Blown '14 Eco Diesel

[Jager]

Hi All,

I'm looking for insight, input, direction regarding my Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel. I am the original owner and it has 133K miles on it. The motor blew Christmas eve night while I was headed to meet the family for church. It happened quick - like in 1/8 of a mile. Started rattling loud, engine oil light came on and then some gremlin dumped their silverware drawer into my motor. Luckily I was going downhill and I was able to coast off onto a freeway exit. As bad as it was, the situation couldn't have been any better. I live in MN, but it was a mild 44 degrees and I was only five miles from my office where I could quickly get another vehicle (unfortunately not a RAM!). Three days earlier would have sucked since I was 250 mile northwest pheasant hunting and the day finished up at 2 degrees.

It has the extended warranty due to the emissions recall and modification update it had done in 2019. So I have another 15K miles left on the warranty or another 30 months - which ever comes first. The engine light had been on for about two days and it had come on about four days prior to that for part of day, but went off. It's happened in the past and it seems to typically be an egr thing and I've cleaned the tube in the past as well.

It went to the local dealership and not surprisingly they told me it would not be covered by warranty. They could put a new motor in for $16K or give me $500.00 for the vehicle - sweet! They had removed the oil pan and "found excessive material from the main and piston rod bearings." They also found a piston rod cap bolt on the bottom of the pan. The motor was seized so they couldn't do any further testing. Hence "the X78 warranty extension does not include the engine assembly or piston rods which is the cause of failure on this engine."

I've attached the dealer report as well as the warranty extension. Any advice is greatly appreciated. And if nothing can be done, I'll probably be looking for suggestions to find a used motor. I've done a little searching. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Steve

 

[TC Diesel]

Your SOL...and to add your second motor has the same risk for rotating mass failure. You simply increase your rate of failure buy your DD use. You now join the 10K+ 3.0 failures related to Rotating mass QC.

 

[surreypilot]

Hi All,

I'm looking for insight, input, direction regarding my Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel. I am the original owner and it has 133K miles on it. The motor blew Christmas eve night while I was headed to meet the family for church. It happened quick - like in 1/8 of a mile. Started rattling loud, engine oil light came on and then some gremlin dumped their silverware drawer into my motor. Luckily I was going downhill and I was able to coast off onto a freeway exit. As bad as it was, the situation couldn't have been any better. I live in MN, but it was a mild 44 degrees and I was only five miles from my office where I could quickly get another vehicle (unfortunately not a RAM!). Three days earlier would have sucked since I was 250 mile northwest pheasant hunting and the day finished up at 2 degrees.

It has the extended warranty due to the emissions recall and modification update it had done in 2019. So I have another 15K miles left on the warranty or another 30 months - which ever comes first. The engine light had been on for about two days and it had come on about four days prior to that for part of day, but went off. It's happened in the past and it seems to typically be an egr thing and I've cleaned the tube in the past as well.

It went to the local dealership and not surprisingly they told me it would not be covered by warranty. They could put a new motor in for $16K or give me $500.00 for the vehicle - sweet! They had removed the oil pan and "found excessive material from the main and piston rod bearings." They also found a piston rod cap bolt on the bottom of the pan. The motor was seized so they couldn't do any further testing. Hence "the X78 warranty extension does not include the engine assembly or piston rods which is the cause of failure on this engine."

I've attached the dealer report as well as the warranty extension. Any advice is greatly appreciated. And if nothing can be done, I'll probably be looking for suggestions to find a used motor. I've done a little searching. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Steve

Hi Steve. Sorry to say but there is nothing but bad news from here on. I too suffer the same fate.
I have tried to source out another motor and there is nothing. Local shops, dealerships, online international diesel supply shops. One shop alone has over 400 motors on backorder, with no idea when they will even show up. And no this is NOT a Covid thing.
Now lets put some salt on that wound, they are no longer manufacturing that generation of Eco diesel and the new gen is completely different and forget about any other motor swap $$$.
Our only recourse is to start another class action lawsuit against FCA, something has to be done because that is a lot of parked vehicles with no motors, and there are already thousands of them across north America. Who knows, if enough Eco diesel owners as well as past owners pull together and start something maybe somewhere down the road we'll get compensated somehow for all the grief.
Issues with the EGR was addressed because of a safety thing. You can't tell me that having a motor self destruct while driving down the hi-way is not a safety concern.

