Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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1. Do not exceed 15-20 mph...hover around 2000 rpm.
2. Put a load on the vehicle by either towing or driving in soft sand or going over speed bumps where you accelerate and brake for at least one mile.
3. Put the a/c on, temp at coolest, and inside setting (recirculate setting).
4. Leave tranny in drive.
Regarding temp analysis, I reported same a couple of months ago. Redline on the temp gauge is 242 degrees and tranny temp was 210 when problem was confirmed by dealer tech who was onboard with me.
Yes, we need to post the contacts above dealers we can find with phone numbers, e-mail addresses, etc. Chrysler is not responsive enough and ultimately we need to find a mechanism to get someone in the media to report that this is an unsolved problem....that will get action....I'll report back on my follow-up test this weekend.
I received confirmation from the cooling expert of the experiment I'm working for:
-the two unmatched fans will reduce the efficiency of the system.
Let's wait and see...
http://www.centuryperformance.com/coolingsys.asp
This paragraph appears to be contradtory. It seems to me that series fans will increase air flow and so the net efficiency of the cooling system. As long as the fans are blowing in the same direction, you should get more flow. Won't the "system resistance" of the radiator remain the same? There are many examples in the HVAC world where multiple fans are used. Fans may windmill, but do not cavitate. There is no Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) needed to my knowledge.
I haven't had this problem, but I wonder if there isn't a restriction in the radiator or any cooler mounted to share the air flow. Are there dampers in the air flow that could be restricting flow? I guess I should pop the hood and give this thing a look. I don't want to be stranded due to an overheating engine. Please give us the solution when it's found.
I don't think the statements are contradictory. For example, on the Cherokee, there is a main mechanical fan and an auxillary electric fan next to mechanical. I'm guessing you don't flow more air with a push and pull on either side of the radiator and typcially pushers move less air than pullers so a pusher could restrict airflow.
If they are on the same side, they are in parallel and not in series. In series, the air flowing out of one fan will flow into the inlet of the other. I agree if you have two fans on the same side of the radiator and one blows while the other sucks that they will work against one another.
I also have to admit I was wrong about the general use of fans in series. Per the following link, you generally add fans in parallel for more flow. Fans in series will give you a higher pressure drop. Although common sense tells me that if I have a higher pressure drop across the same radiator that I will get more flow. If I have X pressure against the radiator at 20 miles per hour and 2X the pressure at 30 miles per hour, I will get more air flow. As you raise the pressure on the system curve, you should get more flow.
http://www.greenheck.com/technical/tech_detail.php?display=files/Product_guide/multfansyst- ems
I find this buy back thing a lot more disturbing than not having the affinity laws for fans clearly in my head. I don't want a heating problem to show up on my Jeep on crossing a pass someday. Hopefully, these are just a few isolated incidents.
Do the automobile manufacturer's ever lower themselves to actually responding to concerns and questions directly on forums? It sure would be good if they did. I'd like to see this even if they had a disclaimer that this isn't an official relaease or some such legal nonsense first.
There is at least one Dodge rep reading Edmunds and occasionally participating. Whether the rep decides to join in here is up to the rep (and the manufacturer's legal department
(We also have a BMW rep and used to have an official Subaru rep with her own discussion; probably some others registered that I don't know about, and probably lots of manufacturer people - usually customer service reps or marketing types - lurking and reading).
Steve, Host
I tried the one one the web from another forum for pt cruisers, but it didnt work.
I do not have the overhead console, if that helps
That makes sense, "normal" 60 cycle, 50 cycle or 400 cycle fans with same number of poles would spin at the same rate. Thanks.
It doesn't seem to be a DC engineering problem as much, by your posts, as an execution problem. DC was the first, I believe, to buy the cheapest parts from whomever and wherever.
I wonder if this is not a generic design problem. The parts from the subsuppliers should have met whatever Daimler Jeep specified. Quality control records from the subsupplier should have indicated whether the parts had problems.
I haven't seen it, but I haven't pulled a heavy load up a grade. Could they have just sized the overall cooling system too small? Has there been anyone who has consistantly pulled a load over a grade without overheating? Do radiators have performance that needs to be derated at higher elevations? Lots of funny things happen when air density changes. I know of some other products that need this derating. Since this is the first year they've sold these things in North America, maybe they didn't allow enough design margin. I know they've sold them in Europe for a few years. I wonder if the radiator / cooling is the same.
Easy for me to ask dumb questions, that's why it would be good if a guy from the company addressed this forum directly. It would be a simple courtesy to those who purchased their product.
My door sticker says the same as Tired Old Dave's / 1-05.
After getting a new hitch to allow for the height difference I hooked up the Liberty and started off. I could definitely hear the turbo whine with this load but I was pleasantly surprised by the acceleration. It really is not much different than with the Excursion. I know without a doubt that I am towing a heavy load but it has been very well mannered for such a short wheelbase. The boat/trailer combo is about twice the length of the Jeep.
