The 3.6L redesign and casting problems?

[Dynomite1371]

For those that don't know.

The newer JKs switched to an OAT type coolant. It's pinkish purple in color. It's an FCA color dye for them to tell which type it is (as opposed to coolant green). It forms a sludge after time and likes to collect in the heater core. When it's clogged up, the driver side of the dash won't blow warm air anymore. replacing the core on a JK is a huge feat (dash removal, etc.) - so it sucks bad.

By the time to have the cold air issue happening, your core is likely gone.

Here's what the sludge looks like at the bottom of the overflow bottle:

Here's the coolant in a mason's jar:

It's just not the JKs that have this issue. It's all the FCA rides that use the same OAT coolant. The above mason jar is from a Chrysler 200.

So, this is possible with the JL's? If yes then a yearly flush and or regular coolant will prevent the problem? Why should they use this stuff, like

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[Dynomite1371]

So, this is possible with the JL's? If yes then a yearly flush and or regular coolant will prevent the problem? Why should they use this stuff, like

Typo from last post..... , Why use any coolant that causes issues? I'm confused. I just traded my JK with 95k on it and it was virtually flawless however, I did just throw a Thermostat code before trade in (I did told them). I'm begining to think that I may have gotten out of this JK just in time...? I hope they figured out the problem with JL.

 

[The Great Grape Ape]

I think the lawsuits are spurious, and an investigation into them shows a lot of questionable actions by the plantiffs. There are two or three major lawsuits regarding this, but they are from the same law firms just different ordering of the firms names in the suits.

However, while I think the claim of left-over sand being the source of the issue isn’t based on supportable evidence, I agree with Matt (and DanW) that the coolant itself leaves much to be desired if left long term and should be addressed more frequently than every 10years 150,000 miles, I wouldn’t trust it past 4/50 without a flush and replace. It becomes a hassle because in an engine/rad that might see -30C to 100C in a trip, or may be sloshing around on a trail, it can see the level go up and down greatly from top to bottom of the reservoir, so top ups on long trips or remote areas can limit options.

Another known issue has been slow leaks via pin-hole drips in the radiator/cooling system.

Being vigilant is a good policy.

 

[BoisetheCat]

No confirmation that this hasn't changed/ been addressed with the JL? I guess we'll find out soon..

 

[AZCrawl]

No confirmation that this hasn't changed/ been addressed with the JL? I guess we'll find out soon..

How could it not be after 5 years and an engine revision? FCA would have to be complete morons not to have this addressed. Has it even been a problem since 2012???

 

[Matt The Hammer]

There was a killer thread on another forum regarding. Few things that came from it:

1. Not sand. The sludge is actually a Mopar stop leak additive they stick in coolant at the factory. Thought is that any possible leaks would be sealed up by it while the warranty period is still active.
2. People have submitted their coolant to labs for review. While it comes back 100% OAT, there is a high amount of aluminum in the coolant. Possible sources are shavings from manufacture or from all the various aluminum parts that the coolant is exposed to. (Part of reason why OAT is used)
3. Mopar has their 'star report' system. Many people have created them in regards to this. FCA surely knows exactly what's going on.
4. Link to killer thread: http://www.wranglerforum.com/f202/2013-discolored-coolant-610658.html

 

[BillyHW]

The newer JKs use the OAT. The pre 2012s used the HOAT type. Here's the two Mopar types side by side.

The HOAT is actually orange. The OAT is the purple or dark pink color one. In the tank, looking down, the purple OAT will look orange in color. This confuses a lot of people. The lighting and the milky white plastic tank makes it look that color.

Here is a helpful video as well:

 

[Dynomite1371]

Here is a helpful video as well:

Why have yo brought this back from the dead exactly?

 

[BillyHW]

So, is the take away to replace the coolant every 30k miles or something?

Are there still issues with OAT?

Changing the coolant is very cheap.

Or maybe just use Evans Waterless coolant and forget about it.

FYI, the owner's manual specifically says not to use propylene glycol coolants like Evans. I've seen Jay Leno's video about them, and they seem great for classic cars, but after doing some more research they aren't really for modern vehicles. They don't cool as well and modern engines are tuned precisely to operate at specific temps. Also hard to keep them from absorbing moisture from the air, so you have to be careful with them. Probably not worth the headache.

 

[BillyHW]

Why have yo brought this back from the dead exactly?

Just found a helpful video on the subject, was looking for some coolant info and found this.

Sorry for the necro-bump.

 

[tcadaniel]

I had a personal experience with this issue in my old JK Sahara. I started to notice cold air coming from the drivers vent and hot air on the passenger side. It's been a while ago but I think I had around 2k miles on it. The dealer flushed it three times. They refused to do anything further claiming that Jeep would only authorize coolant flushes. They finally sent it out to a local radiator shop. I called the shop and they said they just dropped it off and never told them what was wrong. They flushed it a fourth time and got about 80% of the heat back on the drivers side. From what I remember, I had a rental car for about a month on and off. I called a lemon law lawyer(I'm in Pa), that was a complete joke. They told me unless it was a safety issue they would never win a lemon law case. The final straw was when I picked it up the last time and it had a puddle of water in the drivers side footwell(leaky hard top). Jeep offered me lifetime oil changes for my troubles. I told them to F off and sold the jeep. I lease my JL now. If I was purchasing I would be sure to have an extended warranty. If I was buying a used JK, I would check the service records and looks for signs of coolant sludge, plus buy a bumper to bumper warranty.

Sorry for the rant. I'm obviously still a little pissed off about the whole ordeal.

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