31 mpg real world test

[Oilburner]

I could be wrong, but I thought TFL said the Gladiator Ecodiesel would be released about 4 months after the Wrangler Ecodiesel. I read/heard that VM Motori's plant was at full capacity and they would not be able to release the Ram, Wrangler, and Gladiator all at once due to engine availability, which is why they are slow-walking them out.

The first diesel JL was delivered just after Christmas I think, so April would be about right for delivery. First JL diesel orders went in early October, tho…

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[biodiesel]

I drove a diesel JL, the Ecodiesel JT will be worth the wait (to me). Hoping they will open orders for them soon, would like to get mine by Sept/Oct.

I was hoping my wife would get the Gladiator Ecodiesel, but she told me this weekend that she would rather have the Wrangler Ecodiesel. We're going to wait until 2021 before placing an order, though. I won't buy a Gladiator Ecodiesel until we have at least one vehicle paid off. I don't mind having two $500 dollar per month vehicle payments, but I don't want three!

 

[biodiesel]

The first diesel JL was delivered just after Christmas I think, so April would be about right for delivery. First JL diesel orders went in early October, tho…

They started building the 2020 Ram Ecodiesels months before they actually released them. IIRC, they started building and stockpiling them back in August!

Based on what TFL said, the April time-frame is when the first Gladiators will be released. I wouldn't be surprised to see them as early as March.

 

[Fcmalie]

I just did a 4 year lease on a Sport S Gladiator, I figure by the time the lease is up we will see how the ecodiesel has faired and if they will be putting it in the Mojave or not as that would be an almost perfect vehicle for me straight off the lot.

 

[biodiesel]

I just did a 4 year lease on a Sport S Gladiator, I figure by the time the lease is up we will see how the ecodiesel has faired and if they will be putting it in the Mojave or not as that would be an almost perfect vehicle for me straight off the lot.

Those lease prices are excellent!

So far, the new Ram Ecodiesel owners are loving their trucks. It's too early to discuss reliability, but we are now seeing trucks nearing 10,000 miles on the odometer.

 

[Etoimos]

I emailed LRA this morning asking if they were working on a JT tank. They got back to me today and this is what they said:

Thank you for your inquiry. Yes, we have fitted two JTs with the JL tank and are finalizing fitment kit and instructions. Will take a month or two to get into production, do final test fits and release to the public. Likely a 17 gallon aux tank that MAY require relocation of spare and exhaust.

They also sent me the attached info sheet. Their JK tanks (also 17 gallons) was $1700. I did not ask about a diesel tank since they would not have one to test fit with yet.

 

[WXman]

Based upon the numbers real owners are getting, I ran the math some more and I think that in my personal situation I would save between $30 and $50 per month at the fuel pump. The real world EcoDiesel numbers seem better than expected so far.

 

[biodiesel]

Based upon the numbers real owners are getting, I ran the math some more and I think that in my personal situation I would save between $30 and $50 per month at the fuel pump. The real world EcoDiesel numbers seem better than expected so far.

DEF, oil changes, and fuel additives will dip into that, but the joy of driving a diesel will outweigh any additional costs that the diesel may impose on you.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Based upon the numbers real owners are getting, I ran the math some more and I think that in my personal situation I would save between $30 and $50 per month at the fuel pump. The real world EcoDiesel numbers seem better than expected so far.

Also worth noting, the small amount of ecodiesels we had in our fleet saw about a 10% mileage increase around 10k miles. Unsure if that trait would carry forward but there’s a JL on 37s getting 24mpg mixed driving

if that were to hold true that’s around 26mpg. In Florida, with regular hovering around $2.2 and diesel before traveler discount around $2.65.

for my use case on 37-38s, cost to drive 1000 miles with the v6 (no regear) at 15mpg if I take it really easy, that’s $147. With the diesel, that’s $110. $37 x 15 per year equals an annual savings of $555 and according to that user, the Jeep uses 8th gear all the time

that brings the real cost (because I’d definitely regear the v6 and use an auto trans anyway) to $2000ish. That’s less than a 4 year payback

if gas climbed again to what it was around 2012, it’s a 2 year payback

 

[WXman]

DEF, oil changes, and fuel additives will dip into that, but the joy of driving a diesel will outweigh any additional costs that the diesel may impose on you.

