history of my CRD and request for help fixing my problems

stoutdog · **Posted:** Sun Jan 31, 2010 2:09 am

geordi wrote:

Grumpy? Hey now... I might be under-tall and over-round, but that isn't any way to talk about a guy, especially when you are the "stout dog"! :goink:

Besides... I'd prefer Beast. He got rightfully irritated when his stuff wasn't respected... And Belle was so much hotter than Snow White. :ROTFL:

Totally true! And at 6'2, 180, I'm more of a "bean pole" than a "stout dog"... It's an old nickname :pepper:

As for dealerships, I've never taken mine into one. I purchased it at a Honda dealer outside of Atlanta, drove it home to Florida for the summer, and drove it to the Valley for school. Heck, I don't even know where the Jeep stealership is in Phoenix! I'm really pretty new to working on cars, but I've found that I really enjoy it... and this website has been fantastic at helping me along the way.

Ralph, just to add my :2cents:

: Your speedo sounds about right, as most seem to read 3mph high. And timing belts should be changed every 100k miles.

RS Sterling Alaska · **Posted:** Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:04 pm

After leaving my crd with the new dealership here in Kenai Alaska they kept it for 3 months and finally had me come pick up the vehicle with a note on the service receipt that they could not fix the problems, Wow in writing that they could not fix the vehicle.

The Kenai Chrysler dealer new parts man, service writer, suggested I take the vehicle to Anchorage Chrysler as he himself had had very good results with his own vehicle, so making sure I would not be driving in the dark hours, as I had no working tail lights, no working high beams, I had to pull the relay to keep the wipers from coming on, pulled the fuse for the rear glass heater as it was stuck on, oh yes and then I discovered the passenger side heat vent controls were stuck on vent or cold. They did not get put together correctly so my S.O. could have frozen to death on the trip to Anchorage, good thing we travel with blankets in our vehicles.

Anchorage Chrysler had my CRD for 6 weeks; I received an update every few days by email of mostly disappointing diagnostic results, but from time to time some progress or direction on finding a problem.
The dealer during this time replaced the BCM, the mounting and connection connector for the BCM, they replaced the ECU and reprogrammed it from scratch, then replaced 4 of the 5 door lock modules, they replace the headlight bulbs, the took apart the front dash and heater assembly and fix the damaged part the dealer in Kenai ruined, then they replace the entire under dash wiring harnesses, several relays and fuses from the engine compartment fuse boxes, they replaced the headlamp dimmer switch, and the cruise control switches were replaced they also replaced some front brake parts, cleaned and re-lubricated something on the rear brake parts, as well as removing the dealer installed trailer break controller, the wiring harness for the trailer lights and the connector plug.

As a result of this last bit of work from Anchorage Chrysler I may now leave the vehicle for 5 days without having to plug in a battery maintainer and the vehicle will start, the vehicle will now cold start at -7 degrees below zero without having to have the block heater plugged in as well as standard things like tail lights and low beams windshield wipers, heater, rear glass heater all work, it works so well I no longer carry a battery charger in my vehicle.

Winter is here I plan on driving the CRD this winter and then come spring start concentrating on improving fuel mileage, at present 23mpg actually calculated is the best but the average is 21mpg that is providing the vehicle does not revert to the previous problems.

For all those who have been following this saga and those who have given good advice and recommendations thanks very much, it has been very frustrating for me, but I now have hope for the continuation of a dependable CRD.
Ralph

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:14 pm

Ralph,

How is your CRD running these days?

Any update?

RS Sterling Alaska · **Posted:** Tue Nov 01, 2011 8:46 pm

It has been some time since I posted so here is an update on my 2006 CRD
For those of you who have followed my saga of months in the repair shop at a time and several UN fixable problems by many dealers across the United States I thought I would post an update.
In about March of last year the Chrysler dealer in Kenai Alaska closed they had hired a new person, this new person informed me somehow I had P.Oed the service manager and that the shop employees were instructed to not fix my vehicle and in fact to sabotage it. This I guess is because I contacted Chrysler about the dealer not being able to fix my unit and requesting service representative and possible arbitration to resolve my issues. The dealer then wrote a letter to Chrysler informing them that I had caused the problems by adding aftermarket items, the dealer forgot to mention that the items were all Chrysler and that they had in fact installed them all.
Anyway the assigned arbitrator at Chrysler red me the letter, and when I explained that this was in fact a lie and as I just said above, the arbitrator said the letter from the dealer ruled and they had nothing to offer me in any way to get my vehicle fixed.
Oh back to the new employee, who informed me of the action of the dealership and service manager, he recommended I take my vehicle to the Anchorage Chrysler dealer and talk to a particular service representative, and that the new employee would contact him and give him a heads up.
Sorry this is so long but this is what happened.
When I arrived at the Anchorage Chrysler dealer I was informed that I had canceled my 7-70 warrantee and received a refund, by this time the dealer in Kenai had closed. After several chats with the service manager and then they found the funds had been refunded to the dealer in Kenai and not to me, they agreed to reinstate my warrantee, no doubt with conformation for the new employee in Kenai who had given me his home number.
Anchorage keep the vehicle for almost 50 days but I received weekly reports from the service tech and the factory trouble shooter rep or tech working on the vehicle. It was noted several not correct parts had been installed and that the wiring harness under the dash had been so altered it could not be repaired, this was after replacing the ECM, the block the ECM connects to the transmission module, all door lock modules, the Battery, headlamps, most of the relays in the engine compartment. As I recall every computer and control module had to be changed
I would like to report My CRD now starts runs, the headlights work, the door locks work and all factory options operate. I still get 22-28 mpg but I no longer have to carry a battery charger and extension cord everywhere I go.
Legal recourse is not possible as the informant would not be able to work in any of the local dealerships and as that person had helped me to get my vehicle finally fixed I cannot take any action to implicate that person.
The dealership is closed and none of the management personnel are left in the area.
It is now 2011 and it only took 5 years to get my vehicle fixed and running. Please note several other dealership in the lower 48 states were not able to fix it but perhaps they had been misguided by the Kenai Dealer.
As I now have a fully functional operational CRD I am now considering selling it and buying an older diesel of another brand, one without computer driven everything as with the limited production numbers of this vehicle and the limited number of true expert service personnel, I am feeling forced to get something with less technology and more mechanical analog operation. The CRD is great to drive but has marginal fuel economy and a parts availability of limited life. No doubt my quest to get the vehicle fixed has also contributed to a loss of dependability of both the manufacture and the individual Jeep itself.
I am told even the dealer has difficulty in installing a new engine and ecm due to programming issues.
If anyone has any knowledge or knows of some way to keep this vehicle running if Jeep drops the parts line I would be interested.
Sorry the update was not on a more positive hurrah type.
Ralph Sterling

history of my CRD and request for help fixing my problems

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