Ecodiesel Issues? Look out for?

[VernDiesel]

Couldn’t risk it.. does the ED injectors have a higher failure rate than the Hemi injectors? Doubt it. If not did you actually lower your “risk” at all? Would the remaining 90,000 miles of warranty have been more risky than a fresh 60k warranty on a new gas truck? I don’t think injectors are a major problem child part for either motor. More likely is that WiTech the Mopar scan tool said sensors show their is an issue here with a possible solution being new injectors and since under warranty where Ram pays for the parts & labor.. Experienced & skilled and or honest techs are hard to come by for gas Rams let alone diesels. Certified diesel tech trained on the VM Motori diesel are usually only found in the high percentage of sales volume diesel truck dealerships. Proper diagnosis requires more knowledge & skill than does swapping parts to see if that fixes it.

Want to lower risk for emissions problems on a 14-19 ED invest $900 in an engine & transmission aftermarket tune combo. You will get a clean running engine more problem free operation better longevity, power, mileage, plus an engine brake. Less likely to experience a breakdown but should you have a warranty claim it’s shown to be honored no differently unless you buy some type of race tune with changed safety parameters and Ram can show it somehow caused the problem.

744,000 on my 14 Ram Ecodiesel should it make the big 1 M mark I will make it the backup truck. Considering both the new ED & the new Cummins for its replacement. The HD platform and the more powerful Cummins both give me more options at the expense of more initial, maintenance, and fuel cost from the same income. So that’s a trade off I need to consider. Certainly Ford & GM both also have viable options as I’m not brand blind. But I’d love to have the new ED. I know my son plans on one this spring so we will see how much more capable it is at towing than my current truck.

Fun stuff to consider. I do wish more people bought and more salesmen would recommend a particular truck & motor based on how it is going to be used than say color or comfort appointments as is commonly done now.

 

[Rossum]

does the ED injectors have a higher failure rate than the Hemi injectors?

Not sure about the failure rate, but common-rail diesel injectors that operate at 20,000 psi or more are certainly more complicated and expensive to replace than the old-school gasoline port injectors used on a Hemi, that operate at under 100 psi.

 

[VernDiesel]

Fair. Related to that lots who come from gas trucks don’t know or fully understand the importance of regularly changing the fuel filter water separator on their first diesel truck.

 

[Rossum]

Related to that lots who come from gas trucks don’t know or fully understand the importance of regularly changing the fuel filter water separator on their first diesel truck.

Agreed. Water or other contaminants in the fuel will do bad things if they reach those expensive common-rail diesel injectors, or even the high pressure pump for that matter.

 

[MacFly]

Fair. Related to that lots who come from gas trucks don’t know or fully understand the importance of regularly changing the fuel filter water separator on their first diesel truck.

As someone who just ordered his first diesel, I had no idea. I definitely appreciate the info though, I want this truck to last a long time.

 

[Willwork4truck]

The learning curve on “new to diesel ownership” is steep. If you don’t get it right, you’ve got an expensive problem that might be totally on your dime. Ford routinely denies warranty claims on their powerstrokes if there is any evidence of water in the fuel. (I used to watch the powerstrokehelp.com YT videos, it was discussed there a lot).

 

[WXman]

Yeah up through the 1990s it was totally the opposite. Diesel engines would run on just about anything. Kerosene, used engine oil, you could almost put anything in the tank and if was flamable it would run. You could also neglect the engine and fail to do proper maintenance on it and it would still go a half-million miles. This is why they were so popular with the hard working but still broke crowd.

Thanks to the EPA that is all gone. Now you've got to be absolutely sure that you're putting clean, quality ULSD fuel in the tank. You've got to swap out the filter every 15k religiously. You've got to use engine oil that has the proper SAPS content. It is absolutely critical that you baby the engine and care for it diligently because the fuel injection system is $10,000 to repair and the exhaust system is nearly the same to replace. Nothing is cheap on these anymore. Nothing.

