Anyone else have issues with their Pentastar?

[MagnusWolf89]

In the last 3 years i think standards have dropped due to staff shortage, parts shortage and it isnt just in the Jeep world. It is with everything that you buy now. Nothing has the same standards pre covid. Everything that i purchase has something wrong with it, parts missing etc etc. it is the current world we live in and i dont see anything happening any time soon to get us back to where we were before 2020.

I agree, I work for toyota as a tech and even new toyota vehicles which are supposed to be reliable are crap and have numerous problems and recalls. If they are going to charge us 40 to 60 grand for a vehicle then it should be good quality. What blows my mind is why the grand cherokee gets a USA made pentastar but the Wrangler which is their iconic flagship model gets the problematic pentaturd made in Mexico.

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[aldo98229]

My Sahara will be three years old in one week: have had no issues with the Pentastar. Zero. It runs strong and smooth as the day I got it.

Now, the 3.5 V6 and the automatic transmission in my 2019 Tacoma, on the other hand, were the worst I’ve ever had in 30+ years buying vehicles.

 

[MagnusWolf89]

My Sahara will be three years old in one week: have had no issues with the Pentastar. Zero. It runs strong and smooth as the day I got it.

Now, the 3.5 V6 and the automatic transmission in my 2019 Tacoma were the worst I’ve ever had in 30+ years buying vehicles.

Yeah the new tacoma is mostly made in mexico as well and we get all kinds of issues with them. I had a customer that had a brand new tacoma that had a burnt out transmission with only 2000 miles, not to mention that 3.5 straight up knocks and has check engine lights come on every five minutes. My engine runs fine, it just sounds god awful on cold start and I am worried about the oil pressure being at 26 psi on hot idle. If you shut it off then start it up again it will go back to 29 psi until you hear that control solenoid kick on that makes the engine have that "cluck cluck cluck" noise then the pressure drops slowly to 28 then 27 then after a while to 26 psi.

 

[Garry in AZ]

I do not hate my Pentastar. It's a good engine and should provide many years of reliable service if properly maintained and not abused. However, it's far from perfect.

For those who are annoyed by the lifter and valve train clatter at start up, (I was too) I have found a way to improve the situation significantly. It's not a 100% fix, but I'd say at least 80% better. In my opinion, the clatter on start up is caused by the design of the oiling system and having the filter at the highest point in the system without incorporating an anti-drainback valve.

When we shut the engine off, gravity drains all the oil out of the top end of the motor, and back into the pan. Then when we start it, it takes a few seconds for the oil to fill the filter housing and build pressure. While this re-filling of the passages and filter housing takes place, oil pressure is too low to pressurize the lifters , so excessive clearance exists until pressure builds.
If we could prevent the oil in the filter housing from draining out at shut off, we can reduce the amount of time it takes to get everything back up to normal pressure and quiet the clatter.

There is just such a product, from a company called Baxter Performance. (I have no connection to them, other than being a satisfied customer) Do a search for their solution, watch the videos, and judge for yourself if you think it's worth almost 400 bucks. I do, and I have one on my Rubicon. It takes about 20 minutes to install, and when you need to change the new filter, you will need a normal air hose with a tire chuck to evacuate the oil from the filter. (30psi is plenty) Baxter makes them for Toyota and Subaru as well.

I can say that it definitely makes start up quieter. Not 100% perfect, but much better. An ancillary benefit is that now you can use a common screw-on filter, and you never have to worry about the plastic housing leaking again.

 

[cafecito820]

Mine runs perfectly and I hate it. It struggles on even the most basic hills in town, and gets middling fuel economy at best. It's the epitome of a tool that exactly what it needs to, and not an ounce more.

 

[aldo98229]

Yeah the new tacoma is mostly made in mexico as well and we get all kinds of issues with them. I had a customer that had a brand new tacoma that had a burnt out transmission with only 2000 miles, not to mention that 3.5 straight up knocks and has check engine lights come on every five minutes. My engine runs fine, it just sounds god awful on cold start and I am worried about the oil pressure being at 26 psi on hot idle. If you shut it off then start it up again it will go back to 29 psi until you hear that control solenoid kick on that makes the engine have that "cluck cluck cluck" noise then the pressure drops slowly to 28 then 27 then after a while to 26 psi.

