New to forum and looking at EcoDiesel, how is yours fairing?

[cdavis]

Hi all,

New to the forum and I'm done with my Ford... man this thing has been a dog. Just seem to keep having issues with it.

That aside, I'm looking at an EcoDiesel after FCA has completely redone their motor. I was looking at a 3/4 ton for the longevity but that is a) a lot of truck and b) way too expensive. I won't be towing much and really value a truck that will last more than anything. The only trailer I'd be towing is either a car hauler or one for lawn equipment. The low-to-mid end torque would be much appreciated in these applications.

With that being said I wanted to hear how the motors are holding up now that it's quickly approaching a year since they hit dealer lots. For my job it's likely I'll be driving anywhere from 20-30K a year and could easily see hitting 100K by year 3 or 4, so I more so want to hear how the higher mileage motors are holding up so far before I take the dive.


Thanks.

 

[Fatherof3]

Welcome , I’m sure someone will be able to answer your question

 

[Sascwatch]

I chose the ecodiesel because I drive 30-40k km per year and the fuel savings will add up. I used to have to fill up once per week with my 2010 gmc but now I can easily go 2-3 weeks between fillups.

There is a small amount of turbo lag, but after a few weeks I have gotten used to it and love this drivetrain, it is super smooth and has plenty of power for my style of driving.

There is some confusion on what oil is to be used but that is all cleared up now and the pennzoil platinum euro 5w40 is what they are telling us to run. Also the oil filter is ridiculously expensive ($150 in Canada)

 

[tyresmoker]

They actually hit the lots beginning last November. I think you really might want to ask how the lower mileage, city driving engines are holding up. Regardless of the technology, diesel engines are designed to run. They do not like to be thermo-cycled, which is more common in city driving. I have just over 3k on mine...The current situation has curtailed my need to drive pretty significantly!
That being said, if I had to order another Ram tomorrow, I would not change a thing. I traded my '17 SRT GC for my Ram, and frankly one of my main drivers to do so was the fact that I was tired of burning all of that fuel in a daily driver. It got old, quick!
Good luck with your decision!

 

[J-Cooz]

They actually hit the lots beginning last November. I think you really might want to ask how the lower mileage, city driving engines are holding up. Regardless of the technology, diesel engines are designed to run. They do not like to be thermo-cycled, which is more common in city driving. I have just over 3k on mine...The current situation has curtailed my need to drive pretty significantly!
That being said, if I had to order another Ram tomorrow, I would not change a thing. I traded my '17 SRT GC for my Ram, and frankly one of my main drivers to do so was the fact that I was tired of burning all of that fuel in a daily driver. It got old, quick!
Good luck with your decision!

I had a 16 SRT and an 18 and traded in the 18 on my Limited Hemi. Starting to think I should have waited for the EcoDiesel because my 5.7 gets worse mileage than the SRT did. Overall I love the truck though, the interior is light years ahead or the SRT in terms of materials and usability.

 

[Zoompastu]

I worked as a service advisor at a ram dealership and enjoy my truck very much. All my previous coworkers couldn’t believe I bought an eco-diesel. Even the technicians thought I was insane since the last version had so many problems. I have good faith that the issues have been addressed. This engine is so new no one really knows yet how reliable it will be but I can say they have not seen issues yet but this Engine is too new to see issues.

I now drive 180 miles one way to work and stay there for a week then come home. My old truck (15 Ram 1500) was getting 16 to 18 MPG on the same run I’m now getting 25 MPG doing 70 to 80 mph. If you have a modern diesel it needs to run on the highway. They do not like city use. Your Particulate filter will plug up faster and you will need to do more regeneration cycle’s. Idling at stop signs stop lights and driveways also is not good for these modern emission systems. Diesel costs more the maintenance cost more the insurance costs more and the engine option during the initial purchase costs more than owning and operating a hemi. The Hemi’s are less complicated and have less components to fail.

I don’t want to deter anyone from buying the new diesel but I saw too often when I worked at the dealer customers that owned diesels we’re often unhappy with their purchase once the honeymoon was over not realizing what they were getting into with all the new emission crap the government has forced on us.

I also have a friend who is a semi truck diesel Mechanic and he said the emission systems are the biggest problem he sees. And again the trucks that run around the city or do a lot of idling see the largest problems at his shop.

Hope this helps

 

[Aseras]

The engine is fine. Won't know if the prior build issues were addressed for 75,000 miles. Mostly related to EGR and soot and sludge in intercooler. Oil, just use rotella t-6. FIlters, huge disparity here, don't pay $100+ at a dealer, buy them online. If you get the right ones it'll cost you $30 for just the cartridge. Watch your options, some kill payload so if you plan to tow, you need a more base model, the high ends come down several hundred pounds. That said towing and getting nearly 30mpg without even feeling a trailer behind you is amazing.

You need a commute > 25 miles one way or the truck will not be happy. It needs some periodic highway use. If you get rambox, check to make sure they aren't warped. They should be flush and level.

