Had this happen a few years back and thats when i learned jeep had made upgrades to the 3.6 pentastar in 2016. It took me a minute to figure out but i ended up doing a leak down test for that cylinder and then i heard the valve close. I ended up taking solenoid out and jumping it with a 12volt battery and it never clicked (bad solenoid). New solenoid and oil change problem fixed. Also after 2013 somtime they were suppose to have upgrade the cam follower (rocker arm) so the bad needle bearings in rollers were upgraded. But they still tear up!
I’m sure you already fixed the car but I’ve seen the oil galley bolts in front of the head where phasers are back out and allow oil pressure to bleed out of head that goes to the rocker arms wich allows no oil pressure for the high and low lift modes. Chrysler tech here.
100% If I can follow along which is about 45% of the time. I'm use to Carburetors, timing light, points, condenser, Jets, Metering rods, vehicles when you open the hood you can actually SEE THE GROUND. I'll take my 97 Jeep ZJ & my 68 Camaro over this computer stuff. Might get into Turbo's though ?
Swap the solenoid for cylinder 1's and see if the problem stays or moves. If it stays with cylinder 2, then it's something wrong with the rocker or pin. If it moves with the solenoid it's the solenoid when under oil pressure!
When you're bench testing that solenoid, you have no "load" on it, which would be oil pressure in this case. Good enough to click-clack but too weak to to the job. Maybe check resistance vs. the other 3 solenoids but I'd swap out a new one if the others don't swap out but the other bank that controls only one cylinder might?
You saved me so much time and headache 😅 Literally had the same issue with cylinder one. After replacing the spark plugs and swapped coils, turns out it was the solenoid. Crazy. Thank you!
I would have checked the electric circuit a bit deeper before because it's possible that this is a problem with the current through the coil when it becomes warm and it heals itself when becoming cold again. But I have also seen cases of misfires due to bad valve clearance - something that appears when engine gets warm.
That solenoid is only $61 on RockAuto but the only one available is a Standard Motor Product. NTK, and WVE are both sold out. Removing the valve cover is labor and probably will require a new gasket. I think I'd fire a solenoid at it, or swap with the other front if possible, as the next step as it's going to be close to the same cost. If the problem still exists then you know it's time to go into the valve cover.
I guess before I tore it all apart I would make sure that the VVL is not powered on all the time, due to possibly a short keeping power applied (if there was one it would most likely be at or close to the PCM, just a guess). This is probably not the case as I think they are turned on by the PCM supplying power to the VVL and they are always grounded. But, it is a simple and fairly fast test, just to see this one is not powered on all the time. Although it could be the rocker arm, it could also be a stuck lock pin, or a broken spring (spring which returns the VVL to High Lift position). I wonder how dirty/gritty the oil is, and what the oil pressure is. Now these latter two could effect more then just cylinder 2. Another possibility, is the oil passages clogging up (likely due to dirty/gritty oil), preventing the spring from returning the VVL to the High Lift position. The same could possibly be true if the oil pressure is too high, although this latter one is more likely to cause issues with more than just one VVL or cylinder. It is the Oil Pressure that moves to the Low Lift mode, after 12.0 VDC is applied to the solenoid which opens up the Oil Passages. When power is removed from the Solenoid, the Oil is blocked from going through it, and the spring can move it back to High Lift Mode. To see if it is some physical mechanical issue (something broken), a stethoscope (or something similar) could be used while engine is running. You might possibly here it if something is broken. Just throwing some stuff out there that is easy to check without taking stuff apart. Omegaman
I always liked these Grand Cherokees but I know reliability is a gamble. A close friend of mine owns a fully loaded 2016 V8 model with air suspension and all the bells and whistles. It has 200k miles and is rock solid. She's taken it on multiple trips across the country from Pennsylvania to Alaska and it's never skipped a beat. Meanwhile, a former coworker of mine had to lemon law his brand new 2018. He had it in the shop for multiple major electrical issues but while it was in their care it somehow developed an mechanical problem with the transfer case. It had less than 2 thousand miles.
Ivan before pulling the rocker cover swap the drivers front solinoid with the passanger front solinoid and see if the missfire changes side its one thing you can take out of the equasion solinoid might click doesn't mean it works also check for a chaffed wire on the problem solinoid harness then if nothing else remove the rocker cover leave the oily hard job till last really like your channel cheers from down under
I saw something about 11 volts in the code description you were reading, and you had a couple of battery codes stored as well. Might be worth checking. Maybe something is dropping out in the charging or battery system. Who knows
Hi Ivan, How about swapping that solenoid for the one on the other head. If No. 2 still has the problem, then the rocker arm is confirmed as the culprit. You and your family stay safe.
Ivan i worked that exact jeep. With 3.6 motor. Customer complaint was poor starting, lack of response, diagnosed it to bad vvl. Replaced it, Customer took care of the oil changes from new, kept all the service well. After that vvl replacement, about 7,000 miles later engine locked up solid, cracked the starter. Don't know why it did that, didn't have chance to tear it down as the engine had to go for core had to replace engine 6k even with the new ecm came with it. As the ecm has version 3.0 which old one was version 1.0. Wow! All replaced and runs so smooth. Kind of oddball situation! Engine only had 148k on it. Great video!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics yep! Sure is. After watching this video and it got me wonder that will happen to this as apparently its common failure with 3.6 motors. I haven't been researching too much into it to find out why it's a problem.
Where to go next, now that's a tough call. Hate to say it but I can't think of any other option, so looks like it's time to pull the valve cover and check that rocker arm.
If it's anything like the vvt on a Volvo it basically disables it if the vvt won't move within a very narrow time frame. I vsf a solinoid just like yours that moved under power. Moved in the car. But when car wore sitting for 10min while hot. It would stick just long enough to get a engine light and worse performance as a result of vvt being disabled. Now I got a jumper on it and car runs great :)
The second time you said "give her the beans" . I instantly wanted a Pine Hollow Diagnostics t-shirt with your logo on the front and that printed on the back
I would try swapping a different solenoid from one of the others to see if it's a weak solenoid or a rocker arm. I'm amazed that most people bring their cars to you on nearly empty (fuel). You and Eric O both. LOL
Hi. Just repaired this exact issue. Willing to wager this is a much more frequent issue than is being stated. I'd go so far as to suggest the previous pentastar and it's "cracking" cylinder heads on #2 ONLY was pure horse hockey. The recalls, the costs and repairs... For an $80 part that seems designed to fail (also plastic foreign body in ball valve on the #2 cylinder solenoid) this is looking to be a bit of a scandal.... especially since the part is NEARLY impossible to replace "new". Nobody seems to have one in stock and the 30-60 day back order becomes 90+ quite quickly. What are your thoughts on this, severe and damning as it is?
