Diesel owners; do you regret you engine choice?

[Gladiator Greg]

I don't have the wrangler eco-D, but just traded in my RAM eco-D on my JT. And after about 100K, here is what I'll tell you about it.

1. economy. It's a bit of a fools errand. Yes , for a while, I got about 25-26 MPG. But then the emissions recall, and I'm down to about 22. Still good mind you, but when you add the extra cost of diesel, DEF, extra maint. (an oil change is about $125, DIY parts it will cost you $70) it lost its luster.

2. power. I liked it, but it is a turbo, and some may not. I found the power smooth for just normal driving around, and fun when you wound up the turbo. There is turbo lag, but for me it was not a problem.

3. The traditional problems of diesels, like smell and noise are non-issues. It ran smooth and quiet, couldn't tell it was a diesel most of the time. (This kind of bummed me out) Also, FCA designed these with consumers in mind, the DEF tank is enormous, should last almost the time between oil changes.

4. Mods. There are not a lot of truly effective mods out there, most offer meager benefits. I think this is because this tiny engine (it's only 3 liters!) is already close to maxed out.

So in the end, If the eco-D was available in the JT, I still wouldn't have done it. I talked to several of the service guys at the dealer, NONE said they would own one. That was a bit telling to me.
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[Davekayc]

Tells you they dont know how to fix it . I wish the range was higher as opposed to having lots of def. i would be alright with having to put a gallon in every couple thousand for a couple hundred more miles

 

[Gladiator Greg]

Tells you they dont know how to fix it . I wish the range was higher as opposed to having lots of def. i would be alright with having to put a gallon in every couple thousand for a couple hundred more miles

My RAM had a 26 gal tank, range was not an issue. How big is the tank on the Wrangler?

 

[Davekayc]

About 19? I think

 

[Davekayc]

From an expedition vehicle standpoint more would be better

 

[CerOf]

My RAM had a 26 gal tank, range was not an issue. How big is the tank on the Wrangler?

~18.5

I understand the 3rd gen’s turbo is a bit different. As for turbo lag, there’s really none. I do believe it is a variable vane. Makes boost right off the line.

 

[biodiesel]

I have dozers ,excavators and rock trucks all tier iv caterpillar , as well as the necessary evils (pickups) that come with it.
each machine goes through the big jug or more of def everyday . Irritating.

My 2015 has the large 8 gallon DEF tank, which is nice for long road trips. My 2020 comes with a smaller 5 gallon tank. It requires me to carry an extra 2.5 gallon jug when we make long trips towing.

 

[biodiesel]

I wish the range was higher as opposed to having lots of def. i would be alright with having to put a gallon in every couple thousand for a couple hundred more miles

The range is pretty good. I haven't driven my 3rd gen EcoDiesel enough to really know the DEF mpg. Overall, I feel like DEF is a minimal issue, but I'm not counting my pennies, either.

 

[biodiesel]

From an expedition vehicle standpoint more would be better

My best mileage in my 2015 EcoDiesel was from Gallup, NM to Pratt, KS. We drove 657 miles and averaged 29.7. That's impressive on a 26 gallon fuel tank.

My 2020 has a 33 gallon tank. I have plans to add an in-bed auxiliary fuel tank to both trucks. I'm averaging about 12 mpg towing, so my range is severely shortened.

I would add a small 15 - 20 gallon in-bed auxiliary fuel tank on the Gladiator, too.

 

[biodiesel]

I understand the 3rd gen’s turbo is a bit different. As for turbo lag, there’s really none. I do believe it is a variable vane. Makes boost right off the line.

Correct. You can't compare the 2nd gen and 3rd gen engines. They are completely different (80% different in parts). The factory tuning is much better in the 3rd gen engine, plus the turbo is larger. The emissions system is also very different.

The second gen engine is actually pretty good, but FCA/Stellantis had to go through some growing pains to work out the problems. Like I said, there are many 300,000+ mile EcoDiesels and two 400,000+ EcoDiesels that I know of.

 

[FloridaMan655321]

If there was a manual option, I would have went with the diesel. I had an old Jetta TDI manual that I really enjoyed. Manuals + diesels just go so well together

 

[Davekayc]

Curious as to why youd prefer a standard . Theyre fun and all if you have a vehicle that sounds good. Had several standard my favourite was a 73 f250 with a 428 cobra jet. And another was the v10 dodge pickup . Willys pickups , cj7 . So i get it somewhat . But why now days. ?

 

[gmcul8r]

Curious as to why youd prefer a standard . Theyre fun and all if you have a vehicle that sounds good. Had several standard my favourite was a 73 f250 with a 428 cobra jet. And another was the v10 dodge pickup . Willys pickups , cj7 . So i get it somewhat . But why now days. ?

Wasn't directed towards me, but I mentioned my desire for a manual diesel earlier in this thread.

I choose a manual for a much more enjoyable and engaged driving experience. I've had some bad-ass automatic cars in the past (300SRT, Typhoon, Duramax) and I've ALWAYS wished they were a manual. No matter how good these new automatics are, I still find myself having to use the gas or brake pedal to influence what gear I want to be in.

My wife has a Durango R/T, so I am very familiar with the 8 speed.

Of course, I hate most "automatic" things in vehicles today. Traction control, temperature control, rain-sensing wipers, adaptive cruise, auto-headlights, etc, etc.

 

[stickshifter]

I'm at 93,000 miles on my 2015 EcoDiesel. So far, the only thing that I've had to replace (emissions related) was a clogged DEF injector and EGR cooler. The EGR cooler was replaced under a recall and the DEF injector was replaced under warranty. I now run the Platinum DEF which is designed to minimize deposits.

So far, the emissions systems on the EcoDiesel appear to be pretty durable. As long as you run a good quality oil (low ash) and fuel additives, your emissions system should last a very long time.

Any future repairs is still cheaper than buying a new vehicle and/or making payments. Back in May of 2020, I started saving $250 per month to put towards future repairs. I already have $3,000 saved up, that's nearly 1/2 the price of a new engine!

Question: did either issue (clogged DEF injector / EGR cooler) leave you stranded (or in limp mode) or were there warning signs that provided you with enough notice so that you could schedule an appointment and take in the vehicle at a time and place of your choosing? Thanks in advance!

 

[biodiesel]

Question: did either issue (clogged DEF injector / EGR cooler) leave you stranded (or in limp mode) or were there warning signs that provided you with enough notice so that you could schedule an appointment and take in the vehicle at a time and place of your choosing? Thanks in advance!

No, neither left me stranded or in limp mode. The injector took a while to diagnose. I would get the "reductant pressure too high" code, which means there could be a kinked line, clogged injector, or a bad sensor. I was able to clear the code, but it kept getting worse. Once it was replaced, then there were no other problems. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the new injector was an updated part.

The EGR cooler was a known issue, so that was a recall. The EcoDiesel was the first diesel in a 1/2 ton for Ram. The emissions just made it more complicated. Ram had to go through some growing pains, but they took lots of notes and made sure that the 3rd gen EcoDiesel remedied many of the shortfalls of the 2nd gen engine.

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