The truck runs very very well and pulls great. A few tweaks, fixing FCA typical BS mistakes like painted grounds ( dead battery is a clear sign ) and crap build issues here and there and you'll be set. Pay attention to your options. Some things like tow mirrors nuke 2,000 in options. it's BS and I expect a class action soon over it.

Now things that will make the truck truly livable and come alive are a pedal commander 78, and a TazerDT. AlphaOBD and a good OBD2 reader is also a good idea and will remove ALL the annoying FCA nag, give you what you want and let you do what you with without a compuer telling you no. They are all removeable and undetectable ( except alphaOBD, you go tinking in there too deep and you'll brick the truck. ) Slap those on there and the turbo lag seems gone, you can use nav without it saying no and much more.

 

[Boston]

The engine is fine. Won't know if the prior build issues were addressed for 75,000 miles. Mostly related to EGR and soot and sludge in intercooler. Oil, just use rotella t-6. FIlters, huge disparity here, don't pay $100+ at a dealer, buy them online. If you get the right ones it'll cost you $30 for just the cartridge. Watch your options, some kill payload so if you plan to tow, you need a more base model, the high ends come down several hundred pounds. That said towing and getting nearly 30mpg without even feeling a trailer behind you is amazing.

You need a commute > 25 miles one way or the truck will not be happy. It needs some periodic highway use. If you get rambox, check to make sure they aren't warped. They should be flush and level.

The truck runs very very well and pulls great. A few tweaks, fixing FCA typical BS mistakes like painted grounds ( dead battery is a clear sign ) and crap build issues here and there and you'll be set. Pay attention to your options. Some things like tow mirrors nuke 2,000 in options. it's BS and I expect a class action soon over it.

Now things that will make the truck truly livable and come alive are a pedal commander 78, and a TazerDT. AlphaOBD and a good OBD2 reader is also a good idea and will remove ALL the annoying FCA nag, give you what you want and let you do what you with without a compuer telling you no. They are all removeable and undetectable ( except alphaOBD, you go tinking in there too deep and you'll brick the truck. ) Slap those on there and the turbo lag seems gone, you can use nav without it saying no and much more.

Note It's already been proven in another thread that rotella is NOT the oil to use in the new gen ED per FCA. Otherwise a great post

 

[Aseras]

IDGAF what they post in the internet. until they send me a new manual with proof of service that I received it and a refund for my detrimental reliance in already buying oil and supplies, I'm using the specified rotella in the manual I got with the truck. They can lose that lawsuit.

Whats even more farked is the oil they specify has more ash and is considered a full SAPS oil which is particularly destructive for DPF and emission systems. Rotella is a low ash non sulphur oil.

 

[J-Cooz]

IDGAF what they post in the internet. until they send me a new manual with proof of service that I received it and a refund for my detrimental reliance in already buying oil and supplies, I'm using the specified rotella in the manual I got with the truck. They can lose that lawsuit.

Whats even more farked is the oil they specify has more ash and is considered a full SAPS oil which is particularly destructive for DPF and emission systems. Rotella is a low ash non sulphur oil.

Wow. Calm down with the lawsuit stuff dude. Its just oil.

 

[Aseras]

Wow. Calm down with the lawsuit stuff dude. Its just oil.

I enjoy suing car manufacturers. Otherwise they never learn, and it pays well.

 

[WXman]

Keep in mind that while this is a diesel engine, in design it's very similar to a turbo-charged gas engine. They used lightweight aluminum pistons, thinner rings, a water-cooled turbo, lowered the compression ratio and they even specify a SN-rated engine oil. It's basically a light duty engine with all the most modern emissions designs. Yes, it'll get decent fuel economy but so far mine isn't getting what the window sticker indicated and ALL my prior gas trucks got exactly what the window sticker indicated. Also, maintenance is ultra expensive and so far, finding the proper oil and filters has proven difficult.

As far as the Rotella T6 vs. MS-12991 oil debate goes, if I had 60,000 miles on mine and the engine blew up and I had been using Rotella, I would definitely try to use that erroneous owners manual info as leverage in court. It would be your only choice. But, most of us aren't even to the first oil change interval yet so knowingly putting Rotella in the truck despite the fact that the manual has now been updated, and FCA reps on the forum have explained WHY we shouldn't use Rotella seems pretty silly to me. I have 12 quarts of unopened Rotella sitting on my shelf too. I'm in the same boat. But my Rotella is going to stay unopened on the shelf because $60 worth of oil wasted is better than fighting a multi-billion dollar company in court over a $10,000 engine later.

 

[J-Cooz]

The ram Hemi certainly gets nowhere near it's advertised fuel economy. Almost every review mentions this and there's been multiple articles about it.

Are you happy with your diesel?

 

[Zoompastu]

LOL
The IDGAF guys are the ones FCA warranty department says IDGAF....

