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3.0L EcoDiesel Specs, Tow Ratings, and Fuel Economy

Comprehensive Guide to the 3.0L EcoDiesel Engine

Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel Engine
Under-the-hood view of the Ram 1500 with the 3.0L EcoDiesel Engine. Photo courtesy of the FCA Media site.

In 2014, FCA introduced a new diesel engine to the Ram 1500 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 3.0L EcoDiesel. Unlike their larger 6.7L engine found in their Heavy Duty trucks, this engine isn’t made by Cummins. Instead, the EcoDiesel is manufactured by VM Motori, an affiliate of FCA, at their Cento Facility in Ferrara, Italy. The 3.0L EcoDiesel, especially in the Ram 1500, has been successful because of its impressive performance specs and fuel economy. This success in the Ram 1500 led to FCA introducing the EcoDiesel to their Jeep Wrangler in 2020. The result being the most fuel efficient Jeep Wrangler to date, by far. They are also expected to bring the EcoDiesel to the Jeep Gladiator, a Wrangler-inspired truck.

Since its beginning in the Ram 1500, the EcoDiesel has been improved upon to provide better performance specs, improved durability, and lower emissions. In this post, we’ll help you understand everything you need to know about the 3.0L EcoDiesel including mechanical specs, towing specs, and fuel economy ratings. We’ll also go over different applications of the 3.0L EcoDiesel and those vehicles unique specs as well.

3.0L EcoDiesel Performance Specs

Upon release, the EcoDiesel offered 240 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Being the only half-ton diesel around at the time, it easily overshadowed the segment’s gas vehicles in terms of fuel economy and tow capacity. In 2018, it finally received some competition from Ford’s F-150 with their 3.0L Powerstroke diesel engine. Then in 2020, GM introduced their own half-ton diesel with their 3.0 LM2 Duramax. Coincidentally, Ram released an updated and more powerful EcoDiesel in that same year. 2020 Ram 1500 pickups with the 3.0L Ecodiesel engine have 20 more horsepower and 60 more lb-ft of torque than the previous generation.

Engine Composition

The 3.0L EcoDiesel engine is made up of a Compacted Graphite Iron block for reduced weight, improved NVH qualities, and superior strength. Heat-treated aluminum cylinder heads featuring individual bearing caps help reduce friction and lower NVH. For greater durability, a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods are used. Aluminum alloy pistons have oil cooling jets that reduce reciprocating mass inside the engine for boosts in efficiency and feel. The EcoDiesel uses a DOHC, or Dual overhead camshafts, design. These two camshafts are chain-driven with roller-finger followers and gear-to-gear meshing, which results in more efficient valve operation. This engine utilizes a 16.5 to one compression ratio for early models, with it being reduced in 2020 to 16.0 to one.

3.0L EcoDiesel Engine
3.0L EcoDiesel Engine

Aspiration & Fuel Injection

A water-cooled, electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger provides impressive performance and very little turbo lag. The Multijet 2 High-pressure common direct fuel injection system features 29,000 psi or 2,000 bar of line pressure. Up to 8 injection events occur per cylinder cycle thanks to efficient high-dispersion nozzles. The period between injection events is also optimally modulated for reduced NVH, and reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Just about every feature on the 3.0L EcoDiesel is optimized to make the engine more fuel efficient, cleaner, or less noisy.

2020+ Ram 1500 EcoDiesel Changes

What changes were made to the 2020 Ram 3.0L EcoDiesel to make it more capable than the previous generation? Take a look at the bullet pointed list below.

  • New generation water-cooled, electronically controlled variable geometry turbocharger
  • Re-designed Cylinder heads for improved swirl and flow
  • Upgraded EGR System to a dual-loop system
  • Lowered compression ratio from 16.5:1 to 16.0:1
  • New fuel injector nozzles
  • Aluminum alloy pistons are redesigned with thinner rings and low-friction coating on the side skirts and pin.
  • Offset piston pin by .3 mm to reduce NVH
  • Lower portion of the two piece oil sump uses a lightweight sandwiched polymer/metal to reduce NVH
  • New dual vacuum pump system uses electric and a new mechanical low-friction pump with redesigned blades to improve overall efficiency.

