Jeep 3.6 Pentastar

I bought a 2020 Grand Cherokee with the 3.6.....sure i had rather have the 5.7 v-8 but not willing to pay 40k etc....I got a great deal on this one at 31k for a Limited.
Ive been a Ford guy most all my life ....had 4 Mustangs v-8's but I just dont like the 2.7 ecoboost in an Explorer.....not a fan of small engines with a turbo cranking out huge HP numbers in very heavy SUV's and trucks.
Most all my friends say the 3.6 is junk and will never make 100k miles etc......should have bought Ford or Toyota...
I dont see Jeeps or Dodge etc.....with 3.6 \'s littering the side of the road.
With proper oil chances the Pentastar should make 200k easy......question is my friends Jeep GC 3.6 says use 5w20.....two years later mine says use 0w20 .....I live in a very hot climate and will keep on using 5w20 Valvoline syn in my Jeep .....It sure seems to run better and smoother with 5w20 vs 0w20 in the summer months.
What is diff from the 2018 3.6 to 2020 to make Jeep change the the oil viscosity?
Early on, some of the Pentastars had issues, but they have more than proven themselves with FCA's updatess and fixes. You know, I was researching a new vehicle recently (have not purchased yet) and it suddenly dawned on me that the Pentastar is one of the ONLY engines left that is still N/A and does not have Direct Injection. Not sure how long this will last, but very interesting for those who want to avoid long term issues that some TC and DI engines have for long term ownership.
 
If you intended to keep that grand cherokee long term and/or rack up lots of miles, the pentastar is the better choice in engines. I've owned 2 of them and currently have a 2019 Ram 1500 classic w/ hemi. Love the hemi, but I feel the pentastar is better long term mill. Valve train issues can happen, but it's typically not catastrophic, plus parts and labor are not expensive on them.

The weakest point IMO as mentioned above is the plastic oil filter / cooler assembly. It will leak at some point and requires removal of the intake manifold to get at it. Again, not a huge deal, nor overly complicated, just a bit of labor. If you've got the intake off for an oil filter/cooler housing replacement you can do spark plugs at the same time given the intake has to come off for one bank of plugs.

The ZF8 can also be serviced DIY for cheap if you choose.
I have heard the same about the oil filter housing. Sad that not only this engine but so many on the market now use plastic for this. I read that Toyota sells a metal version of their plastic oil filter housing as a parts upgrade. Does anyone know if FCA or some aftermarket vendor has a metal version? For long term ownership committment, I know I would want one.
 
Early on, some of the Pentastars had issues, but they have more than proven themselves with FCA's updatess and fixes. You know, I was researching a new vehicle recently (have not purchased yet) and it suddenly dawned on me that the Pentastar is one of the ONLY engines left that is still N/A and does not have Direct Injection. Not sure how long this will last, but very interesting for those who want to avoid long term issues that some TC and DI engines have for long term ownership.
The very reason I bought the Jeep....no Turbo.....No Direct Injection....My brother bought a new Honda CR-V and has major problems with fuel in oil .....of course Honda knows about the problem but does nothing, Worse car I ever owned was a 2001 Honda civic ex......auto trans and engine both failed before 75k. Spent years in court with Honda and all we got was 3700 bucks. I would never ever buy a Honda a Million years now.
 
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I have heard the same about the oil filter housing. Sad that not only this engine but so many on the market now use plastic for this. I read that Toyota sells a metal version of their plastic oil filter housing as a parts upgrade. Does anyone know if FCA or some aftermarket vendor has a metal version? For long term ownership committment, I know I would want one.

I think a lot of them, the filter housings themselves are cast into the engine block, with just the threaded cap made out of plastic. The pentastar's is a whole assembly with two sensors. an oil cooler built into, two hose barbs for coolant in/out and multiple O-ring seals. To me, it's the only albatross on these engines.
 
I thought the Cherokee V6's were the Pentastar 3.6 also. They're not? Looking at SUVs for my wife, the two Jeeps are high in consideration.
 
You guys realize they've made nearly 11 million Pentastars. They may even be pushing 12 million by now. If a tiny, tiny percentage of them had a certain kind of problem, every shop in the country would say they see them all the time.

The vast, vast majority of Jeep owners in the clubs in which I participate will tell you the've had zero issues, and they've punished the hell out of them in extreme conditions. They love them. Even the most hard core folks.

My Dad was a GM engineer and got all the trade publications. They pretty much universally praised the Pentastar as one of the best production engines on the market, with a relatively low warranty claim rate and high reliability and long term durability.

Of all the engines you can buy right now, it is one of the safest bets. Rememer, too, it does not have direct injection, so no LSPI or fuel dilution issues. It is very easy on oil compared to its contemporaries with DI. Plus, it is one of the most versitile engines on the market. It works equally well in pickup trucks, sports cars, mini vans and Jeeps.
Exactly! Prior to the PUG upgrade they produced 10,000,000 of the first generation 3.6L Pentastar. That's a lot of engines. The internet tends to amplify problems, many people join message boards to post about a problem they're trying to solve, or to complain. Once they accomplish their mission they're gone. The 3.6L is a solid reliable engine imo, now with well over 10,000,000 produced I'd say they're pretty reliable.
 
Tough motor aside from some follower failures. Have seen them come in with oil light on and almost no oil from a leaking oil filter housing, and they survived. 3.6/8speed in the truck is a real nice combo.
 
How many of ya'll have a cold startup tick that lasts for about 1 second? Our 2016 has done it ever since we bought it used with 56k miles. Now at 96k. No issues other than a sporadic light stumble at idle.

I assume an HLA or two are dry.
When we went T&C shoping 3 years ago I walked away from the first one we looked at because it sounded like that. I later learned they all seem to sound like that if they sit for a while. My wife's van will sound like this today when we start it for the first time in a week. I'm wondering if it has to do with the cartridge style filter and no ADV causing essentially a dry startup. That's what it sounds like anyway.

Just my $0.02
 
My wife's van will sound like this today when we start it for the first time in a week. I'm wondering if it has to do with the cartridge style filter and no ADV causing essentially a dry startup. That's what it sounds like anyway.
See this post by @OIL_UDDER - Kevin of Oil_Udder was an engineer on the Pentastar

 
We have the 3.6 and ZF8 in our 19 Wrangler 2 door. It is a peppy little set up and returns decent gas mileage, especially considering the aerodynamics of the Wrangler. All the research I did seemed to reveal the Pentastar was a fairly safe bet. Ours has been fine but we have less than 15k miles on it so far. I have found oil changes to be about as easy as it gets, at least on the Wrangler. My Tundra has a plastic housing also and has been fine. Best thing to do is torque it to the factory specifications.
 
Good luck with the Pentastar. I’ve only driven them in rentals but have been amazed at the power curve and fuel savings, while avoiding direct injection and boost. I recall it made wards best engine pick a few years back. We’ve owned the previous 3.3 and 3.8, and while the minivans around them aged (mostly gracefully), those engines were solid and dependable. daimler could build a good motor. My in laws had a 3.5 which is a different pedigree. He ran it dry and it siezed on I-40 with no oil. He walked back with 5 quarts, and aside from a lumpy idle, it was still running with barely any maintenance 100k later. And that 3.5 felt like a rocket, boy it could move.
 
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Is the oil cooler covered in the powertrain warranty ? I have a 2017 wrangler with 37k miles Im going too take it in this week .
 
Is the oil cooler covered in the powertrain warranty ? I have a 2017 wrangler with 37k miles Im going too take it in this week .
Yes if your factory warranty is still in effect, meaning you have not exceeded the time or miles the oil cooler/filter housing assembly is covered.
 
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