2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel = 28 MPG

[Kaido]

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/04/2014-ram-1500-ecodiesel-28-miles-per-gallon/

* 3L EcoDiesel V6
* 240 horsepower, 420 pound-feet torque
* 28 MPG highway

Still super curious about the 700-pound-lighter F-150, but dang...28 MPG is 28 MPG. My '14 Kia Soul only gets 30 EPA highway...

 

[Jimzz]

I would wait at least a year before I bought one of the newer small diesels. To many problems with diesels in recent history and them trying to squeeze out all the MPG may hurt reliability in the long run which is usually a strong part of a diesel not weak one.

 

[iamwiz82]

Does 0-60 in a bit over 8 seconds too, not terrible.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Combined city/highway mileage is 23mpg so that means we can expect city mileage in the range of 19-20mpg? Nothing really stellar about that.

 

[LTC8K6]

That's the RWD version, and the engine costs more, and the fuel costs more, and I think most people who are going to pull heavy loads want the HD pickup trucks.

And we already had a thread on the 28mpg figures for this truck. Motor Trend had an article on it.

 

[chucky2]

Just keep in mind that since it's Clean Diesel, it'll actually hit its EPA numbers or exceed them. Good luck on doing that in the gassers unless you drive them easy.

 

[LTC8K6]

Just keep in mind that since it's Clean Diesel, it'll actually hit its EPA numbers or exceed them. Good luck on doing that in the gassers unless you drive them easy.

Motor Trend didn't exceed those numbers with it's fuel economy test regimen.

Oh yeah, it doesn't cost a whole lot, but it also needs DEF refills.

 

[LTC8K6]

And they have apparently reverted to having a cool down period before shutting the turbo-diesel off.

Stopping The Engine
Idle the engine a few minutes before routine shutdown.
After full load operation, idle the engine three to five
minutes before shutting it down. This idle period will
allow the lubricating oil and coolant to carry excess heat
away from the combustion chamber, bearings, internal
components, and turbocharger. This is especially important
for turbocharged diesel engines.
NOTE: Refer to the following chart for proper engine
shutdown.

 

[chucky2]

Motor Trend didn't exceed those numbers with it's fuel economy test regimen.

Driven normally (real speeds, real accelleration), CD will pretty much always yield at least the EPA numbers, and for a large % of drivers, above EPA numbers. With gas, you're lucky to hit EPA numbers and generally you aren't (unless you're the type of driver who drives with an extremely light foot or just happens to drive routes and driving type that mimics the EPA test scenarios). I don't know what MT got, but based on past MT tests, we know those boys ain't driving nice and light. Usually it's: Well, this vehicle is rated at 30 hwy 22 combined, but we got 25 highway and 18 combined...also, we had to replace the brakes and tires because we smoked them out.

Oh yeah, it doesn't cost a whole lot, but it also needs DEF refills.

A non issue really given how long it lasts and how little it costs.

 

[chucky2]

And they have apparently reverted to having a cool down period before shutting the turbo-diesel off.

Stopping The Engine
Idle the engine a few minutes before routine shutdown.
After full load operation, idle the engine three to five
minutes before shutting it down. This idle period will
allow the lubricating oil and coolant to carry excess heat
away from the combustion chamber, bearings, internal
components, and turbocharger. This is especially important
for turbocharged diesel engines.
NOTE: Refer to the following chart for proper engine
shutdown.

Interesting...but I'm sure few will do it. I do wonder if they'll put in an automatic system that keeps the pump(s) running to circulate fluids if the driver shuts down prematurely. Sorta doubt it, that'd be expensive...

 

[Doppel]

Pretty darn good.

 

[Greenman]

The diesel also doesn't take as big a fuel consumption hit when carrying a load. That's a very big consideration when you're buying a work truck, not so much when it's the family car.

 

[Fenixgoon]

And they have apparently reverted to having a cool down period before shutting the turbo-diesel off.

Stopping The Engine
Idle the engine a few minutes before routine shutdown.
After full load operation, idle the engine three to five
minutes before shutting it down. This idle period will
allow the lubricating oil and coolant to carry excess heat
away from the combustion chamber, bearings, internal
components, and turbocharger. This is especially important
for turbocharged diesel engines.
NOTE: Refer to the following chart for proper engine
shutdown.

is that in a manual somewhere? most vehicles just leave the oil pump on for a few minutes afterwards. kind of surprising they wouldn't do something similar for a diesel engine.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Thought all turbos had something similar in their manual which everybody ignores anyway. Haven't looked in my TDI's manual.

