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Calling all 2007 WK diesel CRD owners!

234K views 338 replies 111 participants last post by  Benzrokee 
#1 ·
The 3.0L CRD engines in our cars have been recalled in the entire Mercedes 2007 diesel lineup as well as the 2007 Dodge/Freightliner Sprinters for dangerous stalling problems. If you have a 2007 WK and it has *ever* stalled, please go to http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ to file a complaint. These Jeeps with the diesel engine should be recalled as well, but so far it looks like I am the only one who has filed complaints with the NHTSA, even though at least a few of you have mentioned stalling issues. 4 trips to the dealer for me have yielded "No Problem Found" and Chrysler has turned a deaf ear. Again, in my opinion, you are putting yourself and your families at risk by driving this diesel engine with the faulty crankshaft sensor. Please, let's get something done about it!

References:

NHTSA Campaign ID number : 07V594000

Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
DODGE / SPRINTER 2500 2007

DODGE / SPRINTER 3500 2007

FREIGHTLINER / SPRINTER 2500 2007

FREIGHTLINER / SPRINTER 3500 2007

Manufacturer : SPRINTER ENGINEERING & COMPLIANCE SUPPOR Mfr's Report Date : DEC 19, 2007
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 07V594000 N/A
NHTSA Action Number: N/A

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE: DIESEL
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 6101
Summary:
ON CERTAIN UTILITY VANS, THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR IN CERTAIN DIESEL ENGINES COULD FAIL DUE TO SEPARATION OF BOND WIRES FROM THE LEAD FRAME IN THE SENSOR. THIS RESULTS IN AN INTERRUPTION IN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE CHIP HOUSING OF THE SENSOR.
Consequence:
WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLES MAY LOSE POWER RATHER THAN ENTER A LIMP-HOME MODE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE RESTARTED AFTER FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE SENSOR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT SENSORS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 3, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SPRINTER AT 1-800-992-1997.
Notes:
CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

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Make / Models : Model/Build Years:
MERCEDES BENZ / E211 2007
MERCEDES BENZ / GLX164 2007
MERCEDES BENZ / M164 2007
MERCEDES BENZ / R251 2007

Manufacturer : MERCEDES-BENZ USA, LLC.

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 08V006000 Mfr's Report Date : DEC 19, 2007

Component: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE: DIESEL

Potential Number Of Units Affected : 9004

Summary:
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DIESEL ENGINES, THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR COULD FAIL DUE TO SEPARATION OF BOND WIRES FROM THE LEAD FRAME IN THE SENSOR. THIS RESULTS IN AN INTERRUPTION IN THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE CHIP HOUSING OF THE SENSOR.

Consequence:
WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE VEHICLE MAY LOSE POWER RATHER THAN ENTER A LIMP-HOME MODE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE RESTARTED AFTER FAILURE OF THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTION IN THE SENSOR, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE CRANKSHAFT SENSOR. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING FEBRUARY 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.

Notes:
CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
 
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#112 ·
Another Swirl Motor Solution...

I took my diesel to an independent shop specializing in VW's with a print out of the repair procedure. I use these guys for my wife's Jetta and my oil changes. It is a delicate procedure best done it seems by a traditional mechanic with lots of experience and steady hands.

Good luck.

P.S. I was charged a total of $1,065 for the swirl repair which includes motor & fuel filter, labour ($360!) & good ol' tax. I count myself one of the lucky ones.
 
#113 ·
#114 ·
Question for CRD owners:

Can some of you pull the oil filler cap while the jeep is idling and report back any noise/blow by smoke that you notice?

Mine seems incredibly excessive though no CEL or drivability issues are occurring. I've got around 96,000 miles on my jeep and compared to all of my other diesels this engine makes the most noise with the oil cap off and smokes from the CCV more than the 300,000 mile 12v Cummins in the stable...
 
#115 ·
Is the resistor a band aid?

I had the swirl valve issue about 18 months ago and by the time I was finished, it cost me about $1,500. Along with replacing the motors, I had a large plastic exhaust-gas recirc housing installed that, as I understand it, redirects oily exhaust gas so it doesn't gum up the swirl valve motors again. Since then, I've noticed a little less power. Is that to be expected? It doesn't bother me that much as there's plenty of power left, but talk of a different resistor has me confused. Does that just increase the voltage to the swirl valve motors so they can overcome the adhesion created by oil residues? Sounds like a band air fix that won't solve the long term problem, but I'm no mechanic and probably don't understand the issue.

Anyway, can anyone chime in on the slight loss of power?

Thanks, Nick
 
#116 ·
The resistor is a swirl motor "delete" with out tuning from one of the tuning companies. This allows you to disable the swirl motor with out limp mode or the CEL.

I'm not sure on the loss of power as my jeep with the resistor seems to be driving just fine.
 
#118 ·
Our 08 swirl motor failed at just over 50,000 miles. The local podunk dealer in NH did the repair and since there was an extended emissions warranty we only paid for a deductible. I believe it was $100. I felt lucky at the time, knowing how much the actual cost was. It took 1-2 weeks to get it done. I'm sure they put MANY hours into it.
 