Maybe another way to verify the variable lift system would be to put your Pressure transducer in cyl #2. In the low lift mode the intake valve will open later and close sooner. You could compare readings in the 2 modes.
The GM 2.4L solenoids often have coil wire failure maybe where the delicate internal wires goes to the connector. Failure can be intermittent heat/vibration related so a bit difficult to diagnose on the bench. Forums recommended replacing both exhaust & intake on that inline 4.
My boss had a Grand Cherokee 2015-ish with the V8 Hemi engine in it. During the first year it was in for service half the time for a strange sound under low load... Had the transmission swapped 2 times under warranty, along with a lot of other stuff. No one could fix it. Until one day a specialist came along and stated: "That sound? That´s normal". Turns out that the Hemi disables 2 cylinders under low load conditions to save fuel, and that may sound a little strange if you´re not used to the sound. I should note that the big Hemi engines are not common around here due to heavy taxation, they are not even for sale here, so the dealership techs had never seen one in the shop before. My boss had it specially imported from abroad.
Maybe use a stethoscope to listen for abnormal sound or lack of sound along the valve cover near #2 and compare to bank 1. Also jose had a good point in bench testing the solenoids and if they react differently or fail while under oil pressure. Endoscopy maybe but bank 2 valve cover removal seems inevitable 😞Also the thought goes by being a mopar..what about a sticking carboned up intake valve? Or did they do away with that issue?
Very interesting case! Of course, coils and spark plugs would be too easy 🙂 Here are my questions - can we be sure that the solenoid valve behaves the same when pressurized? Is it possible to swap #2 with any other solenoid valve?
Once upon a time in a time long, long ago, diagnosing issues on vehicles was never so slow! Having said that, todays vehicles drive so much nicer, quieter, are comfortable and for the most part are quite reliable. And I love the modern motor vehicle as a touring vehicle. They just appear more costly to repair when their is an issue.
Remove the engine oil filter pull the outside ribs apart a little~even use a pencil magnet~if there is magnetic pieces it will be the cam lobes and or rocker arm pieces~just did a 2014 caravan 3.6l. And cyl 6 was a misfire,also after removing the valve cover found cyl. 4 rocker arm and cam worn as well~only the exhaust though~intakes were fine. Thanks Ivan
lifter/roller rocker. it's likely doing the old clickety-clackety noise. but it's possible to have almost no noise or in short bursts only when driving and the issue occurring. probably roller off center or similar and lifter fully extended or collapsing. in this case running on jack stands or a dyno roller so you can have head under hood would be great, but I guess a mic/camera under hood may catch it also.
Swapping solenoids would be nice if they were the same and/or easy to get to. Since they are not, perhaps looking at current ramps during the symptom would offer clues. I’d clear the codes, and drive it with the current clamp hooked to the pico, and see what differences there may be when the code sets/symptoms are present. Otherwise, may have to pull the valve cover to inspect rocker arms…. OR, if the solenoid is cheap enough (and it’s obviously easy to get to), it may, cost wise, be best in this case to simply swap in a new one! Look forward to seeing what comes of it!!✌️
what if... the oil and filter need to be changed? incorrect viscosity maybe? obstructed oil filter? I've had this resolve some vvt inconsistencies in the past. maybe I overlooked but didn't hear a mention about oil quality and filter
good video .i would swap with other cyl solenoid if it possible ! .because could be a spring broken inside that would not let it return because of pressure or check if it is still commanded on with scope when it should not be .
Swap 1 and 2 if they have the same part number and only control one Cylinder each. Just like moving a coil to see oil the misfire travels. This assumes you can get at the number 1 solenoid.
I wonder, that 1/2 cylinder split per solenoid... It is most likelly because that engine is a 2/3 V8. As in a V8 each would control 2 cylinders. They probably removed one 'middle' cylinder, leaving the two ends there. Easier to remove the middle than the end for sure.
An obvious question, when was the last oil change? I also like 10% chance of determining the cause with field diagnostics and 0% chance with a scanner.
Funny this video pops up now, right when I have a similar V6 Jeep Laredo coming in Monday with an "intermittent misfire on cylinder 1 at idle". Being in New Zealand I have never had anything to do with these engines before so it will be interesting to see if I have a similar fault/symptom. All I know is it's already had a new set of spark plugs and the coils swapped by another workshop but the P0301 remains the same and they didn't want to look any further at it.
Since clean oil and regular oil change intervals make a VVT system work properly, has the oil been changed often and is the oil clean in the engine? VVT engines have low tolerance for dirty oil.
I've had solenoid before that sounded perfectly fine but yet didn't work correctly I assume it was to do with the oil pressure being applied to the solenoid
Pentastar tick? Where the rocker arm needle bearings go bad at 100k and wipe out the cam. Super common problem, you’re right that engine is peppy for the displacement it has. I drove a promaster 2500 and that thing was quick!
Use an amp clamp and backprobe the solenoid and view current flow and voltage while driving, and do the same on the opposite bank and compare the waveforms. Also lime someone else said see if the bank 1 solo solenoid can be swapped.
ivan rather than swapping the coils have you tried the coin on top of the coil couple you scope to the coil and run engine you should see a spark rasta pattern on the screen
I think I would try to actuate it while the engine is running. I think I'd even go as far as running leads into the cab and actuate it while driving, and just see if you can get consistent results.. At least then you could rule out the PCM driving it as being the issue.. (of coarse you would still be in the dark about whether its the solenoid or the rocker). I'd definitely take a good look down in that hole and check for gunk-- and clean that screen really well, etc. It could just be a partially blocked oil passage that is causing the rocker pin to stick. I wonder if you could blow it out with some kind of cleaner without taking the valve cover off? That screen looks quite dirty to me- I'd certainly start by cleaning that screen, maybe taking it off and looking at the end of the solenoid and see if there is something obvious making it hang up at the tip; maybe the shaft of the actuator is carboned up inside that screen.
Actuating it causes it to go into low lift mode. Unplugged, the solenoid is deactivated and in high lift mode. It ran fine (no misfires) when in high lift mode.
@@timd1833 Yeah.. I had made this comment before he showed all that. It's interesting and almost seems to be a driver issue- or logic issue or something. What is choosing to turn it on or activate it when it's not supposed to?