The first trip I went 45mi. each way with hills and got about 16mpg at 60-65 mph outside temp 99F. Yes, the a/c was on high. X used to get about 12mpg.
The temp gauge goes from half to 3/4 and back again a lot. It seems to depend on hills and the temp comes down very quickly (about 10 seconds). It has never gone above 3/4.
I also made a round trip w/o boat 147 miles each way, filled up before and after and used 9.5 gallons @ 60mph. I am real pleased with the performance and mileage.
CRD be registered in Cal? I also understand if I bought a new CRD in another
state, I can eventually register it in Cal, but I have to wait a certain amount
of time beforee bringing it in. Does anyone know How I can do this legally?
California DMV
Steve, Host
one from out of state with more than 7500 mi?
Steve, Host
Mine is 3-05
Has anyone had any damage to the engine due to the overheating?
Another problem I am having is the rear brakes dragging. I noticed from the tire monitoring system that the rear tire pressure in the morning would be the same as the front. Then after a while of driving the rear pressure would climb up. On my trip I had to drop the pressure 5lbs because they would rise so much. At first I thought the tire pressure was to low due to the weight of the camper. It only has a tongue weight of about 100lbs. Then I happen to touch the wheel and about got a 3rd degree burn. Both rear wheels were way too hot to touch. I tried the front and they were warm. After about 3000 miles I have started to notice the rear brakes making squeeking or grinding noise. The noise has progressively gotten worse.
I am really getting sick of this vehicle. I am noticing a citrus smell every time I get near the thing. :lemon:
No problems to report. No overheating. My temp. gauge has never got past the 1/2 way mark, even when towing a 2,000 lb. trailer.
They are totally clueless...
I'm so sick of this vehicle that i give them a month to resolve the problem then i'll sell my car.
Bye
This at least could help understanding the radiator issue. If it doesn't work buy the 2003 second hand. It's great and needs only one fan!
No comment......
Any how, I see that Chrysler is willing to buy back a CRD with an overheating issue. I would think they would offer the person a new one that has been tested to make sure it does not overheat.
Your comments about buying from the cheapest supplier is not relevant. All of the manufacturers do it. Your comment about execution is a bit problematic. You comment that the problem happens with some but not others. The build date on mine is May, 2005. My CRD does not overheat no matter what I do to it.
Your comment about the turbo does bring up a memory, however. Turbos have waste gates. If the waste gate does not open up properly or is stuck, then what? Overheat! I had a 1985 Dodge Daytona turbo and I played with the waste gate setting increasing it to 7.5 pounds of boost no matter what instead of 7.5 pounds of boost for about 15 seconds. Besides blowing the transmission, the temperature gauge needle ran at a higher position. If I played hard, then the engine temp would rise toward the red zone in a matter of moments, only dropping down if I stopped playing.
I have no idea how the waste gate is controlled on the CRD. On my old Dodge it was controlled by a spring and vacuum.
The overheating occurs under some kind of load situation, towing, playing in sand dunes, whatever. Look at the waste gate as the engine is possibly being overboosted under these situations. Too much air + too much fuel = too much heat.
Hope this helps.
I am not sure what the hissing is, mine does that too, but the metal flap I think is the "throttle valve" actually falling open. It is there to choke off the engine when you shut it off so the engine doesn't vibrate so much on shut down.
He (service manager) said that the Dodge Neon had overheating problem. The mechanics at this dealership, who are heavily involved in racing, solved that problem for DC by suggesting a coolant additive. He called DC and asked them if he should try it on the CRD, they said go for it and assured me that there would be no warranty issues
They (DC/Dealership) had me put in a bottle of BG Products Super Cool (which they provided) for diesel engines. It is supposed to enhance the cooling capabilities of the existing fluid. Apparently Ford had an overheating problem with the Cummins Diesel and BG solved it by reformulating the coolant. So, I put the additive in today. It will be tested later this week.
When I got to the top it cooled right off. I have had it cool off going up as well, it seems that the fan clutch can take its time kicking in.
I ran up the same hill with the A/C off and it only went to just barely over 1/2.
I have yet to tie my 4000# trailer and see how it acts.
What a weekend.
Any way, in a later posting it turns out that there is no waste gate. I have never heard the hissing or the metal flap closing sound, but then never really listened for it. As for what the hissing could be, it could be related to the A/C equalizing, the pressurized air being released from the intake system, or the vacuum within the system being relieved. The flap falling shut, might be a heater/vent door closing as the vacuum in the system goes away. These are only guesses.
As the later post explains, if there is an overboost, it is computer controlled and the engine goes into limp mode. For those with the overheat issue, I am curious if there is a defective bit of software or a defective sensor allowing this to happen.
As to the brakes, mine makes a tiny bit of noise in the AM when backing out but clear up in a few feet of driving. I wonder if the emergency brake is binding?