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@@stevenpeterson7234 Why would they need a marketing scheme for a vehicle that doesn't sell? They only sold 10,550 Titans all of last year. Just for comparison Ford sells that many F150's in five days.
The low oil pressure is likely due to the oil being thin from so much heat, but when revved up, the oil pump is able to maintain pressure. At the end of the test while the oil was cooked, and you idled down, the low rpm wasnt able to create the necessary oil pressure with the cooked oil.
There was still pressure reading, it was just set below the warning level, which looks like they set it to 20lbs from the factory. Oil temps were only reading I think 235 in the test... seems like someone screwed up spec'ing that oil weight from the factory. Another compromise made in the name of chasing fuel efficiency numbers maybe? I would hope not
Use a thicker oil and it’d probably be fine. It’s a symptom of too thin an oil with very high temperatures resulting in basically not enough viscosity to maintain oil pressure.
Same thing is destroying the 3.0 ecodiesel engines. Perhaps someone can explain the variable pressure/volume oil pumps that they are using today... designed for optimum fuel economy, but not for the bearing longevity.
It's just hot, oil is thinned out from the heat, when you stopped, the rpms dropped and pressure reduced. I'd bet the manual says to run a heavier weight oil for the conditions you are operating in. My Ford's manual does.
That’s why I run a 5W-30 full synthetic instead of the 0W-20 in my Gladiator. I’ve seen 245 oil temp while running heavy uphill at highway speeds for 20 minutes at a time. Plus I live where it never gets below about 10 degrees so no need to go to a 0 W oil.
Given it went right back off, this seems correct. Stopping after heavy duty work or track racing is never recommended. Cars like a little cool off period at modest rpms, then idle for a couple mins, then shut down. Got to let those fluids flow and cool.
I have two cars without a dipstick so I’ve gotten used to just trusting the sensor and knock on wood, it’s been fine. But but I 100% agree with you on is that was nowhere near enough oil pressure for high RPM maximum output. Even 3.6 in my jeep output 78 psi at anything over 3500 rpms. I’m guessing the oil was so thin being 0w-20 there wasn’t enough volume available from the oil pump to get that pressure high enough
Tfl has been testing and beating trucks for years. I can't believe they didn't understand that when extremely hot, oil thins out. That was the cause of low oil pressure light. Once it gets back to normal operation temperatures the oil will get its viscosity back. Oil breaks down, its what it does. Light went out minutes after it came on, temperatures dropped. Come on tfl you guys should know this. I give ram a gold medal and 5 stars for its performance on this test.
Ok you’re right that oil thins out when it’s hot. But you can’t give a vehicle 5 stars when the factory oil spec thins out so much at a within limit temp that you get a low oil pressure light.
@@jetdriveryou're absolutely right they recommend to thin of oil for cafe fuel efficiency standards because they don't care if the motor only lasts 100,000 Mi versus 200,000 the manufacturer is not worried about longevity
My dad had a 1972 ford with a straight 6, had half a million km on it. He pulled the engine and 3 speed tranny to make a 8" grinder used to grind half frozen 50 to 80 lb blocks of frozen fish for mink feed. That engine never died, nor the tranny.
It also wasn't turbo-charged. These underpowered/undersized turbo engines aren't gonna hold up long, and with all the electronics today it'll be a tossup which fails first electronics or engines.
@22:30 heat coming from the truck means the cooling is working properly to expel the heat. Low oil is def just a low viscosity oil for the usage and only becuaer you went to idle to it indicate so. Add some rpms and watch the low oil pressure light go away. Also, oil pressure vs oil level are different
@@davidporter7051HTHS oil rating is everything for this type of test. A Euro 5W-30 with a 3.5 HTHS rating, would make this issue go away under same conditions.
@@Mdan7 it will not make it stay away. It may provide a cushion but the problem is cooling and manufactures cheaped out on coolers about a decade ago to save a few bucks per unit.
I’m no big fan of Ram, especially when I heard the no oil dipstick thing, but that was not a fail. That thin, hot oil was the reason it threw a low oil pressure warning. As soon as it cooled down a bit, it recovered.
@@johnpeters9793 come to my area of the US and you'll see that this type of towing is a normal thing. Maybe get some more life experiences before you speak.
I'm NOT inclined to call that a fail. There was never a warning that the vehicle was going to fail all the way to the top. Once stopped, a low oil pressure warning was seen... and this was the first time the truck went to idle. Parked. Made it. Done. Never had to stop, slow down or alter plans. Idle will produce the lowest oil pressure... and when it alerted, it seemed to only go 1 or 2 psi below the "normal" range.... and as stated when it sat idle for a few minutes, the pressure came back up and the warning went away. I agree that there is NO reason to remove dip sticks from engines. None. I see it as another means of preventing us from maintaining our own machines. That has little to do with the pass/fail of the test. I think you did make a valuable find in this case, though. Ram needs to bring a few of their own test rigs out to your area and test in a similar condition to see what results they get. BTW.... I am curious to know if you guys went and got an oil change after that run. If not.... you really should. Well done. Keep at it.
I agree. I call that run the first successful one and I am a Ford man but do recognize a good engine when I see it. I am quite impressed with this new motor. Would have never bought the so called "Hemi" but I would buy this one.
I do agree that it made it and accomplished at the task but it did fail to adequately cool the engine oil, this is a huge issue in terms of longevity when actually used to its full capability. Impressive nonetheless but still, a noteworthy flaw was identified here.
@@bpl0807 18 PSI at 500 rpm is perfectly safe 8 psi at 500 rpm wouldn't even cause damage. But they could bump the idle rpm up to 600rpm when the oils at 240F and that would raise it 2 more psi. They could also use a 2 core radiator not sure if they do now.
I'm not a RAM fan but I think the truck finished the task and was parked before it gave a warning. I think it passed. C'mon Roman! Give it some respect!
@@hotlightning9496 The Ram never reduced power like the others. It also never told them to shut it down. 20 psi is plenty of oil pressure for an engine to not get damaged at idle. Is it ideal? Not in Rams opinion but I was taught that 10 psi per 1,000 RPM is sufficient so there is plenty of safety factor at 20. Should you be alerted so you can check things out to make sure they are ok? Absolutely. Plus it came back above 20 very quickly. The Ford (my favorite) warned them AND reduced power AND THEN told them to shut it down because it was getting critically hot. I don't like that the Ram outdid the Ford and Chevy in this test but it did. Let me explain it like this: If 3 people run a 100 yard dash and one guy has a heart attack half way (Ford), another guy pulls a hammy 3/4 of the way (Chevy) and the other guy crosses the finish line but his shoe is untied (Ram), you're gonna disqualify the guy who crossed the finish line? Or this: I just noticed that one of my tires failed. It's only at 34 psi while the others are at 35. Do I need to continue?
No respect here, when Auto manufacturers start doing dump stuff. Like taking away dependability, by putting everything electronic. So the average person cannot work on his own vehicle. And putting control fetchers into a vehicle. People need to take a stand and not buy these vehicles. People need to start putting demands on auto makers. for what we want and expect in a vehicle. The first thing is, pickup trucks can and should be getting 60 plus miles per gallon with V8'S. And Not the crap they're making now. We have the technologies to get 60 plus miles per gallon. They have had these technologies since the 1970s. Auto manufacturers are being treated not to release this technology. We have had technologies to go green for decades. We are dealing with a bunch of hypocrisy. We want stuff that we can maintain ourselves. And not have to bring to a certified mechanic shop every time we need something done. That's delicious. How is a person supposed to change the engine oil or transmission fluid. When there are no dipsticks. Or how are you supposed to know how much oil is in the engine when the electric oil gage fails. Which it will. A Gage will never tell you what the dipstick can.
It's also the frequency. If you max it out once or twice a year, fine. But if you plan to tow that kind of wieght often, you should look at a bigger truck.
They keep raising the tow ratings because marketing. You should be able to tow rated capacity without issue. But, because people think a higher rating means the truck is stronger they set it high. Set that rating at about 8,000lbs and that truck would probably be much happier.
The problem is these trucks aren't designed to work at 100% capacity at all times. I wouldn't run my equipment at max capacity at all times, I'd rather find a comfortable amount of overhead to increase reliability but that can lead to efficiency reductions so yeah.
I absolutely love this channel and I bought my truck based off this channel in fact it was the same exact model and color you guys tested. Also want to add I’ve been critical of Roman in the past but this type of video is where he shines. His journalism background shines through to keep these manufacturers honest.
It didn't get a low oil pressure until you started idling. Tho oil is much thinner when it's hot. So while you were still driving, the oil pump was turning faster, ergo more pressure. As soon as the oil temp started to drop, your oil pressure came back up. Just kick up your idle for a few minutes after you stop. You need to let the turbos cool off anyways before you stop the engine. I'd call it a win.
@@JohnConrad it beat the crap out of the other two. I've been undera tundra or two and wouldn't touch one doing my job in the woods. The garbage they have hanging all over the place under there is just a disaster waiting to tear the guts out after you get off the road cupcake. And you are limited to lifts and such because they're only slightly upgradable. I like Toyota too, but they haven't made a good truck in ages
As someone who lives in Arizona, I appreciate this test. Getting out of the valley to escape the summer heat is 7% grade with 115 degrees sometimes higher. I see a lot of ALL brands on the side with hoods open with trailers attached.
Seen that all the time with newer trucks on the sides of the highway, can't remember which pass it is now, but overheating was a major problem with newer trucks on that pass, my old F250 never batted an eye at steep hills....the 460 never struggled, only struggle it had was passing by a gas station without needing a drink LOL.
It's not only that. It's also really tight tolerances from the bearings and journals. Got to have thinner oil to make it between those components. Add sustained heat into that already thin oil, and your asking for issues.
@@kuhndog-1196 As a polite and well-intentioned FYI, you are referring to *clearances*, not "tolerances*. Tolerance refers to the range of acceptable sizes to which a part must be manufactured (ex: a main bearing made to Ø2.002 max / 2.000 min), while clearance refers to the resulting space between mating parts (ex: the crank journal and the aforementioned bearing).
@@kuhndog-1196 This is when I wonder, unless manufacturer states it in the manual, that when people suggest heavier weights when it isn't called for completely ignore engineering tolerances in the engine and oil pumps (numbers they don't know). Bubba mechanics saying use "this brand in weight" Nope, I'm using what it says to use.
@bjornironsides6474 absolutely. If I put 5w30 in my 6.4 power wagon that calls for 0w40, it would kill it. Older rigs it's not a big deal. I mean I could run 15w 30 in my 73 dodge without issue.
The main reason large transmission coolers are not required these days is modern transmissions have lock up torque converts, that are strong enough to remain locked at almost all the time while towing uphill.
