Will a 10 mile commute kill a diesel?
Looking at a 2014 Ram 2500 diesel but will my 10 mile round trip daily commute damage the engine? Should I just get the Hemi?
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117 Replies
- It is 5 miles one way.
I've got 97k on a 2007 Expedition so we don't sit around and watch the grass grow. Always on the move on the weekends. My camper is light but I want a bigger one down the road. I've never owned nor driven a diesel anything.
Thanks Old-Biscuit wrote:
That diesel will not warm up in 5 miles one way.......therefore the oil will not get warm enough, the tranny oil will not get warm enough, the rear differential oil will just barely get warm enough.
The turbo will soot up
The truck will probably have to be 'forced regen' due to lack of drive time/speeds for normal regens
And it will add $$$$ in initial cost over Hemi Gas Engine
Not the best choice for a short commuter/grocery getter
Really? I've never had any soot problems like the DPF clogging or Turbo issues in 16,000 miles, of which from Oct to April is puttin around getting groceries or something from Home Depot. Both of which are 2 miles away give or take. I also go to the gym in the mornings, which is 1/2 mile away. Last week it was about 17 deg out. I let it warm up for 5 mins and took off. Worked out for 1 hr then just drove the other 1/2 mile home. Engine temps never got above 120 deg. Been driving like the above scenarios since I got it July of 12. Once in a awhile I take the long way home (5-6 miles) to get the T stat to open.- You'll be fine.
I drove my older diesel 1.2 miles each way to work for 5 years. THe only extra thing I did was plug in an on-board charger every night. None of the trucks systems had any problems. cyberiankhatru wrote:
Looking at a 2014 Ram 2500 diesel but will my 10 mile round trip daily commute damage the engine? Should I just get the Hemi?
With your weather in NC you will have no problem getting that truck warmed up. Ya there may be a few days where it will take longer but I'm guessing not that many at all.
I wish I could drive my 12 CTD 10 miles a day. Some days it's 1/2 to 1.5 miles a day. 16,000 miles so far and no issues. Just drive it like any other truck and enjoy. If it was that bad for it then Ram would say "No driving less that ? miles". Mine only gets putted around in from Oct to April. Then it's off and on towing and putting around.
The other questions do you really need the diesel? The new 6.4 looks good on paper.- 10 miles should get it up to normal operating temp's, although that's pushing it this time of year :B
Another thing is that new Ram Cummins has dual air controls, it will pull air from under the hood when cold. It also has the winter option which has a cover for the grill which also will help in colder temp's. - I drove a 1994 Dodge with the 5.9 diesel for 11 years with a commute of 8 miles one way. When I sold the truck it had 164000 miles on it and was still running strong. It towed the RV on some week ends and the summer vacation. Of course the newer diesels have more smog but it will be fine. It probably will need a an occasional longer run to do smog regen but you probably drive it sometimes for 30 minutes or more anyway.
Ask to read the owners manual of a new truck and see what it says. The owner's manual is a much better source of reference than nay yahoos on any internet forum (including this) that perpetuate urban legends. You may even discuss the issue with the dealer's service department as well. Ask people who know, not people who think they know! Old-Biscuit wrote:
That diesel will not warm up in 5 miles one way.......therefore the oil will not get warm enough, the tranny oil will not get warm enough, the rear differential oil will just barely get warm enough.
The turbo will soot up
The truck will probably have to be 'forced regen' due to lack of drive time/speeds for normal regens
And it will add $$$$ in initial cost over Hemi Gas Engine
Not the best choice for a short commuter/grocery getter
clueless post is clueless- That diesel will not warm up in 5 miles one way.......therefore the oil will not get warm enough, the tranny oil will not get warm enough, the rear differential oil will just barely get warm enough.
The turbo will soot up
The truck will probably have to be 'forced regen' due to lack of drive time/speeds for normal regens
And it will add $$$$ in initial cost over Hemi Gas Engine
Not the best choice for a short commuter/grocery getter - Get the diesel.
10 miles should give it enough time to open the thermostat. In cold weather give it a minute, or two of warm up time to get the oil flowing then go. - Good advice from Tucson Jim; short trips are harder on fluids, and that's no urban legend or something that was true 40 years ago but not today. I like 6 month oil change intervals on vehicles that see regular use, every 4 months for stop+go, short-trip warriors.
