Adding DEF, Breaking Down the Cost - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Adding DEF, Breaking Down the Cost - 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Long-Term Road Test

Our long-term 2014 Ram 1500 EcoDiesel needs diesel exhaust fluid from time to time and finally we found a pump to fill it up from.

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kirkhilles1

I'm sure people will say "oh, it's just 10 gallons per 10,000 miles", but that's another $28 added to your oil change maintenance costs (which is more than the jug of Mobil 1 costs people at Walmart). That's in addition to the extra costs of diesel fuel and other costs and more limited gas stations, etc. Not worth it in my opinion. I'd like to see how an electric truck would work out, though.

s197gt

$6/gallon washer fluid?!!! and it wasn't even in california where i'm sure the high cost of washer fluid can be blamed on the manufacturer having to prove that no dolphin tears were used in production...

thecardoc3

s197gt said:

$6/gallon washer fluid?!!!

Washer fluid and DEF are both blue and watery, but the similarities stop right there. There have been some attempts to use washer fluid in place of DEF. It not only doesn't work, it comes with a costly, and unpleasant lesson that makes just purchasing and using the correct fluid seem cheap. BTW, This same lesson is also taught the hard way when it comes to storing the product as it is very heat sensitive, and you have to pay attenion to its expiration date since it has a limited shelf life. Product that has been stored at too high of a temperature hydrolyzes and can become too degraded to pass the onboard test of the fluid.

yellowbal

The DEF nozzle probably automatically shuts off when full too. That seems so much easier and faster than pouring bottles.

allthingshonda

Very good post. But you failed to include the cost of maintenance. If that is factored in then the operating expense of the EcoDiesel and the Hemi are much closer. Also, unless I've missed it, you guys have never posted what a fuel filter change cost on the EcoDiesel.

nagant

Yeah the "excellent" powertrain that needed $11K worth of repairs. Ummmm no thanks. In other words when you add in the cost of the diesel option, the extra price of D fuel and the DEF, the break even point is a loooooong way away.

bankerdanny

I don't think they were out of pocket for any of the powertrain repairs.

jfa1177

@Bankerdanny-
You are correct. All parts, from what I read, were covered by the warranty. However, this instills very little confidence in owning this truck long term. My neighbor has 2 Dodge Rams; much older than this one but both are utterly falling apart. There are a litany of issues ranging from transmission failures, wrinkling chrome foil on the grill, to IPs disintegrating.
Don't get me wrong the EcoDiesel intrigues me but true long term ownership is still a mystery.

BTW-seems like VW had/has the same issue with their fuel delivery systems in the TDI models. There have been many instances were the entire fuel system was replaced (sometimes at owner expense) due to HPFP failures. Seems more durability testing is needed!

vdot

This was a good article. There are a few additional convenience-factors not often mentioned. In my state of PA (and I assume others?) diesel vehicles dont need a 40 dollar yearly emissions inspection. The other factor is the long range between fill-ups which is very convenient. Finally, I have a 275 gallon tank of diesel fuel in my garage with an electric pump. This adds a lot of convenience especially in snowy weather (even though the cost is higher than 'at the pump') and is something I would never attempt with gasoline.

g35buf

yellowbal said:

The DEF nozzle probably automatically shuts off when full too. That seems so much easier and faster than pouring bottles.

The DEF pumps DO shut off with a pressure switch like a regular pump. Easy access here in Western NY. At $2.89 a gallon for DEF at the pump vs approx $4.80 from the box AND the easy of filling it is well worth it. I have the Laramie Eco in a 2015 and it is crazy how little I'm at the pump. Getting almost exactly the average mpg Edmunds has experienced without any effort to drive economically. The driveability of the diesel is awesome...perfect power band for suburban driving. My 2014 RAM with the 5.7 was good and got good mileage for a V8 but overall the diesel is the better daily driver.

cynik

Update the cost comparison to show maintenance costs. From your posts on this diesel it looks like there is a significant cost in changing the oil and someone else mentioned the fuel filter.

ndahi

Driving a Diesel truck burns less fuel over the same life mileage of the truck. That means less CO2 pumped into the air. That is a cost too. Those of you who are talking costs should add that "externality" to the overall cost of driving a gas powered truck. Then, and only then, will you have an apples to apples comparison in cost. Note: The cost is there regardless whether you believe in global warming or not.