The EcoDiesel in the Jeep Lineup

In 2014, around the time the EcoDiesel was introduced to the Ram 1500 pickup, it was also introduced to the Grand Cherokee. The Jeep Grand Cherokee benefitted from the 3.0L EcoDiesel’s superior fuel economy. Other available powertrains for the Grand Cherokee include a 3.6L Pentastar V-6 , 5.7L Hemi V-8, and a supercharged 6.2L Hemi Engines. The EcoDiesel offered much better fuel economy while simultaneously being able to pull 7,400 pounds. Unfortunately, the EcoDiesel was discontinued, making 2019 the last year they were available.

3.0L EcoDiesel Jeep Wrangler & Gladiator

In 2020, FCA brought the new EcoDiesel engine to the Jeep Wrangler. The Wrangler has always been powered by smaller gasoline engines that provide less than stellar fuel economy. When you throw bigger tires on them, bigger wheels, and a suspension lift the fuel economy goes from bad to worse. Drivability also suffers, resulting in poor pick-up and throttle response. The EcoDiesel is the answer to the traditional Jeep Wrangler problems. Fuel economy is greatly improved and the tremendous increase in torque results in dramatically better driveability.

3.0L EcoDiesel Jeep Wrangler
2020 Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel Rubicon

3.0L EcoDiesel Specs

3.0L EcoDiesel Years:
Ram 1500:
Grand Cherokee:
Jeep Wrangler:
Jeep Gladiator:
See Below:
2014+
2014-2019
2020+
2020+
Engine Design:60 Degree Turbocharged V-6
Block:CGI – Compacted Graphite Iron
Cylinder Head:Aluminum Alloy
Displacement:3.0 Liters or 182 Cubic Inches
Bore:3.27″ (83 mm)
Stroke:3.60″ (92 mm)
Compression Ratio:
2014-2019
2020+
Varies by Year:
16.5:1
16.0:1
Firing Order:1-2-3-4-5-6
Fuel Injection:Fiat MultiJet 2 Common Rail Fuel Injection, Direct Injection
Turbocharger:Water-cooled, electronically controlled
Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT)
Valvetrain:Chain-driven DOHC (Dual Overhead
Camshafts) 24 valves total,
4 Valves Per Cylinder
Pistons:Aluminum Alloy
TransmissionsTorqueFlite 8HP75 8-Speed Automatic Transmission
Weight:505 Lbs Dry
Engine Oil Capacity:
2014-2019 Ram 1500:
2020+ Ram 1500:
Grand Cherokee:
Wrangler:
Varies:
10.5 Quarts or 10 Liters
8.5 Quarts or 8 Liters
8.2 Quarts or 7.8 Liters
9 Quarts or 8.5 Liters
Coolant Capacity:12 Quarts or 11.4 Liters
Fuel:Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel
Fuel Tank Capacity:26 Gallons
Horsepower (Ram 1500)
2014-2019
2020+
Varies by Year:
240 horsepower @ 3,600 rpm
260 horsepower @ 3,600 rpm
Horsepower (Grand Cherokee) 240 horsepower @ 3,600 rpm
Horsepower (Jeep Wrangler)
2020+
260 horsepower @ 3,600 rpm
Torque (Ram 1500)
2014-2019
2020+
Varies by Year:
420 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm
480 lb-ft @ 1,600 rpm
Torque (Grand Cherokee)
2014-2019
420 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm
Torque (Jeep Wrangler)
2020+
442 ft-lb @ 1,600 rpm
Max Engine Speed
Ram 1500 2014-2019
Ram 1500 2020+
Jeep Wrangler 2020+
Varies by Model Year:
4,800 rpm
5,800 rpm
4,600 rpm
Fuel Economy:Varies By Year. See Chart Below.
Emissions Devices:Cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation
Diesel oxidation catalyst
Diesel particulate filter,
Selective Catalytic Reduction With
Urea Injection
DEF Fluid Capacity:
Ram 1500
2014-2019
2020+
– Tradesmen & Rebel
– Other Models
Jeep Wrangler
Varies:
———–
8 Gallons or 30.3 Liters
Varies:
5.14 Gallons
5.74 Gallons
5.1 Gallons

TorqueFlite 8HP75 8-Speed Automatic Transmission Specs

The ZF TorqueFlite 8-Speed Automatic transmission is standard on all EcoDiesel vehicles including the Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Jeep Wrangler. It has five clutch packs, only two of which are open at any given time to maximize efficiency. The torque converter used features turbine torsional damping. This allows the torque converter to lock-up in lower speeds in all eight gears.

