Ram gets technical to save fuel on full-size trucks

Ram Stop-Start Technology

Finding new ways to save fuel is all the rage with car companies these days. And this includes full-size trucks – although the process can obviously be more difficult in this segment. For Ram, one of the technologies it has implemented is the Ram Stop-Start technology. It seems simple enough, but there are actually a lot of things going on to make the 2013 Ram 1500 in Kenosha as fuel efficient as it is. So let’s take a look at what the Ram Stop-Start technology is all about.

In its simplest explanation, the Ram Stop-Start technology literally stops and starts the engine to save fuel when the truck isn’t moving. This process comes on Ram models fitted with both the 3.6-liter Pentastar engine and the 5.7-liter V8 HEMI. The system stops the vehicle’s engine when the truck comes to a complete stop. This doesn’t happen every time though, as the system is actually smart enough to know what kind of stop is being made. Therefore, when it deems in necessary, the engine stays running during brief stops. And the engine can restart itself during long stopping periods if the car gets too hot or too cold and AC or heat needs to come on.

So the Ram Stop-Start technology seems like a great thing – but surely it will wear out the starter, battery and everything else eventually, right? The folks at Ram were way ahead of us on this one. They fitted the Ram with heavy-duty components meant to withstand constant stopping and starting conditions. So each time your truck stops and starts, you don’t have to worry about it being one more check against the starter, alternator or battery. And the testing numbers are there to prove it, as Ram put the new starter through 300,000 on/off cycles – much more than the traditional measures.

So as you can see, Ram seems to have it covered when it comes to next-level fuel saving techniques. The fact that the company is always on the cutting edge is one of the many reasons we are proud to be a Gurnee, Antioch and Kenosha area Ram dealer.