Engine blew up!

[VernDiesel]

FWIW 490,000 miles on my 8 speed Ecodiesel transporting TTs. I have changed the fluid 5 times 3 times with filter. No transmission repairs. Shifts smooth & quick. Generally tows 6-7k daily has towed 9k & 15,500 CVW going over 6 percent grades. (The turbo brake & factory trailer brake controller are great options) tuned to 465 TQ.

BTW local dealership has an 18 ED sitting out front. Often what the salesman recommends is the particular car the dealership has had the longest / most wants to get rid of.

[Shermy1987]

I wouldn't be too concerned about new transmissions. The complexity of repairing them has only marginally changed over the past 10 years. parts always become available with time. Give it a few years and parts will showing their faces as the transmissions find their way into world markets.

[perryg114]

Made by Fiat you know it is going to have problems. As soon as these came out, I knew this would happen. Fiats are notoriously unreliable. I am sure they are great till they are not. When Cummins makes the engine, I will change my tune. Diesels are more expensive on a good day than most gas engines. They are fun to tow with.





Perry

[Jim Flower]

Originally Posted by VernDiesel

FWIW 490,000 miles on my 8 speed Ecodiesel transporting TTs. I have changed the fluid 5 times 3 times with filter. No transmission repairs. Shifts smooth & quick. Generally tows 6-7k daily has towed 9k & 15,500 CVW going over 6 percent grades. (The turbo brake & factory trailer brake controller are great options) tuned to 465 TQ.

BTW local dealership has an 18 ED sitting out front. Often what the salesman recommends is the particular car the dealership has had the longest / most wants to get rid of.

VernDiesel
This longevity performance is what I was expecting and still believe is obtainable which is why I had the engine replaced as opposed to junking the Jeep. You give hope, but I will only do it once. Jim

[crispyboy]

Originally Posted by perryg114

Made by Fiat you know it is going to have problems. As soon as these came out, I knew this would happen. Fiats are notoriously unreliable. I am sure they are great till they are not. When Cummins makes the engine, I will change my tune. Diesels are more expensive on a good day than most gas engines. They are fun to tow with.

Perry

The engine is produced by VM Motori (a company owned by Fiat). I believe this engine was originally developed for Cadillac. I think most of the issues have been with a faulty EGR cooler allowing coolant into the crankcase. Emission control systems on diesels are so complicated that it is just a matter of time until problems develop. I think there was a TSB on these engines to run heavier engine oil. They had some European spec of 5w-30 or similar which just seems too thin for diesel motors.
Maybe Verndiesel will chime in and set the record straight on the preferred oil weight as he apparently has had good luck with this motor.

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by J-Dog

Bummer...I thought those days of blowing motors were behind them, but apparently not.

Transmissions too. If I had a buck for every Dodge owner that told me they have had 3 trannies in 100k miles...."but I only paid for one of them", I could retire.

[Shermy1987]

Originally Posted by crispyboy

The engine is produced by VM Motori (a company owned by Fiat). I believe this engine was originally developed for Cadillac. I think most of the issues have been with a faulty EGR cooler allowing coolant into the crankcase. Emission control systems on diesels are so complicated that it is just a matter of time until problems develop. I think there was a TSB on these engines to run heavier engine oil. They had some European spec of 5w-30 or similar which just seems too thin for diesel motors.
Maybe Verndiesel will chime in and set the record straight on the preferred oil weight as he apparently has had good luck with this motor.

Just to clarify. The EGR cooler, when leaking allows coolant to flow back into the intake of the engine. The cooler is used to cool down exhaust gas which is then fed back into the engine to reduce Nitrous Oxide gas emissions.

[VernDiesel]

Fiat now owns both VM Motori who builds the 3.0l diesel & Chrysler that bought rights to assemble & sell German Mfg ZF’s transmission but Fiat builds none of this. VERY few Rams are having issues with this transmission relative to sales volume etc. It has no lineage to past Ram transmissions.

I did use the original 5/30 Penzoil Euro L environmentally friendly full synthetic made from natural gas oil. Clean & Zero ash but thin. 170,000 miles with good oil analysts results. I then switched to the thicker cheaper & more readily available T6 (5/40) as it’s been added as an approved oil.

This motor is a real gem but the first gen has a bearing eating problem that a thicker oil isn’t fully midigating. Fortunately Ram has been pretty good about it even meeting some people part way beyond the 100k warranty something I’ve never seen Ford do. Fortunately we should see the 2nd gen next summer in the 5th gen 1500.

This motor is nitch product in that it is best used to supplement the Hemi & Pentastar in the 1500 for 5 to at most 10 percent of sales and matched to perspective buyers needs & goals. It has been valuable to Ram though as it’s been responsible for acquisition sales to grow the market & their share of the market. IE because a higher percentage of people who bought it came from driving a car or a Toyota Ford or GM truck thank you 30 HWY MPG. Unfortunately that has become a two edge sword in that if they don’t keep it and competitive with the new Ford & GM 1/2 ton 3.0 diesels they will lose what they had gained.