2020 Ram 1500 TorqueFlite 8-speed Auto Transmission
GearRatio
First4.71
Second3.14
Third2.10
Fourth1.67
Fifth1.29
Sixth1.00
Seventh.84
Eigth.67
Reverse3.30

3.0L EcoDiesel Towing Specs

2020 Ram 1500 Limited EcoDiesel

Ram 1500 Diesel Tow Ratings

Model YearPayloadMax Tow Rating
2014-20181,590 lbs9,200 lbs
20201,800 lbs12,560 lbs
20212,040 lbs12,560 lbs

3.0L EcoDiesel Emissions

To meet strict governmental emissions standards, the 3.0L EcoDiesel comes with all the emissions devices commonly found on today’s diesel trucks. A diesel particulate filter is used to catch and burn excess soot. Urea injection and selective catalytic reduction uses DEF fluid injected into the exhaust stream to further low emissions. Exhaust gas recirculation is also used, re-routing hot exhaust back through the motor to lower emissions output.

3.0L EcoDiesel Fuel Economy

Diesel vehicles really shine when it comes to fuel economy. Unloaded, the EcoDiesel has much better fuel economy than its gasoline engine counterparts. Just take a look at the fuel economy numbers below for the Jeep Wrangler with the 3.0L EcoDiesel. They’re drastically better than those offered by the Pentastar engines and they offer way more torque too! Fuel economy advantages are especially present when towing though. Diesel trucks and vehicles offer much better fuel economy under load. If you are someone who tows a trailer frequently, you should definitely consider a diesel variant to your truck or SUV.

Ram 1500 EcoDiesel MPG

YearModelCity MpgHighway MpgAverage Mpg
2014Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
20 mpg
19 mpg
27 mpg
26 mpg
23 mpg
22 mpg
2015Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
20 mpg
19 mpg
27 mpg
26 mpg
23 mpg
22 mpg
2016Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
20 mpg
19 mpg
27 mpg
26 mpg
23 mpg
22 mpg
2017Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
20 mpg
19 mpg
27 mpg
27 mpg
23 mpg
22 mpg
2018Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
20 mpg
19 mpg
27 mpg
27 mpg
23 mpg
22 mpg
2020Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
22 mpg
21 mpg
32 mpg
29 mpg
26 mpg
24 mpg
2021Ram 1500 4×2
Ram 1500 4×4
22 mpg
21 mpg
32 mpg
29 mpg
26 mpg
24 mpg
Miles Per Gallon as calculated by FuelEconomy.Gov

Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel MPG

YearModelCity MpgHighway MpgAverage Mpg
2014Grand Cherokee 2wd
Grand Cherokee 4wd
22 mpg
21 mpg
30 mpg
28 mpg
25 mpg
24 mpg
2015Grand Cherokee 2wd
Grand Cherokee 4wd
22 mpg
21 mpg
30 mpg
28 mpg
25 mpg
24 mpg
2016Grand Cherokee 2wd
Grand Cherokee 4wd
22 mpg
21 mpg
30 mpg
28 mpg
25 mpg
24 mpg
2017Grand Cherokee 2wd
Grand Cherokee 4wd
22 mpg
21 mpg
30 mpg
28 mpg
25 mpg
24 mpg
2018Grand Cherokee 2wd
Grand Cherokee 4wd
22 mpg
21 mpg
30 mpg
28 mpg
25 mpg
24 mpg
2019Grand Cherokee 2wd
Grand Cherokee 4wd
22 mpg
21 mpg
30 mpg
28 mpg
25 mpg
24 mpg
Miles Per Gallon as calculated by FuelEconomy.Gov

Jeep Wrangler EcoDiesel MPG

YearModelCity MpgHighway MpgAverage Mpg
2020Jeep Wrangler22 mpg29 mpg25 mpg
Miles Per Gallon as calculated by FuelEconomy.Gov

Want To Learn More About the EcoDiesel?

Visit some of our other EcoDiesel resources or articles by clicking on one of the links below.

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ABOUT Kamil

Founder of Diesel Resource and a complete diesel head. Has a little bit of problem buying too many trucks. Learn more about him by checking out his truck.