The engineers who design these engine systems must be NASA engineer dropouts. Give me a slant-6 anytime. Like Eric O. says, we’re not fixing cars anymore, we’re replacing computer systems. The modern auto mechanic needs an IT degree to troubleshoot problems. And they make it so you can’t bypass the system or your car will go into limp mode. Love watching your videos 👍🏻
Let me see if I understand this as I am NOT the brightest bulb on the string. Those repair instructions actually give you a PERCENTAGE chance of diagnosing the problem? There at 17:22? I will say this, apparently they didn't include Ivan in those percentages; if they did they would need to increase all of those percentages of correctly diagnosing the problems to 100%. Great video!
If there is no ignition system fault, then it is a misfire caused by fuel mixture (lean/rich) being out of spec. Intake valve stuck in low position code says it all.
When you apply power, that puts the solenoid into low lift mode. It sounds good when power is applied. However, to me, it sounds weak, even a little sticky on the return. That could cause it to get stuck in low lift mode. I would want to know what a known good solenoid sounds like before I go digging into it to check the rockers.
I have two thoughts about testing the solenoid, but it's all conjecture. The first thought was maybe it would be worth scoping to see if it has a pintle bump in engine running conditions. Bench testing sounded promising, but doesn't account for oil pressure/flow. My imagination kinda wanders in the direction of purge valves that allow vacuum leaks. Can this VVL solenoid allow leakage of its own? The other thought was even though the second solenoid on the same bank wasn't interchangeable, was there a solenoid on the other bank that was? I'm hoping the option is there for the next one you meet. It's another free, minimally invasive test to look for a misfire to move before a valve cover has to come off.
Hi Ivan, There should be a VVT cleaning function on your scan tool. I have used it to clean the system on my wife's 2015 Jeep Limited, (3.2), as a preventative measure.
First off, since this is operated by engine oil, I'd check the oil. (But I admit, I'd think an engine oil problem is more likely to cause a stuck high). If oil pressure causes it to go into high lift mode, what drains the oil pressure to allow it to go into low lift mode? If it a fixed orifice or does it drain back though the solenoid? I'm thinking the problem is on the drain side of things, such as a restricted passage.
Is it a weak solenoid unable to deal with the oil pressure? Isn't cylinder one controlled by a similar solenoid? I would swap it there and road test again and see if issue went to cylinder one before attacking the rocker arm.
I saw it mentioned it requires 20psi of oil pressure, being a jeep I wouldn't be shocked if it has questionable oil pressure at lower RPM causing issues with it moving correctly.
It's an overhead cam engine, so being as it had to actuate on the rocker arms it really didn't need to be under the manifold. Finally the engineers didn't make it complicated for no reason!
The rocker arms and lifters are a common problem with the Pentastar motor. Usually you will hear a tapping sound. I’m betting it’s the rocker. If it is replace them all a cheap part in more ways than one.
I think for final verification on the solenoid I'd find a hose to slip over the end of the solenoid and try to blow through it when no power is applied. If it's not leaking by then it's time to inspect the valve train components
They have a TSB to remove the valve cover and check the oil valve bolts in the front of the head they come lose and bleed oil pressure for the VVT or just fall out of the head all together if you tighten up the bolt it fixes it most of the time
So moral of the story? I have to always use buy a brand name coils and spark plugs no Amazon eBay’s special and properly timed oil changes only using high quality synthetic oils got it! 🙏🏽
The next thing I would check would be to see if the voltage turns off from the pcm. Rocker must be ok because when the solenoid is unplugged it goes to high lift mode. and when plugged in it is stuck in low lift so it shows the rocker is working. But the solenoid maybe getting voltage all the time.
I’m guessing a failed oil control valve lift solenoid right next to the coil, I’ve seen a log of these fail and it does feel like a spark or coil missfire
This is going to be good and I am only a couple of minutes into the video. Got a 2008 Kia Sportage with the 2.7L doing the same thing. I have tried everything to no avail other than driving it up to Ivan. Talking about stumped. Haven't admitted defeat yet!
My first area i go to is engine oil pressure, especially on the 2.4 Multiair engines with the vvl brick on top. Ive noticed on the ones ive worked on (can't speak for every 2.4 or 3.6) that when the oil pressure drops below 25psi at idle, they start having the issues
@@TheCrazy243 Well, I don't own any, but I have 2 friends with the 2.4, one is a 2014 Dodge Dart, the other is a 2019 Jeep Cherokee, The Dart goes through a quart of oil about 1500 miles, and the Cherokee goes about 1300 miles. Myself, I think that is rather high consumption, as my 4 GM products (2 Northstar V8's and 2 6.0 LS engines) only drop half a quart per oil change at 5000 mile intervals.
Hi Ivan. Well I took advantage of the Amazon sale and bought the Thinktool Pros Bi-Directional scanner. Wow this scanner has it all. I'm retired and like to work on my 1997 Dodge Ram Wagon Van B1500 3.9L. It's now 25 years old with only 60K miles. I'm thinking of getting NYS Historical License Plates for it. The catalytic converter rusted out inside and needs to be replaced. It rattles but it still makes water out of the tail pipe. LOL. As a DIY I can't buy it on line because the vendor won't ship it because I live in NYC. What a bummer. I understand California has the same issues.
The thinktool bi-directional is overkill if you aren't a pro mechanic, but I drool to have one. I have the thinktool mini which is excellent for $350, and does bi-directional if you want it to for $50 per car make. It doesn't have that awesome module topology chart though.
@@Bizija123 I always worked on my own cars since 1975 when an automotive car repair chain ripped me off for unnecessary work on front suspension for my 1972 Pontiac Catalina. At 73 years young, I still do my own oil changes. It's so refreshing to watch Ivan repair these cars on UA-cam. I can tell for sure he is very honest and knowledgable in the automotive repair world. I can relate to his repair methods when in comes to fly by wire concepts. It's basically the same technology in the alarm security field. The 4 wire connection between the keypad remote pad and the alarm control panel utilizes fly by wire communications. Also, each zone for the alarm control has a supervised 2 wire loop (one 12v B+ and one Negative) with an end of line resister (22K or 1K resister) at the end of the line for tamper resistance. If the series loop was shorted or has an open circuit, that would cause a trouble code or an alarm condition such as burglary or fire depending on how the alarm panel was programmed. In contrast, concerning automotive PCM circuits, the sensors in the engine bay are hooked up in a 5 volt reference circuit with an end of line supervise resister. I don't know the value of the automotive (EOL) end of line resisters because every automotive manufacture use different values. The cpu or pcm always have to see the EOL resistor . When the the circuit loop is compromised by a failed sensor or if the wiring is shorted or open or grounded, then the pcm no longer sees the end of line resistor value thus throws a trouble code. The airline industry utilizes fly by wire as well. Only it has double or triple backup circuits which would be very complicated to say at least. I am a retired NYS licensed alarm Installer with 50 years experience. Please anyone, advise me if I'm wrong with the above concepts between alarm and automotive industries.
