P00AF less than 5 miles into first tow

[Idlethunder]

My first attempt to tow with the ecodiesel yesterday did not go well. For reference the 2023 JTRD currently has a little over 51k miles, EOC stage 2 tow with transmission tune on 35x11.5 Wildpeak at4w tires and stock height. I bought it in February with 41k and tuned it in April or May. Have put 6,500 flawless miles on it since.

The travel trailer I was towing was new and empty. 16' single axle with an overall weight of 2,790 pounds and hitch weight of 295. The ambient temperature was 102 and the Jeep was up to temp when I got on the highway. Within 5 miles the dash lit up and went into limp mode. I was able to drive a couple of miles to park and read codes with JScan. Active with Warning Lamp code was P00AF-00, then as active I had 3 more instances of P00AF and one for third brake light B16B7-15 which has been out for a while. After checking codes I turned around went home and unhooked the trailer.

Immediately after disconnecting, I had no trouble with boost pressure. Going hard on the throttle I got low 30s turbo boost on iDash without clearing the code. After a lot of reading on the forum last night, it is strange that my p00af came up so quickly on a flat highway at 65mph with such a small light weight trailer. This was my first time towing with it and I have had no trouble at all with the turbo or actuator.

I was planning to add my experience to one of the current P00AF threads but I didn’t find another where the code came up so quickly. Most others had been on the road much longer and seemed to usually happened pulling a hill. Today while trailerless, I hammered the throttle with the code still active and it ran fine. When I started the jeep to leave the office after work, the cel is gone.

I sent an email to EOC but doubt they will be any help. I am reaching here, but EOC doesn’t recommend towing with the +50HP street tune and they advise against towing on the +80 race tune. Tonight I backed off from the +30 tow to the optimized stock tune and I’ll try again tomorrow.

If anyone has a suggestion, something I should look for or monitor, please let me know. Right now, if I have a problem tomorrow on the optimized stock tune, I think my best action will be to put the exhaust back to stock with the stock ECU and let the dealer take a look at it. I'd rather not do that but this issue is not something I am familiar with.

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[Cadguy]

I am an engineer by trade, so from my viewpoint, just one instance is not an issue. If it repeats more than once, say twice, it deems looking at. If it happens more that twice randomly, it's a true problem. I'm discovering with these computers, they sometimes "glitch", as they are so interconnected with so many sensors and communication going on.
I wouldn't change anything at all unless it happens again. If you make a change to something that is not really a problem, you will have no idea what actually fixed the "problem" in the first place. Also, by true scientific process, you only change ONE thing at a time and review results.

 

[biodiesel]

The P00AF code has been discussed extensively on this forum. Your turbo will need to be replaced. Take it to the dealer with the code and they should order a replacement turbo.

 

[Bindul]

The P00AF code has been discussed extensively on this forum. Your turbo will need to be replaced. Take it to the dealer with the code and they should order a replacement turbo.

My thought exactly.

 

[Cadguy]

I would NEVER rush to a conclusion from just one instance. I had a boss that would do that, and have me re-design parts from a knee jerk reaction... then, only to find out it was another component causing the problem.
Could be the actuator, not the turbo. Could be hoses... etc.

 

[Idlethunder]

I am an engineer by trade, so from my viewpoint, just one instance is not an issue. If it repeats more than once, say twice, it deems looking at. If it happens more that twice randomly, it's a true problem. I'm discovering with these computers, they sometimes "glitch", as they are so interconnected with so many sensors and communication going on.
I wouldn't change anything at all unless it happens again. If you make a change to something that is not really a problem, you will have no idea what actually fixed the "problem" in the first place. Also, by true scientific process, you only change ONE thing at a time and review results.

Last night I typed that out on my phone. I forgot to mention that after stopping to read the codes after the first instance, when I started it back up to come home, it drove fine at first. Approx 5 miles later it did it again. As seems common with this code, the first time it also said FCW Unavailable Service Required. When it did it again a few miles later I got the Service Electronic Throttle Control message.

It really looks like I need to go back to stock and try for a turbo warranty. I was hoping someone might have a different suggestion.

