Episode 630 – Grab and Go Quicker
This Week In Jeep
Jeep Diesel Recall
For years the Jeep community begged and pleaded for a stock diesel engine option, and now that it’s here, it’s being recalled. Well not the engine itself, but an issue specifically with the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel six-cylinder’s high-pressure fuel pump, which can allegedly fail, rendering the Jeep undrivable. According to the report, some 135,000 Jeep and Ram vehicles were shipped with a pump that can fail prematurely. While little detail about the issue has been provided, it appears as though Stellantis expects the failures to come on gradually, rather than spectacularly and all at once. This means drivers may notice noise from the pump or even a check engine light before the vehicle becomes undrivable. The details we DO have seem to point to internally failed component debris getting into the fuel system and potentially causing fuel starvation, thus killing the engine and causing a crash without warning. Stellantis says it is aware of more than 200 incidents of premature pump failure within the recall population, however, no accidents or injuries have been associated with the problem.
The affected vehicles include the 2014-2020 Jeep Grand Cherokees and the 2014-2019 Ram 1500s. Customers should begin receiving notices in late July or early August.
Repairs will be made by local dealers free of charge to the affected customers.
If you own one of these vehicles and are experiencing problems already, contact your local dealer and reference this recall.
The Grand Cherokee Has More Recalls
In a recent NHTSA filing, more than 270,000 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango SUVs are being recalled because they could accidentally start, shift out of park, and move without the brake pedal being depressed.
Talk about ghosts in the machine.
Jeep says faulty hydraulic control unit modules were installed in vehicles built between June 10, 2018, and April 30, 2019. The faulty modules can falsely read pressure in the primary circuit, potentially allowing the brake lights to come on and the vehicle to start and shift out of park even though the brake pedal isn’t being pushed. Fiat Chrysler (FCA), as it’s named in the recall documents, first began an investigation last fall after noticing increased warranty claims for brake lights staying on in the two models. There have been more than 200 such claims to date related to the problem, but no reported accidents or injuries, according to FCA’s filing with NHTSA. The recall will include 211,934 Grand Cherokee and 58,970 Dodge Durango vehicles. The automaker is still working out the remedy and said it will notify owners by letters that are to be mailed at the end of July. In the meantime, owners can check whether their vehicle is affected on the NHTSA recalls site – https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls
The City Did WHAT to This Jeep?
When you park your Jeep in a parking spot, you expect it to be there when you get back. Especially when it’s a normal, legal, marked parking spot, and not the front lawn of a church or aisle 3 of the quickie mart. So expecting your Jeep to be where you left is exactly what Susan Hekhuis of Washington DC thought when she parked on Calvert Street NW with her residential parking permit. What began as a normal situation quickly became a nightmare. Suzan left her 1999 Jeep parked on the street at the end of February and left town to care for her elderly mother, who broke her leg. A few weeks ago, (yes, roughly three months later) towards the end of May, she sent a friend to check on her Jeep. But it wasn’t there. Suzan logged on to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ website and found that her Jeep had been towed (relocated actually) to Connecticut Avenue.
The D.C. Department of Public Works (or the DPW for short) noted that they towed the Jeep because of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, whose route included the street the Jeep was originally parked on. The problem is, parking isn’t allowed during rush hour on Connecticut Avenue (the road to which the Jeep was towed to.) The Jeep of course racked up five tickets over about a two-week period of time. This whole thing is frustrating, for several reasons… But WHY would they tow someone’s Jeep (or any vehicle for that matter) to a spot that would force it to be towed AGAIN?!?
Sounds like a racket to me. So of course the Jeep was towed …again, this time to an impound lot in Blue Plains. Ok fine, pay the fines, get the Jeep and deal with fighting the city or tow company later, right? Yeah… Not quite. Suzan sent her friend to go pick the Jeep up from the impound lot. Unfortunately, once she got there, the employees had some rather bad news for her. Upon asking for the Jeep, the employees informed her that the Jeep no longer exists. Their words, ((QUOTE)) “We Destroyed It.”
The DPW website says that ((QUOTE)) “impounded vehicles that remain unclaimed after 28 days following notification are sold at public auction online or scrapped.”
DPW of course sent a letter to Suzan’s home, but she didn’t get it because she was out of town. They also allegedly waited over six weeks before finally making the decision to destroy the Jeep. I bet Suzan wishes they would have called or emailed her first.
With car prices being so high these days, Suzan’s not sure if she can afford to buy another. She had even recently paid $600 to renew her vehicle registration, not realizing the Jeep had already been destroyed.
Jeep Talk Show Gladiator Update
I recently did an interview with Dennis Wood of Teraflex, you know the guy that you see on their social media and YouTube videos…? He mentioned something to me that the instructor at offroading101.com first mentioned to me during the class. A way to make the Gladiator flex better in the rear.
Dennis from Teraflex explained to me that due to the short upper control arms attached to the rear axle the extreme drupe of the axle can cause the pinion angle to become so sharp that it will grenade your u-joint.
Teraflex has a solution and changes the factory 5 to 6” of droop to up to 16”. JT: Extended-Travel Shock Accessory System (1.5”+ Rear Lift)
The complete TeraFlex JT: Extended-Travel Shock Accessory System includes every component required to maximize rear suspension travel on JT Gladiator models with 1.5”+ rear lift kits. This system allows for up to 16” of rear suspension travel while preventing damage to suspension components, shock absorbers, and fenders. This complete system combines our standard Extended-Travel Shock Accessory Kit (# 4834100) with our Rear Upper Control Arm Extended-Travel Axle Bracket Kit (# 1938225), Rear Forged ST Sway Bar Kit (# 1774700), 1.5” Rear Driveline Center Support Mount Lowering Spacer Kit (# 4801000), Rear Upper & Rear Lower Coil Spring Retainer Kit (# 4954000), and Rear Brake Line Anchor Kit (# 1101455). Our standard Extended-Travel Shock Accessory Kit includes a 33” Rear Stainless-Steel Braided Brake Line Kit (# 4356100), 16” PVC Breather Hose, pair of Extended ABS Wire Harnesses, and a pair of 2” Aluminum Parking Brake Cable Spacers.
It’s $1,042 right now if you use the Jeep Talk Show coupon at Northridge4x4.com, and that includes shipping!
It is pricey, but how much is it going to cost to fix that driveshaft? What’s the price on an end to your day of wheeling?
Must-Have Stuff Pick-of-the-Week for your Jeep!
Quick Release Universal Roll Bar Fire Extinguisher Mount
Don’t mess with straps and buckles when your Jeep is on fire.
When every second counts, get that extinguisher out and in use as fast as possible.
Velcro degrades over time, collects debris, and can get in the way if you have to remove four straps just to get the fire extinguisher out.
Today I introduce to you, the quick-release fire extinguisher mount.
Made from aluminum, it is rugged and rust-free.
Installs easily with no modifications or drilling required.
One-hand operation with a single pull knob that releases the fire extinguisher quickly when it’s needed the most. Universal fitment makes this a must-have for any Jeep owner. Does not come with a fire extinguisher.
Links Mentioned in this Episode
NEXEN Tires USA https://www.nexentireusa.com/
Trails 411- POWERING Your Adventure https://www.youtube.com/user/backcountrydriver
The 4×4 Radio Network http://4x4radionetwork.com/
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Rat Bastards Webpage https://ratbastard.lol
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