The Infamous Chrysler 3.6 Pentastar V6 this week on jmcGarage Talk!!
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- čas přidán 7. 08. 2024
- This week in the jmcGarage I go over the good and the bad of the Chrysler 3.6 Pentastar V6. #review #pentastar #chrysler #v6 #engine
- Auta a dopravní prostředky
Be under no illusion, the Pentastar is a very good engine. It has been on the Wards best engine list for 4 years. The problems that did occur in early years were a tiny percentage of units and were not too hard to fix. It is incredibly durable, being able to cover 600k miles before overhaul. It has stood the test of time now.
I asked my mechanic about it last week. He said, "It's not if the oil cooler will let go, it's when." He asked me seriously if I was condering a Chrysler product...I then said "no".
LOVE my 3.6L Pentastar!
If the owner is capable of intermediate work, I replaced that terrible oil cooler with an all-aluminum one and while I already had the upper and lower intake off, I replaced the plastic fuel rail with aluminum and also gave it a set of Ruthenium plugs. After all that I am ecstatic with the motor. It has well over 325,000miles in my Caravan and it doesn't use oil! To me, that's a great v6 motor!. So it isn't done by a longshot...thanks for covering this really great motor!
There are ways to make this motor bulletproof that is for sure
For sure and it's debatable whether or not I needed to replace those parts. They just scared the heck out of me being plastic and the heat cycling they are subject to. This Caravan is a vehicle that needs to be very dependable and for $150.00 it seemed wise at the time. Heck, if you do your part, even the infamous 65TE tranny is pretty solid. Just change out a gallon of fluid every year. I'm still running the original which is virtually unheard of. Great channel,I love it, and many blessings to you!
Yes I read that too. Dorman all aluminum right oil cooler right? Did you ever get the spin on oil filter adaptor? (To allegedly prevent dry starts) How do u feel about that? Do you think it's necessary??
I have a 23 Wrangler. Changed oil at 1000ni and 5009 mi. Got 7000mi now. I love my car. Perfect balance between power and economy (for a Jeep)
Asking my own opinion, it is not worth the $$ to get that adapter. They claim it eliminates dry-startups. That is false (I feel). You never eliminate dry starts. Starting you engine from cold is when your motor experiences the majority of wear. It probably helps some but it does not eliminate. That's my opinion. Watch the oil geek's channel. He backs all his claims with science.
Have a 2013 jk just under 90k. 3 Mopar water pumps 1 intake cam and drivers side head. Fiat Chrysler no help at all they wouldn’t warranty. Next had to replace rockers and lifters even on new head. TIPM replaced again not warranty even though the technicians knew there were 5 bad components. Every other system ie abs Module went out steering clock spring went out. Rear Dana 44 chewed spider gears. Overall not well built products. Will keep it as most everything has been replaced except transfer case and drive shafts. As we find problems put in better non Mopar ie rockers and lifters used aftermarket. Would never buy another unless a tj with the 4.0 6 and manual shift.
I have a 2014 DURANGO. Only use full synthetic oil. 120k miles and get 21MPG. No engine issues.
The issue most have with these engines is not that they are unreliable, they are pretty solid actually, it's the fact Fiatsler doesn't address any of the problems permanently. Most of the updated parts last about as long as the original failed ones did. What's the definition of insanity?
Also, they are kind of a pain in the ass to work on.
Have one in a ‘17 Caravan with about 80k, no problems so far.
Great video! Love your content.
Thanks so much!
I love em
Oil coolers have made us like $10k in the last quarter
My moms 12 town and country Tipm fuel pump failed. I bypassed it. And i t has a pretty serious cylinder head issue . But no less the vehicle has never left her stranded.
It's human nature to complain over praising. Angry people want to feel validated and be heard. I'm not saying the Pentastar engines are flawless, but the reality is the vast majority work just fine. Crap happens to all engines, and it sucks when it does. Besides a failed flywheel on my 2017 Journey, she's at 217k miles and still going strong. Change your oil on schedule, and don't over tighten the filter housing when installing a new filter. Over tightening, and pressing down on the filter housing when recapping are things you shouldn't do.
Yes sir. I did a lot of research for my 23 Wrangler and came across this same advice.. Changed my oil at 1000mi and 5000mi. Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 😇
Have a 2017 Grand Cherokee Overland. It runs great. The only issue so far is I had to change the ESIM module. Easy to change. To extend the life of the EISM module, Prevent fueling the car after the first click on the gas nozzle. ESIM (EVAP System Integrity Module). Easy to change. It's behind the left rear fender well, towards the rear of the well. About $70.00 for the part. The code will show up as a small leak in the EVAP system. Thanks! Great video.