Gotta love that manufacturers take away the physical dip stick and you have to rely on the digitial dipstick. Just something else to fail and something they can charge the consumer more for when we dont want it.
BMWs have been doing it this way very reliably for the last 2 decades. I don't agree with the system but it's really not that bad reliability wise. Just extra steps to see how much oil is in the engine.
@@amritk5173 You think it's reliable but if the reading accurate? I had a 135i and that was my first and only experience with this. But if I want to check my oil. I HAVE to drive 10-15 minutes. I cannot just open the hood and physically check it. Same thing for changing the oil, I have to drive to get a reading. Plus in the BMW, it would always say full. It costs more money for manufacturers to incorporate this instead of leaving alone what has worked for decades upon decades.
They had no dips tick because RAM doesn't think owners need to check it themselves. Their sensors never fail, so people need to just trust them, their dealers, & dealer service departments.
Test all the half ton pickups with the same trailer weight, then it would be a good comparison. Having the RAM tow 3,000 lb more than the Chevy is not a valid comparison between the two trucks.
The oil pressure can temporarily drop from the new variable flow oil pumps that slow down at idle to save fuel, that combined with the slope and heated oil may have done it.
I have 13,2xx miles on my 25' 1500 with the standard output 3.0. We took a trip pulling our enclosed race trailer (20' 6600lbs +/-) within the first 300 miles of ownership and I loved everything about it except the oil pressure being at 23-25 psi at idle. I figured its due to the barely thicker than water oil from the factory. So i switched to Pennzoil ultra platinum 5w30 at 6000 miles and just did my second at 12,000 miles. Oil pressure is up around 3-5 psi higher and makes me feel a littler better inside. I've only ever owner ford diesels and ecoboost and this is my first dodge, very happy with my purchase.
Considering the rams with the 5.7 liter engine where bullet proof with the exception of inadequate oiling at low rpms which caused premature failure of the valve train. An easy fix with software, limited idle and replacing the oil pump with one out of the hellcat motors. You think Ram should have learned from that. The inline is a butter smooth engine. Hoping it turns out to be reliable.
@truckguy6.7 I had my doubts, but so far so good. Just finished our 5th trip with the race trailer today, little over 1000 miles. Avg 9.6 mpg, highest temps were 225 coolant, 187 tranny, and 224 oil, which was running 75mph through the mountains of WV at 86F ambient.
Iam currently on a 5000mile roundtrip from MO to CA. We are on our way back home. I drive a Hyundai Palisade with 7 kids (we squeeze 4 in the second row, 3 in the back) I tow a 5000 lbs travel trailer. We went over Tioga pass (10.000ft) and climbed 3 times in one day over 5000 ft driving through Death Valley at 115-120F outside temperature, so far absolutely no issue, the temperature needle never really moved, I did turn off the Air condition for 10minutes on one of the crazy Death Valley climbs, not sure if I needed but wanted to be safe since there is no cell phone and barely any other cars driving. So far Iam absolute impressed, even towing uphill with 35-40 it can do it at 3000 rpm. Thursday we will also cross the one gauntlet but I don’t expect any issues considering what we done already
Nah, Northwest Loggers make those "torture tests" anemic. I've seen heavy duty pickups being used to help 80000 lb log trucks being pulled up steep hills on gravel!
The Standard Hurricane is speced for 0W-20, The HO is Speced for 0W-40. Most likely the oil thined out at 240º+ and caused the low pressure. I wuld run 0-40W towing during hot weather
So look in the manual and I will bet they have a different weight oil for severe duty ie towing if the normal for none severe duty is 0w-20 I’ll bet they go to 5w-30 for severe duty or some variation like that
I would call that a win for this Ram. The oil viscosity that manufactures are recommending is just too thin thanks to the EPA, especially in a high workload environment. I would just run a 30 wt oil in it if it was mine. Stellantis, if you are listening , stop being so cheap and install an oil dipstick. This is a work truck for goodness sakes.
I remember the days of 10w40 being a sludge making combination back in the day. Quaker state was the worst. Pulling valve covers to find caked carbon sludge in a bunt cake shape of the valve cover.
@franknedobity2757 I remember my dad helping a friend pull a 318 out of a Dodge Ram van that was absolutely caked up with sludge. He said that is what happens when you use Quaker oil, it turns to Quaker oats.
Really gives perspective that these full size trucks are light duty trucks and this is something you should only do with medium and heavy duty trucks. I think a really interesting test would be to do an engine oil test before you go up this route and then an oil test after this to see what has happened and whether you should be changing the oil right away after such a torture test.
@@Joe-hz1nw I have a different perspective. This is an extreme test, and with a bit more cautious driving (slower, less demanding, not always wide open), there should be no issues. This test is interesting, taking it to the max (from a performance point of view). For "legal" reasons I actually like the highest tow rating possible; and if the vehicle reaches it's thermal limits, just take the foot off the pedal and take it more easy.
@@yxcvmk the appropriate way to set limits for vehicles is to be conservative so even if the customer is pushing the vehicle hard, providing it’s on legal roads like the ones in the video, it should be able to accomplish the task it states it can do. There are roads similar to the one shown, in just as hot of weather, where you have to drive at least twice as long as their route before you’re to the top as well. Anything else is simply false advertising, truck can potentially be damaged or greatly shorter service life. We shouldn’t excuse manufacturers for what is false advertising, which is what you’re essentially doing with your position.
Your issue is heat related, as the oil warm up the tickness or viscosity reduced which leads to the low oil pressure. higher viscosity oil would help with that particular use case
When engine oil is very hot, pressure is very low because rpms controls pressure. The oil is thinned out, so when oil cools the pressure will come back up.
Discontinuing the hemi 5.7L engine in the 1500 series ram was a mistake! Did I hear right that there is NO DIPSTICK on the engine? What brilliant engineer thought up that? I own a 1500 Ram with a hemi, and I love it! It will pull all day long no problems whatsoever.
I am not too sure that the cooling system is too weak. I would never assume that an engine can handle wide open throttle at slow speeds in hot environments for an unlimited time. This test is great, showing the limits, but *in real life people with some sense would not push their vehicle that hard all the time.* Just take the foot off the pedal and take it a bit slower. Everything fine. This is an extreme test, and with a bit more cautious driving (slower, less demanding, not always wide open), there should be no issues. This test is interesting, taking it to the max (from a performance point of view). For "legal" reasons I actually like the highest tow rating possible; and if the vehicle reaches it's thermal limits, just take the foot off the pedal and take it more easy. And this view comes from somebody who in general dislikes the fact that things are build with planned obsolescence - all for (artificial) economic growth to keep the monster from Jackyll island breathing :-), and at the cost and the lifetime of those who actually produce value by working...
Let’s hold testers accountable. Per all manufacturers, you don’t get max tow ratings at altitude. They are sea level values that are supposed to be reduced at altitude. They are overloading these trucks!
For car and truck reviewers you seem to not know a lot about engines, oil etc. You maybe should team up with valvoline or amsoil and learn something about heat and its impact on oils and what viscosity ratings etc. are standing for. it maybe went for a fraction of time below 20psi where Dodge set the low oil pressure warning limit. It turned itself off as the oil was getting cooler and the pressure went slightly up. This is not a fail....
In general, you are right. But the bottom line is that the engine is filled with oil either from the manufacturer or recommended by him. So either pick up another oil or improve the cooling. Because the fact that there is not enough. 100 degrees is not an extreme temperature. It's about 37 degrees Celsius.
Possible,, One of the new oil pumps is a small belt drive inside the pan, under the engine.. Small belt, and you have to remove the pan to service it. Would high heat on your torture run melt the belt?
Trucks like this came from the factory with 0w20, for economy reasons, but this kind of oil is good for Alaska in winter, not at high altitude on this kind of heat!!! The oil break down and can't create the minimum pressure required by those engines!!! Change the oil, put 5w40 and do the same test again, and you will see that you won't encounter this problem!! Because of crazy pollution norme, they use way to thin oil. I had a similar problem with my 04 v10 excursion on the first trip back home with the car!! As soon as I get home, I put 5w40 in it. No more problem, since then!! Please, change the oil and repeat the test. Good show, guys!!
You'd flip if I told you I pulled a Mobile home, not an RV, a Mobile home, a half mile down my property line with a 4cyl 1996 Ford Ranger... And we got up to like 15 to 20 mph in that thing at times
1/2 ton trucks are basically cars, 3/4 ton trucks are where trucks start. Chevy and Ford 1 tons are HD trucks and the Ram 1 tons are tractors. But that might change in 2025, they’re ditching the commercial transmission for a single engine and transmission option for the whole class so it will either be great or just same playing field as the others with the economy and power numbers game.
@@MattChat56because the bearing clearances are designed for 20 oil AND ABSORBS AND RELEASES HEAT FASTER You can run thick oil if you want All you're going to do is open up the gaps on the engine.
@@duramaxadventures5832 good to know. Maybe I’m a little old school and just have always operated under the notion, if it’s hot and you are working the truck, it’s better to have something heavier than 0W-20. I guess times are changing.
@@MattChat56 It depends. Thick oil will take longer to get to temperature however one thing that's not discussed is because it's not pulling the heat as quickly away from the surfaces you can actually hotspot so you could have good oil temps but actually be causing issues. Once the thick oil is hot it takes longer to cool down because it doesn't want to release that heat. Thin oils work very very well at absorbing heat and releasing heat, now having said that when hot there isn't that much of a difference between a 20-30 and a 40 weight. Yes it's measurable but there's a large scale inside of each one of those weight classes for viscosity. What we're actually seeing is what happens when you run big power and big cylinder pressures and you're using oil squirters like we used to in the diesels back in the early 2000s. Those trucks had massive oil coolers these OEMs are trying to get by by saying our customers don't duty them quite like that and save money by putting small oil cooler's on them. Most are using liquid to liquid oil coolers however the problem is if you upsize the oil cooler to move the heat out of the engine now you need to upsize the cooling system and particularly the radiator... If you've seen a lot of modern vehicles they have very thin half inch thick radiators for some reason.. all that adds cost so instead they just don't. Instead they tell the customer to tow lighter (cough FORD cough) or buy another product from us 3 months into ownership..
Major fail for GM. 275F transmission temperature towing only 7000 lbs. The Ram did a lot better, especially considering it was towing 50% higher weight with an engine half the size. Oil temperature at idle dropped below their low threshold after 15 minutes of heating it. I don't think that's a major problem. The engine didn't shut itself down. Oil thins out continuously with increasing temperature and the combination of low viscosity at idle speed caused the oil pressure to drop. If you had revved the engine slightly, the oil pressure would have increased and the low pressure alarm would have gone away. After the oil temperature decreased a few degrees, the low pressure alarm went away by itself. If the engine has a variable-displacement oil pump, maybe Ram needs to change its calibration to increase pump displacement oil at high temperature. 232F is not a dangerous oil temperature.
