Just found out my Jeep needs a new engine

markiz41

Member
Apparently the crankshaft got loose in the case and picked up a 1/4 inch of endplay (wtf, at 70K miles?) Thrashing around in the engine, probably destroyed everything else on the way over to the dealership. Now the interesting part: the dealer is willing to honor the lifetime powertrain warranty and give me a new engine, but Chrysler coorporate wants copies of all my oil change reciepts. I always did those myself, religiously, every 5K miles, but never kept any slips for oil/filter. Nor did I videotape myself doing this.. I wonder if the coorporate is starting to play games with me, anybody ever experince this? Can I just write these down on a piece of paper from memory? Or will I get crap and blamed for this? Appreciate any advice.
 
(quoted from post at 12:21:52 01/22/15) Apparently the crankshaft got loose in the case and picked up a 1/4 inch of endplay (wtf, at 70K miles?) Thrashing around in the engine, probably destroyed everything else on the way over to the dealership. Now the interesting part: the dealer is willing to honor the lifetime powertrain warranty and give me a new engine, but Chrysler coorporate wants copies of all my oil change reciepts. I always did those myself, religiously, every 5K miles, but never kept any slips for oil/filter. Nor did I videotape myself doing this.. I wonder if the coorporate is starting to play games with me, anybody ever experince this? Can I just write these down on a piece of paper from memory? Or will I get crap and blamed for this? Appreciate any advice.

yup, heard of that before. Even knew a guy who had saved all his receipts. GM didn't accept them. Said that was no proof he put the oil in THAT truck. Just a way of denying or reducing what they'll pay. Usually, they'll offer to supply the parts and you pick up the labor.

On a side note, guy at work here just had his 2010 VW (gas,80k miles) stall at idle, couldn't restart it. Turns out the timing chain loosened/stretched (bad tensioner?) and his engine seized. Quoted repair: $ 8,000. He owes $8k on the car and it's only worth $8k. He's leasing a new one and gonna eat the $8k on the note and part out the car.
 
no you must have proof of oil changes for them to do warentee work, do you have receipts for the oil and filter? That might help. We always made sure our cust were provided with a print out of everything done when we changed oil on a new car. Those receipts listed oil, brand of oil, filter and the type and brand, any grease, antifreeze check, air filer, etc. We always put them in the glove box and kept an electronic record for the future if needed.
 
This is a good reason to have it done at the dealership. No argument then. It really doesn't cost much more to have them do it. The Ford dealership where I bought my last six trucks does all my maintanance. It has actually helped since they also check the brake pads every oil change. They forgot to check them and they replaced the rotor and pads free since it was thier fault. Another time they didn't fasten the fuel filter top securely and it came off spraying fuel everywhere. They paid to have it towed and fixed it free. It was two weeks after they had changed the filter. They've fixed other things free just because they want my business.
 
My wife drove a 93 sunbird, the engine seized at just under 50 thou km(warranty was up to 50 k km).
Dealer did an oil analize, sample came back at good.
Dealer replaced the engine free of charge.
The oil had been in there for 20 K ( of course i never told them that);)
 
(quoted from post at 12:21:52 01/22/15) I wonder if the corporate is starting to play games with me...

It is not a game - it is the rules and they are plainly stated up front. It is silly (and financially dangerous) to do your own service on any vehicle that is under warranty. You really cannot blame the company or the dealer.
 
A neighbor has a Ford product, bought used and serviced religiously at the stealership.

A short while back, he drove in in a snowstorm, and we put it in a warm shop overnight to melt the snow off of it.

Just to be sure the airbox wasn't full of water/moisture we opened it up.

It was nice and dry in there, but DUSTY on the clean side of the panel filter, all the way to the engine. The filter and airbox simply don't fit well. It is a genuine Motorcrap filter, and clean. It simply can't be finessed and finagled to seal.

He last had it serviced in November, and we've had snow ever since, little if any dust.

Guess they didn't check the filter!

He's going in to see what they will do about it, from the amount of dust in the intake tube, it CAN'T have done the engine any good.

What would be fair/reasonable compensation for a deal like that?
 
As a former dealer tech, just tell them how you do your own oil changes and let them decide. Do not make up oil change receipts, I have seen people try that and get an automatic denial of coverage.
 
I see your point. Considering all the yahoos out there, the corporate is justified in asking for maintenance records since they have to treat everyone equally. But then why do they give people the option of doing their own?? According to FTC - they must and they do. I bet they don't like it but them's the rules
 
Thanks. I would not lie or try to make stuff up, don't know how or want to learn. Can't stand being on the receiving end either. Part of the reason why I do my own maintenance.
 
Do you at least have a log written in the back pages of the owners manual ? I do on mine but don't know if it would help at all in a situation like this ?

I should document every time I do go to the dealer and they over fill it ! I know overfilling can harm an engine but what I do not know is how much it takes over to start to cause problems.
 
