America has a complex relationship with diesel engines. Diesels are the lifeblood of the transportation sector, providing power to all kinds of trucks and commercial vehicles across the country. But sometimes American automakers make diesel engines that get terrible reputations.
Eric from I make cars The YouTube channel finds out why Jeep’s EcoDiesel engine has such a bad reputation in its latest teardown video. Originally found in the latest-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee and versions of the Ram 1500, they are notorious for failing prematurely, with hard-to-find parts and many extremely tight packages.
The only reason we know this engine is bad is because it cannot be turned by hand, which indicates a problem with the connecting rods or crankshaft. From the outside it looks quite healthy, with no visible signs of damage. You wouldn’t know it was broken judging by the heads. The areas under the valve covers are like new with no stains or minimal scratches.
It’s only when Eric removes the heads that the damage becomes evident. One of the pistons, at one point, hit the valves, leaving a clear imprint on its face. Sure enough, when the oil pan is removed, we can see numerous metal shavings that Eric says once served as bearings for the connecting rods.
The bearings disintegrated, causing one of the rod caps to detach from the rod, freeing the crankshaft to drive the piston into the head. The connecting rod cap bounced in the crankcase before becoming wedged between the crankshaft and the block, seizing the engine. Yeah.
Eric suspects a lack of maintenance and a lack of surface area for the bearings that led to the failure. Given that he dismantles engines like these for a living, we suspect he’s onto something. Eric has taken apart many EcoDiesels and says they all had similar problems with the bottom end.
Our suggestion? Opt for the gasoline engine instead.
