Grand Cherokee Diesel Engine Failure...

[Brit30-06]

Originally Posted by Mousie

The software update years ago in conjunction with the 5-40 advice included a very minor change to the auto shift pattern to reduce the low rev labouring. I could be wrong here but that would have made sense.

Hi.
Yes, FCA changed the Oil Spec and updated the tranny software. All this to try cover up a design flaw in that engine.

Oil changed to an A3/B4 or an E9 Truck oil. Look for a high 'HTHS' rating. Note that they are not 'low saps'. It would seem FCA do not care about possible DPF issues down the line.

[drover]

Well not really in regards to a A3/B4 that was for the petrol engines, the WSM I have for 2011-2013 states for the diesel " MOBIL 1® SAE 5W-30 Low Ash Fully Synthetic oil, meeting the requirements of ACEA C3 " also needs 8.4lts of it, the 2014-2017 WSM states the same but needing 7.7lts of oil, it was then changed to 5W40 and a CJ4, MS-1092 an oil which wasn't really all that common here in that grade and mostly truck/tractor and not as a 5W... at least thats what I found but was happy to use C3.

It wouldn't surprise me that some places would have thrown just any old 5W30 oil in as places still just look at Grand Cherokee and thats it, running an oil less than C3 is just asking for DPF trouble, ACEA C3 or API CJ4 near enough to same, same.

When I got mine I went for a 5W40 C3 oil anyway then it changed or I found out they had changed it, can't recall which, now I use a 10W40 CJ4 full syn diesel oil ....

[Jeeper6]

Ditto Drover...there are not many choices here in Oz for CJ4 or CK4 spec'd oil.

I have a spread sheet with all the oils available that meet at least CJ4 spec and are low ash...less than 1%.

The only ones that I could find that do are:

Shell Rotella T6 5w 40, Penrite Enviro 10w 40 full Synthetic Diesel oil, Nulon 10w 40 HD Diesel engine oil, Amsoil API CJ4 synthetic 5w 40 Diesel engine oil, Fuchs Titan Cargo Maxx 10w 40 Diesel engine oil, Mobil Delvac XHP ESP 10w 40 Diesel Truck oil, Mobil 1 5w 40 Turbo Diesel Truck oil, Gulf Western Top Dog Global Plus 10w 40 Diesel engine oil.

The oil has to be low ash and be DPF friendly or you will run in to trouble. As you write, many Dealers and workshops will throw any oil in as they either don't have a clue, or the Jeep owner is a tight a r s e and won't pay for extra for the right stuff.

I normally use the Penrite Enviro 10w 40, as it is readily available and I like it's specs. But, for the oil change this week I treated my Jeep to a dose of Shell Rotella T6 5w 40 Full Synthetic. I had 10 litres of the stuff on the shelf I had bought last year so I cleared some shelf space. Cost me then a tad over $16 per litre delivered for the stuff, liquid gold lol, can't see it anywhere now, every where out of stock inc in the US.

[genpk]

i had a good read of GDL’s survey of blown engines. A good read but there was a few things that still dont add up.
One was that over heating didnt appear to be an issue.
Given that alot of the blown motors were on there second or third owners, their previous service history wasnt known in many cases.
Another interesting thing was their assessment that carbon build up didnt appear to be the issue is in contrast to a couple of these engine tare downs where crank oil journals have been clogged up.
I will note that i read another report by a guy who had two motors blow cranks and he decided to pull them to bits.
He found that one of the motors had a stuck pressure relief valve on the oil pump.
Evedently the small ball bearing valve had deformed slightly and was stuck resulting in oil starvation at idle. His thought was over time that starvation accumulates and eventually stresses the bearings.
I still havnt heard of one of these motors blow a crank bearing where an owner has been doing his own oil and filter servicing.

[LeCheese]

Originally Posted by genpk

I still havnt heard of one of these motors blow a crank bearing where an owner has been doing his own oil and filter servicing.

I've seen a few non-dealer serviced (i.e., self or specialist) let go be reported on Facebook. No doubt the reason we see fewer is that it's probably just in line with the proportions of owners who don't service at the dealer. It's important to remember that, even though we're of course seeing it more over time, the failures are still really quite rare.

[Jeeper6]

Evedently the small ball bearing valve had deformed slightly and was stuck resulting in oil starvation at idle. His thought was over time that starvation accumulates and eventually stresses the bearings.

I had read similar, I mentioned this in a previous post. The relief valve itself is made of a hard plastic and apparently can deform over time with continual heating / cooling.

The relief valve I think is in the oil filter housing as the oil is pumped directly from the oil pump to the oil filter before distribution.


It's important to remember that, even though we're of course seeing it more over time, the failures are still really quite rare.

Too true, according to sales records in the US alone there were near 1.3 million Grand Cherokees sold between 2014 and 2019. If just a third of those were diesels that's over 430,000, plus the Rams that were sold with the VM.
There has to be failures due to the mere fact many people just do not service their vehicles... and engines today are stressed before they miss any services.

There are likely just as many failures among the Japanese vehicles...but as we know Toyota tend to ensure all blogs and complaints are "sanitised" for the internet.

With Jeep blogs it is warts and all...

[FARWEST]

Absolutely agree with the prior two posts....and...as I have said...here, on this forum, we come to ask questions when things go wrong...soooo.....yep, LOTS of threads about 'problems'...its what the forum is based on...finding solutions to common faults....
Just a very recent observation on a round trip from middle of Sth.Oz Coastline(hometown dustville on Eastern Edge of the Nullabour) to Adelaide and back....the amount of our brands towing large to largish vans exceeded other makes combined....the amount of those being used @ 100kph average whilst towing exceeded everything combined....the amount of our brand 'holding up traffic'(and I DO HATE that term...we all drive at different speeds for different reasons in different situations)due to low tow speeds or 'undulating countryside'....Nil....the amount of our brand with bonnet up and look of dismay on the 'families faces'....Nil.....other brands...several.....taking this as a VERY broad 'survey'....based on Xmas traffic and an East-West Freight Corridor (for those not familiar with this term...look it up...not being on a Freight Corridor WILL increase your trip ENJOYMENT...IF you actually enjoy driving/life at your own pace)...with variable conditions from 38C to 16C wind, rain, roadworks...a pretty good overall 'sample'....my assessment is that our brand isnt what most 'advertise' it as being...definitely not a fragile 'soft roader'...but definitely a sturdy workhorse more capable in Oz conditions than most and, only from what I saw, more reliable in Oz conditions than ALL others combined...as stated....advertising is legalised brainwashing....'Oh what a fooling'