Sounds like another Dodge guy crying that the oil that Dodge says it needs Dodge still sucks. It should’ve been gone in the 80s except for Lee Ayoka so let’s put an industrial engine in there. That’s the only thing to save Dodge or we wouldn’t have it anymore.
@@terrelltiller5710 There is definitely truth in this, I remember it well. Dodge was just about dead until after 1993-1994, then it suddenly became the latest and greatest thing, because Lee Iacocca.
Couple of comments. First, I saw it passed, didn't overheat or detune itself. I agree with others that talk about under heavy conditions go to a higher oil weight. The ram manual I found online talks about 0w-40 for the HO Hurricane. I would say that is the best bet even with the std output if you are towing @ max capacity. Also you made a comment about 15-20 years ago mfgs had an external oil cooler and now they put it in the radiator. Cooling through the radiator was always the case. The external was/is (you could install your own still) in addition to help cool even more under towing.
@@NOXStellans will definitely help. The only caveat would be the new hurricanes sensitivity to the thicker oil at low temp. Tolerances with small passageways with bearing feed and turbo feed can sometimes create starvation/ cavitation.
Yes, I have seen this many times on race car engines. Give it a few revs and the problem disappears, but very hot oil at idle will on some vehicles show very low pressures.
Just like anything else in life, how you ask is often more important than what you ask!!!😊😊😊 We work our trucks hard, but if you know a little bit about how they work you can keep them in a range that doesn't over stress the components.
This is one of those tests where I wished you guys did all the older 1/2 trucks. I wanna see the new Tundra but also the 5.7L V8 Tundra, the 5.6L Titan, the Ford Coyote too.
@@302Mustang13 my GVWR is 9200 on my titan. But I'd put her to a torcher test of 11k. I wouldn't risk it if I weren't afraid to lose it. Trade in and private party resale are terrible on a 200k rusty 06' titan. Only thing it's got going for it is it still runs like a champ and I take pretty good care of it. I'd actually like to see if it could do it.
@@jarrodwidiger5472 gvwr on a 2006 Titan is 9200 lbs. I don't think so. No sane owner would do this max tow test as TFL does. At minimum, the oil and transmission fluid need to be changed afterwards.
RAM is why we bought one for consistently towing of all kinds of rv’s across the country. This is great to see- looks like they keep their towing game real. Impressive
The 3.0 TT is unfortunately going to net you lower economy than an old school v8s in towing applications. You'll have the power especially at elevation, but having to slow down 5 or 10 mph has never been something to bother me.
No dipstick is absolutely bananas... If you get a truck into the shop with no oil change sticker how the F do you tell if the oil is freshly changed, or is 10k miles overdue and needs to be changed asap? More stuff designed to shorten the life of the vehicle.
0w20 oil heated up to the point to where it thinned and caused low oil pressure. If it were my truck I would dump the factory 0w20 early on and change to a high quality synthetic 5w30.
It's very likely a combination of lower viscosity oil at high temperature and the variable displacement oil pump reducing flow at idle that caused the pressure to briefly dip below 20 PSI, triggering the low pressure warning. You can see starting at 21:30 as the engines begins to idle down, the oil pressure gradually decreases up until the warning is triggered. Given that the pressure did not rapidly decline at any point, there definitely was not an issue with oil supply at the pickup or an oil-out leak. I guess this was just an edge case where the pressure dropped faster than the variable oil pump could readjust to maintain pressure because the oil got so hot, and thus a low enough pressure was reached to trigger the light.
High oil temps reduce viscosity and subsequently oil pressure. At idle, oil pressure dropped below the safe threshold trigger your alarm. If you had idled the engine at 1500rpm, oil pressure would have remained above the threshold and the low oil pressure light would have remained off.
It's not a fail. Oil viscosity has dropped due to the heat generated by the load. After the oil has cooled, the light went out, indicating oil has cooled to its normal viscosity. That's a victory for Ram. Congratulations on Ram and thanks TFL for the test.
I’m not an expert here but I don’t think that lowering the weight onto the hitch/axle and THEN putting the load distribution trunions on is a correct use of the load distribution hitch… you shouldn’t be able to get them onto their perch with the load on the trucks…Typically you want to set the hitch up such that you lower the trailer onto the hitch ball, latch the hitch, then use the jack to raise both the trailer and the hitch slightly to allow the trunions to slip over their perches, then lower the truck and trailer down using the jack to pre load the trunions thusly distributing the weight from the rear axle of the truck back to both the front axle of the truck and onto the axles of the trailer. If they simply slip onto the perches with the tongue load fully applied to the truck, you didn’t use them at all. They’re just hanging there.
This is not a regular weight distribution. They didn't show them adjusting the tension bolt. When all components are on you can set the bar tension with the tension bolt.
Roman is wrong, That wasn't a failure & it never derated like the other two, The low oil pressure warning was caused by high oil temperatures thinning out the viscosity of the oil as it passes thru the oil pump & sensor. that's normal. think about pancake syrup... at normal temperatures it's thick but flows.. if it's heated up, it's thin & runny.... Oil acts the same way. you can see once it idled for a minute, it cooled a little & the warning went away. the reason it didn't go off still pulling was the oil pump was pump was running faster because of engine rpm & airflow. once they stopped, oil pump slowed down & pressure dropped from lower rpm, happens at any temperature & is normal. it was right after the hard pull and airflow stopped, so there was still high ambient heat radiating but no airflow. Ram actually passed the test... It was also pulling 3,000lbs more weight than the Chevy and 10 degrees hotter air temperature.... the ford/chevy was 90 the ram started at 100(97) and pulled more weight, hotter day & maintained engine & tranny temperature the whole way. The super heated oil thinned out but maintained the whole drive.... then a short warning & it cooled itself off quickly.... Roman is also incorrect, low oil pressure & oil level are Not the same or connected. since ram foolishly went to a level sensor, thats different... but.. 99.8% of vehicles use a light or guage to measure oil PRESSURE... not level... if you had a 6 qt system, you could be 4 quarts low & the light/guage will not show that. it only measures oil going thru the pump allowing it to build pressure to distribute it... no oil, no oil to pump= no pressure... you can still have full pressure and still be VERY low on oil....... Ram, Still a Pass. well done.
Are you a ram fan boy by chance. Low oil pressure when towing well under the rated tow capacity while running the factory recommended oil is a fail every day of the week. Just because the motor still sounds fine doesn't mean that the bearings weren't wiped. They need to do an oil analysis.
@@NoName-ml5yk”use the factory recommended oil” is key for a job like the one they are embarked upon, which requires a thicker viscosity, not the oil recommended for epa approval for sale off the lot. Also they appeared to be running the rpm’s too low when the light went on. I’m a professional driver and that will happen to almost every truck when you do a hot run up a mountain with too low viscosity oil for the job and immediately drop to idle, at best that is a operator error not knowing the truck. When doing a hot pulls always keep rpm’s consistent until the oil cools and when running automatics sometimes it is necessary to manual override your shifts.
So Ram made an engine almost as powerful as the 2013 3.5L EcoBoost. About time. I tow with a 3/4-ton now. I have towed uphill in 114f with 10,000lbs on my 6,500lb trailer in AZ. The biggest thing is to slow down when it starts getting hot, which in my case is over 225f on the coolant, over 240f on the oil, or over 250f in the transmission. Seen a lot of guys (all brands) sitting because the cruise tried to maintain speed. I let mine drop a gear and it kept going. Diesel for life!
@GuretoSefirosu the almost as powerful standard output has quicker acceleration than the 3.5 in the videos I've seen. The h.o. should be a good bit stronger and quicker
You should try this with an old school big block truck...say 1995 or earlier. My biggest fear of these new vehicles is the 0 weight motor oils..back in the day my Dodge truck had a variety of viscosities recommended for hot and cold weather extremes.
Manufacturers have been using tranny coolers within the engine coolant radiator for decades. One reason they do this vs an external dedicated tranny cooler is because the engine coolant helps the transmission fluid get UP to operating temperature more quickly as well as keep it from getting too hot.
This is not a truck problem, it’s an oil problem. The viscosity is too low, causing the oil to thin out at high temperatures. I would call this a win for the ram.
Thanks for doing these tests guys. It's good to know where the "limit" is and have a good baseline of which to judge all the trucks against. TFL Toaster should be a shirt 😂 I would speculate that the low oil pressure was due to the temperature of the oil combined with the low RPM when you stopped, as while you were driving the RPM was higher. Manufacturers may say that a very small percentage of people use their truck like this, but I'd venture to guess that many people actually do use their trucks hard, and having this data from you guys is very valuable. It's confounding to me as well as to why manufacturers stopped putting external transmission oil coolers on trucks as well. You could go aftermarket though, possibly (would it void warranty?). That'd be a good before/after test!
Good comments. Also, was the truck supplied with 0W oil. That's asking for a failure. Maybe the warning sensor is set to a higher pressure to allow a failsafe. It is very likely due to low viscosity caused by elevated temperature. Great video again,guys!
They like to let the truck do it's thing to test how the programming is. They say locking it in a gear is the right way to tow up a grade, but that makes the test easier.
I thought you two were smarter than this! How can you assume there is low oil in the engine because the the "low oil pressure" light came on? It's LOW OIL pressure not a NO OIL pressure light. The thin oil just got so hot that it trigger the sensor. Lets face it gentlemen most people would not drive their truck in this manner. Maxxing out the tow capacity and then climbing a long steep grade at the same time is just too much to ask.
Most vehicles do not have a oil level measurement on them (and I'm surprised the Dodge does). My 2000 Buick Regal did, they had a light that could come on if it was about 1.5 quarts low, but that is a fairly Buick-specific thing and is uncommon. Most vehicles have an oil pressure light, and it usually comes on because your oil level is too low.
it still had 21 psi of oil pressure,it and apparently thats when the light comes on in the ram but the light went out at 22psi so I wouldnt cal that a fail because 21 psi is still plenty there just being carefull and if you would have given it just a few hundred more revs at idle the light would have gone out right away
Is it possible to put the transmission into manual so you can hold a lower gear? If so, that would likely make a measurable difference in the performance of the truck.
As a heavy equipment mechanic for 45 years i can safely say all oil thins out as it gets hot and oil pressure will go down when this happens. Im sure if it got to low it would derate engine or stop it. Best of luck and Thanks.
