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3.0 Turbo Diesel in a JLU

17K views 64 replies 14 participants last post by  Prot 
#1 ·
So the new Eco Diesel is available in the Wrangler Unlimited this year. With it you must have the eight speed automatic. If you buy it with a Sport or Sahara package you get the Gen III Dana 44’s front & rear with 373’s, and Rubicon package with the EcoDiesel gets 373’s too. The turbo diesel will rival the HEMI for power with better fuel economy. I know the HEMI makes more power, but the turbo diesel makes max torque (440) at a very low RPM, less that 2000. The HEMI makes its power above 4000-5000, so you have to rev the HEMI to beat the the little turbo diesel.

So who’s bought one? It seems like the perfect match for a JLU on 35’s with 373’s or 37’s with 410’s. I think I’ll be looking at them, maybe next year after the new engine has been in the Jeep for a while, so they can work out any engineering issues that may arise.
 
#2 ·
So no one here has a 3.0 Turbo Diesel Wrangler?

The JL forum seems to have low volume participation. That’s kinda funny, because I see JLU’s on the street constantly every day. I like the lower stance compared to the JKU.
 
#3 ·
I am going to be looking at them. I have been watching a couple guys on YouTube that are running them and they seem to be pretty decent in the torque department and mpg. I have had diesel vehicles since 2008 and am used to the DPF and DEF stuff. I think most manufactures have most of the bugs worked out. I did see they will need to redesign the lifts to account for the weight and some shock changes due to engine items. Aside from that they look like the ticket for me. I will be looking hard at them even with the new Ford Bronco coming out.
 
#4 ·
If you have a short commute or frequent short drives without enough longer trips, the diesel is not the way to go due to the regen cycle and a three thousand dollar filter that can get clogged up from such use.
 
#5 ·
Good point. I was reading an article online about the added maintenance cost of the 3.0 EcoDiesel, and the fact it cost more to maintain, thus offsetting the fuel cost savings from better MPG. It was mostly due to oil change cost, and now that I think about it it didn't mention fuel filters?

Does this new 3.0 EcoDiesel have a fuel filter that must be replaced periodically? I guess I need to do more research, and find out what the added maintenance will be with it.

For me the appeal of the diesel is all about the low end torque, and nothing to do with any possible savings from MPG. My 2005 Duramax has been a great truck, I have never had to upgrade anything on it, it's a towing machine as is. With 220k+ on the odometer it gets the best MPG ever, I think the engine is finally broke-in.
 
#6 ·
The three thousand dollar filter that can get clogged is a particulate filter.

I was all set to take the plunge into diesel but when I started reading about regen cycle, short commutes, and this expensive filter potentially clogging up from such short use, I decided it is not for me.

My commute for work is four and a half miles each way. The rest of my driving is almost all stop and go short trip city driving, especially during corona.

Yes, I do road trips, pull people out of mud, go to places that I need my lockers, but that’s the exception, not the rule.

My final analysis is the 4XE Rubicon seems targeted at me for my realistic use.

All this city driving due to corona and no road trips or interstate driving has dropped my fuel economy down to the 11-12 mpg range. The only thing making it tolerable is I am not driving much so I actually spending less money on gas.
 
#7 ·
I am currently teleworking, but that will change eventually, and I will go back to my normal 45 minute commute. Based on that distance, I should be OK driving it to work if I chose to put some miles on it. It it will not be my primary vehicle. I had a 2017 JKU Sahara back in 2018, and I really liked it, the way it drove, it was easy on gas, with a lot of nice options, it really was a nice Jeep, so I think getting into a LJU will work out for me.

I haven’t really found any negative reviews of the Dodge 3.0 turbo Diesel (EcoDiesel) other than when it was newer, in the 2014 thru 2016 timeframe. The versions being built for the Jeep are the third generation, so it has been revised twice. Hopefully they have work all the bugs out of the design, because the more I think about it, the better the Turbo Diesel in a four door Wrangler Sounds.

It looks like the 2021 models get a 345 gearset, instead of 373’s. But the 2021 Rubicon gets 411’s with the 3.0 Turbo Diesel, vice 373’s for all 3.0 Turbo diesels in 2020. That makes a base model Rubicon a little more attractive for me. I definitely don’t like the idea of 345’s since I will be running 35’s at a minimum, and probably 37 eventually.
 
#9 ·
This is what happens when you test drive a new car with a an awesome engine...it drug me home as the new owner
 

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#10 ·
. . . recently sold my '98 TJ commuter (not commuting anymore), and I'm now sporting a 2020 JLUR Eco-Diesel. Having never owned a diesel engine, there's a bunch of questions. Top of the list is: How often is the fuel/water separator supposed to be drained? The manual only mentions maintenance when the 'water in fuel' light comes on, and makes it sound like an emergency.

