Oil leakage on Diesel Gladiator

[azaustin]

I’ve posted here earlier on my first service issue (an entire rear axle replacement due to a faulty sensor), and now, unfortunately, I have another issue. Immediately after my first oil change by the dealer, I found small oil spots under my Gladiator diesel. The dealer inspected it and told me it was just spilled oil draining from the frame. After looking at the mounting position of the oil filter I accepted that. However, the oil spots continued to appear, so I took it to the dealer again. They agreed it was leaking, but couldn’t find the source, so put a fluorescent dye in the oil and had me drive it for a bit so they could look for the source with a UV light. That revealed a valve cover as the origin of the leak. The dealer had to order some parts (apparently there is a hose and a couple of other things besides the gasket that are non-reusable) so it took a couple of weeks for them to come in. They called me on a Friday and made an appointment to bring it in last Monday. Wednesday they called and said it would be ready Thursday. We were going out of town, so I called them Thursday afternoon to make arrangements to pick it up when we got back Friday and found out that the leak had been repaired but the engine was now throwing a fuel pressure code. My calls on Friday and Saturday for a progress report went unanswered. This morning, after still receiving no word, I called another person in Service and was told they had contacted Jeep factory support and were working on a solution with them - unsuccessfully, so far.

So, I’m still waiting. Up until now, my dealer’s service department has been great to work with. As a former professional mechanic, I understand these things happen. Still, a couple of things bother me. The engine didn’t leak a drop until the first oil change. When things like that happen to me I always look at where I (or someone else) worked last. I’m very skeptical of coincidences. Also, I’m a big believer in the Hippocratic philosophy of “First do no harm.” Modern cars have so many sensors, connectors, relays, etc. that there is always a chance of causing collateral damage. I really don’t have a choice but to wait for them to figure this out, but this is the second time there has been a major problem with what should have been a minor service. My 2017 Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon was trouble-free with the exception of a cracked radiator tank, which was fixed quickly under warranty. I love my new Rubicon diesel Gladiator, but I’m hoping this isn’t going to be an ongoing thing.

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[Jeep-A-Kneez]

Fill you pain, just over 16k miles and I've had it one year. It's been in for CEL for def issues, egr valve replacement and A/C not working because of a refrigerant leak. Going back to service department this week, A/C is out again. I really like my little truck and I'm glad these are warranty issues, however I'm now starting to have those bad thoughts of ownership.

 

[cotnballs2000]

Degrease the engine and monitor. My oil cooler and timing chain cover was leaking. They resealed the timing chain cover and replaced the oil cooler gasket (nickle to quarter size puddles). It still leaked after the repair. They replaced the the oil cooler assembly and I've had my jeep back for a few weeks and it seems the problem is fixed. It was leaking down the left side of the engine, running down the differential. You could see oil on the oil cooler bolts when it leaked. I have read this is a common repair. Its a really big job, took them 3 plus days. You have to take al lot off stuff off the engine to get to it.

 

[azaustin]

Thanks for the tip. If I still have issues when I get it back I’ll put it up on my own lift and look it over very carefully before I give it back to them. Your leaks sound very similar to mine.

 

[jeepin48]

I have a leak on the passenger side. Anyone see it over there?

 

[azaustin]

Just an update on my oil leakage issues. After the dealer’s 6th try at fixing the oil leak on my diesel Gladiator, it is now ready to be picked up again. This time they were going to try resealing the timing cover. It took a couple of weeks for the parts to arrive and the car has been at the dealership two weeks since I dropped it off for this round of leak repairs. As noted in an earlier post, the car did not leak until the first oil change (at the dealer.) I’m pretty sure the cause was over-filling using an overhead lube dispenser. I didn’t check the oil level afterwards because I’ve always had good service from this dealer. I will always check it from this time forward. Many years ago I had the oil changed on my ‘86 Toyota pickup at Costco because they did it for almost what the oil and filter cost me. On my way home (a 250 mile trip) I smelled oil and pulled over. The engine was covered with oil and an inspection of the dipstick showed oil clear to the top. The front crank seal (previously dry) was blown. I drove it home, (about another 150 miles) with frequent stops to check the oil level. After replacing the seal and draining the crankcase to the proper level, I had no further oil leaks. Overfilling is the only reason I can think of outside of a loose filter, drain bolt, etc., that would cause a new engine to leak after an oil change. I’m just hoping the only thing that was damaged on my Jeep engine was the crank seal, and that nothing else will start leaking if this fixes the problem. And you can bet that I will always check the oil level after a dealer oil change in the future - before I drive the car.

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