Looking to pass along some useful information for a friend of mine that just got himself a Eco Diesel. How has it been treating you guys that own one so far? Anybody do any mods to it? If so, what mods? Any recommendations on what mods to do and what mods to stay away from? TIA
Eco Diesel experiences?
- Thread starter Fearless Catman
- Start date
Stay away from the eco diesel. Ours it's on it's 3rd motor in 80k miles.
Dealer wouldn't buy it back:/
Dealer wouldn't buy it back:/
D
Drewd
Well-known member
Run away! ram1500diesel.com forum has hundreds of horror stories about engine failure occurring at low mileage. I owned a VM motori diesel engine in my Jeep Liberty and it was consistently a POS though I loved it when it worked well. Perhaps I'm just biased against Italian made engines.
The failure rate for the ecodiesel is about 30 times that of any other diesel engine from what I read.
Problems include:
Cam gear slippage: http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2016/3/...ers-Need-To-Beware-Of-Engine-Failure-7732734/
51 page thread on engine failures: http://www.ram1500diesel.com/forum/ram-1500-diesel-mechanical/8564-eco-diesel-engine-failures.html
If you don't mind an SUV, try to find a low mileage 2007-08 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel SUV. It has a 3.0L mercedes engine and while not perfect has treated us better than the VM Motori engine in our diesel Liberty. BTW, the Grand Cherokee is rated to tow a little over 7,000 lbs and I can attest it can do it easily especially with an Inmotion USA hot tune on the ECU-a Green Diesel Engineering hot tune is a better option now.
I use our 07 Grand Cherokee CRD as our sled tower and does it just fine.
The failure rate for the ecodiesel is about 30 times that of any other diesel engine from what I read.
Problems include:
Cam gear slippage: http://www.carbuzz.com/news/2016/3/...ers-Need-To-Beware-Of-Engine-Failure-7732734/
51 page thread on engine failures: http://www.ram1500diesel.com/forum/ram-1500-diesel-mechanical/8564-eco-diesel-engine-failures.html
If you don't mind an SUV, try to find a low mileage 2007-08 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel SUV. It has a 3.0L mercedes engine and while not perfect has treated us better than the VM Motori engine in our diesel Liberty. BTW, the Grand Cherokee is rated to tow a little over 7,000 lbs and I can attest it can do it easily especially with an Inmotion USA hot tune on the ECU-a Green Diesel Engineering hot tune is a better option now.
I use our 07 Grand Cherokee CRD as our sled tower and does it just fine.
Last edited:
On those same lines... run away from everything cause there is smack for everything out there.
40k+ on my EcoDiesel and loving it.
D
Drewd
Well-known member
I'm happy for you. You may be the one person who has a reliable ITALIAN diesel engine. Unfortunately for many others, your experience does not reflect the norm: https://www.vehiclehistory.com/ram/recalls/ram-1500-2015-recalls-problems-reviews.php
VM Motori is a FIAT owned diesel engine manufacturer that makes the ecodiesel engine. Their last USA product was the 2.8L diesel in the 05-06 Jeep Liberty Diesels. This engine dropped rockers and had worn lifters between 100-120k miles, and often dropped valves at 200k miles. I sold mine at 168k miles because I didn't want to deal with dropped valves.
I love diesels and currently am down to 2 in the home, my wife's 07 Grand Cherokee Mercedes 3.0 diesel and my F350. I would have bought an ecodiesel in a hearbeat until I found out that VM Motori made the engine.
Again, I wish you continued good luck with your ecodiesel and hope you get 500k miles out of it.
If you do decide on getting an ecodiesel powered vehicle, spend the $$$ and get it bulletproofed from dandjdiesel.com In 2-3 days, they will fix all of the potential problems with the engine.
Last edited:
Yes, I'm likely the only one who got a reliable engine out of the thousands of engines made. Wasn't this engine developed when GM owned VM Motori?
2 german made diesels in the household already only problems with any of them have been for the dang emissions systems.
Not the only one, mines running like a champ. Remember they had 8000 orders in 2014 for the first run of these engines, I'd guess 15 was about the same total and slightly less in 16. And if you look, you'll find complaints on every engine by each manufacturer, especially their diesel line
Happy people never comment on positives, but everyone focuses on the few bad ones
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I sold a used one. It broke down on the guy about 40 miles from our dealership. Had like 26k miles on it. I honestly wasn't crazy over the way it drove even when it ran correctly.
