Quote:
Originally Posted by Buffomarinus
Well Robert consulted with the technical team and provided this response:
Hi Lee,
I have spoken to our technical team, and below is what they have sent me
To answer these two questions as best as possible.
There are 2 main differences between the petrol and the diesel alternators is their design and operation. Although they both are rated at 220 amp they operate in different ways.
1. The voltage regulation is controlled in two completely different ways. The petrol is controlled by the PCM and the diesel has its own regulator which sends a signal to the PCM of what the alternator is charging at.
2. With the limited amount of failed diesel alternators we have seen by comparison to petrol alternators. None of the diesel alternator failures we have seen have resulted in a Thermal incident. And not all diesel alternator failures are related to the diode failing.
With the design of the diesel alternator, in the event of a diode failure, the driver will receive a warning on the dash, with a chime notifying them of an charging fault well before it has any effect on the vehicles operation.
Regards
Rob
Robert Lawson
Resolutions Desk Officer
Fiat Chrysler Australia
437 Plummer Street
Port Melbourne, Victoria, 3207
Australia
Telephone: 1300 133 079
Email: robert.lawson@fcagroup.com |
My response:
Good afternoon Robert,
Thank you for your response and the input from the technical team.
I note the advice of the differences between the design of the alternator between the petrol and diesel variants of the Grand Cherokee. Unfortunately, first-hand experience of owners of the diesel Grand Cherokees whose alternators failed indicates that the impact of failure is no less a safety implication than in the petrol variants.
There are plenty of testimonials on a number of forums that discuss this issue in depth, please let me know if you need any further detail.
I also offer the following:
1 That it is reported you have been contacted by a number of other diesel Grand Cherokee owners and advised of their concerns
2 That it is reported that you have helped Grand Cherokee owners who have experienced failures of their alternators, including providing support for the replacement of PCM’s that were damaged. Thank you.
3 That Ashton Wood of “Destroy My Jeep” Facebook fame is reported to be in contact with the CEO of FCA about this issue.
4 That there is a reported lack of availability of replacement alternators.
5 Advice from owners who have already experienced this issue is to contact FCA directly to mitigate disappointment that results from dealership response to this fault. Opportunity for improvement there?
6 That owners of diesel Grand Cherokees who experience an alternator failure are being advised to provide details to “Report an Unsafe Product” with the ACCC
https://www.productsafety.gov.au/con...unsafe-product
Are you able to provide an update on the progress to include diesel Grand Cherokees in the recall program that addresses alternator issues?
If, as your technical team advise, there is “limited amount of failed diesel alternators we have seen by comparison to petrol alternators” then perhaps the commercial impact of including diesel variants in the recall would be outweighed by the comfort given to owners (current and prospective) of Jeeps premier off-road vehicle that Jeep has their back.
If you require any further information in order to support a response please let me know.
Cheers