 

[Augiedoggy]

I for one wouldnt want the old generation ecodiesel replacement. why replace a bad design with the same bad design vs the newer generation where at least there were improvements?

 

[Augiedoggy]

It is strange that they are still taking orders on the original engines if they are not backordered due to covid issues (Which would be the logical reason) even the tires I ordered in october spent almost 3 months on backorder. its a big cause and effect mess with manufacturer disruptions and logistic issues at many levels. I see it at work almost every day myself.
The main difference in relationship to common failures from my understanding is not EGR improvements but rather the new main bearing and crankshaft design the newer engines have.
im confused by which version engine this really is?

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[TC Diesel]

I for one wouldnt want the old generation ecodiesel replacement. why replace a bad design with the same bad design vs the newer generation where at least there were improvements?

What improvements? its the same rotating mass... The AECDs VM added in 2020 were Dropped by Cat, Cummins, Detroit, ETC Years back. VM is just pushing the Failures beyond Warranty/ Liability to Stellantis. That extra Hardware will fool many nose sniffers, The informed Diesel enthusiast will say away. Ford and GM either suspended or cancel their 1/2 Ton DSL ... that likely were more refined and the QC much Higher. I have never read or heard anyone dropping GM , Ford for Ram DSL 3.0VM.

 

[Augiedoggy]

What improvements? its the same rotating mass... The AECDs VM added in 2020 were Dropped by Cat, Cummins, Detroit, ETC Years back. VM is just pushing the Failures beyond Warranty/ Liability to Stellantis. That extra Hardware will fool many nose sniffers, The informed Diesel enthusiast will say away. Ford and GM either suspended or cancel their 1/2 Ton DSL ... that likely were more refined and the QC much Higher. I have never read or heard anyone dropping GM , Ford for Ram DSL 3.0VM.

The main bearings are wider along with the crank journals

 

[TC Diesel]

Its not bearing design or journal size that causing VM 3.0 to fail...it the QC,plus the bottom end assembly. LMBO the few thou they added Won't correct or change the failure ratio....You are either going to have Hero or Zero Rotating assembly.

 

[Marvin]

I just got car shield I hope they don’t rip me off like ram if my pos diesel blows up. I don’t know what else to do about all I read here is bad news about them!

 

[Augiedoggy]

I just got car shield I hope they don’t rip me off like ram if my pos diesel blows up. I don’t know what else to do about all I read here is bad news about them!

LOL I was listening to the Carshield infomercial when I was posting in this thread yesterday and for the first time in my life I actually considered it!

My truck is not stock so they most certianly would use that as an out from paying if I had an issue.

 

[EcoDiesel USA]

The engine is covered under the AEM warranty, if the dealerships is trying to get away from this go to a different dealerhsip.

 

[EcoDiesel USA]

What improvements? its the same rotating mass... The AECDs VM added in 2020 were Dropped by Cat, Cummins, Detroit, ETC Years back. VM is just pushing the Failures beyond Warranty/ Liability to Stellantis. That extra Hardware will fool many nose sniffers, The informed Diesel enthusiast will say away. Ford and GM either suspended or cancel their 1/2 Ton DSL ... that likely were more refined and the QC much Higher. I have never read or heard anyone dropping GM , Ford for Ram DSL 3.0VM.

