What should I know about EcoDiesel
Reliability?
Our
experience selling and servicing many EcoDiesels over the years (since
2014) has been great. We haven't seen any type or pattern of
chronic problems, and we rate overall reliability as excellent. Our
service manager and Dealer Principal both own Eco-Diesels. Ram and Jeep
stand behind these engines with a 5-year/100,000
warranty
What is the factory warranty on the 3.0L EcoDiesel?
5 Years/100,000 miles
How do maintenance costs of the 3.0L EcoDiesel compare to gas engines? Bottom line: They are substantially higher
- Oil Changes may cost a bit more, but you will likely do them less often. An oil change costs about $200. The 3.0L Eco-diesel requires synthetic oil and quite a bit of it. In Ram applications, it takes 10.5 quarts. In Jeep applications, it takes 8 quarts. So, oil changes will cost a bit more than on conventional engines. It's important to note, that many conventional engines now require synthetic oil, so an Eco-diesel oil change may cost significantly more than an oil change on a vehicle you are replacing, but only a bit more than a new gas engine. Also, you may change your oil less frequently than a gas engine, because the recommended oil change interval in most circumstances is 10,000 miles.
- DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) Tank needs to be filled every oil change. Depending on the amount you need, this can cost between $50 and $100
- Fuel Filters need to be replaced every other oil change. This will cost between $200 and $270, depending on application
- Versus a Hemi engine: A Hemi engine does not yet require synthetic oil, but it has a large oil capacity, so expect to pay $50 for an oil change, and we recommend a 5,000 mile interval, but this can be adjusted based on your requirements. So, in 20,000 miles, the Hemi would cost about $200 in scheduled maintenance (4 oil changes X $50), or 1 cent per mile, versus about $800, or 4 cents per mile.
Will an EcoDiesel Save Me Money?
For Ram 1500, the math works like this:
With gas at or below $3.00 per gallon, and diesel at or below $3.30 per gallon, you likely won't save money buying an EcoDiesel versus a gas engine. We estimate scheduled maintenance costs at 1 cent per mile for a Hemi engine, versus 4 cents per mile for the EcoDiesel. For more details on maintenance, see above.
So, considering maintenance costs, we begin with a 3 cents per mile deficit for the EcoDiesel. If gas is at $3.00 per gallon, and diesel at $3.30, the cost per mile of fuel is 16.67 cents and 13.75 cents respectively. This assumes 18 MPG gas and 24 MPG diesel. Some people may object to these estimates, and they only reflect my driving, but I've logged tens of thousands of miles on both the EcoDiesel and the Hemi in Ram 1500's, and this is my real-world experience. In any event, the cost of fuel, per mile, is 2.92 cents lower with the diesel using these assumptions, so it's about break-even once you consider the maintenance cost difference. Once you add in the upfront cost of the engine, it's unlikely you will save money overall at current fuel prices, however, if fuel prices increase substantially, your savings could be large. For example, if regular unleaded cost $5.00 per gallon and diesel was $5.30, then the cost per mile for gas would be 28 cents and for diesel only 22 cents.
What if I tow a lot?
When I tow my boat, which I estimate weighs about 4,800 lbs with a full tank of fuel and gear, I get about 17 MPG with the EcoDiesel, and about 11 MPG with the Hemi. Now, things start to get interesting. With the Hemi, cost per mile of gas is 27.3 cents, and with the diesel, it's 19.4 cents. So, while towing, there is a significant fuel and cost savings with the EcoDiesel.
For Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Wrangler, and Jeep Gladiator, we don't have official EPA ratings yet, but the cost-per-mile fuel savings will likely be less than in the Ram 1500. The reason to buy the EcoDiesel in these vehicles likely won't be for cost savings, but for the performance differences.
Which Transmission comes with the 3.0 EcoDiesel?
In prior models, the EcoDiesel has been equipped with a German-made ZF 8-Speed automatic, a different transmission than is available on gas models. We expect the same on the 2019 and 2020 models, but we will confirm when we have official specifications.
Will there be a manual option for the new Jeep Diesels?
Based on public information, rumors, and insider sources, we do not expect a manual transmission to be offered--even on Jeep models--to our extreme sadness. So the Jeep Gladiator Diesel and Wrangler Diesel will be automatic only.
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