I like TFL but think Andre induces some drama in this test. The traction control light was coming on while he was on the pavement! The erratic throttle will keep the transmission shifting around and prevent the torque converter from locking up which drastically increases trans AND engine temps. This is not how any responsible person would operate equipment in this environment. Andre's test proves if the trucks can be deemed "Mouth Breather Rated". We all know if this were actually Andre's truck he would have driven the hill differently as he's a very intelligent person. As others have stated the low oil psi light was a byproduct of high temps and 0w20 oil. If you drove any of these trucks reasonably, maybe 2nd gear the entire trip, I think the results would be much better. With the steep gravel road grades I'd even consider 4LO range. That gravel might slip enough on the switchbacks to prevent t-case binding and the additional gear reduction on that last leg would certainly be much easier on the equipment.
Agreed, That’s why you have a 2nd & 3rd gear selection, preferably 2nd gear would have prevented the transmission over shifting and would have been easier on the engine as well.
I don't think he was purposely adjusting throttle. The pickup was shifting itself trying to keep a certain speed. He does need to lock it into a gear. Agreed
He's to busy talking to drive this responsibly. See the video where he drag races a pickup pulling a camper and blows the driveshaft out, totally stupid.
You have proven your point invalid by saying "if" they had been driven/treated/used differently. It's laughable. Babied correctly, a Yugo could be driven a million miles. Common sense is in short supply in this country. Obviously you do not have a fleet of vehicles like this that see repeated IGNORANT use every day. Our construction company has over a dozen of these, and the stupidity of people who get in, start it, immediately put it in drive and move is staggering. They pay zero attention to warning lights, throttle position, gear slection or instructions. THAT is what this test is designed to do. Obviously anyone with half a brain would not treat vehicles like this daily....but you'd be shocked at how many do.
One of the issues with running such thin oil in modern vehicles. I'm not surprised. Oil temps got so high that the viscosity thinned down and idle pressure dropped below programmed limits in the computer. It actually did really well. I did a similar run with a 8,000 lb trailer with my 2023 Nissan Titan XD and the temps barely moved. Those turbos create a LOT of heat.
I'm confused because I thought most modern engines have the ability to vary oil pressure even at low RPM. I wonder if that was the maximum oil pressure it could generate at hot idle or if this engine isn't using a variable displacement oil pump.
@@karlschauff7989 I think you are correct about it not having a variable displacement pump, but I could be wrong, just a guess based on the fact it couldn't keep pressure at idle when the viscosity thinned out. My truck specs 0W-20 year round. I put 5W-20 in it during the summer. Even though it's still rated as a 20 "weight" when at operating temps, the viscosity is actually slightly higher than a 0W-20 at operating temps because the API specs have a range.
Is this a situation where one would want to change the oil grade for the summer? I'm sure it was delivered with a grade that works year round under average conditions?
All this Hurricane engine needs is a thicker weight oil to account for the bearing clearances. They're probably running some economy 0w20 to 0w40, and it really should be 15w40 or 20w50 for heavy duty usage to sustain pressures when run hard like this. Great video as always, boys!
Love me some Sunshine Canyon and Gold Hill! Back in the 80’s our school buses would break down in the warmer days because of vapor lock. Meaning the bus would over heat the engine bay and vaporize all the fuel in the carburetor float bowl. The cure was to pull over, open the hood and let it cool down. This road is no joke.
It was obvious the oil overheated and if you would have put the truck in high idle for a few minutes, everything would have cooled off. People forget the oil system is not only the lubrication system but also helps cool the engine. Do you know what type of oil was used, conventional or synthetic? I thought the truck did exceptional well considering what was asked of it. Love the channel, you guys provide great information, and I enjoy the content; keep up the good work.
So I'm surprised yall didn't know that when the oil gets that hot it flows much easier and therefore reduces pump pressure, however VOLUME is likely the same or slightly more. My 430ci camaro idles with 50psi when cold but when it's over 230° it's down to 25-30psi
Incline has nothing to do with oil pressure, the pickup tube is at the back. It got low pressure from being a low viscosity oil being superheated and thinning out.
@@cantbsdave it's not the 0W that's the issue per se. 0W is the grade at start up. As the temperature rises so does the viscosity, in this case up to a 20 weight once the engine is warmed up. The problem is when the oil gets very hi it actually looses some of its viscosity and begins acting like a 15 or even 10 weight which isn't "thick" enough to properly lubricate the engine. That is why using a xW- 30 weigh would be better. BTW, there is really no such thing as a true 0 weight oil. They are actually a 2 or 3 weight to start out. That is why using a 5W- oil is not an issue except in extreme winter conditions. I got this info from a fluid dynamics engineer that worked on developing oil additive packages for the major oil companies.
I probably would’ve been using a 5W 40 Amsoil signature series and 75 w140 in the rear axle and find out if there’s any advantage of using 93 octane And KYB mono max shocks
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So TFL when are you gonna do that test with a Nissan Titan XD 5.6 V8? I bet it would stomp it with ease!!
@@stevenpeterson7234 Why would they do a test with a discontinued vehicle?
0w20 is too thin for that much heat.
@@BamaTidefan1967
It's not gonna be discontinued. It's just a marketing scheme
@@stevenpeterson7234 Why would they need a marketing scheme for a vehicle that doesn't sell? They only sold 10,550 Titans all of last year. Just for comparison Ford sells that many F150's in five days.
The low oil pressure is likely due to the oil being thin from so much heat, but when revved up, the oil pump is able to maintain pressure. At the end of the test while the oil was cooked, and you idled down, the low rpm wasnt able to create the necessary oil pressure with the cooked oil.
most likely the case imo too
To be fair dodge had problems with the hemi due to a lack of oil at idle for the lifters. Dodge loves the weak oil pumps.
There was still pressure reading, it was just set below the warning level, which looks like they set it to 20lbs from the factory. Oil temps were only reading I think 235 in the test... seems like someone screwed up spec'ing that oil weight from the factory. Another compromise made in the name of chasing fuel efficiency numbers maybe? I would hope not
Use a thicker oil and it’d probably be fine. It’s a symptom of too thin an oil with very high temperatures resulting in basically not enough viscosity to maintain oil pressure.
Same thing is destroying the 3.0 ecodiesel engines. Perhaps someone can explain the variable pressure/volume oil pumps that they are using today... designed for optimum fuel economy, but not for the bearing longevity.
It's just hot, oil is thinned out from the heat, when you stopped, the rpms dropped and pressure reduced. I'd bet the manual says to run a heavier weight oil for the conditions you are operating in. My Ford's manual does.
This guy gets it 👆
Yup! Not to mention, the 3.6 pentastar uses a 2 stage oil pump that drops the pressure significantly at lower RPM......this new engine could as well.
That’s why I run a 5W-30 full synthetic instead of the 0W-20 in my Gladiator. I’ve seen 245 oil temp while running heavy uphill at highway speeds for 20 minutes at a time. Plus I live where it never gets below about 10 degrees so no need to go to a 0 W oil.
Given it went right back off, this seems correct. Stopping after heavy duty work or track racing is never recommended. Cars like a little cool off period at modest rpms, then idle for a couple mins, then shut down. Got to let those fluids flow and cool.
Yep doesn’t help some of the manufacturers run thinner oil now even on heavy trucks
Low oil pressure and no dipstick make me cringe. 😬Screw a sensor, I want to see the levels with my own eyes.
Bingo
If my Freightliner didn't have an engine oil dipstick, I'd turn in my CDL right now. Hell, I'd turn in my damn license completely.
I have two cars without a dipstick so I’ve gotten used to just trusting the sensor and knock on wood, it’s been fine. But but I 100% agree with you on is that was nowhere near enough oil pressure for high RPM maximum output. Even 3.6 in my jeep output 78 psi at anything over 3500 rpms. I’m guessing the oil was so thin being 0w-20 there wasn’t enough volume available from the oil pump to get that pressure high enough
Exactly. It feels like Stellantis doesn’t understand what truck guys want. Give me the oil dip stick and get rid of the damn knob
@@qdog494truck guys don't get a new one every 3rd year.. they don't care about you
Tfl has been testing and beating trucks for years. I can't believe they didn't understand that when extremely hot, oil thins out. That was the cause of low oil pressure light. Once it gets back to normal operation temperatures the oil will get its viscosity back. Oil breaks down, its what it does. Light went out minutes after it came on, temperatures dropped. Come on tfl you guys should know this. I give ram a gold medal and 5 stars for its performance on this test.
Ok you’re right that oil thins out when it’s hot. But you can’t give a vehicle 5 stars when the factory oil spec thins out so much at a within limit temp that you get a low oil pressure light.
@@jetdriveryou're absolutely right they recommend to thin of oil for cafe fuel efficiency standards because they don't care if the motor only lasts 100,000 Mi versus 200,000 the manufacturer is not worried about longevity
So you're rewarding the truck for not being able to be properly used as a truck? GTFOH
High oil temp = lower pressure
They are so clueless. It boggles the mind.
My dad had a 1972 ford with a straight 6, had half a million km on it. He pulled the engine and 3 speed tranny to make a 8" grinder used to grind half frozen 50 to 80 lb blocks of frozen fish for mink feed. That engine never died, nor the tranny.
It also wasn't turbo-charged. These underpowered/undersized turbo engines aren't gonna hold up long, and with all the electronics today it'll be a tossup which fails first electronics or engines.
That's why they quit building motors that lasted. Mfg losing money
@22:30 heat coming from the truck means the cooling is working properly to expel the heat. Low oil is def just a low viscosity oil for the usage and only becuaer you went to idle to it indicate so. Add some rpms and watch the low oil pressure light go away. Also, oil pressure vs oil level are different
You should do a follow onto this video. Drain the oil and install 5W-30 and run the exact same test as close as possible.
why would a human hair's width make much of a difference?
@@davidporter7051HTHS oil rating is everything for this type of test. A Euro 5W-30 with a 3.5 HTHS rating, would make this issue go away under same conditions.
@@Mdan7 it will not make it stay away. It may provide a cushion but the problem is cooling and manufactures cheaped out on coolers about a decade ago to save a few bucks per unit.
According to our local Ram service tech, running anything but 0w20 will void the warranty. I asked, that was the answer I got.
@@kelvinmann1058 ...so essentially they are saying run it with water so it breaks and we can gouge you to fix it.....
I’m no big fan of Ram, especially when I heard the no oil dipstick thing, but that was not a fail. That thin, hot oil was the reason it threw a low oil pressure warning. As soon as it cooled down a bit, it recovered.
Exactly.
Still a fail my 2013 has never done this even towing heavy. Failed hard.
@adamsmiths3016
You have no clue if your '13 has "done this"...
@@johnpeters9793 you have no clue what my 13 has towed you idgit.
@@johnpeters9793 come to my area of the US and you'll see that this type of towing is a normal thing. Maybe get some more life experiences before you speak.