I always get my Fords serviced at the stealership and I always insist on Motorcrap parts.
 
What year is yours? On January 1st my Jeep engine (4.0) seized up. It had plenty of oil, the oil had been changed about 1K miles previous, it didn't overheat, the RPMs were under 2K, there was nothing to cause it to seize up...except that it just did. Oil pump failure? I'll find out this weekend.
 
I will be in trouble then if I have an engine fail, as I am NOT going to drive an hour to the dealer just to do an oil change, as they are roughly 60 miles away, and I can change my own in 20 minutes and cost is roughly $15 for oil and filter. Wife has a new Toyota and has a lifetime powertrain warranty. May get interesting, but I will admit previous experience with Toyota dealer has been good. Know of one Tundra that had a frame replaced at well over 200,000 miles at no charge due to a recall, and they even furnished him a rental car. I would say it will depend on the dealer, and how much he wants to keep a customer.
 
My first question to the dealer would be, prove to me it was a oil related failure.
Several things could have caused the failure.
 
If it has an automatic transmission, check the torque converter. A "ballooned" converter can cause that kind of wear very quickly. I went through several engines in a Ford pickup in the 80's before we figured it out. None (3)made it out of warranty, all done by dealer. The thrust bearings were shot in all of them.
 
Valid point, Gary. But you see, a little over a year ago I had the truck inspected at the same dealer.. Chrysler requires this to keep the PT warranty. If there was excessive pressure in the valve body, why did everything pass with flying colors?
 
You're the MAN, wgn! I will post back once he finds out if they will help him out or not.
 
HOW is a "ballooned" torque convertor any defense for a warranty claim, considering that a "ballooned" torque convertor is evidence of abuse/exposition driving/letting an irresponsible kid drive your vehicle?

I can think of NO circumstance of normal responsible adult driving that will result in a "ballooned" torque convertor and an attempted warranty claim for such. Can you?
 
You can't blame corporate for not wanting to cover abused engines. I can't blame you for trying to get a component covered if you have had the oil changed on a regular basis. Corporate has no other way to determine regular/proper maintenance than to get receipts. If they say no without receipts calmly and politely ask the service manager if they drop the oil pan and find no sludge only clean parts, will they then work with you? If you bought it from them they just might be willing to help some. At times, at our Dodge dealership, we worked with people that were reasonable. Be slow to anger or he'll turn a deaf ear. You want them on your side. They may just pay for parts, but it beats nothing if you throw a fit. Hope this helps. Gerard
 
In my case,the entire powertrain was still under warranty, the converter was defective from the beginning (according to dealer). Their fault for not finding the cause of the problem, especially after the second engine suffered an identical failure to the first. (again, their words, not mine). All of the problems happened before 20,000 miles. Dealer replaced trans, convertor, and engine the third time. It was still going strong when it was sold 200,000 miles later. My mother would object to the abuse claim, it was her daily driver. In any case, I made no reference to his being covered by warranty in my original reply, only suggested something to check. As to a ballooned convertor being evidence of abuse, there should be other damage or signs of abusive driving present to confirm that.
 
"Hope this helps"

It does, thank you, sir. If they don't find any sludge in the pan (which they won't), I will expect a new engine. But calmly.
 

I recall this coming up before and someone replying that it is illegal for a manufacture to specify that you purchase further products or services like that in order for the warrantee to stay in effect.
 

Crankshaft thrust bearing issues are common on Chrysler's...
I have seen it on 5.9's, 4.7's, and 2.0's all serviced religiosity...
Chrysler was no help at all even if it was just out of warranty...
The 2.0 had know issues but no help are goodwill at all....

Google
chrysler 2.0 crank thrust bearing wear

The only one I fixed was the 5.9 it was for a dealer (cheaparse) a reground crank fixed it...

On the 2.0 if it had not knocked out the front oil seal you would never know the crank was worn out they would have drove it till it tore up... They elected to go with a used engine...

The 4.7 was to far gone it got a used engine...

I was the only one Chrysler helped I got to tow the 2.0 all over ell and haft of Ireland... He would call a different dealer the service guy would tell him I am sure I can get you some help but it always ended up being the same sad song...
 
good luck with the repairs , not sure this is what you want to hear, but the only time I was involved in anything similar, bought a vehicle that they put a warranty on, was told up front & it was on paper, NO home oil changes allowed, and to keep all paperwork from reg oil changes
think the best course is to tell them you have always serviced it at the proper intervals at home & hope for the best
bob
 
Somewhere I have read or found info that it is not legal for a manufacturer or dealer to force you to have your maintenance YOU PAY FOR done at the facility of their choosing or their own. They may indeed ask for receipts, but I think that may be as far as they can go. I might be checking with an attorney if they balk at standing behind their warranty, especially since it sounds like this is a known problem with Chrysler products. No way would I pay for repairs on an in warranty issue on a vehicle with that kind of miles on it. Then I would trade as soon as it was repaired. Just me.
 

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