Correction: The 22K resistor I mentioned on the above comment is not correct for basic Alarm panels. The correct EOL resistor value for the the end of line (EOL) protective loop is 2.2K or 2200 ohms. That's a big difference. Sorry about that.
I'd put the solenoid back on the car, and hook the oscilloscope to that solenoid, both voltage and current so I can see both the opening and closing movement in the solenoid on the scope. Perhaps hook another solenoid up too, for comparison. If the solenoid doesn't close when power to it is disabled it should be fairly obvious, like a pintle hump.
I would have tried blowing thru the solenoid while actuating it to see if it actually redirected/gated the flow. Also I would have held my finger over the output(s) while blowing to see how much leakage there was.
JT, OnlineMechanic, is constantly working on the Pentastars replacing the same stuff every time. Rocker Arms, camshafts, and heads. Keeps him being paid very well.
Use a heat gun on the solinoid to see if it fails when hot , (intermittents almost always heat or vibration related) Also I when swapping coils i will swap plugs with a different cylinder . Not helpful here but it gives 2 tests on one drive.
I would put a scope on the solenoid and see if the ECM ever commands it to return to high lift mode or if it stays at 12V all the time (short or something).
Ivan, in order to save time, swap coil AND sparkplug to different cylinders; in your case swap coil #2 to cyl #4 and swap plug #2 to cyl #6. Either misfire stays at 2, or moves to 4 or 6. Cheers😊
@@RexerYTRexer did you read the guy’s comment? 😂 he means at first time you’re swapping coil 2 to cylinder 4 you put spark plug 2 to cylinder 6 and when you put everything back together for the test, you’ll know what was the cause if your code followed the coil to 4 or followed the plug to 6 and you saved time for not going back for the second time to do the only plug if it makes sense. That’s what I’ve been doing for years
@@RexerYTRexer 😂 I like you man. Watch at 10:44 he says ok, now I want to swap spark plug to number 4. That means he goes back for the second time to swap the plug and test drive it for the second time. What we say is when he was in there the first time for swapping only the coil, he could have put the plug to number 6 and in the first test drive he could have seen if misfire moved to any of 4 or 6 or not that in his case that did not move. So he did it twice that he could have done it only one time. If this doesn’t make sense, you do it how you like it and we do it how we like it. Good luck to you
As I understand what you read, the oil pressure activates the functions of the solenoid... does it have constant power to it? Does the oil pressure create a ground? Just thinking...
According to service info, the PCM detects VVL rocker arm faults using the MAP sensor looking for an erratic signal. You could see this with the scope with manifold pressure, right?
I would scope the solenoid power/ground, while driving to make sure it’s not a driver issue. If it isn’t and since cylinder 1 solenoid is too hard to get to for swap, I’d at least price the solenoid. If it’s $80, it’s certainly worth a try over digging into the head.
Perhaps you should scope probe the 12v lines going to the solenoid to make sure the PCM is doing what it's supposed to before blaming the solenoid? Just my 2 cents...
Had this happen a few years back and thats when i learned jeep had made upgrades to the 3.6 pentastar in 2016. It took me a minute to figure out but i ended up doing a leak down test for that cylinder and then i heard the valve close. I ended up taking solenoid out and jumping it with a 12volt battery and it never clicked (bad solenoid). New solenoid and oil change problem fixed. Also after 2013 somtime they were suppose to have upgrade the cam follower (rocker arm) so the bad needle bearings in rollers were upgraded. But they still tear up!
I’m sure you already fixed the car but I’ve seen the oil galley bolts in front of the head where phasers are back out and allow oil pressure to bleed out of head that goes to the rocker arms wich allows no oil pressure for the high and low lift modes. Chrysler tech here.
The whole bank would be affected. These rockers jam alot.
Ivan, I love your videos. They get my mental wheels going trying to guess the problem while you give us more information.
100% If I can follow along which is about 45% of the time. I'm use to Carburetors, timing light, points, condenser, Jets, Metering rods, vehicles when you open the hood you can actually SEE THE GROUND. I'll take my 97 Jeep ZJ & my 68 Camaro over this computer stuff. Might get into Turbo's though ?
Swap the solenoid for cylinder 1's and see if the problem stays or moves. If it stays with cylinder 2, then it's something wrong with the rocker or pin. If it moves with the solenoid it's the solenoid when under oil pressure!
Wouldn't that require removing the intake manifold tho
I agree.
@@orrisyoder7592 its easy on these 3.6. 10 minutes to remove intake manifold
If you paid attention to what Ivan said he said the solenoids are different so you can’t swap them
@@rickchowsr2532 He said the front and back were not the same. He didn't say anything about the left and right sides.
When you're bench testing that solenoid, you have no "load" on it, which would be oil pressure in this case. Good enough to click-clack but too weak to to the job. Maybe check resistance vs. the other 3 solenoids but I'd swap out a new one if the others don't swap out but the other bank that controls only one cylinder might?
You saved me so much time and headache 😅
Literally had the same issue with cylinder one. After replacing the spark plugs and swapped coils, turns out it was the solenoid. Crazy. Thank you!
I would have checked the electric circuit a bit deeper before because it's possible that this is a problem with the current through the coil when it becomes warm and it heals itself when becoming cold again.
But I have also seen cases of misfires due to bad valve clearance - something that appears when engine gets warm.
That solenoid is only $61 on RockAuto but the only one available is a Standard Motor Product. NTK, and WVE are both sold out. Removing the valve cover is labor and probably will require a new gasket. I think I'd fire a solenoid at it, or swap with the other front if possible, as the next step as it's going to be close to the same cost. If the problem still exists then you know it's time to go into the valve cover.
I guess before I tore it all apart I would make sure that the VVL is not powered on all the time, due to possibly a short keeping power applied (if there was one it would most likely be at or close to the PCM, just a guess). This is probably not the case as I think they are turned on by the PCM supplying power to the VVL and they are always grounded. But, it is a simple and fairly fast test, just to see this one is not powered on all the time.
