Coolant leak comeback? 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.6L
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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Today's video is a case study of a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee that's using antifreeze and skipping on #3 at times after a previous coolant leak repair. Follow along to find out what the most likely issue is and how I narrow it down
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Motorcity Mechanic
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Motorcity Mechanic is your online source of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram repair videos. The videos are designed to help everyone from the average DIY, all the way up to the professional level tech. Make sure to subscribe so that you get notified of all the new videos that keep getting added weekly.
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I would like to see a follow up video on the repair. Thank you, great video!
Put it back together for know, waiting for the customer to think about the repair. If they let me fix it I will let you know
@@MotorCityMechanic thank you
@@MotorCityMechanictook off the upper intake tonight on 2018 DDGT 3.6 as I’m lifting in the morning to replace MMounts. Which bracket is best to use my engine support bar on? The steel one or the aluminum one or both (since that centers the load along midline)? Going to hook on steel one if I don’t catch you overnight. Plan to watch (and LIKE) more of your 3.6 vids, THANKS!
Thank you Dav….yes I would like to see the all details for repair …..thanks again 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Yes, David, this type of content it’s great to watch. It is informative and it is not every day problems. It is good to see the different kinds of testing you use to diagnose the problem. Keep up the great videos.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Great troubleshooting/diagnostic video and showing all the tools you can use to zero in on the problem. Love this type of video content. Also, would like to see a follow up video on the repair. 👍
One of the best channles.. I always learn something new from you. Thanks man.. Keep up the good work
Thanks for the tech tip.
I hear ya on telling customers bad news. Some days it seems that the only good news we get to give is, "I got your rig ready a day early."
Looks like a two scoop McD day. Best to you and yours, David. Long life, good health and prosperity to you and yours as well.👍
Love the info...although bad news still better than throwing parts at it and not solving the problem
These engines (pentastar upgrade) are good, so long as you keep a regular eye on the oil cooler and temperature, and of course regular maintenance. Mine was a repo that wasnt used for many years so it had like 30k miles being a 2016. Bought it in 2022, and a couple of months later, i saw a TINY oil leak from below the oil filter housing. I knew it was time to replace it, since I also worked on these cars in the past. Changed it with still the tiny leak going on (no coolant mixing or leaking yet), and it has been good since.
These engines are also really sensitive to temperature. If you overheat them just a little bit for a while, the heads warp.
Just an engine to always keep and eye on and they will run good. They are no Toyotas. Take extra care of them.
Great. VId and format! Thank you MCM!
Love this format as long as you show what the problem was and repair made. Wish you could do more videos. Maybe do a video explaining common codes from the 3.6 motors and possibly fixes and/or procedures to correct code. Thanks!
Thanks Dave for sharing your knowledge.
Great info as always. Enjoy your videos very much.
This was the exact issue I had with cylinder #5. Warped head from what the dealership told me. I ended up replacing the entire engine. I still have the old one on hand. Cams and valves were all super clean.
How much was it to replace the engine?
@@tonychugas4092 almost $7k after getting the original equipment parts as well as am official Mopar engine straight from the manufacturer. Cheaper than even a used van...
Thanks David, looks like another problem with the plastic oil filter housings. When will they learn to use real metal? Always learn something from your videos, and I am 72. Cheers
Great video, David. Sucks for the customer. Cheaper than the $60,000 they want for a new one these days!
Great video keep them coming David 👊🏻
Another great video! I do like this type of format. Thank you!
I've only worked on one gen 3 had a bad vvl solenoid. Work on a lot of gen 2's. Thanks for video hadn't seen you in a while!
So far I think I have done 6-7 videos….last year 2! Trying to work on making more
Always good content. I have to put a new radiator in my 14 Ram 2500 Cummins. It has a small leak that dries before it gets to the ground. Any tips or tricks or recommendations on a radiator brand. Thanks!
Recently found this channel, most professional!
FlatRateMaster shouted you out, this was my first video watching you and as I have this same problem I appreciate this video, looking forward to meeting you all one day, needless to say you’ve got my subscription
Thank you for diagnosing the exact issues with my 2018 Durango 3.6 Except after two trips to two different dealerships. They both can’t find a problem. I can smell coolant especially when radiator is wet and the temp gauge increases with throttle demand and losing slight amounts of coolant without seeing any. My concern is why can’t the technicians diagnose the issue? Sorry for the rant but its frustrating to the point I’m ready to I’m ready to trade
Thanks for that video David. Like that content.
Much appreciated!
Great video... your the man!
Many thanks!
Hello, and thanks for all your help with my 2012 Chrysler town and country. I pulled the heads, had them serviced, and reinstalled them. However , I had a nightmare when I realized that when the waterpump bearing failed and the serpentine belt came off, instead of the belt falling loose, it found its way behind the harmonic balancer and fed its way through the timing cover into the chain and the oil pickup. I believe parts were shredded small enough to infiltrate the rod and possibly the main bearings. Having said that, I would like to know what engines are interchangeable.
Thanks for the video 👍👍 I have the same problem interested to know if you got to fix this issue and what are the challenges you faced.
