Man, what a lucky area of the country to have a shop to go to that'll actually look at your vehicle and dig deep to diagnose the issue rather than making a snap judgment and do a ton of unnecessary work. Now, this video isn't a great example of that because this engine was a goner from the get-go, but if you've watched this channel long enough, you know what I mean. All we ask is for an honest look into the situation, right? That isn't the case in a LOT of situations, but it is here. Kudos to SMA! Honesty & diligence goes a LONG way.👍
The 3.3/3.8 was a solid engine, many go for 250-300k miles before they crap out. The 3.6 is a dog. Ive heard nothing good as far as reliability. Thanks for putting this up Mr O, you've helped me make my next purchase decision, Honda or Toyota
Not a technician, not a parts changer , not a hack. A real true mechanic, the kind that a lot of us grew up with. Never had to question integrity , ability or just plain simple honesty. The most valuable education he’s received was growing up in his dad’s shop with his brothers, where honesty and quality was the ultimate. In watching videos with his brothers are amazing…..Sonny gave us some of the best, god rest his soul.
The only way you get experience is doing the time. It doesn't come to anyone on a platter so to you young techs keep at it and you too can be just as good.
@@gr7485 Isn't it a shame that knowledge can't be instantly transferred from one human to another? It would be so useful to be able to download a skill.
What we at the stealer call the warranty diaper. Absorbs enough fluids to slide through the warranty period without a drop in the customers garage floor.
Mr.O thanks for all the content you make us. I work at a Chrysler dealer and we are seeing quite a few of the new generation 3.6L engines(with variable valve lift and cooled EGR) like you are working with here that have head gasket failures. Typically it will have cold start misfires and if pressure tested for a long period of time. You can use a borescope to look on top of the cylinder and you will see coolant coming in. Like you said, this one did get hot, but just some information to share. .any thanks from one of your many viewers.
@@Big_AlMC TOYOTA GO LIKE 300K MILES AND STILL GO SUBIE MAYBE TOO JUNK THE REST OF THE NAME BRANDSTHE NEW BRONCOS HAVE LIKE 100 RECALLS AND NEVER RUN RANGE ROVERS ARE KRAP TOO
Chrysler tech here, I've done 3 headgaskets and 1 entire engine on those Pacificas this year alone. They had all been overheated and it was always the right side (rear) cylinder head. Three of them had a low coolant level that went undiagnosed (customer just kept adding) and then overheated and began misfiring. The last one that needed the engine had lost all coolant due to a raccoon hit and it smoked the cylinder liners too.
I work for chrysler. Always number 3 or 5 misfire. Rear head.. always warps the engine block.. ive replaced like 8 engines.. 17 and 18 was a bad year for Pacs.
@Minivan Lifestyle The problem is that Chrysler doesn't tend to put in the resources needed actually fix the issues, instead just finding a cheap workaround that doesn't actually address what is wrong.
@Minivan Lifestyle I just have to comment on your handle, Minivan Lifestyle. I too love the minivan. Who doesn't love two in the front, five in the rear?!✌🏻✊🏻
@@josephrosen8239 I was a Chrysler tech from 2014 to 2018 and never seen a head gasket failure on a Pentastar im on my second vehicule with a Pentastar and they both have been super reliable is this only affect Pacifica's???
@Albo alt I've had five, starting with an '86 2.4L ending with a '96 3.8L which died on the road and is now ion a crank but no fire status. Changing crank and cam position sensors did not help.
Say what you want about Chrysler vehicles. We've had an '87, 2003, and a 2006 caravans and all have been pretty decent vehicles. The '87 had over 250k on it when sold and ran fine. The 3.3 engines seems reliable. The 2006 we still drive daily. It's only got about 115k on it right now. Replaced a couple batteries, water pump, radiator, and starter. The emissions stuff on it is a pain but last time I replaced the EGR I used a factory part and it's good as new. Had a rodent get in and chew up a bunch of wiring about a year ago so that was fun. The 2006 I have no complaints about. It's been as good as the 2 Toyotas I've owned. Some years are worse than others though. Haven't heard a lot of good about the pentastar engines though and going through the comments here I wouldn't want one. Eric is the best mechanic I've ever seen and I've know a lot of mechanics.
