Ram 1500 EcoDiesel

[LouNY]

Well Dave the OP didn't get back to you today.

I saw this this morning and read all 140 posts.
I have 64,000 on my "15" EcoDiesel, I do not have the ram boxes or the air suspension or bags.
I am on a couple of other forums for the EcoDiesel and some people have had problems with them.
Mine has been basically trouble free it has been in to have a 3 way valve replaced that threw a check engine light.
That is all the work that has been done to the truck repair wise, even the original brakes are still in good shape.
My mileage is not the best I average 24 mpg summer and 20-21 winter, that said any more I do about the
worst driving for a diesel to get mileage, it's mostly short trips with lots of idling, in the summer puttering
around in fields and to and from the farm to home , winter time to and from town and to the farm which is less
then 10 miles a lot of 4-5 mile jogs,with idleing to keep the cab warm.
When I have taken it for a run to NC or similar it gets 26-28 mpg.
Towing a few tons it's down to the high teens, 3 tons of coal in a stock trailer it was 14 mpg.
Towing an empty 22 foot deckover from PA. to upstate NY about 3800 pounds empty it did 16+ while
towing.
I am mostly pleased with mine.
Lou

 

[check]

Wow, I can get that kind of (highway) mileage on my 2015 F 150 with a 5 litre V8!

 

[LouNY]

Wow, I can get that kind of (highway) mileage on my 2015 F 150 with a 5 litre V8!

Every tank is going to be better then 20 mpg in the winter?
My last gas pickup that Iput alot of miles on was an 02 Dodge Dakota that truck was a 4.7 V8 with a 5 speed manual,
that truck was pretty much 16 mpg.
My sander truck a 99 Chevy 2500 which is strictly an around town (actually to and from) does 8-12 mpg.
Even though a diesel pickup may not pencil out to be the best, I just flat out like the way they drive,
the low end torque and overall lower engine speed is my preference.
Some people like the high revving gas engines, they are welcome to them.

 

[deserteagle71]

I have been waiting a long long long long time for that engine to be offered in a Jeep Wrangler. Every year they make promises...and then it never happens.

 

[LouNY]

I have been waiting a long long long long time for that engine to be offered in a Jeep Wrangler. Every year they make promises...and then it never happens.

I'm kind of waiting for that also, couple more years I'll be out of warranty and thinking about what to do.
I like my RAM except for the transfercase, it sucks for hard going,it's fine for the highway not very good off it.

 

[crashz]

Why is that Lou? Is the transfer case a weak link? Has yours broken?

I had an 04 GMC that I over tightened the drain plug and cracked the case. I purchased a low mileage replacement from a wrecking yard and that had the infamous "pump rub". I wonder if Chrysler is having similar issues.

 

[LouNY]

This is going to be a kind of long post.
RAM offers two different transfer caes with the 1500's.
The lower trim units get the BW 44-45 the higher trim units get the BW 44-44.
The 44-44 has an auto 4wd function that is the t case that came in my truck.
This T case has 2 wd, auto 4wd, hi lock, and lo lock.
The problem is that it doesn't really lock, between the T case designs and RAM's programing;
the high end trucks in Auto 4wd will engage the front axle disconnect, this amounts to locking the hubs on an older truck, you are still in 2wd but the axle is ready to go, when the truck detects slippage it will activate the elecrically activated clutch in the T case to start to engage 4wd, the clutch is unable to handle the torque form the truck on it's own. It will apply a small amount of power to the front axle as the rears spin or slip faster then the clutch is driving the front there is a ball being forced on a cam which will tighten the clutch up to apply more power to the front axle.

When you place it in the 4wd lock hi or lo it behaves very simular;
the front axle disconnect is engaged and the computer in the truck waits for the rear to slip or spin then the clutch activates and tries to pull but it needs the rear wheel to apply the ball and cam to lock up the clutch.

Every time you apply throttle and release the ball and cam release, so if you are trying to walk slow and easy on wet rocks or logs every time you apply power the rear wheels spin a bit before the ball and cam lock up the front drive as you ease over a log and back off on the throttle the ball and cam releases and when you start applying power again it will spin again before the T case locks up.

