2014 Grand Cherokee Eco Diesel

[subfan1]

Is this SUB going to be tested with the new method? I can't remember the Jxxxx std

[subfan1]

I meant SUV

[2012FB]

I would be real careful in allowing any TV to overheat. If the dealer determines by examination of the engine data log that the engine was allowed to overheat without the driver backing off, stopping or otherwise preventing it you might in for a very expensive fix or a significant warranty fight.

I once had a dealer try to deny replacing my warped rotors due to our casual conversation pertaining to my towing with it. It took 15 heated minutes and a request to chat with the service manager to resolve the issue.

I too fully believe the GC would overheat if allowed based on my 30F pull east to the Eisenhower tunnel.

I always turn the AC off and if needed roll the back windows 1/2 down, open the sunroof vent and put the heater on to maximum high fan and heat.

Though uncomfortable for a bit it often keeps it under the red.

For the GC I might consider a custom aluminum radiator and upgraded fans.

Does the GC have the under the engine close out cover? I might also consider taking it off to see if it would increase thru the radiator/engine compartment airflow.

Originally Posted by zigzagguzzi

Still somewhere someone must have overheated one of these if it is a problem.. I agree, I would not want to be the first. Jim

[ghatfield]

This is a bit off the diesel topic since it regards our 2014 Grand Cherokee with the 5.7 liter Hemi. We just completed our first two days of travel, towing our 2006 Bambi 19'. The first leg was from Tucson, AZ to Kingman, AZ, an altitude gain of about 2000 feet in 100-103 degree heat. Got 15.1 mgp running at about 50-55mph. I monitored the trans temp (digital) and the analog engine temp. Both stayed close to normal in spite of the heat. On the relatively steep grades just south of Kingman I ran at about 35mph to keep the temps reasonable.

The second leg was from Kingman to Ely, NV. Again, an altitude gain of about 2000 ft, but we did go over some passes that were over 7000 ft. Mileage today was 16.1 mpg running at about 55-60mph. Temps were much lower....80-98. No issues with the Jeep, nor the Bambi.

We thought about the diesel, but they were hard to find in our area and I didn't want to order one. Thought briefly about the V6, but glad I got the Hemi. It is not overpowered while pulling long hills. The Bambi came in just over 4000lbs at the CAT scale at the start of our trip.

Really like the Jeep. The Bambi is just OK.... much poorer build quality than our 2003.

[JamuJoe]

Originally Posted by switz

It seems to me like the radiator and fan system was not designed with enough heat dissipation capacity for a diesel engine operating in the mountains of the US Southwest in summer temperatures over 105 degrees and towing at near capacity.

A lot of speculation in this thread . This vehicle is controlled by computers, and I suspect that the isolated overheating problems are control related, not hardware. Mine (with no overheating issues) has had some dozen system software updates since delivery. This is a new engine in the USA and many dealers are inexperienced in diagnosing and servicing it. Experience will tell, but in the first 2400 miles of towing, I have found my GC EcoDiesel to be a superb tow vehicle. The trip back to CO (currently in MS) will certainly provide more experience.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by JamuJoe

A lot of speculation in this thread . This vehicle is controlled by computers, and I suspect that the isolated overheating problems are control related, not hardware.

Agree on both counts.

As to the capabilities of the diesel engine cooling system, the diesel engine option has only 2/3 the horsepower of the gasoline engine, is using less fuel and has higher thermal efficiency. Those factors all add up to less demand on the cooling system than the gasoline engine versions, not more.

Jeff

[r carl]

Originally Posted by 2012FB

I too fully believe the GC would overheat if allowed based on my 30F pull east to the Eisenhower tunnel.

I always turn the AC off and if needed roll the back windows 1/2 down, open the sunroof vent and put the heater on to maximum high fan and heat.

Though uncomfortable for a bit it often keeps it under the red.

For the GC I might consider a custom aluminum radiator and upgraded fans.

Does the GC have the under the engine close out cover? I might also consider taking it off to see if it would increase thru the radiator/engine compartment airflow.

I really think you should get rid of that inadequate vehicle. You shouldn't subject yourself to that.

[switz]

Were there any limitations or use restrictions in the owner's manual regarding towing or towing recommendations? Read the fine print to see if there is a weasel wording regarding towing loads.

If the vehicle is sold as a towing vehicle with no limitations on speed, grade etc (meaning the trailer weight and tongue weight are under the maximum, the total load in the tow vehicle is within limits and the combination weight of the tow vehicle and trailer is under the maximum, then perhaps the vehicle is not living up to the sales pitch. There could be a legal option to move to a different tow vehicle.

To the chap saying they tow in Europe, yes they do, but not 7,000 pound trailers with load equalizing hitches and electric brakes. The last two items are illegal across the pond to keep US made heavier and less expensive trailers off the Continent as they realized their really cheaply built units would stop selling.

So the vehicles over there are not experiencing what happens over here with at least 50 percent heavier trailers. Also, with the narrower mountain roads, their speeds tend to be lower than what we do on the wider roads here.