I'm NOT inclined to call that a fail. There was never a warning that the vehicle was going to fail all the way to the top. Once stopped, a low oil pressure warning was seen... and this was the first time the truck went to idle. Parked. Made it. Done. Never had to stop, slow down or alter plans. Idle will produce the lowest oil pressure... and when it alerted, it seemed to only go 1 or 2 psi below the "normal" range.... and as stated when it sat idle for a few minutes, the pressure came back up and the warning went away. I agree that there is NO reason to remove dip sticks from engines. None. I see it as another means of preventing us from maintaining our own machines. That has little to do with the pass/fail of the test. I think you did make a valuable find in this case, though. Ram needs to bring a few of their own test rigs out to your area and test in a similar condition to see what results they get. BTW.... I am curious to know if you guys went and got an oil change after that run. If not.... you really should. Well done. Keep at it.
I agree. I call that run the first successful one and I am a Ford man but do recognize a good engine when I see it. I am quite impressed with this new motor. Would have never bought the so called "Hemi" but I would buy this one.
I do agree that it made it and accomplished at the task but it did fail to adequately cool the engine oil, this is a huge issue in terms of longevity when actually used to its full capability. Impressive nonetheless but still, a noteworthy flaw was identified here.
shouldn't have any issues or warning lights every time you test the capability.
Maybe the oil thing from the heat lowered your pressure? As it cooled your pressure came back?
@@bpl0807 18 PSI at 500 rpm is perfectly safe 8 psi at 500 rpm wouldn't even cause damage. But they could bump the idle rpm up to 600rpm when the oils at 240F and that would raise it 2 more psi. They could also use a 2 core radiator not sure if they do now.
I'm not a RAM fan but I think the truck finished the task and was parked before it gave a warning. I think it passed. C'mon Roman! Give it some respect!
Yes, my thoughts exactly
Dude it still failed lol doesn’t matter when
@@hotlightning9496 The Ram never reduced power like the others. It also never told them to shut it down. 20 psi is plenty of oil pressure for an engine to not get damaged at idle. Is it ideal? Not in Rams opinion but I was taught that 10 psi per 1,000 RPM is sufficient so there is plenty of safety factor at 20. Should you be alerted so you can check things out to make sure they are ok? Absolutely. Plus it came back above 20 very quickly. The Ford (my favorite) warned them AND reduced power AND THEN told them to shut it down because it was getting critically hot. I don't like that the Ram outdid the Ford and Chevy in this test but it did. Let me explain it like this: If 3 people run a 100 yard dash and one guy has a heart attack half way (Ford), another guy pulls a hammy 3/4 of the way (Chevy) and the other guy crosses the finish line but his shoe is untied (Ram), you're gonna disqualify the guy who crossed the finish line? Or this: I just noticed that one of my tires failed. It's only at 34 psi while the others are at 35. Do I need to continue?
No respect here, when Auto manufacturers start doing dump stuff. Like taking away dependability, by putting everything electronic. So the average person cannot work on his own vehicle. And putting control fetchers into a vehicle. People need to take a stand and not buy these vehicles. People need to start putting demands on auto makers. for what we want and expect in a vehicle. The first thing is, pickup trucks can and should be getting 60 plus miles per gallon with V8'S. And Not the crap they're making now. We have the technologies to get 60 plus miles per gallon. They have had these technologies since the 1970s. Auto manufacturers are being treated not to release this technology. We have had technologies to go green for decades. We are dealing with a bunch of hypocrisy. We want stuff that we can maintain ourselves. And not have to bring to a certified mechanic shop every time we need something done. That's delicious. How is a person supposed to change the engine oil or transmission fluid. When there are no dipsticks. Or how are you supposed to know how much oil is in the engine when the electric oil gage fails. Which it will. A Gage will never tell you what the dipstick can.
Two more seconds it would failed. It's a fail. Sorry dodge fan boy. Get over it
Its interesting how all 3 had different issues.
Ford overheated the oil
Gm overheated the transmission
Ram popped a low oil light
Do Tundra next
Ford overheated the oil
Gm overheated the transmission
Ram popped a low oil light
Tundra blew the engine 😂
Ford overheated the oil
Gm overheated the transmission
Ram popped a low oil light
Tundra let loose the magic smoke
@@EGGINFOOLSYou are correct oil was hot but it was the coolant temp that caused the engine to pull power.
If GM would take the damn transmission thermostat out it wouldn't overheat.
Id hate for them to see what Ive put my 2019 Tundra through 😬. Even without a trans cooler 🙄
Towing capacities are like bank loans. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
It's also the frequency. If you max it out once or twice a year, fine. But if you plan to tow that kind of wieght often, you should look at a bigger truck.
They keep raising the tow ratings because marketing. You should be able to tow rated capacity without issue. But, because people think a higher rating means the truck is stronger they set it high.
Set that rating at about 8,000lbs and that truck would probably be much happier.
The problem is these trucks aren't designed to work at 100% capacity at all times. I wouldn't run my equipment at max capacity at all times, I'd rather find a comfortable amount of overhead to increase reliability but that can lead to efficiency reductions so yeah.
It used to be the other way . The tow rating was lower than what the truck could do . Now it's just a sales tactic.
@@NBSV1 Yeeeaah, but how many guys would tow a skid steer; or any other piece of equipment up THAT road with a 1500?
It crossed the finish line with no warning...a win is win lol
I’ve loved watching the Ike for years, but this test may be just as interesting to see how vehicles power trains manage the stress. Great work TFL!
I absolutely love this channel and I bought my truck based off this channel in fact it was the same exact model and color you guys tested. Also want to add I’ve been critical of Roman in the past but this type of video is where he shines. His journalism background shines through to keep these manufacturers honest.
It didn't get a low oil pressure until you started idling. Tho oil is much thinner when it's hot. So while you were still driving, the oil pump was turning faster, ergo more pressure. As soon as the oil temp started to drop, your oil pressure came back up. Just kick up your idle for a few minutes after you stop. You need to let the turbos cool off anyways before you stop the engine. I'd call it a win.
If this is a win, I’ll keep being a loser in my 2016 Tundra that will likely outlast this
@@JohnConrad it beat the crap out of the other two. I've been undera tundra or two and wouldn't touch one doing my job in the woods. The garbage they have hanging all over the place under there is just a disaster waiting to tear the guts out after you get off the road cupcake. And you are limited to lifts and such because they're only slightly upgradable. I like Toyota too, but they haven't made a good truck in ages
The hurricane doesn’t require the turbos to be idled down I believe.
It was under 40lb of pressure at the beginning of the test and steady decreased throughout the pull.
@thatoneguy335, maybe not, but after coming up that hill, I wound still let it cool down if I was going to shut it off.
As someone who lives in Arizona, I appreciate this test. Getting out of the valley to escape the summer heat is 7% grade with 115 degrees sometimes higher. I see a lot of ALL brands on the side with hoods open with trailers attached.
Seen that all the time with newer trucks on the sides of the highway, can't remember which pass it is now, but overheating was a major problem with newer trucks on that pass, my old F250 never batted an eye at steep hills....the 460 never struggled, only struggle it had was passing by a gas station without needing a drink LOL.
Thinner oil caused by manufacturers trying to meet government mpg goals
It's not only that. It's also really tight tolerances from the bearings and journals. Got to have thinner oil to make it between those components. Add sustained heat into that already thin oil, and your asking for issues.
Yes, I was thinking the same thing.
@@kuhndog-1196 As a polite and well-intentioned FYI, you are referring to *clearances*, not "tolerances*. Tolerance refers to the range of acceptable sizes to which a part must be manufactured (ex: a main bearing made to Ø2.002 max / 2.000 min), while clearance refers to the resulting space between mating parts (ex: the crank journal and the aforementioned bearing).
@@kuhndog-1196 This is when I wonder, unless manufacturer states it in the manual, that when people suggest heavier weights when it isn't called for completely ignore engineering tolerances in the engine and oil pumps (numbers they don't know). Bubba mechanics saying use "this brand in weight" Nope, I'm using what it says to use.
@bjornironsides6474 absolutely. If I put 5w30 in my 6.4 power wagon that calls for 0w40, it would kill it. Older rigs it's not a big deal. I mean I could run 15w 30 in my 73 dodge without issue.
Roman, you two finished the climb and had pulled on to the shoulder and stopped, the test was completed before the light came on. Not a fail. 😁 😂
The main reason large transmission coolers are not required these days is modern transmissions have lock up torque converts, that are strong enough to remain locked at almost all the time while towing uphill.
Gotta love that manufacturers take away the physical dip stick and you have to rely on the digitial dipstick. Just something else to fail and something they can charge the consumer more for when we dont want it.
They do this shit on purpose, slowly making vehicles more disposable and less serviceable 😢
BMWs have been doing it this way very reliably for the last 2 decades. I don't agree with the system but it's really not that bad reliability wise. Just extra steps to see how much oil is in the engine.
@@amritk5173 You think it's reliable but if the reading accurate? I had a 135i and that was my first and only experience with this.
But if I want to check my oil. I HAVE to drive 10-15 minutes. I cannot just open the hood and physically check it. Same thing for changing the oil, I have to drive to get a reading.
Plus in the BMW, it would always say full. It costs more money for manufacturers to incorporate this instead of leaving alone what has worked for decades upon decades.
Bet it has to do with emissions and keeping the crankcase environment better sealed.
@@donleamon8653 My 2024 3500 Silverado Allison ten-speed transmission doesn't have a dip stick.
The fact these guys didn’t know what was happening with the hot oil kinda reduces the credibility of this channel
They’re towing a skid steer with a half ton. Lmao
They had no dips tick because RAM doesn't think owners need to check it themselves. Their sensors never fail, so people need to just trust them, their dealers, & dealer service departments.
Junk
I think it makes it more realistic. Many buyers will just trust what the manufacturers state and do what these guys did.
Drama and show is part of the game?
The low oil pressure is from the 0w20 oil being very hot and thinning out.
I bet Mobil 1 5w40 or 0w40 would have eliminated this problem
0w40 would be be my bet@@danlewis3605
@@danlewis3605 0w40 would be my choice.
Test all the half ton pickups with the same trailer weight, then it would be a good comparison. Having the RAM tow 3,000 lb more than the Chevy is not a valid comparison between the two trucks.
This
So.. What do you want? Heavier weight on the Chevy? Or less weight on the Ram? and how would that change the outcome?
I mean the Chevy failed with 3,000lbs less. The Ford was doing 10,000lbs
The oil pressure can temporarily drop from the new variable flow oil pumps that slow down at idle to save fuel, that combined with the slope and heated oil may have done it.