I’ve personally seen 2 of these engines with less than 60k come in with blown head gaskets. One came in as a no crank no start customer forgot to mention it got hot and they drove it until it stopped. After some testing found the starter was bad and replaced it only to find the overheat condition on the test drive after, and after some more testing discovered the bad head gasket.
@@tcpnetworks the engine wasn’t seized in like a bearing failure sense. Making sure the crank turned over was part of diagnosing the starter as it made a thump noise when trying to start the vehicle. After replacing the starter bottom end wasn’t knocking or anything so I suspect it got hot enough to warp a head and possibly hydro locked a cylinder is why it stopped running then possible the coolant had drained down into the oil pan as the vehicle had been towed in the day before so it had been sitting about 24 hours before it was worked on.
Those under car diapers sure get a lot of oil leaks unnoticed till the warranty is over. You truly are working in your customer's interests. Too many unpredictables and labor hrs involved in today's engines too attempt repairs like 30yrs ago. I've seen big$ spent on repairs like this only to discover antifreeze had ate up the crank bearings.
It showed in your voice. You just hated to pass the bad news; you wanted it to be something less expensive. A man with empathy and a conscience. What a great example for your children.
As my friend and I used to say in the shop we worked at “I’ve seen this movie before”. Good call on quoting a used engine. Save yourself the headache. Keep up the good work Eric O!
Imagine that, running an engine hot has consequences. Good call and thank you for taking the time to diagnose the problem and explaining your reasoning as well.
Some of us are from times when engines had cast iron heads; they could be run without coolant and still run afterward. In our local demolition derby old Detroit Iron is popular because the radiator can be destroyed but it won't shut down the vehicle before the event is over. I confess my favorite event at the Derby is the Powder Puff event. The guys try hard to avoid being hit; the ladies know you are either a hammer or you are a nail. They sure know how to kick up the action!
My idiot neighbor were driving their Honda mini van when they heard a loud clunk, oil smoke & the engine died. Had it towed home, checked the oil, added 3 quarts & still wasn't showing on the stick. I charged the battery, starter clunked but wouldn't crank, put a socket & breaker bar on the crank pully, but it couldn't turn. Their solution? Replace the battery, have it towed to a repair shop & "find out what's wrong!" Now you know why I call them "the Flintstones!"
@@mariosaccoccio1688 "Our truck broke down last night. All of a sudden there was a boom, then frantic flapping noises and oil spewing everywhere around the engine!". That's a quote from a RUclips video and I'm not 100% sure if they ever revealed what the issue with the engine was but I'm 99.9% sure it threw a rod right through the crankcase. Late-80s Nissan Diesel engine with who knows how many miles on it. I definitely remember they ended up having a used engine put in.
My favorite RUclips automotive channel. You single handedly taught me how to replace the fuel pump in my 86 Iroc Z28 from watching your Firebird video.
Eric O, unrelated to the video, where'd you go? 8 days and no videos? I'm not enjoying these withdrawal symptoms and my Dr. has advised me to reach out to you to prevent further implications. You are a king of the automotive world online and I learn something new with every video you post. I really hope I don't have to up my meds and a video gets posted soon. lol
When I saw the handicapped placard hanging on the rear view mirror my heart sunk. That person already had enough issues as it is. That must have been a crappy phone call to make.
It's certainly the right call for the customer if there is a strong likelihood that the cost of a low mileage replacement engine is dwarfed by the cost (and risk) to repair the existing one. There are few people out there who I'd regard as an 'expert' these days, but if Mr. O. says it's a bad bet, you can take it to the bank. Not only that, but it's likely the only reason it's in the shop is because the starter died. If she's been cranking/starting the thing while it was trying to hydrostatically lock, you could also be looking at a bent or stressed rod.
I have a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica with 278,389 miles on it. I change my oil, plugs at 100k and I did my surpinten belt. Only thing that I’ve repaired is change a low beam. I mostly highway drive so still have my original brake pads. Love my Pacifica.
