diesel maintenance questions
I'm considering the 2014 Ram 1500 diesel, but I've never had a diesel before. Besides pumping diesel into it instead of gasoline, what are the differences with maintenance and upkeep? What about the...
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I have a 3.0 L v 6 tdi Touareg that I use for towing my travel trailer. 16.5 to 19 MPG pulling about 4500 lbs and 21 foot of travel trailer.
Maintenance, due to expense of a MB 229.51 600 ppm low sulfur, low phospate, low ash 5w-40 diesel motor oil will be a bit more expensive.
When you need batteries, you'll need a pair at the same time, not just one. I go through about 3 to 3.5 gallons of DEF every 10000 miles. $10.00 worth or a bit more at any big rig truck stop, if bought in bulk from the dispenser pump. More than offset by the savings in MPG.
In Los Angeles, diesel is 3.93 a gallon, RUG is 4.07. I have zero problems getting better than 30% MPG over a gasser on open road with no rush hour traffic.
You'll pay a little more for it, but that's just the price you pay for a torque monster. If you abuse it, you'll pay dearly on a diesel motor. If you service it by the book, treat it right, don't overwork it or over heat it, take your foot out of the accelerator when its working hard with a heavy load going up hill in the heat, it will go 300-450,000 miles. In light duty... In heavy duty, throw all that out the window, it's borderline abuse. This is a LIGHT duty diesel motor. Understand what it's limitations are, use it for light towing, up to 50% of it's rated tow weight, and tow less that 10-15% of the miles acrued on it, and it will outlast you. Diesels do not take well to being abused, parts and drivetrain goodies get real expensive on them real fast, when you get a cowboy behind the wheel that thinks everything he lays his hand on is a tool to be abused.
Oh, and I have no problem getting 30 MPG when not towing... in a 5000# SUV that is all wheel drive, all the time. As good as 35 MPG when empty and at 60-65MPH. EPA ratings totally penalize diesels, and reward gassers. Many folks do better thant the highway EPA rated MPG in diesel, by a long shot. But you do have to relearn how to drive the torque in a diesel, not the RPMS or the horsepower, like in a gasser.
Maintenance, due to expense of a MB 229.51 600 ppm low sulfur, low phospate, low ash 5w-40 diesel motor oil will be a bit more expensive.
When you need batteries, you'll need a pair at the same time, not just one. I go through about 3 to 3.5 gallons of DEF every 10000 miles. $10.00 worth or a bit more at any big rig truck stop, if bought in bulk from the dispenser pump. More than offset by the savings in MPG.
In Los Angeles, diesel is 3.93 a gallon, RUG is 4.07. I have zero problems getting better than 30% MPG over a gasser on open road with no rush hour traffic.
You'll pay a little more for it, but that's just the price you pay for a torque monster. If you abuse it, you'll pay dearly on a diesel motor. If you service it by the book, treat it right, don't overwork it or over heat it, take your foot out of the accelerator when its working hard with a heavy load going up hill in the heat, it will go 300-450,000 miles. In light duty... In heavy duty, throw all that out the window, it's borderline abuse. This is a LIGHT duty diesel motor. Understand what it's limitations are, use it for light towing, up to 50% of it's rated tow weight, and tow less that 10-15% of the miles acrued on it, and it will outlast you. Diesels do not take well to being abused, parts and drivetrain goodies get real expensive on them real fast, when you get a cowboy behind the wheel that thinks everything he lays his hand on is a tool to be abused.
Oh, and I have no problem getting 30 MPG when not towing... in a 5000# SUV that is all wheel drive, all the time. As good as 35 MPG when empty and at 60-65MPH. EPA ratings totally penalize diesels, and reward gassers. Many folks do better thant the highway EPA rated MPG in diesel, by a long shot. But you do have to relearn how to drive the torque in a diesel, not the RPMS or the horsepower, like in a gasser.
