Chrysler 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 Engine: Specs, Problems, Reliability, & More. The 3.0 EcoDiesel is a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine manufactured by VM Motori (an FCA subsidiary) in Cento, Italy. The engine debuted in 2011 when Fiat and Chrysler began offering it for their vehicles sold in the European market (codenamed as A630 DOHC). For the North American market, the L630 DOHC version, marketed by Chrysler as the EcoDiesel, became available for the Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee in 2014. The L630 variant complies with NAFTA (the emission norms of the North American market).
The engine has a compacted graphite iron (CGI) engine block with a 60-degree angle between cylinder banks. CGI blocks are stronger, lighter, and more compact than cast iron blocks. For even more strength, the engine block was equipped with a bedplate, which includes four 14 mm bolts per main and additional eight 12 mm bolts holding the bedplate down. Inside the engine, there is a forged 4140 steel crankshaft, cast iron connecting rods, and cast aluminum pistons. Each cylinder has an oil squirter that sprays oil into the piston keeping it cool. The engine has aluminum DOHC heads with 4 valves per cylinder (24 valves total). There are two intake and two exhaust valves per cylinder. Each valve is actuated by a roller-finger follower that is operated by a lobe on the camshaft. The engine uses a roller timing chain to drive exhaust camshafts. Each exhaust camshaft then drives the intake camshaft via a gear to gear mesh. For quick starts and emission reduction, heads are equipped with low voltage ceramic glow plugs (one per cylinder).
The 3.0 L EcoDiesel engine features a high-pressure direct injection fuel system known as MultiJet II. This Fiat’s fuel injection technology can accommodate up to eight fuel-injection events per cycle thanks to the servovalve injectors instead of piezo injectors. This opportunity provides more efficient and quiet combustion, more power, and cleaner emissions. The fuel injection system includes a high-pressure fuel pump produced by Bosch. It maintains roughly 29,000 psi (2,000 bars) of fuel pressure in both fuel rails. This pump is mounted to the front engine cover on the right side (passenger side), and it is driven by the exhaust camshaft via a gear.
Like most modern diesel engines, the 3.0 V6 EcoDiesel engine is turbocharged. It has a water-cooled Garrett variable geometry turbocharger (VGT). The only center section is water-cooled. That is enough to prevent oil coking and extend the life of the unit. The turbocharger is mounted in the back of the engine, deep within the engine valley. Charged air goes through an air-to-air intercooler. The second sign of modern diesel – it is massively packed with emission reduction equipment. It comes with Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC), Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF), water-cooled Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), and DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid).
The 3.0-liter EcoDiesel was on Ward’s “10 Best Engines” list for 2014, 2015, and 2016. This Chrysler’s engine option forced main competitors in the 1/2 ton market to introduce their own products – Ford’s 3.0 L V6 Power Stroke engine and GM’s 3.0 L I-6 Duramax engine.
Table of Contents
Chrysler 3.0L EcoDiesel V6 Engine: 2025 Updates
The 3.0 EcoDiesel is no longer offered in the Jeep Grand Cherokee since 2025. For the fifth-generation, 2025 model year Ram 1500, the engine was revised and got some updates and changes resulting in more power and torque, better fuel efficiency, and lower emissions. The revised EcoDiesel got new pistons with optimized piston bowl geometry, coated skirts, and low friction piston rings. It also received new cylinder heads with optimized intake port geometry. Fuel injector nozzles were redesigned. The compression ratio was lowered from 16.5:1 to 16.0:1.
The engine comes with a revised water-cooled variable geometry turbocharger and a new “low slung” intercooler. The low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system has been redesigned to meet current stringent emission standards and reduce carbon build-up in the EGR and intake systems. The updated 3.0 L EcoDiesel engine has an additional 20 horsepower and 60 lb-ft of torque.
3.0 L V6 EcoDiesel Engine Problems and Reliability
In the past, there have been many complaints about the reliability of engines produced by VM Motori. Even though in recent years the Italian manufacturer has made significant progress in this direction, the 3.0 EcoDiesel engine still has problems and design flaws.