If you have to try and rock your truck out of a almost stuck situation every time you switch from forward to reverse the ball and cam releases and reengages.

When you get in a very low traction situation if the rears will spin with no throttle applied and no torque being developed the only front drive is a wimpy electric clutch which will slip shudder and over heat and shut your truck down.
I have had trouble with mine several times when my steep driveway gets iced and slick even with the studded snows the rear is spinning freely and the front is not getting the clamping force needed from the ball and cam and the front axle will shudder and jump trying to work but can't.

On top of that when you put the truck in park or neutral it completely disengages 4wd,
I have seen a package from UPS or Fed Ex and they will walk a ways up the driveway and leave the package on the bank, I have pulled up seen the package and stopped while in 4wd placed the truck in park start to open the door to get out and have the truck start sliding backwards in 2wd.

When I come down my driveway or over places that are quite slick and I button it down in to lo4 lock and first gear it doesn't seem to have any holdback on the front axle as the rear will start sliding and the front doesn't seem to do anything.

If you try and ease this truck forward or reverse on a wet grassy hill the rears will spin about a half turn before the front engages and the truck moves as it should, it always spins the rears before the front pulls. Any slick surface where you want to just gently walk it and not spin the tires it will not do it.

That said I really like this pulling into and out of fields on hard roadways as I can be in auto and it will pull good with minimal slippage and when I get squared up on the paved road I can go back to 2 hi, no binding or crow hopping turning from a field onto a paved road it just does it nicely.

If it had a good tight lockup and stayed in 4wd it would be fine, unfortunately it doesn't.

Lou

 

[TnWV]

Just turned 52,000 miles on my 2016 Ecodiesel crew cab 4x4 in 27 months. Other than a couple recalls, it’s needed nothing but oil changes, tires, fuel filters, fuel, and a little DEF once in a while. For MPG’s, I get 24-26 during summer/warm months and 22-24 in winter. That is tank to tank average, and hand calculated. I got over 28 on a trip south once, so in areas that are more flat, the mileage can really jump up. WV is not known for flat or straight roads, and I’ve never achieved greater than 16’s regularly with any gas truck, except a 2000 Tacoma with the 3.4 V6 that normally did 19. The mountains kill fuel mileage and it seems to hit the gassers harder than diesels, at least in my experience.

This ecodiesel is the quietest, smoothest, most comfortable truck I’ve ever driven. I also have found that I much prefer the low end torque and low RPM cruising of this little diesel over any engine I’ve owned. The 8 speed tranny is just plain smooth.

All that said, it does’t make sense for everyone. At 25K miles a year, it saves me money over any similarly equipped half ton gas truck. There were high rebates when I bought it, and actually paid less than the best price I could get on an F-150 or Silverado with any engine other than the standard V-6, so up front extra for the diesel was zero in my case as I wasn’t considering the standard V-6’s. If I only drove 10K miles a year, I may feel differently. Not sure, as I really like everything about driving this diesel.

 

[3930dave]

Just turned 52,000 miles on my 2016 Ecodiesel crew cab 4x4 in 27 months. Other than a couple recalls, it痴 needed nothing but oil changes, tires, fuel filters, fuel, and a little DEF once in a while. For MPG痴, I get 24-26 during summer/warm months and 22-24 in winter. That is tank to tank average, and hand calculated. I got over 28 on a trip south once, so in areas that are more flat, the mileage can really jump up. WV is not known for flat or straight roads, and I致e never achieved greater than 16痴 regularly with any gas truck, except a 2000 Tacoma with the 3.4 V6 that normally did 19. The mountains kill fuel mileage and it seems to hit the gassers harder than diesels, at least in my experience.

This ecodiesel is the quietest, smoothest, most comfortable truck I致e ever driven. I also have found that I much prefer the low end torque and low RPM cruising of this little diesel over any engine I致e owned. The 8 speed tranny is just plain smooth.

All that said, it does稚 make sense for everyone. At 25K miles a year, it saves me money over any similarly equipped half ton gas truck. There were high rebates when I bought it, and actually paid less than the best price I could get on an F-150 or Silverado with any engine other than the standard V-6, so up front extra for the diesel was zero in my case as I wasn稚 considering the standard V-6痴. If I only drove 10K miles a year, I may feel differently. Not sure, as I really like everything about driving this diesel.

