. This is something any diesel CAN do. It is much more common on a "modern diesel" with all the tier 4 BS emissions added on as it choked the engines.
Diesel engines are always WOT ( wide open throttle ), they are not regulated by air but by how much fuel is injected. If the oil accumulates too much fuel it can cause problems. Before ULSD ( ultra low sulfur diesel ) the diesel has much better lubricity and fuel dilution didn't cause as much wear as ULSD in oil can. If too much fuel ends up in the oil it can also cause the oil level to rise to the point where the engine internals can beat the oil mixture into a froth which can come up into the intake ( check your air filter for signs of oil burping ). If this happens you can get a run away engine as a diesel needs no electrical system to run, so turning it "off" does not work. the engine will redline and even more oil will come up and will burn even more viollently until usually the engine melts down, and.or catches the vehicle on fire. But it can cook off enough oil to stop itself after screaming for several minutes. There will be engine damage unless you can quickly block the air intake before it gets critically hot. It is practically impossible for a consumer to do unless you have the expertise to know it is happening, what to do and when and how to do it lightning fast. Most who would know would not allow the oil to ever get close to the critical point. Some diesel engines have a mechanical shutter that seals the intake when the engine is turned off. AFAIK it is only on commercial large truck engines.

 

[MacFly]

It’s not worth it to do the oil change yourself. The oil filters are different with this new motor and the engine takes more than 5 quarts… Additionally the fact is you run a risk of having your warranty claim denied. FCA is really tightening the screws on this. I have firsthand knowledge of these things. I agree that the dealership is the most expensive way to have the oil serviced. I also know that most people do not have the knowledge tools or experience to properly perform the service and if they do they lack the desire. The number of people that want to do it themselves is a small percentage and usually they’re on forms like this. Let me be clear this is not a knock on anyone that wants to do their own maintenance. I’m all for it and I prefer to do it myself as well. This third GEN engine is not proven and since there were so many radical issues with the previous motors I’m not gonna run the risk of having a warranty claim denied because I am not a certified Mopar technician. Our oil filter receipts and the Magnuson moss warranty act don’t mean diddly squat doing our own work.

I know for a fact at this point if you have major engine issues and do a warranty claim you are already disqualified and denied. If you did swap cartridges around for the oil filter and did not use the correct Mopar part and part number you are instantly denied warranty if they ask for maintenance history proof.

Do what you.. do it’s none of my business but I hope readers will understand both sides of the coin and make a decision accordingly

Should hopefully be taking possession of an EcoDiesel by the end of coming week. When I made a point to ask about DIY maintenance, the salesman assured me that I'd be fine under warranty as long as I kept receipts and a log... where can I research more about the DIY maintenance and risk of voiding the warranties?

 

[WXman]

So I'm a member of Jeep forums, a couple of Ram forums, and some owners groups on FB. So far, here are the issues I've seen happen to people (including myself) with this Gen 3 engine:

-CAC hose failures
-Turbo failure (P00AF code)
-Timing cover failure
-At least 2 blown engines (main bearing failure maybe?)
-EGR getting stuck in closed position
-DEF tank error codes (could be owner fault?)

Not a good track record with less than 12 months on the market, but hopefully it'll get better with time.

P.S. when my truck was at the shop for two weeks, they asked me if I changed my own oil and they had zero problem with it. They just wanted to make me aware that they were going to use dye to try and locate the source of the leak. This is no different than a gas engine as far as home maintenance...just keep receipts and records.

 

[WXman]

Another one bites the dust....

 

[Aseras]

ouch. someone's getting a FCA hat or more likely a free carwash, lol.

 

[Ramagain]

Another one bites the dust.... View attachment 71851

Another one bites the dust.... View attachment 71851

I was gonna jump on here and ask for advice from everyone regarding the new ecodiesel. At my age I thought it was time to get a nice (Limited) truck. Other than driving back and forth to work in stop and go traffic for 45 minutes I drive once a month on a 560 mile roundtrip (hwy) and only tow twice a year. I do however have to wait to pick up kids from school for an hour...in Texas...in the heat and know a diesel wouldn't care doing so. So it boils down to the fuel economy and running it at idle. I was pretty set until I saw WXman's post?

 

[bill-e]

I was gonna jump on here and ask for advice from everyone regarding the new ecodiesel. At my age I thought it was time to get a nice (Limited) truck. Other than driving back and forth to work in stop and go traffic for 45 minutes I drive once a month on a 560 mile roundtrip (hwy) and only tow twice a year. I do however have to wait to pick up kids from school for an hour...in Texas...in the heat and know a diesel wouldn't care doing so. So it boils down to the fuel economy and running it at idle. I was pretty set until I saw WXman's post?