I have 13,2xx miles on my 25' 1500 with the standard output 3.0. We took a trip pulling our enclosed race trailer (20' 6600lbs +/-) within the first 300 miles of ownership and I loved everything about it except the oil pressure being at 23-25 psi at idle. I figured its due to the barely thicker than water oil from the factory. So i switched to Pennzoil ultra platinum 5w30 at 6000 miles and just did my second at 12,000 miles. Oil pressure is up around 3-5 psi higher and makes me feel a littler better inside. I've only ever owner ford diesels and ecoboost and this is my first dodge, very happy with my purchase.
Considering the rams with the 5.7 liter engine where bullet proof with the exception of inadequate oiling at low rpms which caused premature failure of the valve train. An easy fix with software, limited idle and replacing the oil pump with one out of the hellcat motors. You think Ram should have learned from that.
The inline is a butter smooth engine. Hoping it turns out to be reliable.
@truckguy6.7 I had my doubts, but so far so good. Just finished our 5th trip with the race trailer today, little over 1000 miles. Avg 9.6 mpg, highest temps were 225 coolant, 187 tranny, and 224 oil, which was running 75mph through the mountains of WV at 86F ambient.
Add 40k GVW transmission cooler
Nobody torture tests like TFL!! Manufacturers should take notes.
I’m loving these videos!
They do an awesome job. Not sure I’d purchase this truck/engine combo.
Iam currently on a 5000mile roundtrip from MO to CA. We are on our way back home. I drive a Hyundai Palisade with 7 kids (we squeeze 4 in the second row, 3 in the back) I tow a 5000 lbs travel trailer. We went over Tioga pass (10.000ft) and climbed 3 times in one day over 5000 ft driving through Death Valley at 115-120F outside temperature, so far absolutely no issue, the temperature needle never really moved, I did turn off the Air condition for 10minutes on one of the crazy Death Valley climbs, not sure if I needed but wanted to be safe since there is no cell phone and barely any other cars driving. So far Iam absolute impressed, even towing uphill with 35-40 it can do it at 3000 rpm.
Thursday we will also cross the one gauntlet but I don’t expect any issues considering what we done already
Absolutely
Nah, Northwest Loggers make those "torture tests" anemic. I've seen heavy duty pickups being used to help 80000 lb log trucks being pulled up steep hills on gravel!
Oil viscosity reduces as oil temp increases, perhaps engine was not able to produce enough oil pressure at idle and hence the warning
Beat me to it.
Exactly. Throw some 5w30 in and let that tug run it again. The 0w20 or less these manufacturers run now is to thin in hot conditions.
I also agree, and my guess is that the manufacturers put 0w20 oil in these modern engines , which is very thin oil to begin with.
That's exactly what happened. Especially since the light went away almost immediately when the truck just sat to idle. I call this a win.
@@Turshinagree 100% and I bet Ram tells them the same thing.
The Standard Hurricane is speced for 0W-20, The HO is Speced for 0W-40. Most likely the oil thined out at 240º+ and caused the low pressure. I wuld run 0-40W towing during hot weather
3:07 why does the truck say its got 106K miles on it already?
So look in the manual and I will bet they have a different weight oil for severe duty ie towing if the normal for none severe duty is 0w-20 I’ll bet they go to 5w-30 for severe duty or some variation like that
This comment needs to be pinned.
Hurricane uses 0 w40 it's turbom
@@philipparana9225There are two different specifications. The standard output uses 0w20 the high output is 0w40
Andre thanks for testing a tradesman. Enjoyed seeing the torque the hurricane had at elevation.
I would call that a win for this Ram. The oil viscosity that manufactures are recommending is just too thin thanks to the EPA, especially in a high workload environment. I would just run a 30 wt oil in it if it was mine. Stellantis, if you are listening , stop being so cheap and install an oil dipstick. This is a work truck for goodness sakes.
Have you done this same test for the 3L duramax, crew cab with 6.5 foot box as well? I am considering both the GMC and the RAM 3L twin turbo.
I’m impressed. The Ram did not disappoint. I have been told by a few guys with the hurricane that they love it.
Remember running 10W-40 in the summer ? The good old days ….
I remember the days of 10w40 being a sludge making combination back in the day. Quaker state was the worst. Pulling valve covers to find caked carbon sludge in a bunt cake shape of the valve cover.
@franknedobity2757 I remember my dad helping a friend pull a 318 out of a Dodge Ram van that was absolutely caked up with sludge. He said that is what happens when you use Quaker oil, it turns to Quaker oats.
I hate the 5-20 stuff especially for this kind of heat..my 75 harley I would run 70 weight if it was really hot. But most of the time 50 weight
Really gives perspective that these full size trucks are light duty trucks and this is something you should only do with medium and heavy duty trucks.
I think a really interesting test would be to do an engine oil test before you go up this route and then an oil test after this to see what has happened and whether you should be changing the oil right away after such a torture test.
That's a good idea.
Then they shouldn’t rate their trucks that high. They deserve to get sued into oblivion for lying.
@@Joe-hz1nw I have a different perspective. This is an extreme test, and with a bit more cautious driving (slower, less demanding, not always wide open), there should be no issues. This test is interesting, taking it to the max (from a performance point of view). For "legal" reasons I actually like the highest tow rating possible; and if the vehicle reaches it's thermal limits, just take the foot off the pedal and take it more easy.
@@yxcvmk the appropriate way to set limits for vehicles is to be conservative so even if the customer is pushing the vehicle hard, providing it’s on legal roads like the ones in the video, it should be able to accomplish the task it states it can do. There are roads similar to the one shown, in just as hot of weather, where you have to drive at least twice as long as their route before you’re to the top as well.
Anything else is simply false advertising, truck can potentially be damaged or greatly shorter service life. We shouldn’t excuse manufacturers for what is false advertising, which is what you’re essentially doing with your position.
"Half ton" trucks have been grocery getters for 2 decades now
Your issue is heat related, as the oil warm up the tickness or viscosity reduced which leads to the low oil pressure. higher viscosity oil would help with that particular use case
It would be cool to compare older model trucks on this test as well
I want to see this test with the gmc sierra 1500 3.0 diesel.
When engine oil is very hot, pressure is very low because rpms controls pressure. The oil is thinned out, so when oil cools the pressure will come back up.
The oil just thinned out because of the temp. I think it's fine.
The Ram ZF trans is hard to beat 👍🏻💪🏻
Discontinuing the hemi 5.7L engine in the 1500 series ram was a mistake! Did I hear right that there is NO DIPSTICK on the engine? What brilliant engineer thought up that? I own a 1500 Ram with a hemi, and I love it! It will pull all day long no problems whatsoever.
Most vehicles on the road haven't had a dipstick for 20 years
It wasn't the engineers, it was the beans counters saving $5 per vehicle during assembly
@@cactuscanuck6802 they also don't have carburetors or drums anymore either. Wild right?
Did you run the RAM 1500 5.7L V8? How does it compare with the SO I6 Twin Turbo?
This is the perfect series to hold them accountable. This should be part of every truck review: Exposing weak cooling systems!
I am not too sure that the cooling system is too weak. I would never assume that an engine can handle wide open throttle at slow speeds in hot environments for an unlimited time. This test is great, showing the limits, but *in real life people with some sense would not push their vehicle that hard all the time.* Just take the foot off the pedal and take it a bit slower. Everything fine. This is an extreme test, and with a bit more cautious driving (slower, less demanding, not always wide open), there should be no issues. This test is interesting, taking it to the max (from a performance point of view). For "legal" reasons I actually like the highest tow rating possible; and if the vehicle reaches it's thermal limits, just take the foot off the pedal and take it more easy. And this view comes from somebody who in general dislikes the fact that things are build with planned obsolescence - all for (artificial) economic growth to keep the monster from Jackyll island breathing :-), and at the cost and the lifetime of those who actually produce value by working...
Let’s hold testers accountable. Per all manufacturers, you don’t get max tow ratings at altitude. They are sea level values that are supposed to be reduced at altitude. They are overloading these trucks!
For car and truck reviewers you seem to not know a lot about engines, oil etc. You maybe should team up with valvoline or amsoil and learn something about heat and its impact on oils and what viscosity ratings etc. are standing for.
it maybe went for a fraction of time below 20psi where Dodge set the low oil pressure warning limit. It turned itself off as the oil was getting cooler and the pressure went slightly up. This is not a fail....
In general, you are right. But the bottom line is that the engine is filled with oil either from the manufacturer or recommended by him. So either pick up another oil or improve the cooling. Because the fact that there is not enough. 100 degrees is not an extreme temperature. It's about 37 degrees Celsius.
You guys need a playlist of all of the trucks that have done this test including your Ram 2500.
Love this test. Are you able to do this same test with the Toyota?
Possible,, One of the new oil pumps is a small belt drive inside the pan, under the engine.. Small belt, and you have to remove the pan to service it. Would high heat on your torture run melt the belt?
Trucks like this came from the factory with 0w20, for economy reasons, but this kind of oil is good for Alaska in winter, not at high altitude on this kind of heat!!! The oil break down and can't create the minimum pressure required by those engines!!! Change the oil, put 5w40 and do the same test again, and you will see that you won't encounter this problem!! Because of crazy pollution norme, they use way to thin oil. I had a similar problem with my 04 v10 excursion on the first trip back home with the car!! As soon as I get home, I put 5w40 in it. No more problem, since then!!
Please, change the oil and repeat the test.
Good show, guys!!
The thing about this test is that, I have never seen anyone towing a skid steer with a 1/2 ton truck.
I have seen a few and I’ve pulled one out of a snow bank with the old s10 blazer zr2
Jajaja those dudes are out there believe me
You'd flip if I told you I pulled a Mobile home, not an RV, a Mobile home, a half mile down my property line with a 4cyl 1996 Ford Ranger... And we got up to like 15 to 20 mph in that thing at times
I've seen it. Plenty of small business guys do it because f150s are so much cheaper than a 1 ton diesel and it'll pull it...for a while 😂
1/2 ton trucks are basically cars, 3/4 ton trucks are where trucks start. Chevy and Ford 1 tons are HD trucks and the Ram 1 tons are tractors. But that might change in 2025, they’re ditching the commercial transmission for a single engine and transmission option for the whole class so it will either be great or just same playing field as the others with the economy and power numbers game.
Thank you to all the manufacturers for their wise decisions to run 0 weight oil and no separate tyranny coolers. 👍🏻🙄
Right. Not sure why my straight 6 diesel duramax in my 1/2 ton calls for 0w-20. Super thin oil.
@@lllhunterlll9644 exactly. Even a 0w-20 oil is too thick at ambient temperatures to adequately lubricate an engine.
@@MattChat56because the bearing clearances are designed for 20 oil AND ABSORBS AND RELEASES HEAT FASTER
You can run thick oil if you want All you're going to do is open up the gaps on the engine.
