Any 13' Ram DEF MPG yet?

[Vanished]

Just stopped by dealer and checked out a new'13 Ram 2500 4x4 Laramie Diesel and was wondering if anyone got theirs yet? How are the MPG's compared to the last few years? Any other thoughts?

Thanks!

PS - Yes I still want a 5th wheel, No I still can't pull one with my Power Wagon and recent circumstances are going to most likely require me to buy a new camper this week... So decisions, decisions... TT or 5th wheel, but the 5th will require a truck to go with it! 🙂

[I_m_Rick_James]

NC Hauler wrote:

tinner12002 wrote:
Well I can't obviously speek for the 13 owners but checking my 4x4 12 dually with 4.10s yesterday driving 61 with cruise it was logging 18.3 mpg. Only have around 10K miles on it but it keeps making small improvements as I get more miles on it. Not super but I'm good with that.

WOW...hold on to that bad boy...I had a 2010 dodge 3500HD CC/LB/Cummins/Auto/ 4X4 with 4:10 then the 2012, same configuration cept the 10 was a Laramie and the 12 was a Longhorn and running both on the same trip of 260 miles one way, running at speeds of 45 to 70 mph, I NEVER got that with either..Course I didn't run the entire trip @ 61 mph, so that might possibly make some difference...Had around 38,000 on the 10, only had about 4,000 on the 12'

I get 18.3 mpg on a trip and I'm going to throw a party....I have a little over a 1,000 miles on this one and have gotten over 16.5 mpg on the same trip at the same speeds, empty. Have not towed yet.....What is your city driving like? Driving around town I'm getting 15.5 or so and never saw that with city driving on the 10 or the 12....

I have a '12 with 4:10's a the best I see is 14-15 highway. Throw in a regen and it's more like 10-12.

[NC_Hauler]

tinner12002 wrote:
Well I can't obviously speek for the 13 owners but checking my 4x4 12 dually with 4.10s yesterday driving 61 with cruise it was logging 18.3 mpg. Only have around 10K miles on it but it keeps making small improvements as I get more miles on it. Not super but I'm good with that.

WOW...hold on to that bad boy...I had a 2010 dodge 3500HD CC/LB/Cummins/Auto/ 4X4 with 4:10 then the 2012, same configuration cept the 10 was a Laramie and the 12 was a Longhorn and running both on the same trip of 260 miles one way, running at speeds of 45 to 70 mph, I NEVER got that with either..Course I didn't run the entire trip @ 61 mph, so that might possibly make some difference...Had around 38,000 on the 10, only had about 4,000 on the 12'

I get 18.3 mpg on a trip and I'm going to throw a party....I have a little over a 1,000 miles on this one and have gotten over 16.5 mpg on the same trip at the same speeds, empty. Have not towed yet.....What is your city driving like? Driving around town I'm getting 15.5 or so and never saw that with city driving on the 10 or the 12....

[tinner12002]

Well I can't obviously speek for the 13 owners but checking my 4x4 12 dually with 4.10s yesterday driving 61 with cruise it was logging 18.3 mpg. Only have around 10K miles on it but it keeps making small improvements as I get more miles on it. Not super but I'm good with that.

[DirtyOil]

The '13 still have to regen to burn the soot collected in the DPF. The use of DEF eliminates NOX in the exhaust which also helps reduce soot production by allowing less EGR volume but does not eliminate soot produced by the combustion process

Sure they have to regen but that "regen" like the other "big 2" takes place in the exhaust system, hardly responsible for making the oil black. with introduction of the 6.7 in the 3rd generation Rams/Cummins the in cylinder EGR was reduced and DPF added. 4th gens reduced even more, now with the DPF/DEF third injection event has seen a huge reduction as compared to the 3rd gen 5.9s.

Reducing soot through the in cylinder EGR can be done via programmer where the timing is increased or, by replacing the camshaft (better choice) with reground lobes to reduce/eliminate duration of the third injection event. My Hamilton cam works great, along with 50hp nozzles, I've gained over 3mpg and my oil is no longer black! oil is clear enough to read the dipstick, where as pre camshaft one couldn't see writing on the dipstick.

[NC_Hauler]

FishOnOne wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

DirtyOil wrote:
Why would the oil be black, the 2013 3500 is using DEF no more reason to have the third injection event to reduce nasty tailpipe emissions. This is what made the oil black in pre DEF Cummins powered Rams, that fuel wasting third event.

The '13 still have to regen to burn the soot collected in the DPF. The use of DEF eliminates NOX in the exhaust which also helps reduce soot production by allowing less EGR volume but does not eliminate soot produced by the combustion process.

From the 2010 and 2012 models, once you had an oil change, in just a couple hundred miles or so, the oil looked "dirty/black". I had almost 1,000 miles on my truck when I checked yesterday and the oil is not dirty looking it still looks very clean. There is a difference in how much cleaner the oil now looks in the 13 compared to my 10 and 12 after the above stated mileage.

NC,
Do you plan on following the OLM to determine when to change the oil?

NOPE!! I get 3 years of free oil changes...it would be RARE for me to put 15,000 miles on my truck in 1 year...SOOOOOO, I'll probably take advantage of the free oil changes and get one every 6 months,ie (work it to where it's 2 a year). "IF" I were going by the OLM, then when it stated, "oil change due", then I would change the oil...I beleive 15,000 miles is a "best case" driving/towing scenario and the OLM actually allows you to drive 15,000 miles before you get the message to change the oil.

