Ecodiesel Eco-nomics & Issues

[treillw]

When/if you hit a deer, speed up don't slow down. I also plan on a lift and chopping the fenders, that animal is hitting tire if anything. ? I ordered the Arcus with the round bull bar, if I don't think it is good enough I have a cousin who does phenomenal welding I could pay to make me a new bull bar. Or I could always get a grumper.

Funny story, I had a 2007.5 chevy vortecmax, about 7 inches of lift with 35s, and a RanchHand bumper (greatest bumper I've ever owned). It was a monster of a truck. One of our PCS moves across country, I swear it was animal suicide day. My wife thought I was hunting them down until she stayed awake and saw me go clear across the highway to avoid hitting them and they'd smash straight into my tires or bumper. It was one of the most bizarre things ever on a road trip. I believe I hit about 8 different animals across 5 states and the only issue I had was bending out the headlight hoop, power washing off the blood, and touch-up paint in a corner.

Yeah, I guess I didn't factor in the lifted Jeep on 37s bumper elevation.... in that case, it might hit them in the head!

Sponsored

 

[Dyolfknip74]

TIL I put more research into the mods I'm doing than the jeep they're going on. Lol. You guys take this stuff SUUUUUUUURIOUS. lol. That's awesome. It was easy before cause there was only the Jeep. Now we have a bit more choice albeit not the greatest one in the Bronco. But choice nonetheless.

 

[Sobchak Security]

Take a quick trip to Vegas. Lots of Wranglers on the lot at Jeep Only. That's the only time that I've driven a JLURD and I was really impressed with the power. Note, however, that it was an AEV with 37s and 4.56 gears.

That might work. I'll actually be there in mid March.

 

[CWRUYOTE]

Is there any place to get a discount on an AEV lift and wheels?

Not really. I think I've only seen one sale--AEV was running a special on a tire/wheel combo.

My rig is currently with AEV. I hope to have it back at the end of the month.

 

[BroncoHound]

That might work. I'll actually be there in mid March.

Also, check out Turo.com. Maybe someone has an Ecodiesel Wrangler in your area that you can rent for a day to drive around.

 

[Bluesharp]

Don't you worry about a deer taking out the 25% of your front end that is not protected by a bumper with those stubby bumpers?

I guess the bumper will only serve to take out their legs and the deer body will plow into the front end regardless (or vice versa). This makes me like the bumpers with the high "air blocking" tubes.

Wonder how a cattle guard would look on the front of a Jeep?? ?

Deer ain't scarin me.....I got Gorilla glass!!!!

 

[the_jeepeo]

[QUOTE

	Diesel Oil Filter Cost	63	($38 on sale)		Oil Filter Cost	12

[/QUOTE]

Would someone be able to tip me off as to where "sale" price for 68507598AA can be had?
Or is OP talkin about these "compatible" parts?

 

[zouch]

did anyone already mention that you need to factor in the fact that if you get a non-Rubicon, the EcoDiesel bumps you up to D44s front and rear?
that might carry some weight (no pun intended) in some calculations.

as for filters, there are a number of other vehicles using what is basically the same motor, so shopping around does find us some sales on them sometimes. (i personally just order them from my local dealer via https://www.moparbayarea.com/ so i don't have any chance of them getting snitty if there's ever an oil-related failure within warranty, and they give me a fair price for them there.)
for oil, i use Red Line; it's been the best in my experience at maintaining target oil pressure across the temperature range, and meets the EcoDiesel requirements. (oil is one place i don't skimp.)

but why Diesel? you just need to drive one. they drive great doing what they're for.
the only potential downside might be for the short-hop crowd, but i don't believe that's as much of an issue with the modern diesels as it used to be. that said, i do light up our old gas J**p if i'm not going to be going far.
DEF? meh,... watch the gague, put some in when it wants some. i haven't been tracking it closely, but it seems like mine uses less at 12K miles than it did when it was new.

and FWIW, the 2021 i got did NOT come with the larger mesh grille of the Gladiators; i haven't seen a JL/U yet that did. but it's easily retrofittable (sp?) if you are concerned about getting more airflow *in* to the radiator. (i haven't yet found the need, though i might do it just because i like the look.)

<snip>

 

[BDinTX]

@zouch - my 2021 has the larger mesh grill inserts. I also got the front trail cam, that may be why.

 

[zouch]

valid point; i wasn’t counting that option. thanks for pointing out that exception.
AFAIK, the Trail Cam still only comes with the larger mesh panels.

@zouch - my 2021 has the larger mesh grill inserts. I also got the front trail cam, that may be why.

 

[OG Patriot '76]