There is the source of your problems right there.
GM didn't develop that motor. VM Motori is it's own company and did their own in house development. GM had 50% ownership with Fiat/Chrysler owning the other 50%. Neither Chrysler nor GM had anything to do with the development of this motor.
My coworker had has truck back for around 6 weeks and it lost ANOTHER motor Friday! That's the THIRD motor that's gone out on him.
He's really hoping they buy it back now. If not let's hope 4th motor is a charm!
The best part is he lives in the mtns and has a 4wd truck with studded snow tires and the dodge dealer refuses to give him a comparable loaner so he's stuck driving a little rental car on crappy tires. Poor guy.
He's really hoping they buy it back now. If not let's hope 4th motor is a charm!
The best part is he lives in the mtns and has a 4wd truck with studded snow tires and the dodge dealer refuses to give him a comparable loaner so he's stuck driving a little rental car on crappy tires. Poor guy.
D
Drewd
Well-known member
That really sucks, you'd think they'd get the engine build issues figured out.
Hyundai had issues with some of their engines when they moved production from Korea to Alabama. Lots of failures with their 2.4 and 2.0T engine due to residual casting sand in the engine blocks. I bought one of the "problem" year model and engine anyway and am up to 30k miles without issues but my kid brother with same engine, same year model had to get a new engine.
Anyone who has an Ecodiesel should be using 5w40 oil. A recent TSB changed the spec to a heavier weight due to bearing problems thought to be caused by the thinner oil.
It's too bad when they have such an established relationship with Cummins that they don't expand that partnership.
How many heavy duties do you think they would sell without Cummins? People aren't buying them because the rest of the truck, that's for sure!
How many heavy duties do you think they would sell without Cummins? People aren't buying them because the rest of the truck, that's for sure!
eco disel 2015 air ride mpg
So i have done a couple trips out west from MN with the 2015 eco diesel pulling a 7x20 enclosed, extra height steel trailer with 4 sleds in it. Yes 4 sleds, forward back / forward back with some blocks and a lot of extra gear and fuel.
MPG big trailer, if i try to keep up with my buddy at 80-85 mph it is no better then his 2015 power stroke at around 10.8 and the little diesel really works hard at that speed. The tranny is doing a lot of shifting. Depending on wind and hills it can drop to as low as 8-9. Now if i back it down some to 68-70 mph it will get a little better at 11-13. In the 2 trips this year over 4000 miles pulling that trailer it averaged around 11mpg.
MPG pulling a 8x12 aluminum open with 2 sleds back and forth to our cabin it seems to pull 15-17 on freeway around 70mph and 17-19 at 55-60.
The main reason i got the truck was it will get 25-29 daily driving, which is pretty dam good and it will still make the long trips out west pulling 6000 lbs.
I have no problems with engine yet and it is still under full warranty.
Mods i think green diesel engineering has the best option for these trucks. I have not done it yet because of warranty.
I love the air ride, adjust for weight on hitch and the ride is nice.
So i have done a couple trips out west from MN with the 2015 eco diesel pulling a 7x20 enclosed, extra height steel trailer with 4 sleds in it. Yes 4 sleds, forward back / forward back with some blocks and a lot of extra gear and fuel.
MPG big trailer, if i try to keep up with my buddy at 80-85 mph it is no better then his 2015 power stroke at around 10.8 and the little diesel really works hard at that speed. The tranny is doing a lot of shifting. Depending on wind and hills it can drop to as low as 8-9. Now if i back it down some to 68-70 mph it will get a little better at 11-13. In the 2 trips this year over 4000 miles pulling that trailer it averaged around 11mpg.
MPG pulling a 8x12 aluminum open with 2 sleds back and forth to our cabin it seems to pull 15-17 on freeway around 70mph and 17-19 at 55-60.
The main reason i got the truck was it will get 25-29 daily driving, which is pretty dam good and it will still make the long trips out west pulling 6000 lbs.
I have no problems with engine yet and it is still under full warranty.
Mods i think green diesel engineering has the best option for these trucks. I have not done it yet because of warranty.
I love the air ride, adjust for weight on hitch and the ride is nice.
Father in law noticed odd noise under the hood of his. Dealer said nothing was wrong. Threw a rod a week later. Less than 10,000 miles