@@duramaxadventures5832 good to know. Maybe I’m a little old school and just have always operated under the notion, if it’s hot and you are working the truck, it’s better to have something heavier than 0W-20. I guess times are changing.
@@MattChat56 It depends. Thick oil will take longer to get to temperature however one thing that's not discussed is because it's not pulling the heat as quickly away from the surfaces you can actually hotspot so you could have good oil temps but actually be causing issues.
Once the thick oil is hot it takes longer to cool down because it doesn't want to release that heat.
Thin oils work very very well at absorbing heat and releasing heat, now having said that when hot there isn't that much of a difference between a 20-30 and a 40 weight. Yes it's measurable but there's a large scale inside of each one of those weight classes for viscosity.
What we're actually seeing is what happens when you run big power and big cylinder pressures and you're using oil squirters like we used to in the diesels back in the early 2000s. Those trucks had massive oil coolers these OEMs are trying to get by by saying our customers don't duty them quite like that and save money by putting small oil cooler's on them.
Most are using liquid to liquid oil coolers however the problem is if you upsize the oil cooler to move the heat out of the engine now you need to upsize the cooling system and particularly the radiator... If you've seen a lot of modern vehicles they have very thin half inch thick radiators for some reason.. all that adds cost so instead they just don't. Instead they tell the customer to tow lighter (cough FORD cough) or buy another product from us 3 months into ownership..
Major fail for GM. 275F transmission temperature towing only 7000 lbs. The Ram did a lot better, especially considering it was towing 50% higher weight with an engine half the size. Oil temperature at idle dropped below their low threshold after 15 minutes of heating it. I don't think that's a major problem. The engine didn't shut itself down. Oil thins out continuously with increasing temperature and the combination of low viscosity at idle speed caused the oil pressure to drop. If you had revved the engine slightly, the oil pressure would have increased and the low pressure alarm would have gone away. After the oil temperature decreased a few degrees, the low pressure alarm went away by itself. If the engine has a variable-displacement oil pump, maybe Ram needs to change its calibration to increase pump displacement oil at high temperature. 232F is not a dangerous oil temperature.
Sounds like another Dodge guy crying that the oil that Dodge says it needs Dodge still sucks. It should’ve been gone in the 80s except for Lee Ayoka so let’s put an industrial engine in there. That’s the only thing to save Dodge or we wouldn’t have it anymore.
@@terrelltiller5710 Lee Iacocca.
@@terrelltiller5710 There is definitely truth in this, I remember it well. Dodge was just about dead until after 1993-1994, then it suddenly became the latest and greatest thing, because Lee Iacocca.
Dodge? 🗑️ RAM? 🚮
Couple of comments. First, I saw it passed, didn't overheat or detune itself. I agree with others that talk about under heavy conditions go to a higher oil weight. The ram manual I found online talks about 0w-40 for the HO Hurricane. I would say that is the best bet even with the std output if you are towing @ max capacity. Also you made a comment about 15-20 years ago mfgs had an external oil cooler and now they put it in the radiator. Cooling through the radiator was always the case. The external was/is (you could install your own still) in addition to help cool even more under towing.
Hot, low viscosity, oil gets you low oil pressure at idle…. Oil is still moving but it’s water “thin”. It will self resolve.
Would a different oil grade for the summer help? Being in Colorado, one might actually need to change oil grades with the seasons?
@@NOXStellans will definitely help. The only caveat would be the new hurricanes sensitivity to the thicker oil at low temp. Tolerances with small passageways with bearing feed and turbo feed can sometimes create starvation/ cavitation.
Yes, I have seen this many times on race car engines. Give it a few revs and the problem disappears, but very hot oil at idle will on some vehicles show very low pressures.
How could you call it a fail? The Ram ran that shit perfect he just got really thirsty after finishing
High oil temps can thin the oil enough that it could decrease the viscosity causing low oil pressure.
Is there a video of a 4th gen ram 5.7 doing this test?
Just like anything else in life, how you ask is often more important than what you ask!!!😊😊😊
We work our trucks hard, but if you know a little bit about how they work you can keep them in a range that doesn't over stress the components.
This is one of those tests where I wished you guys did all the older 1/2 trucks. I wanna see the new Tundra but also the 5.7L V8 Tundra, the 5.6L Titan, the Ford Coyote too.
I'd try this in my titan
@@jarrodwidiger547211,000 pounds up Gold Hill??
@@302Mustang13 my GVWR is 9200 on my titan. But I'd put her to a torcher test of 11k. I wouldn't risk it if I weren't afraid to lose it. Trade in and private party resale are terrible on a 200k rusty 06' titan. Only thing it's got going for it is it still runs like a champ and I take pretty good care of it. I'd actually like to see if it could do it.
@@jarrodwidiger5472 gvwr on a 2006 Titan is 9200 lbs. I don't think so. No sane owner would do this max tow test as TFL does. At minimum, the oil and transmission fluid need to be changed afterwards.
RAM is why we bought one for consistently towing of all kinds of rv’s across the country. This is great to see- looks like they keep their towing game real.
Impressive
The 3.0 TT is unfortunately going to net you lower economy than an old school v8s in towing applications. You'll have the power especially at elevation, but having to slow down 5 or 10 mph has never been something to bother me.
@@otm646 the words economy, towing, and truck shouldn’t be in the same sentence. Might I suggest a Honda civic :)
No dipstick is absolutely bananas... If you get a truck into the shop with no oil change sticker how the F do you tell if the oil is freshly changed, or is 10k miles overdue and needs to be changed asap?
More stuff designed to shorten the life of the vehicle.
You could probably check by looking in the oil fill port.
Huh? Even with a dipstick, how do you tell? You can't go by looks alone.
@@Dusdaddy true
@@JohnSmith-lf4bethat wouldn't tell you much
@@UNSC011001 it would tell you as much as the dipstick in terms of oil condition.
You guys do great videos.
How would the hemi do
0w20 oil heated up to the point to where it thinned and caused low oil pressure. If it were my truck I would dump the factory 0w20 early on and change to a high quality synthetic 5w30.
Yep, same with the Hemi. All it needs is more lube. 5w30 takes away any tick.
The 0w-40 may be better.
It's very likely a combination of lower viscosity oil at high temperature and the variable displacement oil pump reducing flow at idle that caused the pressure to briefly dip below 20 PSI, triggering the low pressure warning. You can see starting at 21:30 as the engines begins to idle down, the oil pressure gradually decreases up until the warning is triggered. Given that the pressure did not rapidly decline at any point, there definitely was not an issue with oil supply at the pickup or an oil-out leak. I guess this was just an edge case where the pressure dropped faster than the variable oil pump could readjust to maintain pressure because the oil got so hot, and thus a low enough pressure was reached to trigger the light.
Variable displacement oil pump will allow for higher idle oil pressure than a crank-driven positive displacement oil pump.
High oil temps reduce viscosity and subsequently oil pressure. At idle, oil pressure dropped below the safe threshold trigger your alarm. If you had idled the engine at 1500rpm, oil pressure would have remained above the threshold and the low oil pressure light would have remained off.
It may need a heavier weight of oil for extreme heat
@@M_Phipps0520
I bet you are correct. The HO hurricane motor uses 0-40 whereas the SO uses 0-20.
Can you guys do the same test with toyata tundra i force max and see how it those . Thanks guys
It's not a fail. Oil viscosity has dropped due to the heat generated by the load. After the oil has cooled, the light went out, indicating oil has cooled to its normal viscosity. That's a victory for Ram.
Congratulations on Ram and thanks TFL for the test.
Do the Tundra but wait for the 4th of July. When it blows up everyone will think it's part of the show. 😂😂😂
I’m not an expert here but I don’t think that lowering the weight onto the hitch/axle and THEN putting the load distribution trunions on is a correct use of the load distribution hitch… you shouldn’t be able to get them onto their perch with the load on the trucks…Typically you want to set the hitch up such that you lower the trailer onto the hitch ball, latch the hitch, then use the jack to raise both the trailer and the hitch slightly to allow the trunions to slip over their perches, then lower the truck and trailer down using the jack to pre load the trunions thusly distributing the weight from the rear axle of the truck back to both the front axle of the truck and onto the axles of the trailer. If they simply slip onto the perches with the tongue load fully applied to the truck, you didn’t use them at all. They’re just hanging there.
Exactly well said ! 💯
Better get Mr. Truck !!😊
I was thinking the same thing.
This is not a regular weight distribution. They didn't show them adjusting the tension bolt. When all components are on you can set the bar tension with the tension bolt.
Well that was overloaded on payload and the WDH not set up properly. Cringe.
Roman is wrong, That wasn't a failure & it never derated like the other two, The low oil pressure warning was caused by high oil temperatures thinning out the viscosity of the oil as it passes thru the oil pump & sensor. that's normal. think about pancake syrup... at normal temperatures it's thick but flows.. if it's heated up, it's thin & runny.... Oil acts the same way. you can see once it idled for a minute, it cooled a little & the warning went away. the reason it didn't go off still pulling was the oil pump was pump was running faster because of engine rpm & airflow. once they stopped, oil pump slowed down & pressure dropped from lower rpm, happens at any temperature & is normal. it was right after the hard pull and airflow stopped, so there was still high ambient heat radiating but no airflow. Ram actually passed the test... It was also pulling 3,000lbs more weight than the Chevy and 10 degrees hotter air temperature.... the ford/chevy was 90 the ram started at 100(97) and pulled more weight, hotter day & maintained engine & tranny temperature the whole way. The super heated oil thinned out but maintained the whole drive.... then a short warning & it cooled itself off quickly.... Roman is also incorrect, low oil pressure & oil level are Not the same or connected. since ram foolishly went to a level sensor, thats different... but.. 99.8% of vehicles use a light or guage to measure oil PRESSURE... not level... if you had a 6 qt system, you could be 4 quarts low & the light/guage will not show that. it only measures oil going thru the pump allowing it to build pressure to distribute it... no oil, no oil to pump= no pressure... you can still have full pressure and still be VERY low on oil....... Ram, Still a Pass. well done.
I 100% agree
The Ford didn't derate I don't think. It only set a temp warning. The Chevy on the other hand needed to stop.
good workout Guys !
Are you a ram fan boy by chance. Low oil pressure when towing well under the rated tow capacity while running the factory recommended oil is a fail every day of the week. Just because the motor still sounds fine doesn't mean that the bearings weren't wiped. They need to do an oil analysis.
@@NoName-ml5yk”use the factory recommended oil” is key for a job like the one they are embarked upon, which requires a thicker viscosity, not the oil recommended for epa approval for sale off the lot. Also they appeared to be running the rpm’s too low when the light went on. I’m a professional driver and that will happen to almost every truck when you do a hot run up a mountain with too low viscosity oil for the job and immediately drop to idle, at best that is a operator error not knowing the truck. When doing a hot pulls always keep rpm’s consistent until the oil cools and when running automatics sometimes it is necessary to manual override your shifts.