#119 ·
Merlin TEc I hope you are still reading this thread.
I have a 2007 Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 CRD engine with 56000 miles. I have owned this Jeep for approximately 5 months now without any problems. I have the Green Diesel Tune for about three months. About three weeks ago while driving down a mountain I had worn bushing/mount on the front differential. That was fixed no problem. Three weeks later I was driving on a 50 degree day no rain, about 1.5 miles, and all of a sudden ALL the my lights on the dash lit up and was dinging. The Jeep started running rough and there was a warning saying “transmission over temp”, I guess I was in limp mode. I pulled into a parking lot and shut it down. I used my Green Diesel flash reader to try and read an error code. The tuner did not read at all stated not hooked up properly error 0001. I reconnected it and same thing. I tried to reprogram the tune to the original and got the same message but only error 0002. I tried to restart the Jeep and it started up then quickly shut itself off. I waited ten minutes and same thing started then shut itself off. When I was about to call a tow truck I tried to start it again and it started without a problem or a code. I was also able to reprogram it back to the original setting, but there was no error codes detected. I ran it home without any issue about 1.5 miles. I put the Green Diesel tune back on and ran it again about 3 to 4 miles without any issues. Would this be a transmission sensor causing the warning and causing limp mode, or maybe the crankshaft sensor, then wouldn’t allow it to restart to prevent damage? Or is this an electrical problem? Need help please.
 
#120 ·
Merlin TEc I hope you are still reading this thread.
I have a 2007 Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 CRD engine with 56000 miles. I have owned this Jeep for approximately 5 months now without any problems. I have the Green Diesel Tune for about three months. About three weeks ago while driving down a mountain I had worn bushing/mount on the front differential. That was fixed no problem. Three weeks later I was driving on a 50 degree day no rain, about 1.5 miles, and all of a sudden ALL the my lights on the dash lit up and was dinging. The Jeep started running rough and there was a warning saying "transmission over temp", I guess I was in limp mode. I pulled into a parking lot and shut it down. I used my Green Diesel flash reader to try and read an error code. The tuner did not read at all stated not hooked up properly error 0001. I reconnected it and same thing. I tried to reprogram the tune to the original and got the same message but only error 0002. I tried to restart the Jeep and it started up then quickly shut itself off. I waited ten minutes and same thing started then shut itself off. When I was about to call a tow truck I tried to start it again and it started without a problem or a code. I was also able to reprogram it back to the original setting, but there was no error codes detected. I ran it home without any issue about 1.5 miles. I put the Green Diesel tune back on and ran it again about 3 to 4 miles without any issues. Would this be a transmission sensor causing the warning and causing limp mode, or maybe the crankshaft sensor, then wouldn't allow it to restart to prevent damage? Or is this an electrical problem? Need help please.
this is sometimes a symptom of a failing battery, failing alternator or both. how old is your battery? the alternator sits below the oil fill hole and often times the dealer or owner accidentally spills oil while filling the engine. the spilled oil runs down to the alternator and kills the alternator.
 
#121 ·
Tuco said:
later... I just remembered the spare engine in the garage. I pulled the crank shaft sensor to use as a spare ;)

Tools: You can access this component from above without removing the tcase skid plate but it will be by feel. Otherwise you will need to figure out how to access this sensor (under by removing skid plate, or from side by removing front wheel). The electrical connection comes right off by pressing the tab underneath plug with thumb. The bolt can be removed with a 1/4 inch socket (6 or 12 pt).
Based on this picture, I presume its normal to have oil on the crank sensor ??
 
#122 ·
Need help!

Local dealer Lithia can't fix my CRD. Saying they don't have the tooling or expertise to replace $4,000 manifold that has an integrated controller for the turbo or something rather. They are putting my Jeep back together and giving it back in shambles. Car is throwing codes and limping.

What to do? Anyone know a good 3.0 liter V6 CRD mechanic in the NorthBay of SF?

Please help! E mail me at: mark@soilandrocks.com

Many thanks!!!
 
#125 ·
If the problem turns out to be the swirl motor (very common) then the GDE Tune is the best fix. It eliminates the swirl motor thus nullifying the whole issue. There is also a cheap "resistor fix" for the problem. Many have gone that route because it only costs .25c or so for a resistor. The tune is expensive but way cheaper than having a dealer fix your swirl motor and it has lots of nice benefits...like more power, better mileage...etc.
Its amazing.
 
#126 ·
The problem with dealers and swirl motors is that they just don't have the time to do the job carefully...so they wreck the manifold linkage in the process (easy to do) and then it costs lots of extra bucks to replace the manifolds. When I first took mine to the dealer with a swirl problem they took 2.5 hours to figure out what was wrong, then quoted me $1250 fo fix it....but if the linkage broke they said it would be about $3500 more on top of the 1250. I left when I heard that because I had already read about the whole issue on this forum.