Although it could be the rocker arm, it could also be a stuck lock pin, or a broken spring (spring which returns the VVL to High Lift position). I wonder how dirty/gritty the oil is, and what the oil pressure is. Now these latter two could effect more then just cylinder 2.
Another possibility, is the oil passages clogging up (likely due to dirty/gritty oil), preventing the spring from returning the VVL to the High Lift position. The same could possibly be true if the oil pressure is too high, although this latter one is more likely to cause issues with more than just one VVL or cylinder. It is the Oil Pressure that moves to the Low Lift mode, after 12.0 VDC is applied to the solenoid which opens up the Oil Passages. When power is removed from the Solenoid, the Oil is blocked from going through it, and the spring can move it back to High Lift Mode.
To see if it is some physical mechanical issue (something broken), a stethoscope (or something similar) could be used while engine is running. You might possibly here it if something is broken.
Just throwing some stuff out there that is easy to check without taking stuff apart.
Omegaman
Is it always your first diagnosis? No. But persevere and with knowledge and a proper process. You'll figure it out. Good job.
I always liked these Grand Cherokees but I know reliability is a gamble. A close friend of mine owns a fully loaded 2016 V8 model with air suspension and all the bells and whistles. It has 200k miles and is rock solid. She's taken it on multiple trips across the country from Pennsylvania to Alaska and it's never skipped a beat. Meanwhile, a former coworker of mine had to lemon law his brand new 2018. He had it in the shop for multiple major electrical issues but while it was in their care it somehow developed an mechanical problem with the transfer case. It had less than 2 thousand miles.
Wow crazy!
Ivan before pulling the rocker cover swap the drivers front solinoid with the passanger front solinoid and see if the missfire changes side its one thing you can take out of the equasion solinoid might click doesn't mean it works also check for a chaffed wire on the problem solinoid harness then if nothing else remove the rocker cover leave the oily hard job till last really like your channel cheers from down under
I saw something about 11 volts in the code description you were reading, and you had a couple of battery codes stored as well. Might be worth checking. Maybe something is dropping out in the charging or battery system. Who knows
Hi Ivan,
How about swapping that solenoid for the one on the other head. If No. 2 still has the problem, then the rocker arm is confirmed as the culprit. You and your family stay safe.
Yes, worth a simple try.
That's what I was thinking, too.
Also, with solenoid #2 unplugged, there were no misfires. If it were the cam, I think the misfire would still be present.
yes
They're different.
if it was up to me, id do NOTHING till i saw PART 2 !
Ivan i worked that exact jeep. With 3.6 motor. Customer complaint was poor starting, lack of response, diagnosed it to bad vvl. Replaced it, Customer took care of the oil changes from new, kept all the service well. After that vvl replacement, about 7,000 miles later engine locked up solid, cracked the starter. Don't know why it did that, didn't have chance to tear it down as the engine had to go for core had to replace engine 6k even with the new ecm came with it. As the ecm has version 3.0 which old one was version 1.0. Wow! All replaced and runs so smooth. Kind of oddball situation! Engine only had 148k on it. Great video!
That's crazy!!
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics yep! Sure is. After watching this video and it got me wonder that will happen to this as apparently its common failure with 3.6 motors. I haven't been researching too much into it to find out why it's a problem.
Where to go next, now that's a tough call.
Hate to say it but I can't think of any other option, so looks like it's time to pull the valve cover and check that rocker arm.
If it's anything like the vvt on a Volvo it basically disables it if the vvt won't move within a very narrow time frame. I vsf a solinoid just like yours that moved under power. Moved in the car. But when car wore sitting for 10min while hot. It would stick just long enough to get a engine light and worse performance as a result of vvt being disabled. Now I got a jumper on it and car runs great :)
Why not try the solenoid from the other front solenoid. Otherwise swap before removing valve cover. Just a thought. Have a great day.
I often wonder why he doesn't do the quick checks as well. But I guess it wouldn't make a good video for us if he doesn't go through the process.
That would involve removing and installing intake manifold... At least twice! I prefer to work smart before tearing stuff apart 😁
You’d have to wonder how often the oil was changed on this vehicle. Sludge build up could cause issues with valve lift solenoids.
The second time you said "give her the beans" . I instantly wanted a Pine Hollow Diagnostics t-shirt with your logo on the front and that printed on the back
I would try swapping a different solenoid from one of the others to see if it's a weak solenoid or a rocker arm. I'm amazed that most people bring their cars to you on nearly empty (fuel). You and Eric O both. LOL
That's typical for most shops... only time the tank comes full is when the diagnosis determines a fuel pump.... and tank has to be dropped. 🤦🏻♀️🥴🤣🤣
@@CubasAutomotive Bahahahaha!!! I bet that is so true :)
Murphy's law: fuel tank will always be empty when you need it full and always full when you need it empty! 🤣
Different design.
My next step would be the next one. Love your show never miss one.
Hi.
Just repaired this exact issue.
Willing to wager this is a much more frequent issue than is being stated.
I'd go so far as to suggest the previous pentastar and it's "cracking" cylinder heads on #2 ONLY was pure horse hockey.
The recalls, the costs and repairs...
For an $80 part that seems designed to fail (also plastic foreign body in ball valve on the #2 cylinder solenoid) this is looking to be a bit of a scandal.... especially since the part is NEARLY impossible to replace "new". Nobody seems to have one in stock and the 30-60 day back order becomes 90+ quite quickly.
What are your thoughts on this, severe and damning as it is?
Maybe another way to verify the variable lift system would be to put your Pressure transducer in cyl #2. In the low lift mode the intake valve will open later and close sooner. You could compare readings in the 2 modes.
It's also a possibility that the camshaft lobe could be worn.
The GM 2.4L solenoids often have coil wire failure maybe where the delicate internal wires goes to the connector. Failure can be intermittent heat/vibration related so a bit difficult to diagnose on the bench. Forums recommended replacing both exhaust & intake on that inline 4.
In this system, it would cause a "stuck high" code as it take power to go to low.
My boss had a Grand Cherokee 2015-ish with the V8 Hemi engine in it. During the first year it was in for service half the time for a strange sound under low load... Had the transmission swapped 2 times under warranty, along with a lot of other stuff. No one could fix it.
Until one day a specialist came along and stated: "That sound? That´s normal".
Turns out that the Hemi disables 2 cylinders under low load conditions to save fuel, and that may sound a little strange if you´re not used to the sound.