It suits my unusual duty cycle or needs & goals as I drive big miles & tow moderate loads in fact the profit of which is directly related to the towing economy.

[Isuzusweet]

Update......

Engine is kablooee and will need an engine replacement....dealership declined to tell him what happened.[emoji57]
One problem; the total engine allotment coming to NA for FIAT 3.0l turbo diesels has been spoken for......my boss won't get an engine until......wait for it.....April!!!
He thought I was joking when I told him three months...and I was off by three months.[emoji849]

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[Jim Flower]

My EcoDiesel imploded in September. The dealer told me that I was 111 on the wait list for a long block. It took 8 weeks for delivery and installation . All works perfectly, just like it was working prior to the moment of implosion. Jim

[J. Morgan]

Let me just apply my politically incorrect opinion, the EPA ruined diesels with it’s unreasonable emission control requirements.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Let me just apply my politically incorrect opinion, the EPA ruined diesels with it’s unreasonable emission control requirements.

Let me just note that your opinion that the EPA is too strict on vehicle emission controls is at odds with your recently expressed opinions in a different thread about the US and global leadership in environmental regulations, and being a nation of laws. Hard to have it both ways.

There is a reason that some manufacturers have either pulled out of light duty diesel engine production, or announced plans to.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by jcl

Let me just note that your opinion that the EPA is too strict on vehicle emission controls is at odds with your recently expressed opinions in a different thread about the US and global leadership in environmental regulations, and being a nation of laws. Hard to have it both ways.



There is a reason that some manufacturers have either pulled out of light duty diesel engine production, or announced plans to.

Nope.

Not at odds at all, but you have to follow along with me to get what I’m saying.

My point of view in general is that vehicle emissions were “clean enough” by about 1990 standards, and further what the EPA expects from diesels over the past ten years or so is unrealistic.

My point of view is that spending about three times getting the last one percent of emission improvement over and above the cost of getting the first 99% cleaner has worked well past the law of diminishing returns.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, I don't care what anyone says about Diesel emissions; Every time that I get behind one of those stinking diesels I have to close my fresh air vents, change lanes, change streets, or pass that horrible stinking skunk.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

Nope.

Not at odds at all, but you have to follow along with me to get what I’m saying.

My point of view in general is that vehicle emissions were “clean enough” by about 1990 standards, and further what the EPA expects from diesels over the past ten years or so is unrealistic.

My point of view is that spending about three times getting the last one percent of emission improvement over and above the cost of getting the first 99% cleaner has worked well past the law of diminishing returns.

I follow you, but it doesn’t compute. You are living in an area with lower emissions standards than some other parts of the world. You can’t argue to further relax those standards while also claiming leadership in environmental stewardship. China isn’t representative of the whole world. Lots of countries are tightening emission standards, not relaxing them.

Diesel emission standards have been relaxed beyond gasoline engines in some cases. Nobody is asking “too much” of diesels. Holding them to common emissions standards will result in them being not cost competitive (lots of after treatment) which is what some manufacturers are already recognizing by ending development and production of diesels. If they are made cost competitive, they will suffer on reliability and durability, as we are already seeing.

But don’t just focus on diesels. Internal combustion engines will stop being used for personal transportation as well. It will just take a little longer.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by ROBERTSUNRUS

Hi, I don't care what anyone says about Diesel emissions; Every time that I get behind one of those stinking diesels I have to close my fresh air vents, change lanes, change streets, or pass that horrible stinking skunk.

Try riding a bicycle behind one.

[J. Morgan]

Originally Posted by jcl

I follow you, but it doesn’t compute. You are living in an area with lower emissions standards than some other parts of the world. You can’t argue to further relax those standards while also claiming leadership in environmental stewardship. China isn’t representative of the whole world. Lots of countries are tightening emission standards, not relaxing them.



Diesel emission standards have been relaxed beyond gasoline engines in some cases. Nobody is asking “too much” of diesels. Holding them to common emissions standards will result in them being not cost competitive (lots of after treatment) which is what some manufacturers are already recognizing by ending development and production of diesels. If they are made cost competitive, they will suffer on reliability and durability, as we are already seeing.



But don’t just focus on diesels. Internal combustion engines will stop being used for personal transportation as well. It will just take a little longer.

Nonetheless, there is always a point of diminishing returns, and the fact is, American emission standards of 1990, diesel and otherwise, are about infinitely more stringent that the standards in China because standards do not exist.

As far as what’s “gonna happen”, when it happens it happens.

[J. Morgan]

As far as less than medium duty diesels go, I could care less. I won’t own one because they’re ruined by emission standard. They’ve been made A) too expensive to maintain and B) too unreliable. I hate having to call a tow truck.

[Smartstream]

Just remember all you diesel haters that just about everything you own and consume traveled to you on a diesel powered vehicle.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by Smartstream

Just remember all you diesel haters that just about everything you own and consume traveled to you on a diesel powered vehicle.

Amen to that; and protect your freedoms to do idiotic things; no gas powered Hummers in the military.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony