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Ecodiesel engine died at 115,000 miles

4K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  97hmcs 
#1 ·
After accelerating from a stop to about 25 mph, the engine on my 2014 Ecodiesel stalled. My truck has (had? ): ) 115,000 miles on it. There was no prior warning, the truck has been running great since a minor issue in 2015. There were no strange noises, smoke, or anything alarming except for the loss of power. After it stalled, there were multiple warnings that displayed on screen: service electronic throttle control, something about the transmission, and a worrisome message about low oil pressure. It was difficult to pay attention while trying to coast over lanes to the side of the road. Once parked, the starter would turn, but the engine would not start and the transmission could not be placed into gear. I had the truck towed to the dealer. The code reader showed an issue with the crankshaft position sensor.

Maintenance has been meticulous with oil changes at just under 10k intervals and air/fuel filters changed out at the same time (I always figured it was cheap insurance to replace them more often than necessary).

After doing a little research I thought maybe it had something to do with the reluctor wheel and the magnets delaminating. I figured, ok, it'll be an expensive repair but nothing to worry about after 9 years of owning it.

Today, the dealership has told me there is metal in the oil and the engine needs to be replaced. (No smoking gun for cause).

I was quoted $23,000 to replace the engine (this seems odd based on the Mopar site having the engine available for $9,550). Truck was valued by KBB as a trade in around $18-19k (Laramie in great condition, if you ignore the engine)
Is it worth towing it to another shop for a second opinion, or to even attempt to find out what went wrong?
Is it worth finding an independent shop and paying around $15k to replace the engine?
Is there any value to these trucks with a blown engine or are they pretty much scrap?

Spending $15k on a truck that was worth as a trade in a week ago just seems a little crazy. But it has been such a nice truck and everything else is just about perfect.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I would get confirmation of all the fault codes present and a visual on the metal shavings - as you said, the vehicle symptoms and the crankshaft sensor code indicate it is a reluctor wheel failure (not cheap, but significantly less $$$ compared to a new engine).

Since you are out of warranty, I would seek an independent shops’ assessment. Based on other forum member’s experiences, a lower bearing failure has been preceded by loud knocking and sometimes visible oil leaks.
 
#3 ·
I'll second what @Da_Pack said. if it died quickly and silently, along with all the other descriptions you've given, it definitely sounds like the reluctor wheel to me. And if your truck is included in the recall I would definitely push to have it checked
 
#4 ·
If it was mine I'd have to have it repaired, go price new trucks😬:oops: and you mentioned your truck is nice and everything is just about perfect;):unsure: and like mentioned "look" at all the stuff and look for what you know, metal in oil filter would be bad, the reluctor wheel not so bad, and no on that dealer price(n), find an engine and have a competent shop do the install
 
#6 ·
Sure cold be the reluctor wheel as there were no unusual sounds. If there is metal in the oil it could also be the engine is coming apart but has not yet done so.

I would look into the oil issue with an independent shop. If it shows metal then, thought the reluctor issue may be there, fixing that with an engine going bad would be silly. Check out the oil issue first.
 
#7 ·
The dealership reiterated that the codes were all associated with camshaft position sensor (after hours and didn't have the exact codes handy). Mechanic was saying that the engine couldn't build oil pressure, and that the oil pump likely failed and starved the engine of oil. They tried showing me that there was metal in the oil. I had a hard time making sense of hat I was looking at (no glitter).

I had the truck towed to an independent shop to inspect and confirm the diagnosis. I will let you guys know the outcome.
 
#8 ·
If it's the reluctor wheel or the HPFP, both should be covered under recalls. IMHO, the engine damage as a result of a failed HPFP should be covered. In thinking about it though, if the HPFP is going, you'll have metal shavings in the fuel and fuel filters. If you're seeing metal in the oil. then you've probably had a bottom end failure. From mileage and year, you're probably out of warranty, but let's tag @RamCares and see if they'll help.
 
#9 ·
Hello,

We are sorry to hear about this. We'd love to offer an extra layer of support, should you choose to continue working with a certified Ram dealership. We do see that you took the vehicle to an outside shop, so if you end up going the dealership route, please feel free to send our team a private message.

Lex
Ram Cares
 
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#13 ·
I got the truck back last Friday, the 16th. The reluctor wheel and crankshaft sensor were both replaced. I attached the photo of the broken magnet on the wheel.

I drove it about 250 miles this weekend and the engine ran great (definitely not blown).

I've been told my truck was manufactured in the wrong month to qualify for the recall (May 2014). Very strange since the reluctor wheel is exactly the same as the others in photos that have failed. Also, it would have been nice to at least be able to go into limp mode rather than having the truck completely stall out.
 

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#14 ·
Congratulations and I am glad you are back on the road! I will be having my reluctor wheel done preemptively as soon as my warranty is up next month! My appointment is on July 26th. Don't wanna ruin my vacation in Sept. with the truck in limp mode!
Hopefully that gets you fixed up for another 115,000 miles!
 
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#17 ·
So I just had my reluctor wheel and sensor replaced on my 15 Ram and now truck runs rough then dies!! Any ideas on cause, had done at an independent shop as dealer quoted me $2300 for repair as it wasn’t covered under the dealer powertrain warranty and my extended warranty was up in May! No CEL’s and fuel pressures are good!! Probably gonna have to tow it to dealer but I’ve only heard bad from local Ram dealer!!! @RamCares
 
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