This is a teachable moment. Don’t drive around ignoring what appears to be major coolant loss. Particularly, if you’re not seeing puddles under car. Look at the exhaust and see it’s white.
My 2011 GMC Acadia had an odd noise and a few misfires after sitting overnight. Shop supervisor at dealer checked it, I authorized an extra hour to confirm his diagnosis of porosity in the block casting. TSB applies to 2009-2021 3.6 V6 in all GM products from Caddy on down mounted both transverse and longitudinal. Apparently GM figured it was cheaper to fix them if they failed during the 100K mile warranty period than to fix the casting problem. The V8 had a problem 2012-2015 so apparently they fixed the mfr process or the design. Other mfr had porosity problems with aluminum blocks but didn't let it go for 12 years.
To be fair she didn't ignore it, she kept refilling it. Quite possibly she knew it was a potential head gasket or similar and wasn't willing to fix it.
@@joeschmoe6908 yep. My old Towncar smoked oil and coolant both for quite a while, somewhere around a quart a month. Still drove it for like 30,000 miles and a couple years before it went catastrophic (in an unrelated way: the connection on the manifold for the hose going to the heater core cracked, probably because I futzed with said hose every time it got hot to bypass the heater core so I had AC...).
My vehicle had a coolant leak for 2 years that slowly got worse until it did leave puddles. Thats how it goes sometimes, have to wait for it to get worse to diagnose it. It was just a hose leaking.
I drive a 2003 GMC. 235k and it runs like a top. Seeing all these 2017 and newer vehicles with major issues makes me just want to keep running that 2003 until the wheels fall of, then bolt them back on and it run it some more.
My son bought his step daughter a Pacifica and the starter was bad. While he was changing out the starter, my granddaughter was present the whole time. She told me it had not been an easy job and he had a fair amount of difficulty doing the R&R. I asked if there had been a lot of swearing and she said, "Yes." I then asked if she could tell me what my son had said without the swearing. She said, "Without the swearing?" I said, "Yes." She told me, "He didn't say anything." The Pacifica was a write off less than a month later when a truck broadsided it. What is it about Chrysler products..........
I honestly don't know why anyone buys Stellantis product for a daily driver/family car these days. Maybe a RAM but that would be it. There are so many different options out there. If I absolutely had to go cheap manufacturer, I would look at Nissan before any Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM product. Nissan is pretty bad too.
Eric is right the 3.6 Chrysler engines are generally trouble free the biggest problem that I know about with Chrysler in general is there Transmissions never hold up there body's and frames don't last long in salt belt there domestic line is bottom of list they Just can't seem get right my book I wouldn't. Even own ram there transmission are problem matic
I have worked on older engines that had the problems you pointed out, and often found if it was not a blown head gasket that it was a cracked block. Which was cracked internally, in the water jacket and crank case. Had a blown head gasket on a 1972 Ford F-100, that was caused by a bad radiator. Which taught me a very valuable lesson on rebuilding engines, and not having the radiator re-cored. Or at least acid cleaned, and patched before putting the new engine in.
Well done. An unscrupulous garage would allow the customer to pour money into that, rather than recommend the most economically viable route like you have. You even made sure you were right about your diagnosis!
I've had several 3.6 engines and never had trouble, one engine was over 200k when I sold it. The problem is that most people don't do maintenance till something breaks
The back cylinder head has been known to leak and lock up. Also it smokes the starter because people try and try and try starting them and it cooks it.
@@mikec9112 if you press the button again it will stop but a lot of people aren’t smart. Had a few jeeps with that new 3.6 have the same problems blown head gasket and starter.
Considering the quality of Chrysler products these days, I'm amazing they continue to sell vehicles. Virtually every model they produce is on someone's "DO NOT BUY" List....Here in California with 210 degree Thermostats, you're lucky if you get 75K miles out of them.
Some simple guidelines for successfully ruining an engine: 1. buy anything domestic 2. ignore the temperature gauge, it's lying to you 3. just keep adding coolant 4. keep trying to start a seized engine until you burn out the starter, then replace the battery.