" . . . At this point you should stop the engine and drain the water from the filter housing. Within 10 minutes of vehicle shutdown, turn the filter drain valve (located on the bottom of the filter housing) counterclockwise to drain fuel/water; allow the accumulated water to drain. Leave the drain valve open until all water and contaminants have been removed . . . ."

The dealer says wait 'til the light goes on. Seems to me there oughta be a schedule. Any experience with fuel/water separators on diesels?
 
#13 ·
The diesel fuel filter does three things:
It filter the fuel
It separates out water
It heats it in cold weather to prevent the filter from clogging with wax.

The filter element should be changed per the service info.

Diesel fuel does not normally contain water, but it is a big problem when it does. The filter material keeps water on the dirty side, to a point. Well before that point, the water activates a sensor that turns on the Water in Fuel light. At that point you stop and drain the water out of the filter housing. It may come on several times, depending on how contaminated the fuel is. If you ignore it, enough water will build up and the pressure from the fuel pump will force it through, at which point the filter loses its ability to stop water. You will also be replacing the very expensive high pressure pump shortly thereafter.
So, yes, the Water In Fuel light is an "emergency" item, you do not have to drain it on a regular schedule. But the filter element does need to be replaced periodically.
 
#11 ·
I have a Duramax LLY that I bought new in 2005. I have never had a fuel problem, and that includes water in the fuel. I have changed the fuel filter when the light comes on, which is a easy task, takes about ten minutes. If the dealer and the manufacturer says wait for a warning light, then that’s what you should do. It probably wouldn’t hurt to drain it on a schedule, but it is not required. The reason it is not required is diesel fuel does not normally have water in it, the system is there for the rare event that you do get water in the fuel.
 
#12 ·
I just wish the diesels today were as simple as they were long ago. If they were, I would trade in my current JkU immediately.

The thought of a three thousand dollar particulate filter getting clogged just from not driving far enough is mind boggling. The engine also goes into limp mode when that happens. It makes no sense to build something that works that way.
 
#15 ·
According to my 2020 Wrangler “Diesel Supplement” the fuel filter should have the water drained during each oil change. So it is a scheduled maintenance procedure. The fuel filter should be replaced every other oil change. I dont see any harm in draining it more frequently just to see if any water comes out. I would suspect no water would come out normally, unless you get a bad bag of gas.
 

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#16 ·
I filled up the gas tank for the first time after 450 lead footed miles. The low fuel warning light had come on the day before. I drove it to town and back with that light on, about another ten miles, twice, so it was reading close to empty. The low fuel warning light came on when the gauge read about an eighth tank. I expected it to take about twenty gallons to fill it up, since it has a twenty three gallon tank. It only took seventeen and three tenths, and that’s after topping it off, not the first time it clicked off, I added fuel until it clicked off three more times, making sure it was full. 450/17.3=26.0 MPG. I’m sure this thing is going to get 29 or more on the freeway, so it’s good on gas, as advertised.
 
#27 ·
I filled up the gas tank for the first time after 450 lead footed miles. The low fuel warning light had come on the day before. I drove it to town and back with that light on, about another ten miles, twice, so it was reading close to empty. The low fuel warning light came on when the gauge read about an eighth tank. I expected it to take about twenty gallons to fill it up, since it has a twenty three gallon tank. It only took seventeen and three tenths, and that's after topping it off, not the first time it clicked off, I added fuel until it clicked off three more times, making sure it was full. 450/17.3=26.0 MPG. I'm sure this thing is going to get 29 or more on the freeway, so it's good on gas, as advertised.
I want to inquire about this; I'm studying the various options with a new JL soon to be acquired, and the specs I get from their website tell me the diesel has a smaller fuel tank? Window stickers are stating 18.3.
 
#17 ·
On the fuel filter issue I doubt you will ever have an issue, on all my trucks we change them every other oil change an never drain them for water. These things have sensors that should shut it down if you get water in your fuel, but follow the manual. I also buy my fuel from high volume locations, so it is fresh. There is one location here that twice has had gas in the diesel and diesel in the gas, truck unloaded in the wrong tanks, scary. I also buy my DEF from Wal Mart, pretty cheap compared to other locations in my area and they always seem to turn the product over so it's not old. There are videos on YouTube that explain the numbers on DEF so you will know if it's been sitting a while. It's not as cheap as at the pump but much cleaner, if you go to the fuel pump DEF fill handles are usually just full of dry crusty DEF, I don't want that stuff in my tank. On another note, I placed an order for a new JL two days ago, diesel option, so now it's a waiting game.
 
#18 ·
I picked up a set of Rubicon rock sliders for $100 off CL. I ordered a set of flat black USA Flag stickers from xplore-off-road.com and you can get 10% off with code USA10. Shipping was quick, and I put the stickers on today after work. I’m pretty happy with the look of my new Jeep, it’s looking the way I like it, subtle, clean but not Flashy.

