We had our first problem with the 2011 Grand Cherokee over the weekend. No-start, then intermittent no-start. Often start-stumble-die, restart fine.
I could hear the fuel pump wasn't always running normally when you first turn the ignition on, so I knew what it was: the infamous (among Jeep forum rats anyway) non-replaceable fuel pump relay built into the Totally Integrated Power Module. Thanks for that legacy of engineering idiocy, Daimler. Hope it bites you in the M-class, and I bet your version is even more expensive.
When I bypassed the TIPM, the pump runs normally, engine starts normally, so the relay is definitely the problem (FWIW- this page has a beautifully elegant kludge-around to a) diagnose the problem and b) get back up and running).
A little more web-grepping reveals that as of Sep 20 there is now an official recall (P54) for this, but (wait for it!) it doesn't officially go out until Oct 24. And (wait again....) the parts aren't kitted up yet. The gal at Chrysler Customer Service was very helpful and tells me that my case and VIN has been sent to special handling, and I'm "at the top of the priority list" since I'm actually experiencing the problem. Well... I will be again when I remove the work-around before taking it to the dealer. ;-)
I'm *still* waiting for parts for two non-critical recalls, one of which has been pending since June. Now I understand that one is a "snow-belt" critical recall (corrosion and freezing water in the brake booster) and so they're working the northern states before winter, but geez-o-Pete!
Maybe its just Chrysler being Chrysler- I'm a fan, but I admit their weak spots and the service network is definitely a weak spot. But I hear the same thing from co-workers with all sorts of brands- recalls come out, and then its weeks or months before it can actually get done. And to make matters worse, the automakers are responding to questionably critical recalls at the same priority as ones, like a fuel pump relay, that render the vehicle inoperative (unless you know how to hack around the issue). Ever since the high-publicity Toyota and GM recalls of the past few years, the NHTSA had gone recall-crazy, and its saturating the system (IMO, anyway).
This is why I so rarely buy new vehicles. How do people that can't read a schematic and hack together a temporary fix even function when their cars act up these days?
I could hear the fuel pump wasn't always running normally when you first turn the ignition on, so I knew what it was: the infamous (among Jeep forum rats anyway) non-replaceable fuel pump relay built into the Totally Integrated Power Module. Thanks for that legacy of engineering idiocy, Daimler. Hope it bites you in the M-class, and I bet your version is even more expensive.
When I bypassed the TIPM, the pump runs normally, engine starts normally, so the relay is definitely the problem (FWIW- this page has a beautifully elegant kludge-around to a) diagnose the problem and b) get back up and running).
A little more web-grepping reveals that as of Sep 20 there is now an official recall (P54) for this, but (wait for it!) it doesn't officially go out until Oct 24. And (wait again....) the parts aren't kitted up yet. The gal at Chrysler Customer Service was very helpful and tells me that my case and VIN has been sent to special handling, and I'm "at the top of the priority list" since I'm actually experiencing the problem. Well... I will be again when I remove the work-around before taking it to the dealer. ;-)
I'm *still* waiting for parts for two non-critical recalls, one of which has been pending since June. Now I understand that one is a "snow-belt" critical recall (corrosion and freezing water in the brake booster) and so they're working the northern states before winter, but geez-o-Pete!
Maybe its just Chrysler being Chrysler- I'm a fan, but I admit their weak spots and the service network is definitely a weak spot. But I hear the same thing from co-workers with all sorts of brands- recalls come out, and then its weeks or months before it can actually get done. And to make matters worse, the automakers are responding to questionably critical recalls at the same priority as ones, like a fuel pump relay, that render the vehicle inoperative (unless you know how to hack around the issue). Ever since the high-publicity Toyota and GM recalls of the past few years, the NHTSA had gone recall-crazy, and its saturating the system (IMO, anyway).
This is why I so rarely buy new vehicles. How do people that can't read a schematic and hack together a temporary fix even function when their cars act up these days?