1) my 543,000 mile 96 Jeep Cherokee, 640,000 mile 89 ram 150, 308,000 mile 97 f350, and 240,000 mile 01 Pontiac trans am would like to disagree. 9 times out of 10 it’s customer neglect that claims any engine. Japanese engines just tend to deal with neglect better. All other 3 points I whole heartedly agree with.
I grew up with that 'anything domestic' theme, but these days I'm not convinced. GM have gone off the rails, with poor engineering, faulty designs, and bad QA. On the other hand Toyota and Honda have proven themselves capable of robust designs with clever engineering. So, I suggest common products from reputable companies. I avoid European designs because they don't offer dealer repair manual access as easily, and because parts are hard to come by.
1. LOL... ya ok, Toyota sludge engine lawsuit, Honda oil burning engine lawsuit, Hyundai Theta 2 engine lawsuit.. but you just keep living in that dream world.
My 300k original engine/tranny dodge grand caravan would disagree. Stop blaming the manufacturers and start blaming the real problems which is stupid owners who don't maintain their vehicles or don't drive normally which includes not flooring at every stop light. Hey lady try checking the oil once in your life and stop driving it when something doesn't work correctly
Prime example of not checking your fluids on a regular basis. I check mine every Saturday morning. Then I have the whole weekend to swear at it as I fix it. Unfortunately, the last time it had a problem it was a failed starter. Thankfully it's a manual and was able to push start it to get home.
Not only does he have time to properly diagnose an issue, but he also has to set cameras up, adjust lights and edit video. Great mechanic! Super helpful information!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!
We've had 2 2019 Pacific's come in in the last month with head gasket failures on cylinder 5. Apparently it fairly common and almost always on cylinder 5. Head gaskets are currently on national back order because of this. Not a real fun job either. It usually starts out as a very light misfire before it gets to this point.
Absolutely good call for a engine as normally it will wipe the bearings once coolant gets in the pan. Could spend way to much trying to fix it to just have it fail soon after.
I'd think if it were to get fixed an engine replacement makes 100% more sense than doing anything at all to the engine currently in it, other than trashing it once its removed LOL. I sure wouldn't waste my time pulling it and taking it apart. If she overheated it, and I'm gonna guess many, many times, it ain't worth it...the heads are probably nicely warped...hmm head gasket leaking, and wouldn't be surprised if the block wasn't warped too. People just ignore the simple cheap service & repair stuff, then wonder why they need a new car every couple years.
The shop I went to said the same thing. So I put it in my garage and tore it down. Figured it was going to the junkyard so I may as well learn. Sorted it out and drove it another 20K or so miles before giving it away. Had over 250K on the Chrysler T&C Minivan.
I have done the head gasket and head rebuild thing on chryslers before, will never do it again. Just the minor issue of raising the compression back to factory can throw the rod bearings out. You should have used your fancy dancy scope to look down at it :)
My first work experience was in the shop at a Chrysler dealership. The mechanics would just complain about how crappy the cars were they were working on. This was in the mid-80's with the K Cars. Nice to see nothing has changed.
Actually before the 1980s Chrysler had some good engine like the slant 6 that son time came in 2 sizes and the 318 ci V8 that was in Diplomats trucks and Vans into the nineties.
Thanks for another Saturday Special! Also, I use a work-friendly version of CYA, and since you're the owner it's even more fitting... Cover Your Assets.
Great job Eric. 👏 I was expecting you to also break out the borescope to show us the leak in the cylinders. 😆 🤣 I enjoy watching your comprehensive and entertaining videos. Keep up the great work 👍
I agree, its not worth tearing into. I did a yukon denali XL that dropped a lifter, and the price to rebuild the top end with that DOD/AFM system is absurd so I went ahead and put in a brand new engine from Chevy, complete with Chevy Thunder. Came with 100k 5 year warranty too. Ultimately i feel it best to use OEM parts only. I definitely am more expensive than some repair shops, but i have ran into too many issues with aftermarket stuff from the napper and others. As always, I love the videos Eric, you are a fantastic mechanic
I do crazy stuff with my personal stuff. Dropped lifter on those, pull the head. Install some used lifters out of the box I have of lifters, new plastic lifter guides and head gasket. Back together with fresh oil/coolant and disable the afm. Under $200. Overheated engines, they are junk.