[FishOnOne]

NC Hauler wrote:

FishOnOne wrote:

DirtyOil wrote:
Why would the oil be black, the 2013 3500 is using DEF no more reason to have the third injection event to reduce nasty tailpipe emissions. This is what made the oil black in pre DEF Cummins powered Rams, that fuel wasting third event.

The '13 still have to regen to burn the soot collected in the DPF. The use of DEF eliminates NOX in the exhaust which also helps reduce soot production by allowing less EGR volume but does not eliminate soot produced by the combustion process.

From the 2010 and 2012 models, once you had an oil change, in just a couple hundred miles or so, the oil looked "dirty/black". I had almost 1,000 miles on my truck when I checked yesterday and the oil is not dirty looking it still looks very clean. There is a difference in how much cleaner the oil now looks in the 13 compared to my 10 and 12 after the above stated mileage.

NC,
Do you plan on following the OLM to determine when to change the oil?

[Cummins12V98]

NC Hauler wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

The Mad Norsky wrote:
What grade of oil are they using in your new Cummins Jim???

Synthetic, synthetic blend or straight dino oil???

15,000 mile oil change recommended?

As far as I can tell it's straight dino oil 15W-40....This truck does have the 15,000 mile oil change interval..States if you use a synthetic oil, make sure it meets Cummins specs.

The oil from Cummins is 5-40 Synthetic Rotella. Original fill!

I didn't see that information, but it works for me...cool:)

Stuart Miller Regional Training Mgr. from Chrysler held a walk around with a 13 Ram 3500 single rear wheel SB in Pahrump at the first of the month. I pulled the dipstick and noticed it was very clean. That is when he said the oil was Rotella 5-40 Synthetic factory fill.

So there goes the theory of waiting X number of miles before running synthetic.

At 2K I started running AMZ/OIL 100% synthetic 15-40.

I drain my oil overnight on my 11 HO Ram and after oil change I start it and check level and the oil is black.

This is all good news on the 13 Rams!

[Cummins12V98]

FishOnOne wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
..OK, got 982 miles on the truck, (thought it was about 940, but was wrong)....checked the oil and was REALLY impressed still very, very clean...somethings working:)

I was hoping it would look clean. Makes me wonder if you could use the non LE oil?

I'm certain you still have to use a API CJ4 oil to protect the DPF.

That makes sense!

[NC_Hauler]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:

The Mad Norsky wrote:
What grade of oil are they using in your new Cummins Jim???

Synthetic, synthetic blend or straight dino oil???

15,000 mile oil change recommended?

As far as I can tell it's straight dino oil 15W-40....This truck does have the 15,000 mile oil change interval..States if you use a synthetic oil, make sure it meets Cummins specs.

The oil from Cummins is 5-40 Synthetic Rotella. Original fill!

I didn't see that information, but it works for me...cool:)

[NC_Hauler]

FishOnOne wrote:

DirtyOil wrote:
Why would the oil be black, the 2013 3500 is using DEF no more reason to have the third injection event to reduce nasty tailpipe emissions. This is what made the oil black in pre DEF Cummins powered Rams, that fuel wasting third event.

The '13 still have to regen to burn the soot collected in the DPF. The use of DEF eliminates NOX in the exhaust which also helps reduce soot production by allowing less EGR volume but does not eliminate soot produced by the combustion process.

From the 2010 and 2012 models, once you had an oil change, in just a couple hundred miles or so, the oil looked "dirty/black". I had almost 1,000 miles on my truck when I checked yesterday and the oil is not dirty looking it still looks very clean. There is a difference in how much cleaner the oil now looks in the 13 compared to my 10 and 12 after the above stated mileage.

[FishOnOne]

DirtyOil wrote:
Why would the oil be black, the 2013 3500 is using DEF no more reason to have the third injection event to reduce nasty tailpipe emissions. This is what made the oil black in pre DEF Cummins powered Rams, that fuel wasting third event.

The '13 still have to regen to burn the soot collected in the DPF. The use of DEF eliminates NOX in the exhaust which also helps reduce soot production by allowing less EGR volume but does not eliminate soot produced by the combustion process.

[FishOnOne]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
..OK, got 982 miles on the truck, (thought it was about 940, but was wrong)....checked the oil and was REALLY impressed still very, very clean...somethings working:)

I was hoping it would look clean. Makes me wonder if you could use the non LE oil?

I'm certain you still have to use a API CJ4 oil to protect the DPF.

[The_Mad_Norsky]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
The oil from Cummins is 5-40 Synthetic Rotella. Original fill!

I would have thought for sure that they would have used the Valvoline Premium Blue Extreme full synthetic 5W-40, if indeed they are going that route. (factory synthetic fill).

Shoot, I buy this from the Cummins shop in Sioux Falls. All of the Cummins dealers in my area (Minot, Grand Forks, Sioux Falls, Omaha) stock it.

Guess the endorsed and recommended by Cummins on the bottle does not mean as much as it used to. Still, a very, very good oil for diesels.

[Cummins12V98]

NC Hauler wrote:

The Mad Norsky wrote:
What grade of oil are they using in your new Cummins Jim???

Synthetic, synthetic blend or straight dino oil???

15,000 mile oil change recommended?

As far as I can tell it's straight dino oil 15W-40....This truck does have the 15,000 mile oil change interval..States if you use a synthetic oil, make sure it meets Cummins specs.

The oil from Cummins is 5-40 Synthetic Rotella. Original fill!

[DirtyOil]

Why would the oil be black, the 2013 3500 is using DEF no more reason to have the third injection event to reduce nasty tailpipe emissions. This is what made the oil black in pre DEF Cummins powered Rams, that fuel wasting third event.