2018 jl 3.6 sludge in engine?

[Stetson]

Don't go by the OLM, not your fault though, as Jeep has that feature and advises that owners abide by it.

Sludge from a bad head gasket is not the fault of the oil. Not checking your oil regularly and realizing there is an issue though is your fault, to a point. Everyone should pull their dipstick at least every other week. I check it weekly.

The only other thing that will sludge an engine are a lot of short trips, where the engine never gets warm enough. The block develops condensation which eventually contaminates the oil. If anyone drives a majority of short trips then make those oil change intervals sooner.

Out of curiosity, which oil and filter were you using and what where the mileages on the intervals? Did you keep a log that shows the date, miles and oil used? They should/might be able to scan the Jeep to show how many times you reset the OLM.

you are right about the short trips, but I don’t think at 41k miles that could create enough sludge to cause an engine failure.

there is something fishy. If the head gasket failed that could eventually (depending on where the coolant is going) cause engine failure. But that has nothing to do with oil changes

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[Mikester86]

 

[The Last Cowboy]

If the engine is just sludgy, it can be cleaned without having to replace it. Just replace the head gasket, pour some kerosene though it. Run a short flush and do 2-3 short oil change intervals with some full synthetic oil within 6-8k miles.

Did the entire engine fail? any bearings shot? Was anything else, other than the misfire, happening that made you take it to the dealer?

 

[Jl-Family]

Don't go by the OLM, not your fault though, as Jeep has that feature and advises that owners abide by it.

Sludge from a bad head gasket is not the fault of the oil. Not checking your oil regularly and realizing there is an issue though is your fault, to a point. Everyone should pull their dipstick at least every other week. I check it weekly.

The only other thing that will sludge an engine are a lot of short trips, where the engine never gets warm enough. The block develops condensation which eventually contaminates the oil. If anyone drives a majority of short trips then make those oil change intervals sooner.

Out of curiosity, which oil and filter were you using and what where the mileages on the intervals? Did you keep a log that shows the date, miles and oil used? They should/might be able to scan the Jeep to show how many times you reset the OLM.

I used the mopar oil filter , we don’t take many short trips . The shortest trip that we take is dropping the kids off at school and that’s about 7 miles away . I would do the oil change every time the oil life indicator would come on . One thing about a Jeep is that it’s very easy to do an oil change on .

 

[Chupacabra]

Don't go by the OLM, not your fault though, as Jeep has that feature and advises that owners abide by it.


The only other thing that will sludge an engine are a lot of short trips, where the engine never gets warm enough. The block develops condensation which eventually contaminates the oil. If anyone drives a majority of short trips then make those oil change intervals sooner.

The OLM should take short trips and temperatures into its algorithm to count down the oil life faster in those conditions.

 

[The Last Cowboy]

I used the mopar oil filter , we don’t take many short trips . The shortest trip that we take is dropping the kids off at school and that’s about 7 miles away . I would do the oil change every time the oil life indicator would come on . One thing about a Jeep is that it’s very easy to do an oil change on .

You are correct about how easy it is. I go 7000-7500 miles on Pennzoil Platinum. I usually have 25% oil life left. What oil were you using?

 

[The Last Cowboy]

The OLM should take short trips and temperatures into its algorithm to count down the oil life faster in those conditions.

It does in a way, as it will time out at a year no matter what the miles are. No OLMs in any make of vehicles analyze the oil though.

 

[garyji]

I save all receipts and enter my own maintenance records on the Jeep owners app. I do my own oil/filter every 5K.

G.

 

[GtX]

Time for a hemi swap.

 

[Jl-Family]

If the engine is just sludgy, it can be cleaned without having to replace it. Just replace the head gasket, pour some kerosene though it. Run a short flush and do 2-3 short oil change intervals with some full synthetic oil within 6-8k miles.

Did the entire engine fail? any bearings shot? What happened that made you take it to the dealer?

the first thing that happened was I got a engine temperature warning . I pulled over Immediately turns the Jeep off and let it sit for 30 ish minutes . As I checked the engine bay for coolant in the reservoir I noticed it was a little low. After letting it cool down I started it again to see if I would get hot again , it didn’t . So I drive it home slowly and nothing happened . The next day I put coolant in the reservoir . The following day after that I got a cel that read misfire in cylinder 4 so I called my mechanic and we decide that it could be a bad coil pack or injector my mechanic went through the coil packs and injectors and tested them they were good . He checked did a pressure test in the cylinder and it wasn’t holding pressure indicating a bad head gasket . So I took it to the dealer . The Jeep never broke down or didn’t run . I drove it to the dealer .

 

[Jl-Family]

You are correct about how easy it is. I go 7000-7500 miles on Pennzoil Platinum. I usually have 25% oil life left. What oil were you using?

Mobil 1 full synthetic

 

[Stetson]

Although this is an interesting discussion on the oil life monitor and oil changes…I am now really curious about the original issue of a head gasket failure and how that has been tied to oil changes.

In my experience, head gasket failure are extremely unusual on a vehicle that is 3 years old with 41k miles. If the head gasket failed and led to engine failure there are specific symptoms like coolant in a cylinder or mixed with oil (chocolate milk looking).

oil changes or lack of oil changes and a head gasket failure have nothing to do with each other. At 41k miles, the Jeep has probably had 5 or maybe 6 oil changes. That is plenty to keep it going at this point.

we need some photos. This whole story from the dealer is fishy!

 

[Stetson]

the first thing that happened was I got a engine temperature warning . I pulled over Immediately turns the Jeep off and let it sit for 30 ish minutes . As I checked the engine bay for coolant in the reservoir I noticed it was a little low. After letting it cool down I started it again to see if I would get hot again , it didn’t . So I drive it home slowly and nothing happened . The next day I put coolant in the reservoir . The following day after that I got a cel that read misfire in cylinder 4 so I called my mechanic and we decide that it could be a bad coil pack or injector my mechanic went through the coil packs and injectors and tested them they were good . He checked did a pressure test in the cylinder and it wasn’t holding pressure indicating a bad head gasket . So I took it to the dealer . The Jeep never broke down or didn’t run . I drove it to the dealer .

Ok. More info. Does sound like a head gasket failure. How is that tied to oil changes?

 

[John VonJeep]

I used the mopar oil filter , we don’t take many short trips . The shortest trip that we take is dropping the kids off at school and that’s about 7 miles away . I would do the oil change every time the oil life indicator would come on . One thing about a Jeep is that it’s very easy to do an oil change on .

You did great. You still have your powertrain warranty and did nothing wrong. Jeep needs to make this right.

 

[Jl-Family]

Ok. More info. Does sound like a head gasket failure. How is that tied to oil changes?

That’s exactly what I said to them . They are just trying anyway to get out of fixing my Jeep under warranty . My next step is to call Chrysler and see what they say . I may need to get a lawyer involved . I will keep you guys posted .

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