Welcome to my world - giving people bad news - I hate that! Couple of notes: on Amazon I found some super long q-tips. Long enough to swab into that cylinder and at least find out if it's oil or coolant. Also handy for a quick pap smear of the V of the engine when diagnosing a cooler leak. Tip 2: on the severe overheats we've had, pretty consistently the lower intake will melt where it mates to the head, and the cam position sensors will melt at the bottom where they bolt into the head. Tip 3: it's bad advice, but there's nothing to stop you from telling the customer to just keep driving it. The damage is done, #3 plug can be changed without having to pull the intake, it only misfires when it's cold. Eventually it will take out the bank 1 cat, but it's still a usuable car to a large extent. That might soften the blow for the customer.
On the VVT/VVL 3rd gen 3.6 engines the upper intake was redesigned and now covers up 1, 3, and 5 cylinders so I take has to be removed to access them unlike the other versions.
Good info, David. Since they are so new, none of the Gen3 vans have come into my shop yet. That engine went into the 2022-up Promasters, the last vehicle to get it, and the last application of the 62TE. The newer vans pair it with the 9speed, and all the customers bitch because it's programmed to never go into 8th or 9th in a Promaster, and they think theirs is broken. @@MotorCityMechanic
You need to post more often
I’ll take his quality over quantity. I’ve always appreciated and enjoyed David’s attention to detail.
Great format, I really like your videos. Thank you.
I like all your stuff Thanks. What is VVL?
Variable valve lift . Different cams and lifters activate by oil thru the control solenoid
Thank you. What is the purpose of it?@@sheerwillsurvival2064
@@charlierumsfeld6626 has to do with gas mileage and emissions. It keeps valves slightly open at idle and low speeds and then as demand and rpm increase the oil is delivered to the specific lifters that increase valve hight and duration for performance. There are 4 solenoids on the 3.6 with VVL
Something else to break on Stellantis vehicles.
@@Mike__P yeah the solenoid do go out . But like every vehicle the more tech and emissions. The more problems
Leakdown is my favorite if you don't have to disassemble the coolant system to get to the plugs. Surge in the coolant level and/or bubbles in the radiator or surge tank tells the truth every time.
Great video! I bought my first Jeep last month (2020 Grand Cherokee Latitude) and it's been great, but I'm getting a bit of musty smell with the A/C off. The cabin filter is clean and only a couple months old. Any recommendations on the best way to clean the evaporator?
From Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. I’ve got a 3.6L Pentastar in my 2012 Grand Caravan and I am challenging myself to keep it on the road for 20 years, ie until 2032.
Currently it has 225,000 km. Could you entertain doing a video that will give me a roadmap as to how to realize this goal. I am a big proponent of preventative maintenance. Thank you.
I can answer that for you! At some point, you'll get the Pentastar tick and need to replace the rocker arms. Use the AH revisions bought from a dealer, not Amazon. At some point you'll develop the oil cooler leak (oil will be drenching the top of your transmission). Use the Dorman 926-959 aluminum oil cooler upgrade. The weak link keeping your van running will be the transmission - it's kinda based on luck more than anything else but expect to replace a transmission every 400k miles or so. The engine itself is good to 550k before the compression will start getting weak. Not to self-promote, but my channel is all about keeping this engine running forever.
Keep up with the PM. I've got a 201 Town and Country, 130K miles. Just replaced the oil filter assy, and the rocker arms and cam shaft because of the tick. I've had to replace the alternator 3 times, heater core hoses once, thermostat twice, installed a TIPM fuel pump relay device to bypass the failed one, and the driver and passenger window regulator assy's five times now (4 drivers, 1 passenger, luckily all warranty replacements from Dorman). Other than
The basic engine is bulletproof. You'll likely at some point have a P06dd which will scare you because it's the oil pump, but you can actually ignore that code forever if you like. The cooler and the rockers are really the only flaws with this engine, and we take them past 500-600k miles regularly. @@willthethrill360
Another awesome video and information
Many thanks man!
Off topic question, could you please do a video with the 6.7 Cummins regarding type writer ticking noise everyone talks about. I can’t find any answers online
But why was it overheated? How can that happen in a modern engine? 2018 is practically new. hardly broken in.
Wish l could have you look at my journey. Not overheating, but coolant leaks out overflow after a drive. Only have a 5lb cap on it now. If l put 15lb cap on, it will try to blow out any hose. I think it is outside leak on head gasket. Bank 2. I have a new radiator, thermostat etc. l had one mechanic work on it a year ago and he did do head gaskets. His work was not good. I went back and had to fix a lot of things. Worst if all, he left loose bolts on many things. I think he did not put new head bolts and tork them down properly. I don't trust anyone here now. I did the gas test and all is normal. Car has been sitting in garage for months, runs good, but l don't want to continue to drive it until l know what the problem is. Help!
Thank you, great video!