You will find engine problems with every engine. I loved my 2015 EcoD and I love my 2020. All that post shows is that someone has a problem and if that is all it takes to sway you then you're probably making the right decision for yourself.

 

[JGRaider]

WXMan is a broken record. I have really enjoyed my 2020 EcoD. Perfect vehicles do not exist, period.

 

[J-Cooz]

I was gonna jump on here and ask for advice from everyone regarding the new ecodiesel. At my age I thought it was time to get a nice (Limited) truck. Other than driving back and forth to work in stop and go traffic for 45 minutes I drive once a month on a 560 mile roundtrip (hwy) and only tow twice a year. I do however have to wait to pick up kids from school for an hour...in Texas...in the heat and know a diesel wouldn't care doing so. So it boils down to the fuel economy and running it at idle. I was pretty set until I saw WXman's post?

I wouldnt worry. For every 1 failure that gets posted on the internet there's a thousand others driving around with no issues that isn't being posted about.

 

[NCGatorRam]

ouch. someone's getting a FCA hat or more likely a free carwash, lol.

I would demand free oil changes for life.

First post on site after recently purchasing a 20 Limited with ED. Have owned a number of 1500s and other FCA products with the Hemi, including an SRT. This in my first diesel. I have never had problems with the Hemi, just wanted to give the diesel a try. I really appreciate threads like this with broad opinions and experiences. Excited with the choice so far. Took it on a long road trip into the fringes of Hurricane Delta, 650 mile trip one way and was amazed by the range with 33 gal tank.

 

[ScubaSteve]

27,000 on my 20 limited ECO since i got it in March. Not one issue with engine or the truck so far. 24.5 mpg every fill up so far, its really consistent on the mileage it gets.

 

[WXman]

WXMan is a broken record. I have really enjoyed my 2020 EcoD. Perfect vehicles do not exist, period.

Call it what you want. I tend to prefer helping my fellow truck guys know what they're getting into rather than act like everything is perfect when it isn't.

Maybe things aren't as bad now as the first 3 years of EcoDiesel Rams where FCA was getting hundreds of bottom end failures PER MONTH. But, in less than a year we've seen numerous serious issues reported with the 2020 and that's not a good sign however you'd like to slice it.

 

[J-Cooz]

Call it what you want. I tend to prefer helping my fellow truck guys know what they're getting into rather than act like everything is perfect when it isn't.

Maybe things aren't as bad now as the first 3 years of EcoDiesel Rams where FCA was getting hundreds of bottom end failures PER MONTH. But, in less than a year we've seen numerous serious issues reported with the 2020 and that's not a good sign however you'd like to slice it.

I think just forums in general make everything seem like it's a problem.

I'm on multiple snowmobile forums and if you read those you would swear to never buy a snowmobile , period. Guys blowing up engines with 200 miles on them etc...but in the end I always remind myself that's a small percentage of the overall number of machines or trucks our there.

I'm very happy with my ED and I enjoy it more than my old Hemi in every way. If anything happens I'm confident in my warranty and that Chrysler will fix it.

 

[neddles]

Without good data on failure rate or rates of specific malfunctions it's all just anecdotes. When all the anecdotes one posts are failures and not successes it starts to feel like there is an axe to grind, whether true or not.

 

[go-ram]

I was gonna jump on here and ask for advice from everyone regarding the new ecodiesel. At my age I thought it was time to get a nice (Limited) truck. Other than driving back and forth to work in stop and go traffic for 45 minutes I drive once a month on a 560 mile roundtrip (hwy) and only tow twice a year. I do however have to wait to pick up kids from school for an hour...in Texas...in the heat and know a diesel wouldn't care doing so. So it boils down to the fuel economy and running it at idle. I was pretty set until I saw WXman's post?

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At the other end of the spectrum, there's VernDiesel who went well over 300,000 miles on his Gen-1 EcoDiesel, replaced it and is well over 600,000 miles total on his gen-4 Ram 1500. Search on member name"VernDiesel" then read all of his posts. You'll gain a different perspective and a wealth of great knowledge.
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Regarding long periods of idling, when you have to you have to, but it should be avoided as much as possible. There is no need to idle a modern diesel, just shut it off. If you need the AC in hot weather, you need it. But just because it's a diesel doesn't mean anyone should leave it diesel idling just because it's a diesel, at least not in the lower half of the continental US.
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[mia389]

My wifes Denali had a cracked engine block at 2500 miles. GM and the dealer put her in a new one. It was a process though. Hope I never have to do anything like that again.

 

[bwsRam19]

Had a 2017 laramie ecodiesel, loved the truck, but had to have new injectors at 10k. I went ahead and traded it on a 19 laramie when they had the fire sales, just couldn't risk it, miss that truck though.