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Diesel Engine in a Jeep - why?

DanW

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Fuel filters need to be replaced more regularly as well.
Ok, I do remember being told that. What else, besides DEF is there? Anything special with air filters? What about glow plugs? How often do those need changed. I've also heard that they handle cold winter weather better than the diesels of yore because of better fuel additives. Is that true, or do you have to put additives in the gas still?
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CarbonSteel

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Ok, I do remember being told that. What else, besides DEF is there? Anything special with air filters? What about glow plugs? How often do those need changed. I've also heard that they handle cold winter weather better than the diesels of yore because of better fuel additives. Is that true, or do you have to put additives in the gas still?
Glow plugs are typically a non-issue on modern diesels, but that does not mean that you will not need a block heater in very cold weather as well as fuel additive to prevent waxing in the fuel. DEF will also freeze at about 15Ā°F, but most designs incorporate a heater in the DEF tank.

Diesel is also hygroscopic. This means diesel is susceptible to attracting and holding these water molecules. Water in diesel means death to the HPFP and the injection system. Every diesel I have ever owned had to have the fuel filters drained religiously to prevent water from going into the fuel system. There are companies who offer "pre-filter" kits to trap the water and most modern diesels have a WIF (water in fuel) sensor, but the problem with the vast majority of them is by the time they detect water, it has already made it into the fuel system--which, of course, is not covered by the warranty and a HPFP and injectors on a 6.7L Ford is north of $10K (as an example).

I always ran DieselKleen, Stanadyne, or Howe's in my diesels to combat water in the fuel and waxing when I would be in CO/MT/WY in the winter. One can **try** to reduce the likelihood of water in the fuel by buying diesel from stations who sell vast quantities in the hopes the constant rotation of fuel will reduce the water in the fuel, but that is no guarantee. Fuel filters have to be changed about every 20K (could be sooner depending on the OEM).

One thing is absolutely certain, if one buys a modern diesel assuming the maintenance is the same as a gasoline engine, then disappointment and empty pockets will abound...
 

JLURD

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Glow plugs are typically a non-issue on modern diesels, but that does not mean that you will not need a block heater in very cold weather as well as fuel additive to prevent waxing in the fuel. DEF will also freeze at about 15Ā°F, but most designs incorporate a heater in the DEF tank.

Diesel is also hygroscopic. This means diesel is susceptible to attracting and holding these water molecules. Water in diesel means death to the HPFP and the injection system. Every diesel I have ever owned had to have the fuel filters drained religiously to prevent water from going into the fuel system. There are companies who offer "pre-filter" kits to trap the water and most modern diesels have a WIF (water in fuel) sensor, but the problem with the vast majority of them is by the time they detect water, it has already made it into the fuel system--which, of course, is not covered by the warranty and a HPFP and injectors on a 6.7L Ford is north of $10K (as an example).

I always ran DieselKleen, Stanadyne, or Howe's in my diesels to combat water in the fuel and waxing when I would be in CO/MT/WY in the winter. One can **try** to reduce the likelihood of water in the fuel by buying diesel from stations who sell vast quantities in the hopes the constant rotation of fuel will reduce the water in the fuel, but that is no guarantee. Fuel filters have to be changed about every 20K (could be sooner depending on the OEM).

One thing is absolutely certain, if one buys a modern diesel assuming the maintenance is the same as a gasoline engine, then disappointment and empty pockets will abound...
I put a couple hundred thousand miles on VW diesels and have a few friends combining to well over a million miles with zero fuel-water issues. Most use(d) opti-lube xpd or similar. The JLU 3.0 is also equipped with a fuel-water separator if those 7-digit miles without fuel issues were luck.
 

CarbonSteel

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I put a couple hundred thousand miles on VW diesels and have a few friends combining to well over a million miles with zero fuel-water issues. Most use(d) opti-lube xpd or similar. The JLU 3.0 is also equipped with a fuel-water separator if those 7-digit miles without fuel issues were luck.
All new diesels have fuel/water separators as part of the fuel filter assembly, that does not stop water related damage from happening. There are PLENTY of examples of it in Chevy, Dodge, and Ford trucks. There are also issues with many of the HPFP Bosch pumps and ULSD. I have ZERO horses in this race and as I have said numerous times before, time will tell how this engine fares in the long run. I am happy others are willing to "guinea pig" it--I have owned a number of post-2007 diesels and I will not own another.
 
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Tank the Jeep

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All new diesels have fuel/water separators as part of the fuel filter assembly, that does not stop water related damage from happening. There are PLENTY of examples of it in Chevy, Dodge, and Ford trucks. There are also issues with many of the HPFP Bosch pumps and ULSD. I have ZERO horses in this race and as I have said numerous times before, time will tell how this engine fares in the long run. I am happy others are willing to "guinea pig" it--I have owned a number of post-2007 diesels and I will not own another.
I currently have a 2015 Grand Cherokee with the Ecodiesel. 83000 miles flawless miles. Never once have a water issue. I change the fuel filters with the oil change, so about 10,000 miles. If the Wrangler Ecodiesel is as good as my Grand Cherokee Ecodiesel then I will be very happy with my purchase.
 