Yes, and having warranty denied on engine failure because you did your own oil changes and kept receipts would eat into it big time, as would the litany of mechanical failures the owners groups on Facebook are posting on a daily basis. And yes, the denied warranty guy said his was stock and he did hire a lawyer and fight FCA and spent $20k on the case before he gave up.

But, I suppose a guy could 1) Buy an extended warranty and 2) let the dealership do all maintenance to try and avoid those pitfalls.

 

[Etoimos]

Yes, and having warranty denied on engine failure because you did your own oil changes and kept receipts would eat into it big time, as would the litany of mechanical failures the owners groups on Facebook are posting on a daily basis. And yes, the denied warranty guy said his was stock and he did hire a lawyer and fight FCA and spent $20k on the case before he gave up.

Just out of curiosity, how many of those mechanical failures that are posted daily are on the new EcoDiesel? I don't really do FB, so I'm honestly asking.

 

[biodiesel]

But, I suppose a guy could 1) Buy an extended warranty and 2) let the dealership do all maintenance to try and avoid those pitfalls.

I bought the extended warranty and let the dealer do all the maintenance on my 2015 Ram Ecodiesel, but that's because I was planning to trade it before I hit 80,000 miles. I now have 82,000 miles and still haven't traded it. I've had very few repairs, but they were all covered under the factory warranty or the dieselgate settlement warranty. I actually made money on the Ecodiesel. The settlement check was $3,075.

I'm going to do the maintenance on my next Ram 1500 Ecodiesel. Why? Because I plan on keeping my next Ram 1500 for 15+ years. I trust myself more than I do a dealer.

 

[WXman]

Just out of curiosity, how many of those mechanical failures that are posted daily are on the new EcoDiesel? I don't really do FB, so I'm honestly asking.

The "new" EcoDiesel has only been on the road for a few months so there aren't any issues yet. But, this Gen 3 engine is 20% recycled and 80% new, and new isn't necessarily better it's just unproven.

I've actually been trying to deal on a 2020 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel today, so I started browsing forums, Facebook owner groups, and even FCA's own advertising posts. In every one of those places I've browsed online, the ratio of no issues to issues is about 10:1 with the EcoDiesel. I've seen everything from engine fires that began near the intake manifold to EGR failures to broken cranks to cam failures to throttle control errors to completely blown up engines...and almost all of it is at less than 110,000 miles. It's frightening.

So like I keep saying, in my case with a lease I don't really care as much because it'll be under bumper to bumper warranty the entire lease period. But what happens if I like the truck and decide I want to keep it? Do I risk disaster and buy the truck? Or do I start over from scratch?

 

[biodiesel]

I've seen everything from engine fires that began near the intake manifold to EGR failures

The engine fires are due to the EGR cooler failure. There is a recall on the EGR cooler. The new EGR is supposed to be made with better materials so it doesn't fatigue over time and cause a hairline crack. "An EGR cooler with an internal crack will introduce preheated, vaporized coolant to the EGR system while the engine is running. In certain circumstances, this mixture interacts with other hydrocarbons and air in the system, potentially resulting in combustion within the intake manifold, which may lead to a vehicle fire."

to broken cranks to cam failures to throttle control errors to completely blown up engines...and almost all of it is at less than 110,000 miles. It's frightening.

There was a quality control issue that caused spun bearings. Those failed engines mostly happened under 60,000 miles and were replaced under warranty. Remember, the EcoDiesel has a 100,000 mile warranty.

But what happens if I like the truck and decide I want to keep it? Do I risk disaster and buy the truck? Or do I start over from scratch?

You have to remember that there are many EcoDiesel Rams with over 200,000+ miles on them with little to no issues. Vern is a hot shot and had 250,000+ miles on his original engine. He was one of the first to experience the EGR leak. He didn't check the coolant and ran his truck low on coolant until pushing out the head gasket. He now, I believe, has over 350,000 miles on his second engine. His transmission is the original with over 500,000 miles on it.

 

[TheITGuy]

You have to remember that there are many EcoDiesel Rams with over 200,000+ miles on them with little to no issues. Vern is a hot shot and had 250,000+ miles on his original engine. He was one of the first to experience the EGR leak. He didn't check the coolant and ran his truck low on coolant until pushing out the head gasket. He now, I believe, has over 350,000 miles on his second engine. His transmission is the original with over 500,000 miles on it.

Rams with Gen3 EcoDiesels? I didn't think they'd been out that long yet.

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