Great use-case for a diesel...... distance, and torque for hills.

For nord america, I think a modern 3.0L diesel can handle a lot of people's personal-use requirements well. Some people on here tow 20k+#...... obviously not them.

Most people seem to be doing pretty well with these EcoD's.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

This is going to be a kind of long post.
RAM offers two different transfer caes with the 1500's.
The lower trim units get the BW 44-45 the higher trim units get the BW 44-44.
The 44-44 has an auto 4wd function that is the t case that came in my truck.
This T case has 2 wd, auto 4wd, hi lock, and lo lock.
The problem is that it doesn't really lock, between the T case designs and RAM's programing;
the high end trucks in Auto 4wd will engage the front axle disconnect, this amounts to locking the hubs on an older truck, you are still in 2wd but the axle is ready to go, when the truck detects slippage it will activate the elecrically activated clutch in the T case to start to engage 4wd, the clutch is unable to handle the torque form the truck on it's own. It will apply a small amount of power to the front axle as the rears spin or slip faster then the clutch is driving the front there is a ball being forced on a cam which will tighten the clutch up to apply more power to the front axle.

When you place it in the 4wd lock hi or lo it behaves very simular;
the front axle disconnect is engaged and the computer in the truck waits for the rear to slip or spin then the clutch activates and tries to pull but it needs the rear wheel to apply the ball and cam to lock up the clutch.

Every time you apply throttle and release the ball and cam release, so if you are trying to walk slow and easy on wet rocks or logs every time you apply power the rear wheels spin a bit before the ball and cam lock up the front drive as you ease over a log and back off on the throttle the ball and cam releases and when you start applying power again it will spin again before the T case locks up.

If you have to try and rock your truck out of a almost stuck situation every time you switch from forward to reverse the ball and cam releases and reengages.

When you get in a very low traction situation if the rears will spin with no throttle applied and no torque being developed the only front drive is a wimpy electric clutch which will slip shudder and over heat and shut your truck down.
I have had trouble with mine several times when my steep driveway gets iced and slick even with the studded snows the rear is spinning freely and the front is not getting the clamping force needed from the ball and cam and the front axle will shudder and jump trying to work but can't.

On top of that when you put the truck in park or neutral it completely disengages 4wd,
I have seen a package from UPS or Fed Ex and they will walk a ways up the driveway and leave the package on the bank, I have pulled up seen the package and stopped while in 4wd placed the truck in park start to open the door to get out and have the truck start sliding backwards in 2wd.

When I come down my driveway or over places that are quite slick and I button it down in to lo4 lock and first gear it doesn't seem to have any holdback on the front axle as the rear will start sliding and the front doesn't seem to do anything.

If you try and ease this truck forward or reverse on a wet grassy hill the rears will spin about a half turn before the front engages and the truck moves as it should, it always spins the rears before the front pulls. Any slick surface where you want to just gently walk it and not spin the tires it will not do it.

That said I really like this pulling into and out of fields on hard roadways as I can be in auto and it will pull good with minimal slippage and when I get squared up on the paved road I can go back to 2 hi, no binding or crow hopping turning from a field onto a paved road it just does it nicely.

If it had a good tight lockup and stayed in 4wd it would be fine, unfortunately it doesn't.

Lou

Very well said.

Unfortunately, that's probably a modern trade-off between user convenience and cost-of-manufacturing. That, and many modern 4x4 see a lot more of malls than rock-crawls.....

^ Saying that, I'm assuming DriveTrain Engineering at Chrysler is at least as dialed in to this situation as you are......... I've been wrong about assuming that level of competence, with other manufacturers....

I can't really reconcile high-revving engines with serious off-road use..... wrong-tool for the job, IMO.

Old stuff was all-manually activated; much of it mechanically locked....... not really a fit for most of today's consumers, but usually much more capable in the situations you detailed.

I happen to be a bit of an outlier today with pickups. Buying new, I'd likely go 2wd, ideally with an E-locker.

Rgds, D.