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Iā€™ve got a 2014 RAM Ecodiesel. It holds 10.5qts. Rotella T6 5W-40 is one of the approved oils. It goes on sale often at Fleet Farm or Walmart. If I remember correctly oil came to about $40. The Mopar oil filter is about $35. Change interval is up to 10K miles; Iā€™ve been changing around 8K.

Fuel filters are a little under $30. Every 20K I change the fuel filter. Dealerships want crazy money to change the fuel filter. I do my own, not difficult or messy at all using a 1 gallon ziplock bag around the filter housing.

I too have had very good luck with mine. An intercooler hose was replaced early-on. Normally I am annoyed by auto transmissions. This 8-speed I actually do really like. It complements the engine very well. I like the low rpm power, how it will hold top gear against some headwind and modest hills. My RAM has the 3.55 rear end. The top gear ratios of the transmissions differ a bit, such that they have about the same rpm @ a given speed (about 1500 @ 60mph).

The Wrangler weighs less and the gen3 engine makes even more torque at an even lower rpm. So Iā€™m looking forward to the new Jeep.

edit to add: The def really isnā€™t much expense. I use 2.5 gal jugs from Fleet Farm for about $11. That amount is consumed in about 3K miles.
 
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four low

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Well, this diesel is sounding better and better. What's Old is New again, Jeep CJ5s had a Perkins Diesel option in 1965. This new one is much much improved..
 

JLURD

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All new diesels have fuel/water separators as part of the fuel filter assembly, that does not stop water related damage from happening. There are PLENTY of examples of it in Chevy, Dodge, and Ford trucks. There are also issues with many of the HPFP Bosch pumps and ULSD. I have ZERO horses in this race and as I have said numerous times before, time will tell how this engine fares in the long run. I am happy others are willing to "guinea pig" it--I have owned a number of post-2007 diesels and I will not own another.
Maybe the 3.0 will force me to join you in writing off 08+ diesels...maybe itā€™ll have a solid reliability record. You can bet your last dollar if it doesnā€™t Iā€™ll be on here letting folks know.
 

Zorba

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I will say this: I'm a lifetime diesel owner, and somewhat fanatic. The North American automotive market is the ONLY one in the world that continues to mess around with inefficient, short lived spark ignition engines. There was a long time where every vehicle in my driveway (3) were diesels.

WITH THAT SAID: The emissions crap kills diesels. My '85 300SD's engine went only 300K miles before the damage from the original particulate trap caught up with it, and I had to replace it. Keep in mind that I've had that car for 20 years, and have no plans of retiring it - I like to buy quality, pay for it ONCE, and keep it forever. Calling a 4 or 5 year old car "old" is ridiculous, its not even broken in yet!

A "good" diesel engine will go 2 to 3x the distance of an equivalent gas engine, but diesels - especially turbo diesels, DO NOT suffer fools. They MUST be maintained correctly, or they WILL fail.

For myself, I cannot think of a single application where I'd rather have a gasoline engine - diesels are just far more drive-able and reliable. And the sound does something for my soul...

YMMV, and all that.
 

Newfy

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I have a 2007 RAM 3500 5.9 CTD, just before they put the emissions on them; change oil and filter, & fuel filter every 5000; engine works perfectly, less to go wrong; the new diesels scare me, to much to go wrong; For the Jeep, I'll stay with gas and keep my RAM till I kick. Used 5 days a week, the most reliable vehicle I ever had.
 

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MCJA

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My top 3 reasons for getting a diesel:

Reason #1: Torque.

Reason #2: Torque.

Reason #3: Torque.

High torque at low RPM is ideal for low-speed, high-difficulty offroading. (i.e., rock crawling or anything similar) If you really enjoy getting out into the rocks, then the diesel is a very attractive option.

Before all the haters line up to flame me... There's nothing wrong with the 3.6L or 2.0L for rock crawling. Likewise, there's nothing wrong with using the diesel as a daily driver, beach cruiser or whatever else. There's a reason car manufacturers offer choices. Just because someone else's choice isn't the same as your choice doesn't mean it's the wrong choice. Flame on.

My wife has over 80,000 miles on her EcoDiesel Grand Cherokee, and it's been absolutely fantastic. Fun to drive, responsive, zero maintenance issues. I know others have had different and less satisfying results. But her EcoDiesel is the reason I sold my JK and ordered an EcoDiesel as soon as they were available. For us, it's a great option.

I'll be eager to see Jeep's new plug-in hybrid Wrangler when it's available. The only thing that beats a diesel for torque is electric. Electric motors produce 100% of their torque at 0 RPM. A crawler's dream! But other factors such as range, longevity, and ability to be modified (namely suspension, wheels and tires) will be critical factors in choosing the hybrid option.
 
 



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