I should note that the big Hemi engines are not common around here due to heavy taxation, they are not even for sale here, so the dealership techs had never seen one in the shop before. My boss had it specially imported from abroad.
VVL now? Hardly grasp VVT! Lol! Looking forward to part 2.
Maybe use a stethoscope to listen for abnormal sound or lack of sound along the valve cover near #2 and compare to bank 1. Also jose had a good point in bench testing the solenoids and if they react differently or fail while under oil pressure. Endoscopy maybe but bank 2 valve cover removal seems inevitable 😞Also the thought goes by being a mopar..what about a sticking carboned up intake valve? Or did they do away with that issue?
Very interesting case! Of course, coils and spark plugs would be too easy 🙂
Here are my questions - can we be sure that the solenoid valve behaves the same when pressurized? Is it possible to swap #2 with any other solenoid valve?
Would be nice if the solenoids were the same and easy to get too... Not the case here lol
@@PineHollowAutoDiagnostics Too bad! That means a lot of extra work that might be avoided with solenoid swapping.
@@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT Well there goes my answer, CRAP.
@@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT Swaptronics is always the easiest way alright.
@@TonyRule Sometimes it's the only reasonable way 🙂
Intake cams are becoming a very common issue on gen 3 Pentastar engines (wiped out lobes).
Once upon a time in a time long, long ago, diagnosing issues on vehicles was never so slow!
Having said that, todays vehicles drive so much nicer, quieter, are comfortable and for the most part are quite reliable. And I love the modern motor vehicle as a touring vehicle. They just appear more costly to repair when their is an issue.
Remove the engine oil filter pull the outside ribs apart a little~even use a pencil magnet~if there is magnetic pieces it will be the cam lobes and or rocker arm pieces~just did a 2014 caravan 3.6l. And cyl 6 was a misfire,also after removing the valve cover found cyl. 4 rocker arm and cam worn as well~only the exhaust though~intakes were fine. Thanks Ivan
I agree with most people, swap solenoid if possible.
Can you activate them in test mode via scanner ?
Also, what's with the air leak detected ?
lifter/roller rocker. it's likely doing the old clickety-clackety noise. but it's possible to have almost no noise or in short bursts only when driving and the issue occurring. probably roller off center or similar and lifter fully extended or collapsing.
in this case running on jack stands or a dyno roller so you can have head under hood would be great, but I guess a mic/camera under hood may catch it also.
Swapping solenoids would be nice if they were the same and/or easy to get to. Since they are not, perhaps looking at current ramps during the symptom would offer clues. I’d clear the codes, and drive it with the current clamp hooked to the pico, and see what differences there may be when the code sets/symptoms are present. Otherwise, may have to pull the valve cover to inspect rocker arms…. OR, if the solenoid is cheap enough (and it’s obviously easy to get to), it may, cost wise, be best in this case to simply swap in a new one! Look forward to seeing what comes of it!!✌️
Ivan. Haven't seen part 2 yet. I would swap the solenoid to see if the problem follows. thanks.
what if... the oil and filter need to be changed? incorrect viscosity maybe? obstructed oil filter?
I've had this resolve some vvt inconsistencies in the past. maybe I overlooked but didn't hear a mention about oil quality and filter
Hey Ivan, finished prt2,great catch on the ck ball retainer,plastic what joke,nice job once again! Your a Champion!
good video .i would swap with other cyl solenoid if it possible ! .because could be a spring broken inside that would not let it return because of pressure or check if it is still commanded on with scope when it should not be .
Swap 1 and 2 if they have the same part number and only control one Cylinder each. Just like moving a coil to see oil the misfire travels. This assumes you can get at the number 1 solenoid.
Can't get to the Bank 1 coils or solenoids without pulling the intake
I wonder, that 1/2 cylinder split per solenoid... It is most likelly because that engine is a 2/3 V8. As in a V8 each would control 2 cylinders. They probably removed one 'middle' cylinder, leaving the two ends there. Easier to remove the middle than the end for sure.
An obvious question, when was the last oil change? I also like 10% chance of determining the cause with field diagnostics and 0% chance with a scanner.
Did you try to find out if the solenoid is being commanded while the misfire is occurring?
Funny this video pops up now, right when I have a similar V6 Jeep Laredo coming in Monday with an "intermittent misfire on cylinder 1 at idle". Being in New Zealand I have never had anything to do with these engines before so it will be interesting to see if I have a similar fault/symptom. All I know is it's already had a new set of spark plugs and the coils swapped by another workshop but the P0301 remains the same and they didn't want to look any further at it.
Since clean oil and regular oil change intervals make a VVT system work properly, has the oil been changed often and is the oil clean in the engine? VVT engines have low tolerance for dirty oil.
I've had solenoid before that sounded perfectly fine but yet didn't work correctly I assume it was to do with the oil pressure being applied to the solenoid
Pentastar tick? Where the rocker arm needle bearings go bad at 100k and wipe out the cam. Super common problem, you’re right that engine is peppy for the displacement it has. I drove a promaster 2500 and that thing was quick!
Hi from England! I really enjoy watching your videos, Ivan.
Use an amp clamp and backprobe the solenoid and view current flow and voltage while driving, and do the same on the opposite bank and compare the waveforms.
Also lime someone else said see if the bank 1 solo solenoid can be swapped.
ivan rather than swapping the coils have you tried the coin on top of the coil couple you scope to the coil and run engine you should see a spark rasta pattern on the screen
Great video! Also when you took it for a test drive it sounded like it had a bad wheel bearing as well.
Hey Ivan! You have the greatest diagnostic skills!
I think I would try to actuate it while the engine is running. I think I'd even go as far as running leads into the cab and actuate it while driving, and just see if you can get consistent results.. At least then you could rule out the PCM driving it as being the issue.. (of coarse you would still be in the dark about whether its the solenoid or the rocker). I'd definitely take a good look down in that hole and check for gunk-- and clean that screen really well, etc. It could just be a partially blocked oil passage that is causing the rocker pin to stick. I wonder if you could blow it out with some kind of cleaner without taking the valve cover off? That screen looks quite dirty to me- I'd certainly start by cleaning that screen, maybe taking it off and looking at the end of the solenoid and see if there is something obvious making it hang up at the tip; maybe the shaft of the actuator is carboned up inside that screen.
Actuating it causes it to go into low lift mode. Unplugged, the solenoid is deactivated and in high lift mode. It ran fine (no misfires) when in high lift mode.
