Engine blew up!

[Isuzusweet]

My boss has a brand new 2018 RAM 1500 with the 3.0 V6 turbo diesel and 18,000 kms (11,250 miles) on it. He tows a 14' box trailer partially loaded with furniture or millwork quite a bit for work purposes; but quite a few kms were put on going to northern Michigan this fall from southern Ontario to look at a boat; so, no not all kms towing.
Thursday night during that very cold blast, heard the engine develope a ticking noise, which grew louder upon depressing the accelerator; he backed off, looked at the gauges, which were in the green; decided to make it the rest of the way up the hill but the noise developed rapidly into a severe clunking, and then the engine seized.
Yes, he has had oil changes done, as the dealership is five minutes down the road.
It took a boat load of time trying to figure out how to get the truck out of gear once the engine is off, as the gear selection is tied to engine management. Supposedly there is a tether by the emergency brake that you have to pull; so look at your owners manual you Dodge truck people with the gear selector knob.

I will deliver updates once the dealership determines what happened.......

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[Al U. Minium]

Sounds like no oil pressure and spun rod bearings. Bad oil pump?

[Shermy1987]

Guessing why a modern diesel has failed. It will only ever be guessing. Chances are the dealership will probably only guess too, then put another engine straight from the factory into it.

Manufacturers don't like giving out details on why their new engines start failing until they can find the cause. Sometimes that takes a long time. Even then, it's in their interest to keep the real details from the public as best as possible.

[weirdstuff]

This sounds similar to what happened to our friend about 6 weeks ago. I’m gonna send him the link to this conversation.

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by Shermy1987

Guessing why a modern diesel has failed. It will only ever be guessing. Chances are the dealership will probably only guess too, then put another engine straight from the factory into it.

Manufacturers don't like giving out details on why their new engines start failing until they can find the cause. Sometimes that takes a long time. Even then, it's in their interest to keep the real details from the public as best as possible.

Not really a new engine...been around since 1947....gm and others use it..

[Isuzusweet]

This I guess is not surprising to some....instead of praying your engine makes it to 200,000+; with the Ecodiesel, you pray it makes it past 30,000kms

https://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/seven-...ke-the-plague/

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[VernDiesel]

Yep I own one love it and have had great luck with it but too many have had this problem. The 2019 2nd gen is supposed to remedie this and more. Fortunately Ram replaces any blown ED with a brand new engine and balance of a 100,000 mile warranty.

Some now are also working a fresh 100,000 mile warranty into the deal. Probably not of much value for your friends new 18 but certainly of interest to someone who has say 90k at the time of failure. Ram will also pay for your tow and provide a rental.

Looking forward to seeing how the new GM inline 6 3.0 diesel does as well as the 2nd gen ED and the Ford 3.0 diesel. My understanding is that VM Motori first offered this from the drawing board up new engine in 2011 and the states in 2014.

[AirstreamJim]

I have the VM Motori 3.0L EcoDiesel in my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee and it blew up at 25,000 miles, a month after the 24 month limit on NY lemon law coverage expired. FCA replaced the engine under warranty and after a lot of b1tching directed at Auburn Hills, they gave me a lifetime bumper to bumper warranty.

This had (has?) been a common issue with these EcoDiesel engines; the RAM and Jeep forums are full of stories of catastrophic engine failure. I had hoped that FCA had figured out what was causing it and that my new engine wouldn’t be susceptible to another failure. Hearing this about a 2018 vehicle is very disturbing. While I’m covered financially if it were to blow up again, the huge hassle I went through isn’t something I want to experience again.

Jim

[Shermy1987]

Originally Posted by tjdonahoe

Not really a new engine...been around since 1947....gm and others use it..