That rule is for every model of vehicle besides diesels.
They run great right up until you realize they designed the engine to drain oil pooled down the back of the transmission and the engine is experiencing damage before you know it
So don't fill your car the TFL way, got it!
I used brand name synthetic oil in my 2015 caravan and had a rocker arm tick at 130,000 miles.
Own a 2014 T&C since new. Had the oil cooler and cylinder head problem. Maintained per the manual. $17,000 in warranty work since new. My neighbor has a 2014 since new. Zero warranty work.
My T&C is covered by the no longer available lifetime maximum warranty.
Bought my 2011 Chrysler 200 3.6 v6 at 85k miles had it almost 5 years just had to replace the lifters day before yesterday at 120k miles $1200 dollars
Have a 14 Wrangler, changed out plastic oil cooler before it failed with a aluminum unit at 90k, now 130k, no rocker issues yet, don't know if people don't realize soon enough when the oil cooler fails and keep running with low or contaminated oil causing rocker and cam failure.
No sir. Stop it. The rocker arms fail because they are a shit design. The replacement rocker arms fail because they continue to be a shit design. No excuse there.
Only variable I will acquiesce to, is that failures seem more common on engines that see higher idle times. It's no secret that the oiling system on these engines is inadequate, and at idle is where you have the least amount of flow. That's why commercial vehicles like the Promaster and C/V see a lot of rocker arm failure. We don't track idle time. 🤷♂️
I’ve only driven the 3.6 in front of the 8HP50 (zF 8speed) and haven’t had a complaint about power. The gladiator’s 4.10 and the 8 speed’s ratios make for a solid drivetrain. Towing over western passes with a loaded bed and passengers it didn’t struggle or complain. Even better, the TCM manages engine braking well and holds back speed on the downgrades without resorting to manual shifting. It is really a fantastic transmission that pairs well with the pentastar.
You are not wrong about the 8speed
Get some lights in there brotha😂
Had a 2012 Dodge Durango with the 3.6 and 5sp trans. VERY underpowered. I have a 2017 Chrysler 300 (8Sp) with it also. It’s been great. Very smooth with adequate power. Don’t know if thats because of the 8 speed or because the Durango was too heavy for it.
I believe it's both as the 8speed is a much better transmission over the old 5speed auto
Have a 16 Wrangler, rocker went at 50k miles, starter went at 55k miles, Oil cooler just went at 75k miles. Owning this 3.6 feels like just waiting for the next thing to go wrong. Going with a Toyota 4Runner or Tacoma for my next ride.
Guess what if one of your cam sensors isn’t reading correctly the vehicles limited to 20mph
Sorry for giving u a new fear😢
I have 200k miles on my 2012 300. Runs great and gets 33mpg on freeway.
Oh I def left some out. Crankshaft Sensor took a shit. Tie rods on both ends shot, track bar wasted all between 40k-50k miles and I don't even run it hard. Hasn't been kind to me so far.@@fastinradfordable
Don't be too sure that there won't be issues with that as well
We have a 2013 jk that blew the engine at 50k because of failed electric fan and non reading temp gauge
I just want to add to one thing you said, don't just keep up on maintenance with these cars, do oil changes early and use good high quality synthetic oil. These things sludge like crazy as well and because they don't have a drain back valve in the oil filter, cold starts are dry for the valve train. You can hear a bit of a rattle coming from the engines when it's a really cold start, but it goes away after 2 to 3 seconds. I tend to do my oil changes when the oil life monitor hits 40% which is about 5,000 to 6,000 miles.
Also, I know these things lack power but they can still tow. I use my pentastar Grand Cherokee L to tow a U-Haul trailer and my older cars when they need a tow. You really got to push the heck out of it but it gets the job done.
Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it and learned a lot too.
Thankyou for your input on the oil changes on the Pentastar
Regular oil on regular intervals is the secret. Synthetic oil is throwing your money away
@@ubeuonlythe manual recommends Full Synthetic😅.
That rocker failure tho!