You're such an awesome mechanic brother.. I wish we had a technician as you down in South FL. Every single one of your videos is top notch and we learn a lot!
Love your videos you're an excellent mechanic and would make great teacher. Wishing you and yours all the best from the east coast salt belt New Brunswick Canada!!
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the starter burned out because this is been going on for a very long time and it probably has a bent rod at this point as well............
Well, MR. O you have a great help to me in my life when it comes to troubleshooting vehicles. thanks for all your help over the years!!!!!!!!! much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric. Thanks for the video as always. Your logic and insights are much appreciated. I have sort of a related question. How do you go about finding a "good" used engine. thanks. Greg.
They made over a million of these engines. Few blown head gaskets here and there is a statistical blip. Courier driven Promaster Vans are getting up to 700 000 miles on these engines, which is pretty amazing for a 6 cylinder gas engine.
I had a customer the other week have an overheating problem. diagnosed having a leaking rad hose and thermostat housing. She declined repair and was adding a quart of water to it every day. She comes back in with a no start condition. She was adding water into the engine through the oil cap and hydro locked it. We thought she overheated it bad enough to blow a head gasket, but she showed our advisor where she was putting water, and everything made sense after that
I am at the part of the video right now where Eric pits the oil plug back in after letting the water out. My exact thought, she was putting water in the oil fill. You can see the antifreeze overflow has a colored type of fluid in it.
Reminds me of the lady that had a civic that over heated. She said she brought it in right away after she went to pickup lunch and go through the drive through pharmacy. Poor civic gave all it had that day for some pesky errands :(
These 3.6s we know have had head gasket issues for years. Had almost the same thing come in, starter fuse was blown. Found coolant in oil. Cylinder had hydrolocked and blew the fuse. Couple weeks later another guy called also with hydrolock issues, blew several fuse blocks with a new starter/alt. I think this will turn out to be a new common problem with these year/models
Hi. Well hopefully there is a part 2, Pacifica gets an engine swap. My wife has a 2016 grand caravan basically same engine. I change the oil in that thing every 4 months or Max 5,000km. Have also replaced the 10 year coolant at 5 years. They are decent engines if you maintain them. The rest of the caravan as you have seen from your business tend to fall apart on a regular basis. Love you channel keep the vids coming. Watching from Nova Scotia rust belt of Canada.
@@maxdm1583 we had the same engine in our grand caravan. Was overall reliable. Sold it with 227k and still running well. Then again, I maintain my cars and perform services regularly. That probably helped.
@@romeo1550 You maintain your vehicles. that's why yours lasted over 100k LOL. Its funny to listen to people complain about every vehicle they've owned being a pile of crap, then you get down to the fact they didn't do any maintenance at all and they whined because the vehicle blew up at 50k from sludged up internal engine components, no oil, etc.
Opps. Number one rule when its over heating and using coolant is to CHECK IT OUT...not to keep driving it and adding more coolant. It's likely a warped assortment of parts by now. Too bad this kind of failure has to happen...they're hard to catch early and rather expensive even when torn down before the warping takes over. Hard call to make on these newer vehicles and especially this type of vehicle, a mini van, that has lots of benefits in use. Fix it or find a replacement vehicle...hum.
The Sad part is these issues started with Chrysler and Dodge with the Neon and Intrepid and the heads warp super easy tore down My in-laws Intrepid 20 years ago same issue overheated because a bad timing belt driven water pump got it all back together and timed and engine was toast
You're right about the 3.6 being relatively trouble free. I have a fleet with about 130 Chargers, about a third being the 3.6L (non-pursuit). The biggest problem they normally have are the oil filter housing assemblies cracking. I've only had to do 2 cam/lifter replacements as opposed to about 50 or so on the 5.7L.