@@timd1833 Yeah.. I had made this comment before he showed all that. It's interesting and almost seems to be a driver issue- or logic issue or something. What is choosing to turn it on or activate it when it's not supposed to?
Finally a video with the same problems as my 2017 grand Cherokee thanks man
What was the fix for your 2017 WK2?
Ivan, holding my breath on this one. You do have us engaged. Can't wait for Part 2. Thanks for Sharing!
Also hold that solenoid in it's normal position connector up as your energizing it.
The engineers who design these engine systems must be NASA engineer dropouts. Give me a slant-6 anytime. Like Eric O. says, we’re not fixing cars anymore, we’re replacing computer systems. The modern auto mechanic needs an IT degree to troubleshoot problems. And they make it so you can’t bypass the system or your car will go into limp mode. Love watching your videos 👍🏻
Let me see if I understand this as I am NOT the brightest bulb on the string. Those repair instructions actually give you a PERCENTAGE chance of diagnosing the problem? There at 17:22? I will say this, apparently they didn't include Ivan in those percentages; if they did they would need to increase all of those percentages of correctly diagnosing the problems to 100%. Great video!
That chart made me LOL too 🤣 99% chance of success 😆
with a scope insure that solenoid is receiving command to release when appropriate. make sure oil pressure is adequite. swap with #1 if easy to do.
If there is no ignition system fault, then it is a misfire caused by fuel mixture (lean/rich) being out of spec. Intake valve stuck in low position code says it all.
Swap the solenoids, make sure the screens are clean, monitor the voltage on the power and control sides.
Possible lobe/rocker wear and low lift mode doesn't open valve enough to run. Could see if there is a pintle hump with scope.
When you apply power, that puts the solenoid into low lift mode. It sounds good when power is applied. However, to me, it sounds weak, even a little sticky on the return. That could cause it to get stuck in low lift mode. I would want to know what a known good solenoid sounds like before I go digging into it to check the rockers.
I have two thoughts about testing the solenoid, but it's all conjecture. The first thought was maybe it would be worth scoping to see if it has a pintle bump in engine running conditions. Bench testing sounded promising, but doesn't account for oil pressure/flow. My imagination kinda wanders in the direction of purge valves that allow vacuum leaks. Can this VVL solenoid allow leakage of its own? The other thought was even though the second solenoid on the same bank wasn't interchangeable, was there a solenoid on the other bank that was? I'm hoping the option is there for the next one you meet. It's another free, minimally invasive test to look for a misfire to move before a valve cover has to come off.
Hi Ivan, There should be a VVT cleaning function on your scan tool. I have used it to clean the system on my wife's 2015 Jeep Limited, (3.2), as a preventative measure.
First off, since this is operated by engine oil, I'd check the oil. (But I admit, I'd think an engine oil problem is more likely to cause a stuck high). If oil pressure causes it to go into high lift mode, what drains the oil pressure to allow it to go into low lift mode? If it a fixed orifice or does it drain back though the solenoid? I'm thinking the problem is on the drain side of things, such as a restricted passage.
Is it a weak solenoid unable to deal with the oil pressure? Isn't cylinder one controlled by a similar solenoid? I would swap it there and road test again and see if issue went to cylinder one before attacking the rocker arm.
I saw it mentioned it requires 20psi of oil pressure, being a jeep I wouldn't be shocked if it has questionable oil pressure at lower RPM causing issues with it moving correctly.
Is anyone else surprised the solenoid isn't buried under the manifold? I was shocked it was easy to access...
Me too!
It's an overhead cam engine, so being as it had to actuate on the rocker arms it really didn't need to be under the manifold. Finally the engineers didn't make it complicated for no reason!
The other side is buried I believe.
Well the one for Cyl1 is under the upper intake manifold if that makes you happy.
The rocker arms and lifters are a common problem with the Pentastar motor. Usually you will hear a tapping sound. I’m betting it’s the rocker. If it is replace them all a cheap part in more ways than one.
I think for final verification on the solenoid I'd find a hose to slip over the end of the solenoid and try to blow through it when no power is applied. If it's not leaking by then it's time to inspect the valve train components
They have a TSB to remove the valve cover and check the oil valve bolts in the front of the head they come lose and bleed oil pressure for the VVT or just fall out of the head all together if you tighten up the bolt it fixes it most of the time
Wow... Not torqued to spec lol
So moral of the story? I have to always use buy a brand name coils and spark plugs no Amazon eBay’s special and properly timed oil changes only using high quality synthetic oils got it! 🙏🏽
The next thing I would check would be to see if the voltage turns off from the pcm. Rocker must be ok because when the solenoid is unplugged it goes to high lift mode. and when plugged in it is stuck in low lift so it shows the rocker is working. But the solenoid maybe getting voltage all the time.
That would most certainly set a circuit fault 😉
Check that the soleboid is not being commanded on at the wrong time. Try swapping it for the corresponding cylinder in the other bank.
Can’t wait to see how long it takes you to diagnose a cracked cylinder head. Problem with 3.6 Pentastar engine.
From the video at 24:13 we hear the actuations but see no movement of any valve. Was it really "working?" Possibly broken internally?
I’m guessing a failed oil control valve lift solenoid right next to the coil, I’ve seen a log of these fail and it does feel like a spark or coil missfire
My thought is that even though it sounds like it's working, perhaps the valve inside isn't actually moving.
Probably more likely the rocker though.
Love and look forward to every new video!
This is going to be good and I am only a couple of minutes into the video. Got a 2008 Kia Sportage with the 2.7L doing the same thing. I have tried everything to no avail other than driving it up to Ivan. Talking about stumped. Haven't admitted defeat yet!
My first area i go to is engine oil pressure, especially on the 2.4 Multiair engines with the vvl brick on top. Ive noticed on the ones ive worked on (can't speak for every 2.4 or 3.6) that when the oil pressure drops below 25psi at idle, they start having the issues
Do 2.4 multiair engines have excessive oil consumption? No external oil leak.
@@TheCrazy243 Well, I don't own any, but I have 2 friends with the 2.4, one is a 2014 Dodge Dart, the other is a 2019 Jeep Cherokee, The Dart goes through a quart of oil about 1500 miles, and the Cherokee goes about 1300 miles. Myself, I think that is rather high consumption, as my 4 GM products (2 Northstar V8's and 2 6.0 LS engines) only drop half a quart per oil change at 5000 mile intervals.