This is why as much as I LOVE diesel power, this one will be my last. I'm going to a HD pickup with a large displacement gas engine. The little bit that I lose in MPG will be made up for in cheap maintenance and no worries of fuel injection pumps or diesel particulate filters.

 

[bwsRam19]

Couldn’t risk it.. does the ED injectors have a higher failure rate than the Hemi injectors? Doubt it. If not did you actually lower your “risk” at all? Would the remaining 90,000 miles of warranty have been more risky than a fresh 60k warranty on a new gas truck? I don’t think injectors are a major problem child part for either motor. More likely is that WiTech the Mopar scan tool said sensors show their is an issue here with a possible solution being new injectors and since under warranty where Ram pays for the parts & labor.. Experienced & skilled and or honest techs are hard to come by for gas Rams let alone diesels. Certified diesel tech trained on the VM Motori diesel are usually only found in the high percentage of sales volume diesel truck dealerships. Proper diagnosis requires more knowledge & skill than does swapping parts to see if that fixes it.

Want to lower risk for emissions problems on a 14-19 ED invest $900 in an engine & transmission aftermarket tune combo. You will get a clean running engine more problem free operation better longevity, power, mileage, plus an engine brake. Less likely to experience a breakdown but should you have a warranty claim it’s shown to be honored no differently unless you buy some type of race tune with changed safety parameters and Ram can show it somehow caused the problem.

744,000 on my 14 Ram Ecodiesel should it make the big 1 M mark I will make it the backup truck. Considering both the new ED & the new Cummins for its replacement. The HD platform and the more powerful Cummins both give me more options at the expense of more initial, maintenance, and fuel cost from the same income. So that’s a trade off I need to consider. Certainly Ford & GM both also have viable options as I’m not brand blind. But I’d love to have the new ED. I know my son plans on one this spring so we will see how much more capable it is at towing than my current truck.

Fun stuff to consider. I do wish more people bought and more salesmen would recommend a particular truck & motor based on how it is going to be used than say color or comfort appointments as is commonly done now.

I have had hemi engines with almost 200k and never had an injector problem, and even if I did they are easily serviceable and cheap.

 

[bwsRam19]

Fair. Related to that lots who come from gas trucks don’t know or fully understand the importance of regularly changing the fuel filter water separator on their first diesel truck.

changed my fuel filter at 5k intervals along with the oil, still had failed injectors

 

[bwsRam19]

the failed injectors were chirping like birds, they were definitely bad

 

[bwsRam19]

Saw an ecodiesel local to me for sale cheap with a blown motor at 103k miles, didn't want to be that guy.

 

[VernDiesel]

WXman good post with valid points. You’ve been paying attention for a while and thinking things through for yourself. Kudos. And I cannot say you are wrong. However while I agree you need clean fuel today that is achievable from either newer higher volume stations or any properly maintained stations and assurable through scheduled fuel filter maintenance. In my 14 Ram that means a $33 spin on Mopar filter that I change myself in 5 minutes every 30k per warranty schedule.

Spec oil is simply Rotella T6. I get it at Rural King 2.5 gallon jugs for $50 regular price. 10k rated filter is $12 at Rock Auto. Easy to change on this truck for say $65 every 10k miles. Been using it in this motor it’s whole life of 373,000 miles.

I think babying it is a mistake. Let it warm up before spinning it hard or loading it hard sure. But that common sense practice is the same for gasoline. Beyond that diesels like so to speak, to be worked and run hotter. Mine gets used commercially transporting travel trailers from plants to dealerships. Commonly 6,500 to 7k with a fair amount of drag. Hard on a truck to be sure. The original engine used the same pushed
A head gasket at 371,000 due to low coolant from a leaking EGR cooler. Since I run an aftermarket tune this engine can simply run an EGR cooler delete so as not to have that risk. But it does somewhat validate your point about the emissions parts. Fortunately FCA has also recalled this part with an improved EGR cooler for those still running a factory or government AEM detune. Also I have a friend that’s does this business and has over 400,000 on his ED. Point being with aftermarket tune they are not doomed. FWIW SKT charges $900 for a motor & transmission tune so it’s not a cost prohibitive investment for say a $50k truck than can then run a half million miles to use your example.