After 2214 miles the manually calculated MPG is 26. I did get 27.7 on one particular freeway trip, so the EcoDiesel is delivering.
 

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#19 ·
I contacted my dealer today and got my VON(Vehicle Order Number), then got on Jeep chat and they gave me the VIN and stated it was "Vehicle sequenced for production". No dates yet, I didn't ask, but at least the VIN was assigned and not canceled like I have seen some others deal with. I'm looking forward to the oil burner.
 
#20 ·
I drove my new EcoDiesel Jeep out to Boone NC to pick up my kid yesterday, a 360 mile trip one way. I topped off the gas tank and reset the trip odometer the night before. The trip was 99% highway driving, with two brief “rest stops” on the way out there, and one stop to pick him up at the dorm, and then head home. The freeway speeds were between 64 and 79 MPH for the most part. As you approach Boone NC on HWY 421 from the East, there are some pretty steep grades or inclines. The Jeep went up the hills like a champ, it was pretty impressive. Going down the grades was just as impressive because the transmission will hold your speed, downshifting when required. When I stopped for gas on the way home it took 13.0 gallons to top off the tank. I had driven 421.0 miles when I refueled.

421/13=32.38

I had to do the math twice, I thought I made an error the first time, but that’s it...I got 32 MPG on the freeway.

I’m going to top it off again today, and see how it did on the return leg. Unfortunately we were in stop and go traffic, for about five or ten miles on the freeway, so I know if will be considerably less. Plus we stopped for dinner, at a Five Guys burger joint, that took us off the freeway a few miles, but when Nick found the Five Guys close to the freeway, we were all over it.

Tons of power, and good on gas, what else could you ask for? I love the new EcoDiesel engine/transmission package in my JLU.
 
#22 ·
Do be aware that measuring individual fuel fill up volumes for diesel is tricky. Diesel foams when it’s pumped, unlike gasoline, and the foam fills the top of a tank and shuts off the fill nozzle. So it’s full, but it’s not all liquid. Averaging over multiple fills is pretty reliable.

Vehicles with large tanks drivers learn to trickle in the last ten percent or so in order to let the foam settle and get more in the tank if they wish. Probably not a productive use of time for a small tank, though.

There is a fairly active community over on a Ram truck forum. The EcoD has a longer history in those.
 
#23 ·
Do be aware that measuring individual fuel fill up volumes for diesel is tricky. Diesel foams when it's pumped, unlike gasoline, and the foam fills the top of a tank and shuts off the fill nozzle. So it's full, but it's not all liquid. Averaging over multiple fills is pretty reliable.

Vehicles with large tanks drivers learn to trickle in the last ten percent or so in order to let the foam settle and get more in the tank if they wish. Probably not a productive use of time for a small tank, though.

There is a fairly active community over on a Ram truck forum. The EcoD has a longer history in those.
I've been driving a Duramax since 2005. I am familiar with diesel fuel foaming. It takes some time and effort to top off the Duramax. I have found it foams less if I leave the engine running when refueling. The Jeep tank is actually pretty good at not clicking off until it's actually full. I noticed that with my JKU and Challenger, even though they were both gas burners, the Dodge gas tank filler design doesn't click the pump off until it's actually full. There is not much left to top them off. Unlike my wife's 4runner. When it clicks off the pump, I can get another gallon in the tank by topping it off.

Anyway, anytime I am doing a manual gas milage check, I always top off the tank. That's the only way to know it is full.
 
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#24 ·
My bad, I missed your earlier mention of your Duramax. I have a question; how long is the engine warranty? I’m getting ready to shop JL’s myself and I can’t find any mention on Jeep’s website of the ED having anything different from the standard 5yr/60k.

In the Ram 1500 they’re up front advertising 100k Diesel engine warranty.
 
#28 ·
My window sticker reads 18.3 gallon as well. I don’t remember where the 23 came from now? I must have read it somewhere. Maybe I need to run it out of fuel one day to verify where the fuel starvation point is on the gas gauge. That’s the only way to know for sure. My Duramax low light comes on around 20 gallons, and it has a 26 gallon tank. I have run it 40-60 miles past the low warning light, and it never ran out. I believe it took 24+ gallons to fill it the next day.
 
#30 ·
Since I've been lurking around here... I throw out a comment. As far as changing the fuel filter... even tho it says every other oil change, I like to go by miles driven. I've been changing my filter every 15K. Ready for next change soon. The times I've changed it (myself... super easy) I've not seen any water in the filter at all. Just try not to buy fuel at a low budget no-name station. I'm also not a fan of bio, just #2. I also get the Mopar filter from amazon for about $35.oo, and oil changes for around a C note. For this motor, IMHO it's more important to change the oil... being a diesel, it gets dirty really fast.
 
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