The most common problem is an oil cooler failure which makes many people angry and frustrated with EcoDiesel. This engine has a water-cooled oil cooler. It uses an engine coolant to cool engine oil. Usually, the oil cooler fails during towing or heavy hauling when engine oil reaches high temperatures and can seep into engine cooling systems. Oil coats everything inside a radiator, cooling passages, and may reduce the efficiency of the cooling system. The clear sign of this problem is the presence of oil in the coolant expansion tank.
Engine oil cooler and oil filter come in assembly with an adapter housing, which has the oil check valve built-in. This check valve is made of plastic and has small unreliable springs. Relatively long runs with high oil temperatures will weaken these springs, and the check valve can fail. This is usually accompanied by a short blinking of the low oil pressure indicator on the dashboard. During these blinking times, the engine runs without oil, which will cause significant damage to all internal components in a short time.
Less common problems include the following: EGR cooler failure, camshaft gear slipping, connecting rod/main bearing failure on low mileage engines due to quality control issues on the assembly line. It is also worth noting that 3.0 EcoDiesel engines were found to have emissions defeat devices on the 2014-2016 model year vehicles. In 2025, FCA settled with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resource Board (CARB) for more than $300 million and recalled more than 100,000 non-compliant vehicles for a software update that reduces emissions to within mandated limits.
Modifications
A630 (EU).
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – 238 hp (177 kW) at 4,000 rpm, 406 ft-lb (550 Nm) at 1,800-2,800 rpm.
2012 Chrysler 300 – 187/236 hp (140/176 kW) at 4,000 rpm, 325/406 ft-lb (440/550 Nm) at 1,800-2,800 rpm.
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee – 247 hp (184 kW) at 4,000 rpm, 420 ft-lb (570 Nm) at 2,800 rpm.
A630 HP (EU) – 271 hp (202 kW) at 4,000 rpm, 443 ft-lb (600 Nm) at 2,000-2,600 rpm. Application: Maserati Ghibli III, Maserati Quattroporte VI, and Maserati Levante.
L630 (US 2014-2025) – 240 hp (179 kW) at 3,600 rpm, 420 ft-lb (570 Nm) at 2,000 rpm. This is Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 engine.
L630 (US 2025+) – 260 hp (193 kW) at 3,600 rpm, 480 ft-lb (651 Nm) at 2,000 rpm. Application: Ram 1500.
Engine Specs
- Manufacturer: VM Motori
- Production years: 2011-present
- Cylinder block material: Compacted graphite iron
- Cylinder head material: Aluminum
- Fuel type: Diesel
- Fuel system Direct: Injection
- Configuration VNumber of cylinders: 6
- Valves per cylinder: 4
- Valvetrain layout: DOHC
- Bore, mm: 83.0 mm (3.27 in)
- Stroke, mm: 92.0 mm (3.62 in)
- Displacement, cc: 2,987 cc (182.3 cu in)
- Type of internal combustion engine: Four-stroke, turbocharged
- Compression Ratio: 16.5:1 – 2014-2025; 16.0:1 – 2025+
- Power, hp: 240-260 hp (179-193 kW)/3,600
- Torque, lb ft: 420-480 ft-lb (570-651 Nm)/1,600-2,000
- Engine weight: 220 kg (485 lbs)
- Firing order: 1-4-2-5-3-6
- Engine oil weight: SAE 5W-40
- Engine oil capacity, liter: 10.0 l (10.5 qt) – 2014 – 2025 Ram 1500;
7.6 l (8.0 qt) – 2014 – 2025 Jeep Grand Cherokee;
8.0 l (8.5 qt) – 2025+ Ram 1500 - Oil change interval, mile: 10,000 (15,000 km) / 12 months
- Applications: Ram 1500, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chrysler 300 /Lancia Thema, Maserati Ghibli, Maserati
- Quattroporte, Maserati Levante