Also should you have to replace the high pressure pump injectors etc many people do it for a lot less than $10k. Factory Exhaust system, never known anyone to replace it. Mine is still good with 744,000 miles. For me having reliability longevity (post tune investment) and low fuel costs to leave more profit from the same earnings makes it worthwhile. Perhaps for 80 or 90 percent of 1500 series buyers gasoline would be a better tool for the job. For me I’m glad the Mfgrs now offer the option of a small diesel to the 1/2 ton lineup.

 

[J-Cooz]

WXman good post with valid points. You’ve been paying attention for a while and thinking things through for yourself. Kudos. And I cannot say you are wrong. However while I agree you need clean fuel today that is achievable from either newer higher volume stations or any properly maintained stations and assurable through scheduled fuel filter maintenance. In my 14 Ram that means a $33 spin on Mopar filter that I change myself in 5 minutes every 30k per warranty schedule.

Spec oil is simply Rotella T6. I get it at Rural King 2.5 gallon jugs for $50 regular price. 10k rated filter is $12 at Rock Auto. Easy to change on this truck for say $65 every 10k miles. Been using it in this motor it’s whole life of 373,000 miles.

I think babying it is a mistake. Let it warm up before spinning it hard or loading it hard sure. But that common sense practice is the same for gasoline. Beyond that diesels like so to speak, to be worked and run hotter. Mine gets used commercially transporting travel trailers from plants to dealerships. Commonly 6,500 to 7k with a fair amount of drag. Hard on a truck to be sure. The original engine used the same pushed
A head gasket at 371,000 due to low coolant from a leaking EGR cooler. Since I run an aftermarket tune this engine can simply run an EGR cooler delete so as not to have that risk. But it does somewhat validate your point about the emissions parts. Fortunately FCA has also recalled this part with an improved EGR cooler for those still running a factory or government AEM detune. Also I have a friend that’s does this business and has over 400,000 on his ED. Point being with aftermarket tune they are not doomed. FWIW SKT charges $900 for a motor & transmission tune so it’s not a cost prohibitive investment for say a $50k truck than can then run a half million miles to use your example.

Also should you have to replace the high pressure pump injectors etc many people do it for a lot less than $10k. Factory Exhaust system, never known anyone to replace it. Mine is still good with 744,000 miles. For me having reliability longevity (post tune investment) and low fuel costs to leave more profit from the same earnings makes it worthwhile. Perhaps for 80 or 90 percent of 1500 series buyers gasoline would be a better tool for the job. For me I’m glad the Mfgrs now offer the option of a small diesel to the 1/2 ton lineup.

That's incredible.

 

[WXman]

WXman good post with valid points. You’ve been paying attention for a while and thinking things through for yourself. Kudos. And I cannot say you are wrong. However while I agree you need clean fuel today that is achievable from either newer higher volume stations or any properly maintained stations and assurable through scheduled fuel filter maintenance. In my 14 Ram that means a $33 spin on Mopar filter that I change myself in 5 minutes every 30k per warranty schedule.

Spec oil is simply Rotella T6. I get it at Rural King 2.5 gallon jugs for $50 regular price. 10k rated filter is $12 at Rock Auto. Easy to change on this truck for say $65 every 10k miles. Been using it in this motor it’s whole life of 373,000 miles.