How do you contradict yourself by saying the engine is fine but we don’t know if it’s fine for 75,000 miles?

Rotella is an awesome oil and works great. It was confirmed that Rotella that causes oil coking in the turbo. There’s a reason why so many things on this engine have been redesigned. As part of that the use of the Pennzoil euro 5w40 is an essential part of the moving forward with less issues. Also using incorrect mix-and-match convert second GEN to third GEN oil filters will 100% void your warranty. 99% of people are not going to do their own services anyways and the ones that do and Use whatever oil they want and mess around with offbrand or mix-and-match oil filters are signing up for warranty denial. Then they like to throw around words like lawyer and lawsuits Like a two-year-old holds onto their teddy bear in a scary lightning storm. More power to them they rarely win...

I do agree that what they charge for the oil filter is absurd. It’s almost criminal....

Thus far the bottom line is this nobody knows how good or bad this engine is. It’s a gamble. This is the third generation and as they say third times the charm. That’s why I pulled the trigger and bought one. I believe FCA wanted to make this right and did everything they could to convert this into an excellent, award winning power train.

 

[WXman]

The ram Hemi certainly gets nowhere near it's advertised fuel economy. Almost every review mentions this and there's been multiple articles about it.

Are you happy with your diesel?

I've never owned a Hemi. My prior Rams were both 4.7L V8s and I've also had four of the Pentastar engines in different vehicles each time. They all were pretty much spot-on window sticker rating.

Am I happy with my diesel? Yes and no. So far I love the hardware and hate the software. If I could combine this powertrain with a calibration written by people who knew what they were doing, I think it would be the best combo available in any 1/2 pickup.

 

[myles]

Hi all,

New to the forum and I'm done with my Ford... man this thing has been a dog. Just seem to keep having issues with it.

That aside, I'm looking at an EcoDiesel after FCA has completely redone their motor. I was looking at a 3/4 ton for the longevity but that is a) a lot of truck and b) way too expensive. I won't be towing much and really value a truck that will last more than anything. The only trailer I'd be towing is either a car hauler or one for lawn equipment. The low-to-mid end torque would be much appreciated in these applications.

With that being said I wanted to hear how the motors are holding up now that it's quickly approaching a year since they hit dealer lots. For my job it's likely I'll be driving anywhere from 20-30K a year and could easily see hitting 100K by year 3 or 4, so I more so want to hear how the higher mileage motors are holding up so far before I take the dive.


Thanks.

considering they just hit lots in November 2019 there isn't anyone out there with that much mileage. I usually drive 20-30k/year in southern California. I just got mine in December and I'm at 11,600 miles now and it has been good to me, no drive train issues. Only thing i had to go to the dealer for was the 12" screen went black but they fixed it and ordered me another one.

 

[Boston]

One important thing to consider with Ed.
I shuttle back and forth from SC to Mass.
SC dealers sell and service dozens of diesels. Mass dealers Don’t want them on the lot, so their service Dept are clueless

 

[Chris3058]

6800 kms. Averaging 9.1 l/100 km (26 MPG). Not a single issue as of yet with anything.

 

[Rebelguy2020]

I have more than 11,000 km, no engine issues, at 32% oil life remaining. Exceptional fuel mileage compared to my 2011 Hemi.
I added one litre of oil, the oil was at the lower mark of the dipstick at around 5,000km and hasn’t gone down since. It may not have been full from day one.

The oil and filter is very costly compared to the Hemi, so I did buy Shell Rotella T6 bulk pail, 18.9L, that’s the oil my FCA dealer uses for the 3rd gen ED. That will start another oil debate issue!!!

I am waiting to see what the price will be for the OEM oil filter at rockauto.com, they are out of stock at the moment, I know that the OEM fuel filter is around $20 cheaper there.

 

[Sascwatch]

I have more than 11,000 km, no engine issues, at 32% oil life remaining. Exceptional fuel mileage compared to my 2011 Hemi.
I added one litre of oil, the oil was at the lower mark of the dipstick at around 5,000km and hasn’t gone down since. It may not have been full from day one.

The oil and filter is very costly compared to the Hemi, so I did buy Shell Rotella T6 bulk pail, 18.9L, that’s the oil my FCA dealer uses for the 3rd gen ED. That will start another oil debate issue!!!

I am waiting to see what the price will be for the OEM oil filter at rockauto.com, they are out of stock at the moment, I know that the OEM fuel filter is around $20 cheaper there.

Not much to debate on the oil choices, rotella T6 is not ms-12991 approved nor does it have the API-sn certification. It’s pretty sad that FCA has not updated all of its dealers on the misprinted manuals, nor have they sent out copies to owners with the correct information.

Aftermarket filters should be available soon so we don’t have to get overcharged at the dealers for them, although they have went way down in price since March.

Anyways, I’m near 27000km now and have had no drivetrain issues. A few minor issues that my local dealer has fixed (minus the tailgate ajar warning).