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Am I the first EcoDiesel starter failure?

WMWHV

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Did a search and did not find any other reports of a starter failure on an EcoDiesel. Mine went out at just over 8000 miles. I had noticed a slightly raspy sound sometimes when it started first thing in the morning. Nothing overly concerning. I always thought Chrysler starters sounded raspy. Yesterday, I started it and it was really raspy and I knew there was a problem. The very next start attempt was all spinning starter motor and no engagement of the bendix. A truly nasty sound, like maybe it was scraping but not engaging. The roadside assistance people would tow it to the nearest dealer (an hour from my house and dealer). They said they might have time to look at it next week. I asked what would happen if I depended on my new Gladiator for transportation. They said I would be out of luck. They have no loaner cars and if they did, Chrysler would only cover under warranty the reasonable time for the repair and not the time it sat waiting for them to look at it. I donā€™t need a rental car, as the Jeep is a third vehicle for us, but if that is true (I have no reason to check out his story) folks could be in trouble if they depend on their vehicle and it goes down on them. Does anybody know if this starter is a common starter used in multiple vehicles or if it is a unicorn that might be hard to get?
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No idea, but I imagine all the 3.0's use the same starter.
 
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WMWHV

WMWHV

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No idea, but I imagine all the 3.0's use the same starter.
With the current supply chain issues, it would be comforting for me to know it is a generic unit that goes in 20 different vehicles. I just did a quick parts search and it does seem that it is the same starter for all EcoDiesel engines since 2015. That may help some.
 

CerOf

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My dealership was out of loaners. So, they put me in a rent car; in their nickel of course. My service advisor said they bill it back to Jeep for warranty work.

youā€™re the first starter failure Iā€™ve heard of.
 

Steven_B

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Out of curiosity, do you use the auto start stop feature?
 

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That won't matter - this is a fluke, a starter that's obviously got an issue. Starters are totally different for engines with ESS. Somewhere I have an article by a guy who helped design the starters on modern engines.
One should expect over 100,000 miles on starters - even with ESS. It gets a bad rap from folks who aren't familiar with the new designs.
If a 1994 design starter can go over 130,000 miles and only wear the brushes, these will go a lot longer and farther because the design is totally different than what people remember from years ago.
The engine is also in a different mode when shut down due to ESS vs. you shutting it off yourself. Things sit in a different mode.

His description of the issue - the sounds, etc. confirm my thoughts (as one who restores starters) that his was destined to go ESS or not.
 

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Anyone else concerned with all of the dealerships being out of loaners?
No parts, nothing to drive but sales through the roof? I'd tell my customer to pick something on the used lot and I'll let then test drive it until their stuff is fixed or something. Geez.
 

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Anyone else concerned with all of the dealerships being out of loaners?
No parts, nothing to drive but sales through the roof? I'd tell my customer to pick something on the used lot and I'll let then test drive it until their stuff is fixed or something. Geez.
Many States have put laws in place to prevent this. They are limiting Dealer Plates, and there are also Liability issues. Dealers here use the Rental Car method.
 

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WMWHV

WMWHV

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That said, and has been alluded to in other comments, because of that system, you would expect an overbuilt, bulletproof starter. I suspect, though, that like with many other machines, it either dies a quick and horrible death early, or works forever. There was probably some manufacturing defect in mine and its days were numbered from the outset. I just hope it was a one-off issue and we will not see a string of them. If indeed it is the same starter that has been used in EcoDiesels since 2015, I think we would know by now if there was a design issue.
 
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WMWHV

WMWHV

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Just got an update from the service writer after waiting a week plus for them to even look at it. He said the mechanic looked at it and one starter bolt was missing and the other was loose. The starter was not engaging the flywheel. He is currently checking to see whether the starter or flywheel gears are stripped out as a result. I am worried about both. Sounds like somebody at the factory forgot to tighten the bolts. My recommendation is that if you hear a funky sound when you start your engine, check the bolts before it gets worse.
 
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WMWHV

WMWHV

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The dealer has had my Jeep 11 days and the saga continues. I was told on Tuesday or Wednesday that one starter bolt was missing and the other was loose. The mechanic had borrowed a bolt from another vehicle and tested mine and all was well. They just needed to order the special bolt that had fallen out and tighten the one that was still there. I was told the bolt arrived yesterday. I went to get my Jeep this afternoon. After all, they just had to install one boltā€¦. I was told there were three mechanics working on my Jeep. I asked to go back and see. There were actually four. They had removed the motor mounts, had the engine jacked up and were trying to fit what I call a wobble socket on something. The mechanic said it was kicking his ass trying to get to where he could install and tighten the starter bolts. It was an hour until they closed. He said he would do his best. When I came back, they said it would be Monday. My opinion is that the service writer is an idiot. I donā€™t believe anything he says. He doesnā€™t seem to know the first thing about cars. The mechanic seemed to be a nice young man who was doing his best. I have to depend on him to properly put my Jeep back together, so I told him the only thing I could, to take whatever time he needed to do it right. I admit I have never really crawled under and looked at the starter. Have any of you done so and does it appear to be a bear to get in and out? A mechanic once told me that on the diesel VW Toureg, you have to pull the entire engine to change the starter. Sounds like this may not be quite as bad, but from the look on the face of this mechanic, it was the worst one he had ever encountered. Does not sound like a job any of us will do on the trail. Makes me glad I bought the extended warranty.
 

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My Ecodiesel has been in the shop for a month due to catastrophic high pressure fuel pump failure. They did not have any loaners. Got me in a gasser Gladiator after about a week. Can't complain to much except the gasser is a slug going down the highway. IMO. On a high note seems like all my parts should finally be in by next week. Fingers crossed.
 
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WMWHV

WMWHV

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I always like to wrap up a thread like this. I got the Jeep back and it is fixed, I hope. The ticket said that they had to repair threads to get the bolt in, so that could have been part of it. I hope they did a good job. My main complaint is that they pulled several of the little plastic pins that secure the zip ties on the wiring harnesses and hoses to holes in various places and in a brief look around, I saw three that were not put back in the holes. My view as to such things is that if they were not needed, FCA would not have gone to the trouble and expense to put them on there, so the mechanic should have reconnected each one. My other complaint (I asked them to do an oil change) is that there is dirty oil everywhere on the driver's side. It was dripping off the frame rail, the upper and lower control arm, the differential and other places. I could not see any oil in the area of the oil filter or the drain plug. I am not sure what is going on. I am guessing the guy dropped the filter full of oil into the engine compartment and oil leaked everywhere. I cleaned it up tonight and will see if the oil comes back. If it does, it is going to my dealer for repair. I don't want to drive almost 50 miles to the incompetent dealer who did the initial work. I am wondering if my dealer will get compensated by FCA for resecuring all the harnesses the other dealer left not plugged in. Oh, and another funny thing... They replaced the battery. There was a note on the ticket that it was defective. News to me.
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