I think babying it is a mistake. Let it warm up before spinning it hard or loading it hard sure. But that common sense practice is the same for gasoline. Beyond that diesels like so to speak, to be worked and run hotter. Mine gets used commercially transporting travel trailers from plants to dealerships. Commonly 6,500 to 7k with a fair amount of drag. Hard on a truck to be sure. The original engine used the same pushed
A head gasket at 371,000 due to low coolant from a leaking EGR cooler. Since I run an aftermarket tune this engine can simply run an EGR cooler delete so as not to have that risk. But it does somewhat validate your point about the emissions parts. Fortunately FCA has also recalled this part with an improved EGR cooler for those still running a factory or government AEM detune. Also I have a friend that’s does this business and has over 400,000 on his ED. Point being with aftermarket tune they are not doomed. FWIW SKT charges $900 for a motor & transmission tune so it’s not a cost prohibitive investment for say a $50k truck than can then run a half million miles to use your example.

Also should you have to replace the high pressure pump injectors etc many people do it for a lot less than $10k. Factory Exhaust system, never known anyone to replace it. Mine is still good with 744,000 miles. For me having reliability longevity (post tune investment) and low fuel costs to leave more profit from the same earnings makes it worthwhile. Perhaps for 80 or 90 percent of 1500 series buyers gasoline would be a better tool for the job. For me I’m glad the Mfgrs now offer the option of a small diesel to the 1/2 ton lineup.

So you are tuned? And you went with the Sofa King tune?

 

[MacFly]

So you are tuned? And you went with the Sofa King tune?

Was just coming in here to ask what tune y'all recommended. I had been doing some browsing on here a while back and was interested in a tune, but read some posts about one of the better companies getting in trouble with the EPA (can't remember the name)

 

[J-Cooz]

There is no tunes out yet for the Gen3. They are coming soon. Green diesel engineering says there's will be ready by summer and will be EPA compliant.

 

[MacFly]

There is no tunes out yet for the Gen3. They are coming soon. Green diesel engineering says there's will be ready by summer and will be EPA compliant.

I think that's the company that I couldn't remember. While I'm all for environmentalism, the EPA can go suck an egg on a lot of their rules. Makes me worry that the tune won't be as effective if it has to go through their BS. Found out recently that where I live doesn't require emissions testing, but I think I'm too much of a chicken to do a delete on such an expensive truck, especially if it voids any warranties

 

[VernDiesel]

I run GDE’s original tune (EGR turned off) since 30k. The 400k mile truck runs SKTs (EGR turned off) Son in law runs HD Diesel’s tune (EGR turned off). Recently some have been happy with MR Tuning’s tune. There are also people happy with GDE’s leaves EGR on tune. Never heard of anyone regretting investing in an aftermarket tune.

When GDE releases their tune for the new gen ED I would buy it. In part for the benefits of towing in the mountains with the engine brake.

MacFly, Don’t do a delete on the new gen ED. Leave the emissions intact. Just run a tune for the better engine management injections timing emissions management etc.

 

[Willwork4truck]

Its so hard to tell what to do, but definately don’t buy used.

My brother traded off a 15’ Duramax 2500 due to continued fuel and injector issues that GM was unable to resolve, constant limp mode when trying to tow his fiver up passes...

The 7 year 100K factory extended warranty was about to expire and he wasn’t willing to eat all of the subsequent repairs. He traded off into a new 20’ RAM Cummins 2500 and while he doesn’t like the additional $40K cost, at least he feels like it won’t break down on his next trip.
He is a retired truck driver so understands the maintenance yet even he is really tired of how fussy diesels are now.

Like the Powerstrokehelp.com guy says, “gotta’ pay to play”...

 

[WXman]

For those who don't know, the advantage of GDE is that you're getting a tune from a guy who worked in the OE diesel world before going on his own. He knows what he's doing and has been writing software for diesels for many years. I used his tune on a 2005 Jeep with a VM diesel and it was like a totally different vehicle. High quality stuff. He won't be able to turn off EGR or emissions anymore, but his tune WILL be the highest quality tune available when he gets it ready.