Perhaps everyone should be installing the 1947 mode enginel into their trucks. It probably made 47hp. No more blown engines. Problem solved.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, it simply blew up because it was a "V-6" instead of an "Inline Six". [sarcasm]

[switz]

Knock on wood.... Have 185,000 miles on my 2007 Mercedes 3.0L V6 turbo diesel in my ML320 CDI. Had a couple of gasket replacements in the engine valley that were past expensive on my dollar (way past my nickel). Change oil and and filter every 5,000 miles since new.

Recent versions of this engine have become more problematic for the Sprinter vans and MB cars with regeneration (wife's 2009 E320 Bluetooth) and Def fluid starting in late 2009 and 2010.

We have a straight six 3.2L turbo diesel in our 2002 Mercedes E320 station wagon we bought new in the UK with only 35,000 miles on it. Just now getting loosened up. Would love to bring the car over, but wife thinks I am not smart enough to drive a right hand drive car here.... It gets an oil & filter change annually regardless of miles driven (plus whatever else is in the maintenance cycle - more for time than miles).

[HeadWest]

Does it have the same Bosch fuel pump as the Ford 6.7 diesels? The one that apparently self destructs on a somewhat regular basis and send metal fragments through the fuel lines and injectors. I just heard about this problem the other day, started looking into it and found that there are many people that have been left with a dead truck, a 9-12k repair, and Ford not standing behind the problem. I am very concerned that our relatively new F350 could experience the same problem and leave us stranded in a remote area.

[Jim Flower]

We have four Jeep diesels in our family. My 2008 CRD that I passed down to my son has 500,000 k on it. Towed a 25 and then 30 for 300,000 k. It's a daily driver now but increasingly unreliable. My other sons 2008 CRD is on its 3rd engine with 165,000 k . It's a piece of junk. My current ECO Diesel just imploded at 190,000 k . No warrantee but I had a long block installed. Apparently a bearing associated with a cam fell off. The bearing ended up in the oil pan. No help from Jeep due to mileage but I did ask given the abnormal failure rate on these engines. My wife's ECO diesel works great but a number of other parts have been replaced under warrantee. My point is you just never know what lurks under the hood and the thing is going to break eventually. Sort of like our bodies.

[Textdocs]

158k miles on my Jeep CRD. No problem yet but reading with interest to the thread.

[J-Dog]

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

Sad to hear about this, perhaps there is an aftermarket company out there that can make this little engine bullet proof and dependable. (For those who are out of warrantee) Last I read it was very pricy replacing these engines when they do give up and die.

[switz]

I have heard that these fancy new eight to ten speed transmissions are non-field repairable. One just puts in a new unit. Great if there is a warranty, not so great if on the owner's credit card.

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by switz

I have heard that these fancy new eight to ten speed transmissions are non-field repairable. One just puts in a new unit. Great if there is a warranty, not so great if on the owner's credit card.

This is applicable to pretty well every modern muilti speed (5+) transmission out there. Starting with BMW, manufacturers have not been making parts available to rebuild their own transmissions. Honda, Ford and GM is the same; and you're right, these transmissions are not cheap, with the 9 speed Honda Pilot transmission being $10,000+ including labour.
Go to any transmission repair facility and ask them what transmissions they can get parts for, and they will tell you they are a dying breed.

Gone are the days of my $1,200 rebuilt GM turbo 475.

Cheers
Sidekick Tony

[J. Morgan]

IMHO all of the systems and mandated complexity have ruined modern diesels, too many things to go wrong, and when they do go wrong they are very difficult and expensive to fix.

These multiple speed transmissions are similar.

Until I can buy a capable vehicle without the bells and whistles that make it impossible to economically service I will be sticking with my old Silverado.

I can rebuild a tired LS engine for a thousand bucks and a 4L60 transmission for $500.

[ROBERT CROSS]

^
X2

Todays Diesels=lipstick on a T-Rex. 😂

Bob
👍

[gypsydad]

Went to RAM dealer recently and the manager said they are not selling the EchoDiesel currently due to "issues". Said they expect to start seeing them 2nd half of the year, but he also said he would still recommend the Hemi in the 1500..