I have driven in the UK, Spain and Germany and own a turbo diesel Mercedes station wagon (called an Estate) in the UK.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by switz

To the chap saying they tow in Europe, yes they do, but not 7,000 pound trailers with load equalizing hitches and electric brakes. The last two items are illegal across the pond to keep US made heavier and less expensive trailers off the Continent as they realized their really cheaply built units would stop selling.

So the vehicles over there are not experiencing what happens over here with at least 50 percent heavier trailers. Also, with the narrower mountain roads, their speeds tend to be lower than what we do on the wider roads here.

I have driven in the UK, Spain and Germany and own a turbo diesel Mercedes station wagon (called an Estate) in the UK.

That'd be me

The rating is actually 7700 lbs in the UK. Heavier than the US. And the same diesel has been offered there since 2011 in the Grand Cherokee, albeit with different software. Time enough for problems to show up. Scanning the UK boards didn't show much about overheating.

I agree that European drivers aren't using equalizing hitches and electric brakes, but I don't see how those impact engine cooling.

I lived in the UK and drove there and on the continent. I found speeds to be higher there, but that wasn't specific to towing.

With the lower cooling demands of the diesel, I think that Chrysler will get it sorted out. It isn't like this is new to them.

Jeff

[Jim Flower]

This weeks Under the Awning photo was just taken at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. My old Jeep CRD is visiting and continues to perform beautifully. It now has 350,000 k on it. It previously towed a 25' Safari about 100,000 k and a 30' Signature about 30,000 k. The 2014 Jeep Diesel has now towed the 30' Signature about 13,000 k without a single issue. It will get its first oil change tomorrow before I head out to Alberta, 3500 k. I have had no overheating issues with either vehicle ( or any of my other 5 previous Jeeps) Others have apparently not been so lucky, although I have read about fears but no actual problems. The new Diesel and the 8 speed Trans are just simply fantastic. ( the caveat being I have no experience with any other brand, if it ain't broke, bla,bla,bla) Jim



Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[kscherzi]

Originally Posted by Jim Flower

This weeks Under the Awning photo was just taken at MacGregor Point Provincial Park. My old Jeep CRD is visiting and continues to perform beautifully. It now has 350,000 k on it. It previously towed a 25' Safari about 100,000 k and a 30' Signature about 30,000 k. The 2014 Jeep Diesel has now towed the 30' Signature about 13,000 k without a single issue. It will get its first oil change tomorrow before I head out to Alberta, 3500 k. I have had no overheating issues with either vehicle ( or any of my other 5 previous Jeeps) Others have apparently not been so lucky, although I have read about fears but no actual problems. The new Diesel and the 8 speed Trans are just simply fantastic. ( the caveat being I have no experience with any other brand, if it ain't broke, bla,bla,bla) JimAttachment 214861



Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

All evidence is pointing to the English units version of the Jeep sold in America as prone to problems. Metric unit versions, those driven where distance is measured in kilometres are fine. The fix is for America to convert to metric units and drive 55km/hr.

[Jim Flower]

13.7 m/us gal pulling into nasty wind,
23.0 m/us gal not towing around city,
I don't have a non towing highway number yet. Seems reasonable for a new diesel with 16,000 k. Jim


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[JamuJoe]

Our return to Durango, CO in early July provided the opportunity to watch for engine overheating on a couple of significant mountain passes. Towing our FC23FB (5673 lbs loaded) west on US 160 out of Walsenburg, we encountered La Veta Pass (el 9,413 ft). Ambient temperature was 88ºF at the bottom and the weather was dry. It’s a long steep climb, and except for one stop for road construction, I let the adaptive cruise control keep us at 50 mph. With the air-conditioning operating, I watched the engine cooling temp climb from mid-gage to the line beginning the fourth quadrant, just below the caution zone. There it stayed until we crested and began the down slope, when it quickly cooled down to mid-guage. Descending, I only needed an occasional touch of the brake to supplement engine breaking.

Oil and Trans temps heated a bit, but nothing special.

After a nice stopover in the San Luis Valley, we resumed our homeward journey and took Wolf Creek Pass (el. 10,857 ft., 8% grade) in stride. Again, a dry road on a warm day and the engine performed similarly.

Average mpg for the Walsenburg to Durango leg was 17.3. Overall average for the trip from St Petersburg FL to Durango (2321 miles), with a lot cruising at 65 mph, was 17.6.

We're off to visit the kids in WA state and Olympic National Park next week!

[Jim Flower]

Non towing highway mileage over 1600 k yesterday was 29.4 miles per US gal. Jim


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

[Grand Master]

After a lot of research (and visiting multiple auto dealerships) I bit the bullet and traded my 2007 Jeep GC Diesel for a 2013 Mercedes ML350 Diesel. The Jeep was a great tow vehicle and gave me 145,000 miles of service. Its Mercedes engine never overheated.