 

[master_shake_]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/27/nissan-titan-cummins-diesel-originally-meant-for-ram/

too bad dodge didn't stick with the 5 liter diesel cummins was offering.

only 4 mpg less with 60 more horse and 80 more ft/lbs of torques.

i think what most people are thinking of here is a turbo timer... it allows the oil pump to keep pumping oil by leaving the engine idling and allowing the turbo to wind down.

 

[skyking]

Under typical light driving to a destination, no cool down is needed. Where you need to pay attention is is when you are pulling a big hill and stop at a rest area or get off the freeway for fuel with no light driving on city streets. I have a pre-turbo EGT tapped into the manifold on my truck and it is easy to see when things cool down. If I shut down prematurely, the heat soaked manifold will heat the probe back up to 300~400 F.

 

[Greenman]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/27/nissan-titan-cummins-diesel-originally-meant-for-ram/

too bad dodge didn't stick with the 5 liter diesel cummins was offering.

only 4 mpg less with 60 more horse and 80 more ft/lbs of torques.

i think what most people are thinking of here is a turbo timer... it allows the oil pump to keep pumping oil by leaving the engine idling and allowing the turbo to wind down.

Somewhere along the way there just isn't a point to having more power. These are half ton trucks, there is a very finite limit on what you can tow and how much load you can put in them. I don't know where the sweet spot is, but what they have now is close enough.

 

[WackyDan]

Combined city/highway mileage is 23mpg so that means we can expect city mileage in the range of 19-20mpg? Nothing really stellar about that.

That is excellent for a full size truck. My 5.0 F-150 gets about 15 around town.

The RAM will probably get better towing MPG too... And after that 2400 mile tow I did in one trip this year, it would have saved me some $$$.

 

[Demo24]

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/27/nissan-titan-cummins-diesel-originally-meant-for-ram/

too bad dodge didn't stick with the 5 liter diesel cummins was offering.

only 4 mpg less with 60 more horse and 80 more ft/lbs of torques.

i think what most people are thinking of here is a turbo timer... it allows the oil pump to keep pumping oil by leaving the engine idling and allowing the turbo to wind down.

Sounds unnecessary for this application. The 5l is likely heavier, and overall a larger engine, etc. Also the point was to offer decent power/torque levels with good fuel economy, and the 5l would have only really met one of those. Makes more sense in something like a 250 model and I wouldn't be surprised if in the future they offered an additional diesel model in that category.

 

[iamwiz82]

Thought all turbos had something similar in their manual which everybody ignores anyway. Haven't looked in my TDI's manual.

Both of my turbo cars have built in cooling for the turbos with an electric pump in each that pumps coolant. In addition, if I really get on it and then stop, or if it's really hot, the fan will come on to aid in cooling. I don't think that there is anything in the manual about waiting.

 

[LTC8K6]

I copied it from the manual. It has a chart of cool down times according to the load you just moved. It goes up to five minutes, I believe. Starts at under one minute for no load.

You can go to the Ram webpage and look at the diesel engine supplement to the manual. It covers the VM engine and the Cummins engine in separate sections.

 

[LTC8K6]

The diesel also doesn't take as big a fuel consumption hit when carrying a load. That's a very big consideration when you're buying a work truck, not so much when it's the family car.

Can't imagine that many people wanting a work truck will want the VM 3.0L in a 1500 over the Cummins in a 2500 or 3500.

It seems an odd in-between truck to me.

 

[LTC8K6]

I did not know that DEF has a short life in high ambient temps.

http://www.wk2jeeps.com/tsb/tsb_wk2_2500613.pdf

 

[Jimzz]

Sounds unnecessary for this application. The 5l is likely heavier, and overall a larger engine, etc. Also the point was to offer decent power/torque levels with good fuel economy, and the 5l would have only really met one of those. Makes more sense in something like a 250 model and I wouldn't be surprised if in the future they offered an additional diesel model in that category.

Yea if anything it may have hurt sells for the larger dodge trucks. A smaller one makes more sense for Dodge.

For Nissan they need a top of the line diesel, so they have to go big for the next Titan.

 

[KeithP]

When I first heard about this engine I was very interested until I read it won't be available on the regular cab models. I assume that hasn't changed?

-KeithP