New Diesel owner.

[Javerso]

Hi all. I’ve leased 2 Rams since 2016. 2016 Bighorn V6,2019 Laramie Hemi 5.7 and now I bought (not leased) a 2021 Limited eco diesel. Never owned a Diesel or anything with a turbo. Also bought a 5yr 100K warranty. I do have a ton of questions. I live on Long Island. Warm summers cold winters. Have had it 3 weeks and put about 1300 miles on it already.

1- Do I warm up the truck? How long?

2- What is the best oil I should add when needed. I want to carry a quart or 2 in the truck just in case. Also something that won’t mess with my warranty.

3- Should I add any type of additive to to the diesel fuel? And why? And how often?

4- When I park, do I have to wait to shut it down? I have heard it “wind down” after turning it off 1 or 2 times.

5-Is all DEF created equal? And should I only add when doing oil change?

I’m not going to tune or anything and don’t tow much if at all.

I’m sure there will be more. I just don’t want to screw anything up.
Thanks in advance for all the help.


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[stronbl]

Congrats on your new diesel. I've owned diesels for a long time, and the new "eco" diesels since 2013. Not that it makes any difference as what follows is strictly my point of view, so take it for what it is worth.

Fuel - pretty standard now with low sulfur highway diesel being required throughout the US. But there are differences in the cetane (sort of an equivalent to gasoline octane, sort of). Biggest issue and difference versus gasoline engines is don't run the diesel tank dry.
Fuel Additive - I used one for a little bit when I had to use a bio-diesel blend. Never saw any real measurable difference in power or fuel economy so I stopped. If your outdoor temps get cold enough a winterizer may be helpful, but usually most fuel stations will winterize their fuel at the pump so may be moot.
Idling - no need to warm it up or let it run before shutting off.
Oils - see owner's manual for specs.
DEF - again see owner's manual for specs but I have not found any DEF from auto parts stores to be out of spec. If you fill up at the truck stop pumps they will (should) halve the ISO spec there too. DEF does have a shelf life though, try to get the newest you can find.

Good luck and hope you enjoy it. BTW - turbos hate hot weather so you may find a different performance level on hot hot days versus cooler one. It's normal.

 

[nc_beagle]

The manual actual advises idling the engine before shutting it off, especially if you've been towing, etc...

 

[Sascwatch]

I always try to let my vehicles run for at least 30 seconds when they have sat overnight before taking off. Any longer to warm up or cool down the cab is also acceptable and is something I do quite often.

These gen 3 ecodiesels require 5w40 oil that has the ms-12991 spec on the bottle. Pennzoil platinum euro is the most popular I’ve found. Over 30k miles on my truck now and the oil is still full when I change it every 6000 miles or so.

Fuel additives are not required except when operating in very low temps, I’ve gone as low as -20 without issue as the fuel is pre-heated in the fuel filter housing before passing through the filter. I would recommend a lubricity additive like hot shot secrets EDT even tho it is not a requirement it is good practice.

I would recommend allowing the truck to idle for at least 30 seconds after low load driving scenarios and up to a couple of minutes after coming off the highway or while towing a heavy load. This will help extend the life of your turbo and oil.

Do some research on DEF expiration dates and try to pick the newest stuff you can find, I purchase mine from a local auto parts retailer that keeps low stock and goes through it every couple of weeks. It’s all the same stuff in the jugs, and has around a 1 year shelf life if stored correctly. Store it in a cool place and don’t stock up, refill every oil change or as needed.

 

[c3k]

Hi all. I’ve leased 2 Rams since 2016. 2016 Bighorn V6,2019 Laramie Hemi 5.7 and now I bought (not leased) a 2021 Limited eco diesel. Never owned a Diesel or anything with a turbo. Also bought a 5yr 100K warranty. I do have a ton of questions. I live on Long Island. Warm summers cold winters. Have had it 3 weeks and put about 1300 miles on it already.

1- Do I warm up the truck? How long?

See the post above, with the manual. But, these new diesels aren't meant to run overnight idling, like a Mack truck. Use it like your gas engine. Let it warm up before you put a heavy load or high rpm on it. Just a normal engine. (You've got a coolant gauge and the ability to read oil temps, etc.)

2- What is the best oil I should add when needed. I want to carry a quart or 2 in the truck just in case. Also something that won’t mess with my warranty.

The oil is important. The federal government (via the EPA) has "choked" diesels with a LOT of exhaust equipment. They run fine, and they're a lot cleaner than the older diesels, but you've got to be aware of what you've got.

A. The Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF), brand-name "AdBlue", is held in a tank and injected into your exhaust to help clean it. So, keep an eye on your DEF gauge. (Should be good for thousands of miles per fill.) The EPA mandates that the truck cannot start if it runs out of it, so don't ignore the truck warning you that DEF is running low.

B. Oil. Similar to above. There is a Diesel Particulate Filter in your exhaust. It catches the soot. The truck monitors it. If it gets too filled, the truck will add extra fuel to the exhaust and burn the soot out. Otherwise, it should keep it controlled when you do highway driving. Your oil choice is critical to keeping the DPF from clogging. Ram specifies the MS-12991 certification for oils. Make sure your oil is one of them.

3- Should I add any type of additive to to the diesel fuel? And why? And how often?

You don't HAVE to, but a lot of us. Amsoil, Hotshots, Power Service are all brand names. Each has a following. They're used to keep the fuel pumps lubricated, injectors clean, and cetane boosted. There are some threads about it...with some opinions attached.

4- When I park, do I have to wait to shut it down? I have heard it “wind down” after turning it off 1 or 2 times.

A turbo (whether gas or diesel engine) will last longer with a cooldown. If you run an uphill highway at 95mph, towing 10,000 lbs, in Death Valley in the summer, yeah, let the poor engine cool down before you shut it off. My drive has me coming off the highway, then on some back roads (45mph) then my neighborhood before I pull into the driveway. That's plenty of cooldown. I just shut it off when I pull in. Like your first question, there's nothing special about a diesel or a turbo: if you use it hard, let it cool off before you kill it. (Pumping coolant and oil takes away the heat...)

5-Is all DEF created equal? And should I only add when doing oil change?

Yes, all DEF is the same. Get the cheap stuff. Add it whenever you want. Your truck will give you a countdown when it starts getting low. (Off memory, 1,000 miles, 500 miles, etc. <- Those could be wrong. Read the manual.) It gets used, but is nothing to worry about. I discussed it just above.

I’m not going to tune or anything and don’t tow much if at all.

I’m sure there will be more. I just don’t want to screw anything up.
Thanks in advance for all the help.


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Enjoy your new truck!

 

[Javerso]

Awesome everyone. Thanks so much for the input.


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