 

[Cadguy]

That makes more sense

 

[LOL WUT]

Does anyone know if the turbo replacement actually fixes this issue? Are those with replacements now P00AF free?

 

[biodiesel]

Could be the actuator, not the turbo. Could be hoses... etc.

The actuator is the issue, but the actuator isn't sold separate. This is why Stellantis replaces the entire turbo.

Does anyone know if the turbo replacement actually fixes this issue? Are those with replacements now P00AF free?

Yes, 100% of the people who've replaced the defective turbo haven't had any more issues.

 

[Vtur]

The actuator is the issue, but the actuator isn't sold separate. This is why Stellantis replaces the entire turbo.



Yes, 100% of the people who've replaced the defective turbo haven't had any more issues.

Has anyone opened one up to see what's wrong with it inside the actuator? Maybe failed electronic components due to heat? Also, is the one from the Ram the same? Thinking about grabbing one from Ebay to tinker.

 

[biodiesel]

Has anyone opened one up to see what's wrong with it inside the actuator? Maybe failed electronic components due to heat? Also, is the one from the Ram the same? Thinking about grabbing one from Ebay to tinker.

I only know of one EcoDiesel owner who pulled the defective actuator and compared it to a new actuator that he found online. He couldn't visually see anything that stood out with the faulty actuator. He said the new actuator vastly improved performance; however, it wasn't a complete fix. He ended up taking the Jeep to the dealer and getting a new turbo under warranty. That remedied the problem completely.

 

[Vtur]

I only know of one EcoDiesel owner who pulled the defective actuator and compared it to a new actuator that he found online. He couldn't visually see anything that stood out with the faulty actuator. He said the new actuator vastly improved performance; however, it wasn't a complete fix. He ended up taking the Jeep to the dealer and getting a new turbo under warranty. That remedied the problem completely.

I'm wondering is it just plug and play as long the arm angle match with old one, or does it require some perimeter/ threadshold relearning.

 

[Idlethunder]

Update on my issue. After dropping from the tow tune to optimized stock, I drove 30 miles at noon towing the trailer without issue. Other than a different tune, ambient temperature was a few degrees lower, 96 rather than 102 but same trailer, same speeds and a similar South wind.

The highest onboard temps I saw Wednesday with P00AF were oil at 248 and coolant 226 when it went into limp mode. Today the oil hit 252, coolant 232 and transmission stayed around 200. I will try another short tow tomorrow or Sunday before risking a longer trip. Moving to the lower HP tune seems to have made a difference on mine. If the next test doesn't throw the code or limp mode I’ll try the 600 mile drive to New Mexico next week.

 

[SKJeep]

(my 2 cents) Your tune is not the issue. I have derated 2 times. Once not towing but driving into a 45 mph head wind going 85 mph on I-90 across South Dakota. Once towing a 3500lb Rockwood GeoPro travel trailer. I had every code under the sun including the P00AF. I cleared the codes and have driven about 20K miles without another code coming back. The biggest impact to not derate is the ability to watch your EGT (exhaust gas temps). I got the banks idash and mounted it on a pod on the A Pillar. I now have the tow tune plus the trans tune and am running on 37" Toyo RT's with 4.56 gears. I do not have any derating or limp mode issues because I religiously watch the EGT and the oil temps and adjust my driving while towing accordingly. Search Wolf Overland on youtube as he has a ton of content on EOC and EGT issues. I went another direction to fight the EGT/Oil temps while towing. I just installed a Snow Performance Water/Methanol injection. It has dropped my oil temps where am consistently running around 225 to 230 degrees on my oil temp.

Looking at your EGT temp of 1308 and oil temp of 252 you need to drop a gear and possibly slow down. I usually run under 1000 degrees on the EGT's by dropping to 7th or 6th gear and running between 65-70 mph. With the water/meth injection my EGT is stay pretty consistent around 860 to 960 on incline/hills.

 

[rubicon4wheeler]

I do not have any derating or limp mode issues because I religiously watch the EGT and the oil temps and adjust my driving while towing accordingly.

For those of us without your water/methanol injection, what do you recommend our max EGT be?

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