You are welcome and thank you as well for watching
Very well done. There is nothing like watching a truly skilled professional at work. Bad news for the customer indeed. Honestly I would bite the bullet and fix it. It's still a better vehicle than the newer stuff out there and who can afford to pay the price they want for today's junk. I have a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan I bought when new with the 3.6. I have been the only one to work on it in all of these years and haven't had any issues with it in the 11 years I've owned it. I like the engine very much. I would very much like to see a follow-up video on this. 👍
Yikes. No matter how you slice it, yer in for a fight. With what youve shown so far, im not yet 100% convinced in a warped head - still the pretty strong chance of that stupid intercooler being the cause - but as you said, hit it with the Leakdown test and the Exhaust Gas test, see what turns up. Im expecting the Leakdown to tell you more than the Exhaust Gas though - reason being there's crud on the top of the valve, not just the bottom. To my mind, a head warp would not necessarily put crud (Which to me appears as cooked coolant) atop the valve. I would try to sample that pool in the cylinder though, confirm if its coolant or oil. I grow to hate this engine class more every time i see them.
In this rabbit hole though -- the Doorman answer to the Intercooler. Now that its been a few years, how have they held up from what youve seen? Hope to see more vids from ya, you do great work!
Preventive maintenance (Dorman oil and cooler housing ) just saying
When it comes to the “D” word….sometimes that means repeat repairs
Thanks, great video
Glad you liked it!
i have a P005 found oil in the cylinder. I need a gidance on what to look for.
I have a totally unrelated question for you. There are multiple videos of people claiming to grease the cassette bearings through the wheel speed sensor hole. How does this even attempt to work on a sealed bearing, I just thought you'd be the perfect person to clarify this myth.
Update on the fix?
I've been having a cylinder#4 misfire, I went and changed all spark plugs, didn't solve, so I changed the coil, still misfire, but I noticed on the video you pointed to cylinder#3 on the intake side, I thought the cylinder was#4. My question is, what's the cylinder numbers, I thought#1 started on the driver side front.
good video. Thanks David
This engine has made me so much money. So so so much money. I typically diagnose the bad head gasket by cold starting it with a coolant pressure gauge on the system at zero. If it hits 16/18psi, it's toast. Takes about 5-15 minutes.
I just changed my plugs in my 2012 3.6 at 100,000 miles and they were in great shape. Could have gone a LOT farther.
So is a coolant leak in these things very common? I know one thing....Chrysler coolant is terrible. Clogs up the heater core. Change coolant more frequently then they say.
Great video
How to change rocker and lifter in that engine…?.?
Here’s a link to a video that explains how once you have the intake and valve covers off: Chrysler/VW 3.2 and 3.6 Rocker Arm Replacement Part 1
ua-cam.com/video/XkrwxVVcjsg/v-deo.html
I got a 2015 JGC WK2 and it runs great. BUT every time I do a grade on the highway, when its warm weather, the temp goes up. New coolant, no bubbles in line, water pump good, radiator cap correct, thermostat great. I got no idea why it doesnt like climbing. Sometimes it can push 220 temp and even higher, like in summer time. SO I drive slower and hit the heater on high to make it get lower in engine so I can make the climb. I had Jeep check it 3x and they cant duplicate it. I guess they just dont take it up a hill. Frustrating.
220-225 is normal when hauling, towing or heavy use. So long as the temps drop once done with the climb no issue probably. These 3.6 tend to run on the warmer side. OEM thermostat opening temp is 203f. So most run normally around 200 though as stated do run higher with hard use.
Well at least they didnt hydrolock the engine so they got that going for em, keep an eye on that temp gauge folks cheaper to call the hook over paying for labor to deck the heads on your engine.
Dang - my wife's 2018 durango is acting the same way for a month now. Misfire on #4 only after sitting overnight. Runs smooth otherwise.
I had a miss on #2 that was consistent that I finally fixed after replacing the fuel injector. I did the oil cooler at the same time since i had to tear down to get to the injectors. It ran pretty good for about 3 months before starting to miss on #4.
It briefly gave my wife a hot temp warning today. It was low on coolant and took about 1/2 gal to top off. It has never overheated or gave a temp warning before today. Ran fine and temps stable after topping off coolant. I was just about to go chasing the thermostat.
Guess I will have to try to see if I can get a look inside #4.
What did you find?
Coolant was leaking very slowly from cracked coolant recovery/overflow bottle. Replaced that and coolant level has been stable.
The #4 miss went away after dumping injector cleaner into it after an oil change. Near as I can figure the #4 injector must have been sticking slightly open and was leaking over night mucking with mixture in that cylinder until fuel burned off.
Have not ruled out some sort of head issue but it has been running well for some time now.
Hi David!)
👍
I have a 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited that I started to smell coolant on and also noticed that coolant had to be leaking because I had to add some. I took it in they said that the water pump needed to be replaced. so it was replaced. After about a week later I started to smell the same thing again. I am not a mechanic but I opened the hood and used my phone to get as close as I could and take pictures - I noticed leaking from the right side of the vehicle (me facing the car) i called the dealer and told them and I am taking it back. I'm really worried that it's going to be another fix and it will end up being a whole bunch of fixes before they a the real issue. Has anyone had this particular scenario problem?
I've got the same exact problem with the same exact model
Did you guys ever figure out what it was?
What happened?