Yeah, but this is Toyota we are talking about. Hecho en Mexico or Made in Canada should make zero difference.

My issues with my Tacoma seemed to come more from design and engineering decisions than assembly quality. The truck felt well put together, but the drivetrain felt iffy at best.

 

[MagnusWolf89]

Yeah, but this is Toyota we are talking about. Hecho en Mexico or Made in Canada should make zero difference.

My issues with my Tacoma seemed to come more from design and engineering decisions than assembly quality. The truck felt well put together, but the drivetrain felt iffy at best.

Like the funny lag it gets feeling like its starting off in second gear then it will bang down into first? Yeah I don't like them either

 

[Ang1Sgt]

This is my second Pentastar V6 and I feel this one is better than the one I had in my JK.

It does have a slight lifter tick at start up, but the thing I want to think about is these oil filters have no anti-drain back valves so I guess it’s part of the design. I know I won’t be driving mine much this Winter because I have a winter vehicle for that, but when I’ll try and start it, I’ll use the procedure to do a non-start till I see pressure come up and then start it.

Of course I’ve never really understood the Need for 0W-20 Oil. I do understand that it probably helps with MPG and such, but I also worry about Oil Pressure. Fo MY Jeep, I’ll probably head towards 5w-20 or 5W-30 full synthetic oils.

 

[OrneryBear]

As a test, try another brand of filter (WIX, FRAM, STP) and 5W-30 instead of 0W-20.

It would be a cheap way to see if there is any difference. You may have issues with the rocker arms/lifters and there are some engines that require replacement of them.

Do you (or anyone else) know if the pentastar is one of those engines that was designed around 5w30, but for cafe standards they suggest you run a lighter weight oil? That's how my 2002s civic si was, that's how my 08 f150 is and seems a lot of issues can be avoided just by running 5w30. I have quite a few automotive engineer friends, and they've all told me that the vast majority of engines out there are engineered around 5w30.

 

[aldo98229]

Like the funny lag it gets feeling like its starting off in second gear then it will bang down into first? Yeah I don't like them either

Yes!!!

And then it does the same thing on higher gears when you are going faster. Trying to pass on a two-lane road by punching on the gas was terrible. You thought the engine was going to blow up...

Gawd I hated driving that truck...

 

[gsbrockman]

What blows my mind is why the grand cherokee gets a USA made pentastar but the Wrangler which is their iconic flagship model gets the problematic pentaturd made in Mexico.

Never realized there were two 3.6L engine plants.........

 

[Sazabi19]

My JTs 3.6 has no real issues except it feels really underpowered and I have to rev it to get going. It's the sole reason I got the 2.0T in my JLR and the main driving force to get a JLR lol. Haters can say what they want but it produces better numbers lower down so overall it feels much better. More tq and better mileage are just a plus to me :D And no, I don't mind the sound.

 

[MagnusWolf89]

Never realized there were two 3.6L engine plants.........

yes there is, one in Trenton Michigan, and the other in Saltillo Mexico. Unfortunately all the wranglers and gladiators get their pentastars from the Mexico plant. Makes no sense to me

 

[MagnusWolf89]

My JTs 3.6 has no real issues except it feels really underpowered and I have to rev it to get going. It's the sole reason I got the 2.0T in my JLR and the main driving force to get a JLR lol. Haters can say what they want but it produces better numbers lower down so overall it feels much better. More tq and better mileage are just a plus to me :D And no, I don't mind the sound.

Yeah I might go back to the 2.0 turbo or get the Hybrid one. I am not a fan of the pentastar anymore. I am not keeping my current one past its power train warranty. Soon as those 5 years are up I will be trading it in like it has the plague.

 

[aldo98229]

My JTs 3.6 has no real issues except it feels really underpowered and I have to rev it to get going. It's the sole reason I got the 2.0T in my JLR and the main driving force to get a JLR lol. Haters can say what they want but it produces better numbers lower down so overall it feels much better. More tq and better mileage are just a plus to me :D And no, I don't mind the sound.

The Pentastar in my lifted Sahara on 35s feel great since I regeared to 4.88.

We have lots of two-lane mountain roads around here: to pass, a gentle tap to the throttle gets the 8-speed automatic to work its magic; the V6 pulls strongly and smoothly.

I’m a bit impressed to be honest, considering what a mundane engine it is.

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