So Chrysler isn't perfect? Rollers and oil cooler can go bad, some early ones (back 2012! when it was introduced) had issues, and it's not a GDI. The reality is that while made from ABS, the oil cooler usually lasts past 150,000 km. Which means at that interval you'd be changing sparkplugs and leveraging the same labor to take apart basically the same stuff. Doing plugs? Change the cooler. Not being a GDI? Most people would consider that a benefit. Having walnut cleaning on your inside of your engine is fun stuff. You want crazy stuff? Try the Porsche 4.5 v8. Plastic coolant pipes in the "v" of the engine, and a starter motor mounted right under them so that when they fail it drowns in coolant and best case leaves you with 2-3k in repairs due to amateurish engineering. The reality is the pentastar engine would rarely fail in a way that would leave you stranded, parts are plentiful both new and used, and as you admitted, the key elements like timing chains are bullet proof. Most owners will appreciate the negligible oil consumption and perfectly adequate power. If anything, the biggest nuisance is the integrated power module between 07-18 Chryslers depending on the model. That isn't part of the engine, but that *will* leave you stranded. If you are travelling in an older caravan or jeep, you should carry a TIPM Plug-In Relay from vertical visions in a cubby just in case the fuel-relay portion of power module fails.
Ths timing chains are not bulletproof
What kind of engineer makes plastic components for a hot engine? One that wants your money and wants you to fix your engine just after the warranty fails. Designed to fail!. That plastic oil cooler is a real engineering gem. I am done with Stellantis products.
I just traded my Gladiator for a Hybrid Maverick.
As far as the plastic is concerned, they may have taken a page out of BMW's book. I'm glad alot of these issues have been worked out with the 3.6....
Why doesn't someone produce upgraded, reliable versions of the high-failure parts on the Pentastar? E.g., Oil cooler, thermostat, fuel injectors, motor mounts... the list goes on.
Would be great to offer them for sale in one place, or maybe sell them as a kit.
Over time, I've replaced all these parts in my 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Would have been nice to do it all at once as a kit for a much more reliable engine.
Dorman has been marketing some upgrades but yes this could be done better. I was really disappointed when I had my oil filter housing changed that the mechanic who I paid to do it did not use an upgraded unit.. I want to replace the crossover pipe housing. plastic parts in the coolant loop are always problematic
A lot of Direct Injection engines aren’t anywhere near as efficient as they claim
I am looking for a minivan. My limit is $22,000. I keep hearing these stories about this engine (I am thinking of Chrysler Pacifica). What is an alternative? The Toyota Sienna is out of my price range. What do you think?
Honda Odyssey
@@jmc6000
Bad choice!
Their bad rap comes from their intolerance to poor maintenance.
I had 62k miles and the rocker arms, lifters and intake cam on the passenger side failed!!! This is crap on a vehicle so expensive as the JT Rubicon. A know problem on the 5.7 and others. I was mad, I AM MAD and disappointed to say the least. I got rid of my favorite vehicle ever. 😞
Problem is oil starvation. Replace the parts and it will happen again.
What year were all the problems ironed out?
Around 2018 to 2019
Thanks
Changing the oil cooler is not that difficult. I have done two of them and it can be done in about 7 hrs. This engine is easy to work on
7hrs is a bit much to just change one part. That is not easy in my opinion. Easy would be an air filter or spark plugs, something that could be done in an hour or less
I’ve had two pentastars. First one made it to 100k without any issues and I’m currently in a 23 Rubi gladiator with the 6 speed manual. Getting 17.5mpg mostly city manually measured in a 5,200+ lb vehicle with no direct injection. All around decent engine that gets a lot of flack due to the early issues with the heads and the rocker arms. Oil cooler issues can be prevented by tightening the oil filter cap to no more than 10 lb ft. 18 lb ft is just way too much. If it does go, DIY replace it with a full metal body one and no more issues. Takes just about an hour of work.
Can you add a turbo charger on a 2025 1500 big horn ram
I don't know of any turbo kits out for the 3.6 Pentastar
I don't think so either bc of the integrated exhaust manifold. I think the market has concentrated Supercharger kits.
LiteBrite tried one a few years ago but it gave them problems
Fun fact, the Pentastar supports force induction from the factory. The block has provisions and castings which accept things like oil and coolant lines. Although it seems like a supercharger is what they would have most likely rolled with.
Companies like Ripp and Prodigy make supercharger and turbo kits respectively foe the 3.6. Although most are for Jeep applications.
Sons is in shop, dealer wants 12,000 for new engine!, BS
Wow, crazy times we live in.
The crappiest junky junk engine from $#it shop auto maker... they sure are hamstringing the jeep with their bargan basement electronics and the worst engines of all time.
The main known issue with this engine is it's garbage.
LOL
If you don't keep up with maintenance any engine will fail
Very true