Ecodiesel: 19.46 MPG Towing 7,020 lbs.

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A great thread and article link...

Most of what transpired at Diesel Power magazine is what I expected from previous reading on the the new Ram 1/2 ton diesel.

One thing that was surprising was a mention in the last sentence of the Dyno Testing section... quote: We also noted an approximate 19 percent parasitic drivetrain power loss from the Ram 1500, and 16 percent loss from the 2500."

This seems to me to be a typo. The two percentages should normally be reversed. The 3/4 ton should lose about 19 percent and the 1/2 ton the 16 percent.

The reasoning is that the heavier truck generally loses a significant portion of non-loaded economy because of a HD differential and sometimes a HD transmission as compared to the lighter drivetrain of the 1/2 ton.

If it is not a typo, it indicates that the 3/4 ton transmission is considerably more effcient than the 1/2 ton. That would be irrational considering that I asssume Ram has recently taken every care to reach top EPA fuel economy ratings.

Wes
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Hybridhunter wrote:
They are running hot partially because they aren't very powerful engines, they are running "WOT", actually fully fueled and full boost would be more accurate.
Probably not the end of the world, but the old theory that running the nuts off of something is bound to reduce its lifespan.

An engine producing less power produces less heat. Elementary. Either cooling system or designed to run that way.

I agree it not a great TV for some TT's or 5ers , but those with pop ups, boats, is where this 1500 oil burner will shine. Would also make one heck of a lawn care rig for towing a couple zturns, trimmers ect.

Not bad mileage even for it's low wind resistance. But all this back and forth about dic verses hand calculated doesn't take into account inaccuracies of the gas/diesel pump. I don't know what the allowable tolerance is but we can be sure any error is to their benefit. Speedos are often 5%~ optimistic and rest assured odometers aren't going to give us any free warranty extensions. Hoping the new 1500 diesel continues to be a success. Don, are all the Mexican plants union now? If so that's a good thing.

Hammerhead wrote:
Not overheating -- just approaching the high end of the design limits.

Also known as normal operation range.

They are running hot partially because they aren't very powerful engines, they are running "WOT", actually fully fueled and full boost would be more accurate.
Probably not the end of the world, but the old theory that running the nuts off of something is bound to reduce its lifespan.

The 2014 ecodiesel Grand Cherokees also show higher temps when towing heavy loads up steep grades. Not overheating -- just approaching the high end of the design limits.

Short video of running temperature



The new breed of common rail diesels in the 2.0 and 3.0 L packages are set up with much higher normal running temperatures, as noted by another poster, for increased efficiency.

My 2014 VW Passat TDI, empty, foot not even deep in the throttle, at 55-60 MPH going up I-5 and the Grapevine, 3000 foot climb, to 4440 feet elevation at the pass, will push 235F on my scan gauge, when the air temp is below 75F. When the temp reaches 80, or I turn the AC on going up hill in cooler temps, the fans kick in and it sits at 220-223F.

Claude B wrote:
FWIW,

The drivetrain of my VW Touareg TDI and the RAM Ecodiesel are about the same. V6 common rail turbo diesel, +/- same HP and torque, 8 speed tranny and about same diff ratio.

On my last 8 weeks trip to Florida (8,170 km total), I did average a fuel conso of 13,5 L/100 KM (total of 1103,8 litres) or 17,4 mpg US gal with the TT behind 80% of the time. In solo, it was mostly city driving.

Last year (trip to Florida) with the same TT and my previous 2003 V6 Pathfinder, I average 18,8 L/100 km or 12,5 mpg (US gal).

On highways, I drive at 62-64 mph on flat or going up hills like on the I-81 in PA.

For me, hands down on turbo diesels for power, towing and fuel economy.

I checked my 2012 Touareg towing MPG when we used to tow a 4,500 lb TT and never got anything that high. I always checked it with 100% trailer towing though. Disconnecting for even 20% will throw it off quite a bit as the non-towing mileage is about double what the towing is. I averaged 14.5 with a high of 15.5 and a low of 12.5. It is very speed and wind sensitive as you would expect. Your TT is lower with a more aerodynamic shape, so that will help vs mine which was a traditional square semi-sloped front profile. The Touareg is an awesome tow vehicle for a smallish TT. We still have it, but switched to a truck (gas)/TC combo so it's just a daily driver now.

FWIW, I love the Touareg, but modern diesels make me nervous with all the computer/emissions stuff going on. After 70,000 miles I've had 2 issues. One was a low DEF warning that would not go off after refilling the tank. We were on a long trip and needed to go to a dealership to get it reset because it was going to go into limp mode (unknown cause). The other was a warning light that suggested a fuel pump failure, but it went away on it's own. This is a common problem that there is a lot of forum activity about. The latest problem was a flat tire that had to be replaced, but the manual and dealership recommend replacing all 4 tires due to the computer (arghh!) not being able to deal with different wheel sizes between new/old tires. Anything more than 3/32 difference in tread depth is a no-go above 80KPH. Luckily we were at 2/32 so I got away with just one.

lbrjet wrote:


Not sure where you got your information but my thermostat fully opens at 186 just like it is supposed to. I can watch the temps nosedive back into the 170's and then they creep back up again. It partially (10%) opens at 165 and that is the design for my 5 speed.

Just a quick bit of research for the OE thermostat for the rig in you a sig.

165 is the coldest OE thermostat I have ever heard of, not saying it's wrong, just very odd.