With all the discussion about overheating with the new Jeep GC Fiat diesel, I decided to stick with a proven engine and just buy a Mercedes. Even though I thought my Jeep rode very nice, the Benz is much, much better. It is super quiet and has much more power than the older version Mercedes diesel. The best part was that the Mercedes was very similar in price to the Jeep.

By buying a one year old CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) auto I got a 7 year unlimited mileage warranty. The warranty on a new Mercedes is 4 years, 50,000 miles.

[boomerBear]

Originally Posted by Grand Master

After a lot of research (and visiting multiple auto dealerships) I bit the bullet and traded my 2007 Jeep GC Diesel for a 2013 Mercedes ML350 Diesel. The Jeep was a great tow vehicle and gave me 145,000 miles of service. Its Mercedes engine never overheated.

With all the discussion about overheating with the new Jeep GC Fiat diesel, I decided to stick with a proven engine and just buy a Mercedes. Even though I thought my Jeep rode very nice, the Benz is much, much better. It is super quiet and has much more power than the older version Mercedes diesel. The best part was that the Mercedes was very similar in price to the Jeep.

By buying a one year old CPO (Certified Pre-Owned) auto I got a 7 year unlimited mileage warranty. The warranty on a new Mercedes is 4 years, 50,000 miles.

We tow 27 classic with an 08 ML diesel, saw a '13 ML towing a 30 today. What a great looking rig. You won't go wrong. Enjoy the ride and the quiet. Because it was an 08 we had the hitch reinforced and use a hensley beautiful towing experience.

[JamuJoe]

Grand Cherokee Diesel - First Sway Experience!

We're the road from Durango to WA State. Great fun towing N on 550 from Durango to Grand Junction. What a thrilling and awesome roadway!

It happened on I80 between Salt Lake City and Bonneville Salt Flats. 32881 miles of of towing our FC23FB with Equalizer Hitch without a hint of sway, and then it happened! (24000 miles with an 08 Diesel Grand Cherokee, and now >8000 miles with our 2014 GC Diesel). Towing at 65 with high cross winds, my drivers side towing mirror slipped loose and I over-reacted, pulling the wheel hard to the right and hitting the brakes. The tail wagged the dog for about 2 long seconds, and then the Grand Cherokee anti-sway kicked in, applying braking to each wheel in sequence to bring things back into line. It was amazing! All over in about 5 seconds. I pulled off to the shoulder to capture the dangling tow mirror and thank the engineers at Chrysler.

I stowed both tow mirrors, as they are redundant now that I've installed the rear view camera from Rear View Safety. The wireless camera and monitor provide much better visibility of vehicles approaching astern.

Regarding the GC engine temperatures: Towing in high July temperatures, we've crested many passes in CO and Utah. Coal Bank Pass and Molas Pass on 550 are both a good pull. On each the engine temp increased right to the beginning of the fourth quadrant on the gauge, and held there, before cooling back to mid-range on the descent. I've not coddled it, wanting to either prove the engine or break it under warranty. At this point I'm very satisfied with this engine.

[JFScheck]

In my 2014 Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel on quick trip to my property in Steamboat Springs...

Drove from Denver up to Steamboat Springs towing a car in a car trailer (6,540 on scales) for a friend up over 70 through the Eisenhower tunnel.

Set cruise control at 65 and left it, 88 degrees outside, temp climbed one bar over normal with trans and oil about same.

Better than my VW TDI Touareg back in the days towing my 25FB 2009 Classic Airstream.

This engine coupled to that new 8-speed is simply incredible!!!

[explore-Air]

First impressions - 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel and International 23D towing experiences - First trip about 150 miles and just trying to get used to everything. No problems, issues, or concerns. JGC pulled it fine with no problems down and back the Garden State Parkway at an easy 60 mph.

Second trip was around 200 miles from NJ back to MD with a two night stop. Again no issues and it pulled great at around 60 mph, so was comfortable to make a few notes. Temperature specifics were: trans temp about +5 degrees, oil temp about +15 degrees, and engine temp no noticeable difference. MPG came out to 17.9. (Granted the biggest "mountain" we climbed was the Delaware Memorial Bridge.) With a moderate load and some water, the CAT scale indicated: 3,060 steer, 3,340 drive, 4,680 lbs trailer & 11,080 total. Subtracting out known weight in the JGC (2 of us, border collie, nottweiller, misc) indicates a tongue weight of around 605lbs, so the trailer was on the order of 5,285lbs (little heavier than I would have guessed). Good news is we're still under all limits (3,200 front, 3,700 back, 6,800 total JGC, 720 tongue, & 13,100 GCWR). Need to put in the rest of our gear and add a full tank of water, check the weights again, and make sure the WD hitch (Equilizer) is set up perfect.

This is our first post ... and so far we couldn't be happier with the diesel JGC performance and everything about our new Internatl. 23D.



L & A

[xrvr]

Sounds like that antisway system really works, thanks for the info. This is really pertinent and useful info. Jim