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Anyone else have issues with their Pentastar?

gsbrockman

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Yup. The much beloved 392 HEMI is Hecho en Mexico, too. Saltillo to be exact.

Toyota made a bunch questionable design and engineering choices with the current generation Tacoma that have little to do with it being made in Mexico. Both the 3.5 V6 with direct injection and the 6-speed automatic are utter crap.
Don’t forget the venerable 5.7L HEMI as well....you know, the one that was on Ward’s Ten Best Engines list 2003 through 2007 and 2009?
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OBD

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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.
It is my understanding that the latest version of the 3.6 Pentastar was designed for 0w20 with dimensional changes made to oil passages specific to that viscosity.I would love to run a 5w30 but am hesitant to do so if this is true.
 

Heimkehr

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Then you all are lucky because my engine sounds like garbage when I start it up in the morning and when I leave work, lifter tick and then either spark knock or piston slap I don't really know.
Piston slap will manifest as a knocking sound not unlike an idling diesel engine. The sound will be proportionate to the size of the engine, and may occur as soon as the engine settles into its idle after starting. It may be more easily discerned during cold starts.

If that's the condition that is affirmatively diagnosed, as it was with my then-new YJ, the prescribed repair may be nothing less than replacement of the short block.

A mildly heavier oil may or may not mask piston slap, if it is in fact occurring.

Proceed carefully here, MW, and best of luck with it. :beer:
 
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OBD

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Would somebody who has used "Made in Mexico" as a pejorative on this thread be kind enough to post some actual statistics to make the case that the quality of the engines made there is somehow worse than the quality of the engines made in the U.S. or elsewhere?

https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/04/which-cars-are-made-in-mexico.html
I worked in a manufacturing facility for thirty years. We had multiple product lines and in-house die-cast and machining departments.Corporate decided to move us to two separate locations in Mexico.I can not speak for any company other than ours,but I can assure you ....our quality standard did not change at all.Assembly instructions don't change because they are written in Spanish.In many cases quality will actually improve because of old equipment being replaced with new,more modern equipment in the new facility.It has been my experience, every human makes mistakes,no matter which piece of dirt they live on,and quality is designed into a product,first and foremost.
 

zrickety

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I'm getting really burnt out on my JL wrangler's Pentastar engine, I have a 2022 with the 3.6L with 6 speed manual with 4000 miles and that engine has become a daily dread every time I have to cold start it. Sometimes it gets a lifter tick for 20 seconds until oil pressure builds in the lifter tappets and it has this weird idle down tapping noise off fast idle that I have been complaining about since new. Also I have noticed that after the engine has ran for a while my oil pressure will read 26 to 27 psi at low idle when other people say theirs idles at 29 psi. I have tried Pennzoil ultra platinum 0w20 and now has amsoil signature 0w20 with mopar filter and I still can't get this engine to sound decent on start up. Everything else about the jeep is great except the pentaturd and, surprise, the engine was made in mexico. Anyone else have these issues and have any suggestions on how to fix them. I've already taken the jeep to the dealer several times and they can't fix anything.
Service manual says 6 psi is normal, so don't worry about that.
Like others, I love my 3.6. I'm also running 5w-30 I think? Whatever thicker Penzoil that has the approved spec.
If you're not happy, just trade it in. I saw your post about negative equity...this thing is brand new, you shouldn't take too much of a hit. Value is only going down from here, cut your losses and get what makes you happy.
 

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Would somebody who has used "Made in Mexico" as a pejorative on this thread be kind enough to post some actual statistics to make the case that the quality of the engines made there is somehow worse than the quality of the engines made in the U.S. or elsewhere?

https://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2015/04/which-cars-are-made-in-mexico.html
Please keep in mind that my own use of 'made in Mexico' was not at all intended to be derogatory or with any disrespect to the country or its workers, it's just that I personally feel that a "made in Toledo, USA" vehicle that sells for $40k to $80k+ with a US flag decal under the badge shouldn't be outsourcing their fucking engine of all things - especially when they have a perfectly operable Pentastar plant here in the US.

There are absolutely countless foreign-made products that are perfectly fine and built with the same quality as an equivalent US-made product. And it's not a political/nationalistic rant either. I'm sure China could build an awesome Harley Davidson and Brazil could likely brew Jack Daniels exactly to taste, but certain iconic brands and products obviously have a long history rooted in their home country, where the manufacturers should 100% be called out for this bullshit.

My Japanese car has 98% Japanese parts and was assembled and shipped from that country (iirc, the brakes are Italian), while my American Wrangler only has 61% US parts and cost twice as much.

Again, just my own personal point of view, and likewise, you're free to think that putting a Canadian engine in a $50k American muscle car is somehow a-okay ?‍♂
 
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mwilk012

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Please keep in mind that my own use of 'made in Mexico' was not at all intended to be derogatory or with any disrespect to the country or its workers, it's just that I personally feel that a "made in Toledo, USA" vehicle that sells for $40k to $80k+ shouldn't be outsourcing their fucking engine of all things - especially when they have a perfectly operable Pentastar plant here in the US.

There are absolutely countless foreign-made products that are perfectly fine and built with the same quality as an equivalent US-made product. And it's not a political/nationalistic rant either. I'm sure China could build an awesome Harley Davidson and Brazil could likely brew Jack Daniels exactly to taste, but some brands and products obviously have a long history rooted in their home country, where the manufacturers should 100% be called out for this bullshit.

My Japanese car has 98% Japanese parts and was assembled and shipped from that country (iirc, the brakes are Italian), while my American Wrangler only has 61% US parts and cost twice as much.

Again, just my own personal point of view, and likewise, you're free to think that putting a Canadian engine in a $50k American muscle car is somehow a-okay ?‍♂
Have you seen the people who work at the USA plant making the 3.6. I would rather have a Mexico built engine, thanks.
 

AFD

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Have you seen the people who work at the USA plant making the 3.6. I would rather have a Mexico built engine, thanks.
Then maybe they just should build and assemble the whole damn vehicle there and lower their skyrocketing prices? "Half-built in the US" holds no pride or admiration in my heart.
 

mwilk012

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Then maybe they just should build and assemble the whole damn vehicle there and lower their skyrocketing prices? "Half-built in the US" holds no pride or admiration in my heart.
I just ordered a 56,000 dollar minivan that is made in Canada. I feel no assurance whatsoever that it will be any different from my Jeep. Factory workers hold no pride in their work anymore.
 

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Another thing I love about this motor is. The ease of maintenance and parts availability. This by far is the easiest oil change I’ve ever done. All the maintenance so far has been easy the parts are cheap and everywhere. That’s a big plus for the long term.
 

rickinAZ

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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.
Mexico has been mentioned several times. Are you suggesting that Americans take more pride in their work? That may have been true a few generations ago, but not so much anymore.

Here's a small but telling example of the pride in workmanship at my (American) Jeep dealer:

Jeep Wrangler JL Anyone else have issues with their Pentastar? IMG_0363
 
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Nailgun

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I just ordered a 56,000 dollar minivan that is made in Canada. I feel no assurance whatsoever that it will be any different from my Jeep. Factory workers hold no pride in their work anymore.
Yeah....Canadian's aren't much better than Mexican's.......right?
 

roaniecowpony

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Mine has that direct injection tick. I think there's a little cam chain slap until oil pressure comes up to tighten the chain tensioners. That may be the noise the OP is hearing.
 
 







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