@@mattcat231 gotcha! I own 2016 Chrysler 200 with 2.4. It’s eating oil like crazy.
Hi Ivan. Well I took advantage of the Amazon sale and bought the Thinktool Pros Bi-Directional scanner. Wow this scanner has it all. I'm retired and like to work on my 1997 Dodge Ram Wagon Van B1500 3.9L. It's now 25 years old with only 60K miles. I'm thinking of getting NYS Historical License Plates for it. The catalytic converter rusted out inside and needs to be replaced. It rattles but it still makes water out of the tail pipe. LOL. As a DIY I can't buy it on line because the vendor won't ship it because I live in NYC. What a bummer. I understand California has the same issues.
The thinktool bi-directional is overkill if you aren't a pro mechanic, but I drool to have one. I have the thinktool mini which is excellent for $350, and does bi-directional if you want it to for $50 per car make. It doesn't have that awesome module topology chart though.
You have to buy the carb legal catalytic converter.
@@Bizija123 I always worked on my own cars since 1975 when an automotive car repair chain ripped me off for unnecessary work on front suspension for my 1972 Pontiac Catalina. At 73 years young, I still do my own oil changes. It's so refreshing to watch Ivan repair these cars on UA-cam. I can tell for sure he is very honest and knowledgable in the automotive repair world. I can relate to his repair methods when in comes to fly by wire concepts. It's basically the same technology in the alarm security field. The 4 wire connection between the keypad remote pad and the alarm control panel utilizes fly by wire communications. Also, each zone for the alarm control has a supervised 2 wire loop (one 12v B+ and one Negative) with an end of line resister (22K or 1K resister) at the end of the line for tamper resistance. If the series loop was shorted or has an open circuit, that would cause a trouble code or an alarm condition such as burglary or fire depending on how the alarm panel was programmed. In contrast, concerning automotive PCM circuits, the sensors in the engine bay are hooked up in a 5 volt reference circuit with an end of line supervise resister. I don't know the value of the automotive (EOL) end of line resisters because every automotive manufacture use different values. The cpu or pcm always have to see the EOL resistor . When the the circuit loop is compromised by a failed sensor or if the wiring is shorted or open or grounded, then the pcm no longer sees the end of line resistor value thus throws a trouble code. The airline industry utilizes fly by wire as well. Only it has double or triple backup circuits which would be very complicated to say at least. I am a retired NYS licensed alarm Installer with 50 years experience. Please anyone, advise me if I'm wrong with the above concepts between alarm and automotive industries.
Correction: The 22K resistor I mentioned on the above comment is not correct for basic Alarm panels. The correct EOL resistor value for the the end of line (EOL) protective loop is 2.2K or 2200 ohms. That's a big difference. Sorry about that.
I'd put the solenoid back on the car, and hook the oscilloscope to that solenoid, both voltage and current so I can see both the opening and closing movement in the solenoid on the scope. Perhaps hook another solenoid up too, for comparison.
If the solenoid doesn't close when power to it is disabled it should be fairly obvious, like a pintle hump.
Remove valve cover. The intake rocker have two stages of lift. I would say you have a bad rocker arm on cylinder two and possible bad camshaft
I would have tried blowing thru the solenoid while actuating it to see if it actually redirected/gated the flow. Also I would have held my finger over the output(s) while blowing to see how much leakage there was.
Good ole pentastar problems again...give me the old 3.3 any day.
Yep exactly. What a lemon engine.
JT, OnlineMechanic, is constantly working on the Pentastars replacing the same stuff every time. Rocker Arms, camshafts, and heads. Keeps him being paid very well.
Use a heat gun on the solinoid to see if it fails when hot , (intermittents almost always heat or vibration related)
Also I when swapping coils i will swap plugs with a different cylinder .
Not helpful here but it gives 2 tests on one drive.
Great suggestion.
Well, if it was a Honda, I'd check the oil level. lol Thanks Ivan!
I would put a scope on the solenoid and see if the ECM ever commands it to return to high lift mode or if it stays at 12V all the time (short or something).
Ivan, in order to save time, swap coil AND sparkplug to different cylinders; in your case swap coil #2 to cyl #4 and swap plug #2 to cyl #6.
Either misfire stays at 2, or moves to 4 or 6. Cheers😊
Did you watch the video
@@RexerYTRexer did you read the guy’s comment? 😂 he means at first time you’re swapping coil 2 to cylinder 4 you put spark plug 2 to cylinder 6 and when you put everything back together for the test, you’ll know what was the cause if your code followed the coil to 4 or followed the plug to 6 and you saved time for not going back for the second time to do the only plug if it makes sense. That’s what I’ve been doing for years
@@portlander7280 Agree. Get your answer in one test drive, not two.
@@portlander7280 he did it are you guys even paying attention
@@RexerYTRexer 😂 I like you man. Watch at 10:44 he says ok, now I want to swap spark plug to number 4. That means he goes back for the second time to swap the plug and test drive it for the second time. What we say is when he was in there the first time for swapping only the coil, he could have put the plug to number 6 and in the first test drive he could have seen if misfire moved to any of 4 or 6 or not that in his case that did not move. So he did it twice that he could have done it only one time. If this doesn’t make sense, you do it how you like it and we do it how we like it. Good luck to you
As I understand what you read, the oil pressure activates the functions of the solenoid... does it have constant power to it? Does the oil pressure create a ground? Just thinking...
I would try and swap the solenoid with cylinder 4. Re test drive car see if it still does it. It’s a lot easier than pulling the valve covers.
He mentions on the video that they're not the same solenoid.
Different solenoids... Would be nice if they were the same 😅
According to service info, the PCM detects VVL rocker arm faults using the MAP sensor looking for an erratic signal. You could see this with the scope with manifold pressure, right?
I would scope the solenoid power/ground, while driving to make sure it’s not a driver issue. If it isn’t and since cylinder 1 solenoid is too hard to get to for swap, I’d at least price the solenoid. If it’s $80, it’s certainly worth a try over digging into the head.
I would ask about the oil change intervals. People cut corners and these newer engines with oil-misoperated gimmicks don’t like sludgy oil.
Perhaps you should scope probe the 12v lines going to the solenoid to make sure the PCM is doing what it's supposed to before blaming the solenoid? Just my 2 cents...
Faulty drive power to the solinoid ?
Attach your scope to the solinoid power input and see if the mode pulses are always the same.
I'm running away :)
No circuit code 😁
Test the solenoid on another position just to see if the problem moves as well, if not yes rocker arm.