The new 2020 engine uses a different material for the crank, it uses lighter rods and pistons, and the displacement is changes by a small fraction. The issue with the bottoms ends was a combination of a few things. 1 - bad crank material/casting 2 - tuning that caused the engines to lug

 

[TC Diesel]

Do you have any proof, other than what someone tells YOU. I removed My engine May 2015 and found 2 undersized Bearings, I also found it interesting that VM had the exact size bearings I needed. My 1st OA confirmed this. By the way I build engines and when they fail, we look into why, and its always related to poor assembly or spec waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay the heck out. So ecodiesel use what your explanation for 2 years of production failures continuing?

 

[EcoDiesel USA]

Do you have any proof, other than what someone tells YOU. I removed My engine May 2015 and found 2 undersized Bearings, I also found it interesting that VM had the exact size bearings I needed. My 1st OA confirmed this. By the way I build engines and when they fail, we look into why, and its always related to poor assembly or spec waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay the heck out. So ecodiesel use what your explanation for 2 years of production failures continuing?

This information comes directly from fca as reason for failures, same with the changes to the new engine. We have also took a part a large pile of these ecodiesel engines and found the same issue with every single one of the ones we took part. My entire business is based 100% on the ecodiesel and nothing else.

 

[TC Diesel]

100% ecodiesel or VM....hmmm I will provide evidence that 2020 Plus are still failing from the same QC issues, FCA is officially dead (The Merger)

I also find it interesting years later in your miraculous wisdom you decide to join this forum Now, claim that owners that have fallen victim to VM Bug spray is gossip.... a large pile LMBO..I would also recommend alternative for business, the Numbers declining likely will result in Stellantis ending production of DSL in 1500, both GM and Ford are not as stupid as CORP Stellantis. Heck, VM3.0 has already cost Fiat 4Billion$ in loses. likely one of the reasons for the merger.

I just click on your Sig......You will be joining many of Other Tuners/suppliers that turn out the lights after the EPA served Judicial subpoenas.

Yep, just keep up the advertising that certainly will hasten the final outcome. I do admire your efforts thou.

I would like to see those Documents with correct #s. If you took apart XXX do you have the data to provide? When engine(s) come before us that fail we are diligent about documenting why the failure. I will admit We don't build 3.0s or machine any parts for the power plant, so we don't have piles of them for good reasons, Although I have finger printed many failures at local dealerships, Parent company wants them Back ASAP so it does not give us much time to work with due to scheduling.

On edit in My Professional opinion DD ownership is just to risky for VM3.0, and deleting or altering any (AECD) is illegal, sponsoring Illegal act(s) IMO is not good for Business.

 

[EcoDiesel USA]

It doesn't really seem like you are here to help out owners, looks more like you are here to complain and be negative towards them. This isn't the only forum or place of information on the internet. It takes a long time for companies like FCA to release the information about what causes failures and why, and even when they do know they will not release it right away. I do not need to provide FCA documentation about the failures as I do not work for FCA or will find myself in a legal battle related to them. All engine failures are being covered under the AEM recall and that's good enough in their opinion. Take a crank out of the ecodiesel engine and have the metal tested for yourself, it won't take you very long to see why the cranks are snapping and wobbling out bearings. Even if some failures are related to things such as a bad bearing install it wont last for 7 years, the problem would be found eventually and mitigated out way before now.

With that being said you can look into the recalls and updates yourself. The first change was oil viscosity and the second big change was a tcm update to cause the trans to downshift sooner to prevent engine lugging, it was also the reason why fuel economy tanked so hard. They prevented the ecodiesel from being able to do 60mph in 8th gear and hold it, which was dumb to ever run a diesel engine below the start of the torque curve. No diesel engine should ever be cruising down the road at rpms that low, it is asking for trouble, prime example is the destruction of the 68rfe through simple lugging like installing 38" tires with 3.42 gears.