I guess dealers have to go by the book. When you take them a bad swirl motor they get out the "how to" manual and read. 1. Remove the Turbo.... then they go over to the page that tells them how to remove the Turbo and it says. 1. Pull the engine..... so they pull the engine, pull the turbo, then fix the swirl motor.... and if they get careless with the linkage...they replace the intake manifolds too. OUCH!!

If you are patient and take your time and don't read the dealer's "how to book", you can replace the swirl motor without pulling the turbo and without pulling the engine. Duh.

Hopefully the swirl is your problem and you will have two options to fix it yourself cheap.

I don't remember the codes for it right now... you can find them on the forum.... but the symptom are: Throttle sensor light come on in the dash display (its the little lightning bolt), car goes into limp mode and has no power, certain codes appear in a code reader. Sometimes, you can smell a faint electrical smell up to a week or so before the swirl motor fails. You may also have a faint burnt oil smell caused by oil dripping on the swirl motor and running off onto the hot engine.
 
#128 ·
Crankshaft sensor/swirl motor

I have experienced the same symptoms and have replaced nearly everything including the crankshaft sensor to no avail. You may want to see my other post on this site -

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f67/help-3-0-crd-p0299-code-1358214/

Today I spoke with one of the few people who was successful in repairing this problem and has been driving his CRD for over a year with no further problems. Many of us have gone through these same issues, after spending 6K without results my vehicle has been parked 2 months now but hopefully getting the actuator rebuilt will put an end to it.
 
#129 ·
I made a post on my blog to help CRD owners. I often have to do searches constantly on the forum and read multiple links to get the info I need. I'm welcome to help create a useful FAQ for owners of CRDs so we have one place to go and get information on fixes / DIY / info / etc. I work, race and have a son who plays soccer and travels b/c of it so my time might be limited but I'll always make edits where needed. Thanks in advance.

http://conflictedracer.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/2007-2008-5-wk2-crd-faq-jeep-grand-cherokee-diesel/
 
#130 ·
I am very happy to report that so far replacing the Actuator has worked! I did the work two days ago and so far my CRD runs great, just like when it was new. The repairs were not too difficult but small hands would be an asset (I have very large hands). 10 mm socket and a 10 mm flexible head ratchet wrench (available Sears or most auto parts store) and a snap ring removal pliers (offset design) was all the tools I needed, oh, a magnet to retrieve those dropped bolts and snap ring.

One thing that I found that made it easier was unbolting the turbo cover so it could be moved to allow more space to work. For those non-mechanic people like myself, this is a big aluminum looking thing right at back of motor that looks all wrinkled or has a kind of crushed look.

Also rather than ordering the Actuator from Europe, I found and ordered mine from XsBoost Turbochargers, LLC in Manchester, Ohio 330-830-4047.

Their website is www.xsboostturbochargers.com They charge $300 but that includes a $100 core charge if you ship your old one back bringing total charge to $200. They even pay shipping, both ways via UPS. Took me 3 days from date order to receipt of mine, I shipped the old one back this afternoon.

Ed M
 
#131 ·
Hi, I'm looking for a source to explain some OBD codes that have caused my check engine light to activate. I have a 2008 Grand Cherokee with the 3.0l diesel engine. The codes are C3100, C3206, C3306 and C3406. I recently changed the Glow Plug Power Module because I had a code which indicated a failure of the module. Thanks.
 
#133 ·
You can get codes that start with c if it deals with the transfer case, but they don't go that high. I think you have a problem with your scanner. The codes you listed are not obd codes. I have the dealer service manual and there are no codes like you have. Which leads me to believe its your scanner, what are you using to get the codes.
 
#135 ·
Looking for Buying Advice 07-09 WK Diesel CRD

Since this thread addresses the most common issues of the 07-09 WK Diesel CRD's I wanted to find out what all of you experienced owners would do if you were setting out to buy a used 07-09 WK Diesel CRD.

I want one because:

My 07' Suburban is using a lot of fuel and oil
I like the look and drive of the GC
I like Diesel
The Overland/Limited Editions are well appointed

Questions:

If I avoid the 07' can I avoid many of the issues?
Are there mods I should do on the front side?
I figure I can get a low mileage 07-09 WK Diesel CRD for $18-$22K

Advice? Stay away or take the plunge?

coup
 
#138 ·
.......
Questions:

If I avoid the 07' can I avoid many of the issues?
Are there mods I should do on the front side?
I figure I can get a low mileage 07-09 WK Diesel CRD for $18-$22K

Advice? Stay away or take the plunge?

coup
I have an 07 (RWD) now with 69K miles on it. I have NOT had the swirl motor issue (I installed the GDE tune just a few months after I bought it in 2012), but I have had 2 glow plugs fail (not a big deal except #6 is hard to get at). No need to "avoid" the 07.

Mods to the front side? Not sure what that means....the only front end mods I made were cosmetic (I did instal new Bilstein struts, by choice not necessity)

Mine is a Limited w/rear DVD - got it with 46K miles it, paid $24K 2 years ago. I know of some folks that got theirs for less than I paid, so you're probably in the ballpark there.

Yes- I would recommend this Jeep to anyone who is comfortable with diesel
 
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