Oilburner
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Tim
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2018
- Threads
- 35
- Messages
- 1,651
- Reaction score
- 2,692
- Location
- Nowhere, AR
- Vehicle(s)
- 1982 Scrambler, 1969 Wagoneer, 2022 JTR Ecodiesel
I have not had any problems with my Ecodiesel, I was a little leery of buying one when I heard about the troubles some of the earlier engines had - especially the ones in the Dodge pickups w/ the connecting rod bearing failures. I think they figured out that was a specific batch of bearings. The 3.0 has had more mechanical issues than most engines, I am hopeful that the improved 2019 version will be better.
Maintenance does cost more with a diesel. Periodically you must drain the fuel filters (there are a pair of them) and of course replace them eventually. I use fuel treatment about every other tankfull, and of course there is the DEF. Hate that it has to be a part of the diesel package. You pretty much fill the DEF tank each time you change the oil. My 3.0 holds 8 quarts of oil, I use Rotella T6 synthetic & change it at 8K miles regardless of what the computer says. The filter looks just like the 3.6L in a Wrangler, even uses same socket to remove the housing. I do all my on service, hate for people to touch my equipment. My diesel is stock, and will stay that way probably until the warranty ends - I just do not trust that a dealership can't detect modifications. But there are several folks out there w/ different tunes & you could probably even eliminate the DEF. Will look into it one day.
Diesel powerplants aren't for everyone, they are an expensive option up front and do require more maint. The payoff for me (YRMV) is the incredible range you get with a tankfull = I regularly have 750 miles per tank. The engine has the torque to pull a trailer with a modest load & still can run with traffic without feeling like you have to push the engine hard. 'Back in the Day' I bought diesels because they would run forever, much longer than a gas engine but today diesels are much more complex, high-tolerance engines and gas motors are much better. I honestly do not know how long I would want to keep a modern diesel for fear of the cost of keeping it running with excessive miles. Then again, I feel that way about pretty much all new vehicles, too much electronics and plastic.
This weekend we had a very good trip, two of us in the GC, 2 heavy tool boxes, a window air conditioner, big cooler, large suitcase + msc stuff. The trip is right at 640 miles, I filled up before I left the house so we had a little stop & go, about 100 mi of Arkansas hill country, the rest interstate. Here are the results when we got home:
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