Like yourself I live in one of the hottest climates in America and head out on adventures that takes me through some very steep grades in the mountains. I haven't towed in the mountains nor will I ever place a roof-top tent or something similar on top of my rig. Although my payload surly exceeds the marginal load capacity. I'm constantly trying to refine that and keep it at a minimal. It's this whole Overland thing which I am a fan of but I'm constantly trying to minimize and take every effort constantly to downsize my payload. Jeep continues to improve. It's the Jeepers that continually push the envelope especially with this overlanding thing thinking they need everything under the sun and the kitchen sink when heading out for several days and nights off the beaten path. I'm confident if we packed our rigs more like we were going out on a backpacking Adventure, there would be far fewer of these concerns. And the capability that the jeep was intended to perform would remain optimal. I will admit I was intrigued and interested even at one time very serious about these small trail type trailers. But like everything there's never a stopping point. Two-door Jeep to a four-door Jeep then adding a trailer a roof-top tent. A Jeep Wrangler was never intended nor was it engineered for such a thing it's the Jeepers pushing the envelope. Jeep knows there's a heat concern with the diesel stuffed in the small engine bay of this Wrangler. It's my understanding and I've also read that the European EcoDiesel Wranglers come with a functional vented Hood. I believe this would be very effective in allowing the hot air to escape caused by the diesel and the Turbo. What is it with the auto manufacturers always putting the optional cool accessories or functionable factory options, (here in the Wrangler Diesel case), standard on European models and not the US market. I think it just needs to breathe and vent better. This non mechanical vented hood improvement such as a the one found on the European models, if it proves itself, it could be the Holy Grail by eliminating this overheating issue and 100% maintenance-free. Come on Jeep Cares! Let's give it a try. Give us an option. We have the block heater for cold climates at least make it an option to order the vented Hood for the hot climates. It's another reason I don't like Rubicon's, and I'm not talkin the 392, I see more posers that will never wheel the Rubicon than any other model. Those non functionable fake hood ornaments? Why? jmo it plays to that whole poser got to roll on 20's ...lol..the Rubicon sticker, Rubicon embroidered on the seats and the toy Matchbox fake hood scoop. It's okay, it keeps the trails less congested and more Rubicon crowds at your local mall, and Wally's World.
[/QUOTE We need those UnDirty Rubi's for the cheap take offs for pennies on the dollar on FB MarketPlace.

 

[OG Patriot '76]

Humidity???? What's that? Certainly not anything folks in mountain time zone ever think about!

Everglades City doesnt have high humidity. We have thick air.

 

[OG Patriot '76]

And that right there ladies and gentlemen sums up most of the engine issues. Overloaded.

KISS

 

[john adams]

I've been reading a ton about the Ecodiesel. Trying to decide between it and the V6. Based on what I see, operation costs between the V6 and Turbo 4 are pretty much the same. I feel that the V6 is the safer bet, because it's time tested and naturally aspirated (less to go wrong in my mind). Initially I thought the Diesel would be cheaper to drive, since it gets better gas mileage. Others have stated high costs for DEF and oil change. I wanted to see how the numbers add up, so I just broke down all the operation costs. Based on my math, the diesel costs about $0.013 more per mile to drive than a V6 or T4 (please check my estimates below and let me know if anything is glaringly wrong). If you are frugal and order mass quantities of oil, DEF, etc when it is on sale, I would think you might be able to get the diesel to cost the same as the gas engines, but never cheaper - unless fuel/gas costs reverse, which can go both ways. So my thoughts on the diesel are it builds more torque and will be more fun to drive, but don't expect it to save you money.
I have a couple of additional questions. What is the cheapest quality oil people are using for the diesel? Are there any cheaper alternative sources for oil filters?

Another noteworthy item is that I'm not seeing a tremendous cost increase for the diesel motor itself. I want an automatic either way and am leaning towards the V6 Etorque. Using the costs on jeep.com I'm seeing that the diesel only costs $1,760 more, however I don't believe this reflects the recent price increases. Using the forum's pricing spreadsheet, I'm seeing the diesel costs $2,760 more. Why are so many people/car review articles saying that the diesel is $4,000 more? Am I missing something??

Further thought process: It will cost a hair more to operate, or if I'm lucky the same. The initial cost for the initial power (motor cost) isn't that bad. So I could justify purchasing it. But then I'm reading about the overheating issues while going over mountains (I live in Montana...), the computer incorrectly calculating how much DEF you have and shutting the engine down in remote locations (I live in Montana), finding DEF in remote locations (did I say I live in Montana?), etc. Just seems like it could be a real pain and princess of a motor to take care of. The reason I want to buy this vehicle is to keep me from getting stranded in my current vehicle in the absolute middle of nowhere with no cell service and a 10 mile minimum walk to the nearest house (who hopefully won't shoot me when I'm knocking their door down at 2am).

The diesel sounds like it could be a ton of fun. But it might be much less of a headache to get the V6. Is Jeep planning on fixing any of these issues, as I'm sure are aware of them? If I'd buy a 2022 and they would fix it, would mine be upgraded based on warranty?

Any advice on which to choose?

Thanks!

		Diesel				Etorque V6/Turbo 4
	Diesel Fuel Cost	3.75	$/gal		Gas Cost	3.34	$/gal
	Combined Diesel Efficiency	25	mpg		Combined Gas Efficiency	21	mpg
	Cost Per Mile	$0.150			Cost Per Mile	$0.159
	DEF Cost	9.6	$/gal
	DEF Efficiency	900	mpg
	Cost Per Mile	$0.011
	Diesel Oil Cost	81	($9/qt)		Oil Cost	23
	Diesel Oil Filter Cost	63	($38 on sale)		Oil Filter Cost	12
	Oil Change Interval	10000			Oil Change Interval	10000
	Cost Per Mile	$0.014			Cost Per Mile	$0.004
	Total Cost Per Mile	$0.175			Total Cost Per Mile	$0.163
			$12.52	more to drive 1000 miles

The diesel to gas spread and prices in this post make me cry.

Paid $6/gal for diesel today…regular at 4.30.

Fuel economy ain’t making that spread up. And it isn’t going down until Europe starts buying Russian petrol again.

 

[treillw]

The diesel to gas spread and prices in this post make me cry.

Paid $6/gal for diesel today…regular at 4.30.

Fuel economy ain’t making that spread up. And it isn’t going down until Europe starts buying Russian petrol again.

What a zoo.

Sponsored