So Ram made an engine almost as powerful as the 2013 3.5L EcoBoost. About time. I tow with a 3/4-ton now. I have towed uphill in 114f with 10,000lbs on my 6,500lb trailer in AZ. The biggest thing is to slow down when it starts getting hot, which in my case is over 225f on the coolant, over 240f on the oil, or over 250f in the transmission. Seen a lot of guys (all brands) sitting because the cruise tried to maintain speed. I let mine drop a gear and it kept going. Diesel for life!
@GuretoSefirosu the almost as powerful standard output has quicker acceleration than the 3.5 in the videos I've seen. The h.o. should be a good bit stronger and quicker
You should try this with an old school big block truck...say 1995 or earlier. My biggest fear of these new vehicles is the 0 weight motor oils..back in the day my Dodge truck had a variety of viscosities recommended for hot and cold weather extremes.
Manufacturers have been using tranny coolers within the engine coolant radiator for decades. One reason they do this vs an external dedicated tranny cooler is because the engine coolant helps the transmission fluid get UP to operating temperature more quickly as well as keep it from getting too hot.
I want to see the Tundra now 😮
The engine will blow up
😅@@mxerb5912
Same. It tows like a diesel but I imagine it will fail like the rest given they’re running 0w16 oil.
This video is probably a prelude to the video of the tundra passing without failing. Toyota needs ppl to regain confidence in their tundra.
@@pryme2013 or perhaps they can’t find a dependable toYota to test….they have a tendancy to crater anymore
This is not a truck problem, it’s an oil problem. The viscosity is too low, causing the oil to thin out at high temperatures. I would call this a win for the ram.
Thanks for doing these tests guys. It's good to know where the "limit" is and have a good baseline of which to judge all the trucks against. TFL Toaster should be a shirt 😂
I would speculate that the low oil pressure was due to the temperature of the oil combined with the low RPM when you stopped, as while you were driving the RPM was higher. Manufacturers may say that a very small percentage of people use their truck like this, but I'd venture to guess that many people actually do use their trucks hard, and having this data from you guys is very valuable. It's confounding to me as well as to why manufacturers stopped putting external transmission oil coolers on trucks as well. You could go aftermarket though, possibly (would it void warranty?). That'd be a good before/after test!
Good comments. Also, was the truck supplied with 0W oil. That's asking for a failure. Maybe the warning sensor is set to a higher pressure to allow a failsafe. It is very likely due to low viscosity caused by elevated temperature.
Great video again,guys!
Use the Autotrans change Manually that is most Aussies do and learn . When a Auto Trans shifts in and out of gears towing thay heat up big time
They like to let the truck do it's thing to test how the programming is.
They say locking it in a gear is the right way to tow up a grade, but that makes the test easier.
Yes, most people who actually tow on grades usually do that. But, they are letting the truck shift normally since that’s how all the tests have been.
I thought you two were smarter than this! How can you assume there is low oil in the engine because the the "low oil pressure" light came on? It's LOW OIL pressure not a NO OIL pressure light. The thin oil just got so hot that it trigger the sensor. Lets face it gentlemen most people would not drive their truck in this manner. Maxxing out the tow capacity and then climbing a long steep grade at the same time is just too much to ask.
They're journalists not mechanics settle down lol
Why not test it to its max? Verify what it's meant to handle.
Most vehicles do not have a oil level measurement on them (and I'm surprised the Dodge does). My 2000 Buick Regal did, they had a light that could come on if it was about 1.5 quarts low, but that is a fairly Buick-specific thing and is uncommon. Most vehicles have an oil pressure light, and it usually comes on because your oil level is too low.
@@hwertz10 my 2001 camaro SS has a low oil level light.
it still had 21 psi of oil pressure,it and apparently thats when the light comes on in the ram but the light went out at 22psi so I wouldnt cal that a fail because 21 psi is still plenty there just being carefull and if you would have given it just a few hundred more revs at idle the light would have gone out right away
Is it possible to put the transmission into manual so you can hold a lower gear? If so, that would likely make a measurable difference in the performance of the truck.
As a heavy equipment mechanic for 45 years i can safely say all oil thins out as it gets hot and oil pressure will go down when this happens. Im sure if it got to low it would derate engine or stop it. Best of luck and Thanks.
I like TFL but think Andre induces some drama in this test. The traction control light was coming on while he was on the pavement! The erratic throttle will keep the transmission shifting around and prevent the torque converter from locking up which drastically increases trans AND engine temps. This is not how any responsible person would operate equipment in this environment.
Andre's test proves if the trucks can be deemed "Mouth Breather Rated". We all know if this were actually Andre's truck he would have driven the hill differently as he's a very intelligent person.
As others have stated the low oil psi light was a byproduct of high temps and 0w20 oil. If you drove any of these trucks reasonably, maybe 2nd gear the entire trip, I think the results would be much better. With the steep gravel road grades I'd even consider 4LO range. That gravel might slip enough on the switchbacks to prevent t-case binding and the additional gear reduction on that last leg would certainly be much easier on the equipment.
Agreed, That’s why you have a 2nd & 3rd gear selection, preferably 2nd gear would have prevented the transmission over shifting and would have been easier on the engine as well.
I don't think he was purposely adjusting throttle. The pickup was shifting itself trying to keep a certain speed. He does need to lock it into a gear. Agreed
He's to busy talking to drive this responsibly. See the video where he drag races a pickup pulling a camper and blows the driveshaft out, totally stupid.
You have proven your point invalid by saying "if" they had been driven/treated/used differently. It's laughable. Babied correctly, a Yugo could be driven a million miles.
Common sense is in short supply in this country. Obviously you do not have a fleet of vehicles like this that see repeated IGNORANT use every day. Our construction company has over a dozen of these, and the stupidity of people who get in, start it, immediately put it in drive and move is staggering. They pay zero attention to warning lights, throttle position, gear slection or instructions. THAT is what this test is designed to do.
Obviously anyone with half a brain would not treat vehicles like this daily....but you'd be shocked at how many do.
One of the issues with running such thin oil in modern vehicles. I'm not surprised. Oil temps got so high that the viscosity thinned down and idle pressure dropped below programmed limits in the computer. It actually did really well. I did a similar run with a 8,000 lb trailer with my 2023 Nissan Titan XD and the temps barely moved. Those turbos create a LOT of heat.
I'm confused because I thought most modern engines have the ability to vary oil pressure even at low RPM. I wonder if that was the maximum oil pressure it could generate at hot idle or if this engine isn't using a variable displacement oil pump.
Yeah, betcha Ram's "FIX" is to re-flash the computer with a lower minimum oil pressure "tolerance" (say, 15psi instead of 20) - LOL
@@haywire17 Probably exactly right 👍
@@karlschauff7989 I think you are correct about it not having a variable displacement pump, but I could be wrong, just a guess based on the fact it couldn't keep pressure at idle when the viscosity thinned out. My truck specs 0W-20 year round. I put 5W-20 in it during the summer. Even though it's still rated as a 20 "weight" when at operating temps, the viscosity is actually slightly higher than a 0W-20 at operating temps because the API specs have a range.
Is this a situation where one would want to change the oil grade for the summer? I'm sure it was delivered with a grade that works year round under average conditions?
All this Hurricane engine needs is a thicker weight oil to account for the bearing clearances. They're probably running some economy 0w20 to 0w40, and it really should be 15w40 or 20w50 for heavy duty usage to sustain pressures when run hard like this. Great video as always, boys!
Love me some Sunshine Canyon and Gold Hill! Back in the 80’s our school buses would break down in the warmer days because of vapor lock. Meaning the bus would over heat the engine bay and vaporize all the fuel in the carburetor float bowl. The cure was to pull over, open the hood and let it cool down. This road is no joke.
Max tow ratings are most likely based on sea level towing, not towing up mountains at extreme temperatures.
It's the thin oil they put in them now. Ow-20 is not thick enough in any of these engines.
Hold up a sec, you towed 7000 pounds with the chevy and 10500 with the Ram?
This truck is just a V6. The Chevy was a V8.
Chevy 🚮
@@volvo09It's an inline 6
@@teddonley9594 oh yeah, it's the new hurricane engine. I had the pentastar on my mind from a red truck they just showed in another video.
@@teddonley9594i think his point was its a 6 cylinder in oppose to an 8 one.
It was obvious the oil overheated and if you would have put the truck in high idle for a few minutes, everything would have cooled off. People forget the oil system is not only the lubrication system but also helps cool the engine. Do you know what type of oil was used, conventional or synthetic? I thought the truck did exceptional well considering what was asked of it. Love the channel, you guys provide great information, and I enjoy the content; keep up the good work.
So I'm surprised yall didn't know that when the oil gets that hot it flows much easier and therefore reduces pump pressure, however VOLUME is likely the same or slightly more. My 430ci camaro idles with 50psi when cold but when it's over 230° it's down to 25-30psi
No the oil pressure dipped due to oil temp and a thin oil !
Makes me glad I have a HD 2500 Cummins!
Same here.
I'm sorry that means you have no payload 😂. Diesel 2500 are just for show. Not enough payload to do anything.
I am looking forward to the HD Trucks running the Toaster!
@@187evil1whatever you say hunnybun
@@justin_steenI've got some glaze for your honey bun!
I don't think it's a fail per say...I would bet the high heat created thin oil and the incline threw the light. Look forward to an update
That’s exactly what happened. Not really a fail in my book. Maybe the manufacturer can allow for 5w for heavy towing applications?
Incline has nothing to do with oil pressure, the pickup tube is at the back. It got low pressure from being a low viscosity oil being superheated and thinning out.
You say that, but then the thin oil and low pressure causes premature wear on critical components leading to early failures.
@@cantbsdave it's not the 0W that's the issue per se. 0W is the grade at start up. As the temperature rises so does the viscosity, in this case up to a 20 weight once the engine is warmed up. The problem is when the oil gets very hi it actually looses some of its viscosity and begins acting like a 15 or even 10 weight which isn't "thick" enough to properly lubricate the engine. That is why using a xW- 30 weigh would be better.
BTW, there is really no such thing as a true 0 weight oil. They are actually a 2 or 3 weight to start out. That is why using a 5W- oil is not an issue except in extreme winter conditions. I got this info from a fluid dynamics engineer that worked on developing oil additive packages for the major oil companies.
I probably would’ve been using a 5W 40 Amsoil signature series and 75 w140 in the rear axle and find out if there’s any advantage of using 93 octane And KYB mono max shocks