3.6 Pentastar purge valve/misfire issues

Joined
Nov 23, 2016
Messages
2,008
Location
WI
Interesting issue on my 18 JLU with the PUG 3.6. Took it on a long road trip from WI to UT. Made it through the mountains in CO, to Moab for wheeling, then out to sand hollow to play in the dunes. No issues.

The issues started after going to the hotel in St. George, UT. Went to the hotel, parked it for a bit then ran back out (like a 15 minute drive). Got on the I-15 entrance ramp, got a blinking CEL and a "Stop/Start Unavailable Service Stop/Start System" message. The CEL went off right away. got back to the hotel and shut it down and started it back up, no issues or warnings or anything. I scanned it and it showed a P0300 and P0305. Cleared them, took it on the same route again, no issues, no codes pending or set. Just thought it was something weird maybe with it being 94 degrees and having worked it hard in the sand dunes. Drove perfectly normal.

Next day, go to leave. Got on the highway early in the morning, made it to Richfield, UT without issues. Got gas, got back on the highway and about 15 minutes after getting gas, get a blinking CEL again and the stop/start unavailable. Went completely off in a few seconds. In the middle of nowhere, so I thought as long as there wasn't a blinking CEL (or any CEL for that matter), keep going. Still driving normal. Next stop - Grand Junction. Got gas, and just as I got on the highway again, blinking CEL, then quickly turns to a solid one. Pulled over, scanned the codes, same P0300 and P0305. Cleared them and they didn't come back on, so kept going. Driving normally. Once I got into the high elevations, it seemed like it was intermittently struggling. I'm used to it in the mountains loosing some pep, but even with that in mind it just didn't seem as peppy as usual. But then sometimes it seemed perfectly fine and willing. No CEL. Made it to the east side of Denver, got gas, and again right after getting gas got a blinking CEL that then went out right away. Kept going to North Platte, NE and it's running fine. Get gas again, pulled out onto the highway and again, blinking CEL. this time it turns solid after a few seconds. Figure if its solid its not an active misfire, we only have another hour to go, so kept going. At this point, I am suspecting something purge valve related since getting gas seems to trigger it and the higher elevations and temps (in the 90s this whole time) would exacerbate the fuel vapor issues. Get off the highway in Kearney, as soon as we stop at a stop light we get a rough idle and blinking CEL, along with a very strong fuel smell. Coast into the hotel a block away and get it towed to the Jeep dealer down the street. Left a note summarizing everything above. (we continued the drive with our in-laws in their Jeep the next day).

Dealer calls, they got the same misfire codes plus a P0171 Fuel System 1/1 Lean. Also found that the t-stat housing was weeping. Had them replace the purge valve and t-stat housing, they clear the codes and say it's good to go. We drove down from WI last night and today to get it.

Got on I-80, first half hour goes fine. even got gas, no issues. About a half hour into the drive, the CEL blinks again but then goes right off. I called the dealer and told them, they said sometimes air gets into the EVAP system when it's opened and that if it doesn't come back on, that's all it was. I googled it, maybe some truth to it. IDK. Kept going since I just want to get it home. We got to Des Moines and as soon as we pull off the highway, rough idle and blinking CEL. Get gas, same thing. CEL changes to solid, and no issues the rest of the drive (no blinking CEL, always felt like it had full power). Only got a blinking CEL once after the final stop when I took it up to 4500 RPM. It seems like any large swings in RPM trigger a misfire. Keep it between 1500-4000 and it's fine. Finally made it home and got the same misfire codes.

Other notes: 119900 miles, Spark plugs are Champion/Mopar (replaced at 106k). OE coil packs still. Haven't done anything to it besides mods and fluid changes. No ticking or knocking from the engine. it's quiet throughout the RPM range. There's a jingle somewhere (sounds like a dog's collar) but its from under the drivers seat and I suspect its either something loose underneath or a skid plate making weird contact with something. No bad noises from the engine at idle or when I rev it.

Sorry for the long post. Any ideas? Thanks so much!
 
Monitor misfire counts?

Why aren't we looking harder at #5 since it keeps complaining about it?

The 0171 is interesting but why did only the dealer see it? Pending maybe?
 
Update: Moved it around a couple times this weekend, no issues, sounds and drives normal. Drove it to my usual shop yesterday (30 miles) and drove completely normal. Hot ambient temps and long drives seem to start the issue.
 
If you suspect that heat plays a role in the misfire, I think it helps support the ignition coil thought. ~120k miles and 8 years also supports the coil idea. Its worth inspecting closely and swapping to another cylinder for verification.
 
I'd swap coil 5 for another and pull #5 spark plug to verify the porcelain hasn't cracked. If it moves, I'd replace all, just did this on my buddies '17 Pacifica. New coils and plugs, ~160k. Og plugs were in it. Had 2 failed coils that were already replaced by their mechanic, 1 this year and 1 last year. The 1st failed about your mileage, I'd lean towards coils.
 
Since it's RPM linked and only #5, do a relative compression test, maybe you've got a roller follower or cam lobe failing. I've got a Hemi at the shop now that does very similar things. Have also seen 3.6s do similar and have a bad cam lobe
This was it. cylinder 5 is the worst, 3 is starting. Not completely ground on 5 yet, but definitely bad.
 
The Pentastar is uhmazeing :rolleyes: -- and before you label me a hater I own a '19 JLUR.
 
Here's the diagnosis if anyone's interested.

IMG_5450.webp
 
That's typical for a Chrysler Pentastar V6. Their camshafts are always wearing out and the needle bearings in the cam followers fall out.

The engine has four camshafts that are about $300 a piece just for the cost of each camshaft themselves.
 
Last edited:
Ah that sucks. Sorry to hear that Hoosier. Is there aftermarket support for the cams and cam followers that could be more durable? It would suck to make the repair and keep doing this.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wlk
Ah that sucks. Sorry to hear that Hoosier. Is there aftermarket support for the cams and cam followers that could be more durable? It would suck to make the repair and keep doing this.
Is what it is, been a good Jeep otherwise, only other non routine maintenance (outside of the mods) has been a horn LOL.

Not aware of any aftermarket alternatives, but I read a TSB yesterday that Chrysler has identified an issue with this particular cam shaft and that ones built after august of 2025 should be better. We'll see! It was a vague tsb, so hard to know the issue. Just want to do what I can to prevent more issues. Don't know if oil impacts it at all.
 
There's two different possibilities from what I gather watching YouTube. Either the camshaft lobes wear out by themselves, or the needle bearings fall out of the cam followers consequently wiping out the cam lobes. This has been going on for years and years.
 
Back
Top Bottom