 

[TC Diesel]

All the things You mentioned I was the fore runner..... Do your research, I was months ahead of the Lube problem it was 1.5 Years after I publicly declare the VM 3.0 violates CAA laws, The EPA agree with me. The Fire's, EGR, Plenum, Etc and the failures continue to current.... You don't tune your DSL Engine not to lug, that increases wear on rotating faster, plus it hurts MPG.... Millions of DSL engines are built to drop down to 1000 RPMs and pull out without self-destructing....

You Obliviously don't investigate matters with the approach to correct short comings. Only support your view. You need to understand beyond your intellectual education and background. What is made crooked cannot be tuned straight. Heeeheee.

LMBO, 68rfe lugging destroys the trans NOT the Motor.... And just like VM3.0 the 68rfe should be in a Museaum, its old outdated and not designed to handle the current environment Owners paid $$$$$$ for.

 

[Mattwalsh506]

All the things You mentioned I was the fore runner..... Do your research, I was months ahead of the Lube problem it was 1.5 Years after I publicly declare the VM 3.0 violates CAA laws, The EPA agree with me. The Fire's, EGR, Plenum, Etc and the failures continue to current.... You don't tune your DSL Engine not to lug, that increases wear on rotating faster, plus it hurts MPG.... Millions of DSL engines are built to drop down to 1000 RPMs and pull out without self-destructing....

You Obliviously don't investigate matters with the approach to correct short comings. Only support your view. You need to understand beyond your intellectual education and background. What is made crooked cannot be tuned straight. Heeeheee.

LMBO, 68rfe lugging destroys the trans NOT the Motor.... And just like VM3.0 the 68rfe should be in a Museaum, its old outdated and not designed to handle the current environment Owners paid $$$$$$ for.

Hello

In your opinion, is there any precautions an owner can take to prevent any of these problems? I have a ‘19 classic with a pre-compliant GDE hot tune….

read a lot about people suggesting full deletes, running additives, certain types of oil, adding oil catch cans, etc. is this all snake oil or any value to any of this stuff? Or should I just trade it in before the warranty is up?

tough to find any reliable information as there seems to be a lot of speculation about the failures.

Many thanks

 

[TC Diesel]

Its a Hero / Zero Motor, If the entire rotating mass is machined and tight tolerances are met it will last with proper maintenance. You still need to deal with all the other short comings on the 3.0VM. Is it worth the risk to You?

Its likely that the New Hurricane Motor will end the VM 3.0, Stellantis is buying efficiency credit Now, The New Hurricane will eliminate that, NO need for the 3.0VM for that reason.

Quiet rumors of more Hurricanes

Rumor has pegged the Saltillo plant’s Hurricane twin-turbo-straight-six output at 200,000 or more engines per year—but is that enough? It depends on whether the Hurricane engine series will replace the Hemi V8. The Hurricane beats the Hemi in peak power and torque, low-end torque, and fuel...

www.stellpower.com

 

[Mattwalsh506]

Its a Hero / Zero Motor, If the entire rotating mass is machined and tight tolerances are met it will last with proper maintenance. You still need to deal with all the other short comings on the 3.0VM. Is it worth the risk to You?

Its likely that the New Hurricane Motor will end the VM 3.0, Stellantis is buying efficiency credit Now, The New Hurricane will eliminate that, NO need for the 3.0VM for that reason.

Quiet rumors of more Hurricanes

Rumor has pegged the Saltillo plant’s Hurricane twin-turbo-straight-six output at 200,000 or more engines per year—but is that enough? It depends on whether the Hurricane engine series will replace the Hemi V8. The Hurricane beats the Hemi in peak power and torque, low-end torque, and fuel...

www.stellpower.com

Leaning towards trading it in (even if taking a beating on it) based on the horror stories of 14k-16k engine failures that can seem to happen at any mileage…….I read on another post of yours about doing oil analysis. Any recommendations for this in Canada? I haven’t done to date is it still worthwhile to start OA now to look for metals ie as an indicator of potential trouble or do you need to have done them with every oil change ?
Thanks