You may remember that we test a new 2025 Ram 1500 Tradesman work truck with the 3.0L Hurricane I6 twin-turbo engine on our TFL Truck Toaster endurance test. This is a very tough test that we run in the summer months. It’s a slow and steep mountain road climb that we do with a maximum load trailer. This time it was a trailer that weighed 10,500 lbs. The new Ram truck did really great, but it did have one error message the moment we stopped at the top of the mountain. It temporarily showed a Low Oil Pressure warning. Why did this happen and what can be done about it? We have an opportunity to speak with Ram’s chief powertrain engineer – Alan Falkowski – on our recent TFL Talkin’ Trucks podcast. He explains what happened, and also drops a surprise. Check it out.
First, you can learn more about our TFL Truck Toaster and how the new Ram 1500 turbo did. This truck is equipped with their standard-output version of the engine that produces 420 horsepower and 469 lb-ft of torque. It’s mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The truck is equipped with a towing package, which means it has a 3.92-to-1 rear axle ratio. The truck never pulled power and never overheated during the 8-mile climb at an average speed of 25 mph. This route is half paved and half dirt.
It’s time to speak with Alan Falkowski from Stellantis. Alan has worked with the company for over 35 years and has been involved in the development of the 3.6L Pentastar V6, the 5.7L Hemi V8, the Hellcat V8 engines, and now the 3.0L twin-turbo Hurricane I6 engines. “That thing got a Hemi?” Well, the 2025 Ram 1500 trucks no longer have a V8, but the new Hurricane engines are way more powerful.
Alan says that the Low Engine Oil pressure warning we saw at the end of our test did not cause any engine problems or damage. The drop in pressure was just about 1 psi below the warning threshold. It happened because the idle speed of the engine was low enough to have the oil pressure drop below a certain threshold.
Ram already made a change to their engine management software, validated it, and this new software is already inside new Ram 1500 truck being built now. If you already have a 2025 Ram 1500, you don’t need to worry about this. The software can be updated next time you take your truck in for service at a dealer. Also, you do not have to worry about this unless you regularly tow a maximum load trailer up a steep mountain during very hot ambient temperatures. If you do use your truck like this, you should get the software update sooner rather than later.
I also ask Alan about the lack of the oil dipstick, engine downsizing, new oil formulation, and much more. Check out our video podcast below.