Hemi's don't like being idled excessively. I'm always paranoid about hearing the dreaded Hemi tick lol. But I have also seen many run high miles trouble free.
Many failures, especially on earlier revisions of that oil filter housing assembly can be an internal oil cooler failure, which allowed the fluids to mix.
I'm on board with a couple others thinking that poor starter tried its damnedest to turn, but couldn't and burnt up. I'm surprised the over-current didn't fry something prior.
The push button start doesn't help. The computer keeps the starter engaged for a long time trying to get it to crank. Most people would let go after a few seconds.
Man, what a lucky area of the country to have a shop to go to that'll actually look at your vehicle and dig deep to diagnose the issue rather than making a snap judgment and do a ton of unnecessary work. Now, this video isn't a great example of that because this engine was a goner from the get-go, but if you've watched this channel long enough, you know what I mean. All we ask is for an honest look into the situation, right? That isn't the case in a LOT of situations, but it is here. Kudos to SMA! Honesty & diligence goes a LONG way.👍
What is better to diagnose it right, or do a ton of unessesery work without solving nothing
zzž. Z 💏
Straight to the problem, no time wasted, no money wasted. Excellent.
The 3.3/3.8 was a solid engine, many go for 250-300k miles before they crap out.
The 3.6 is a dog. Ive heard nothing good as far as reliability.
Thanks for putting this up Mr O, you've helped me make my next purchase decision, Honda or Toyota
couldn't agree more.
As the organ grinder said " the Monkey's dead the shows over " LOL
It refreshing to see a mechanic be 100% certain of the a problem, but still spend extra effort to make sure his diagnostic is correct. Nice.
There is absolutely no substitute for experience, and you obviously have a lot of experience. You're the mechanic everyone needs!
Not a technician, not a parts changer , not a hack. A real true mechanic, the kind that a lot of us grew up with. Never had to question integrity , ability or just plain simple honesty. The most valuable education he’s received was growing up in his dad’s shop with his brothers, where honesty and quality was the ultimate. In watching videos with his brothers are amazing…..Sonny gave us some of the best, god rest his soul.
Agreed 👍
The only way you get experience is doing the time. It doesn't come to anyone on a platter so to you young techs keep at it and you too can be just as good.
@@gr7485 Isn't it a shame that knowledge can't be instantly transferred from one human to another? It would be so useful to be able to download a skill.
What you think this is the matrix ?!
"Of course being a modern day car, we have the oil absorption pad.." 😆
What we at the stealer call the warranty diaper. Absorbs enough fluids to slide through the warranty period without a drop in the customers garage floor.
@@johnvilleneuve7944 That's automobile engineering at its finest.
@@johnvilleneuve7944 So should we uninstall it when we get the car? Asking for a friend.
I pulled one off a subaru that weighed at least 15 pounds from all the mud and rocks that were being stored on it.
People are so stupid these days how do they know how to start a vehicle 😂let alone drive it
Mr.O thanks for all the content you make us. I work at a Chrysler dealer and we are seeing quite a few of the new generation 3.6L engines(with variable valve lift and cooled EGR) like you are working with here that have head gasket failures. Typically it will have cold start misfires and if pressure tested for a long period of time. You can use a borescope to look on top of the cylinder and you will see coolant coming in. Like you said, this one did get hot, but just some information to share. .any thanks from one of your many viewers.
Thanks for sharing❣️
Thanks for sharing that with us!
Shout out to that starter, it must have put up a solid effort before it lost the war of starting that engine lol.
5 YR OLD DODGE!
OMG
THATS LIKE FORD TOO
DONT EVEN LAST TOO
SEEM THEM JUNKED LESS THAN A YR!
@@ekop1778 Toytota 💪🏾 💪🏾 💪🏾 💪🏾
@@Big_AlMC TOYOTA GO LIKE 300K MILES AND STILL GO
SUBIE MAYBE TOO
JUNK THE REST OF THE NAME BRANDSTHE NEW BRONCOS HAVE LIKE 100 RECALLS AND NEVER RUN
RANGE ROVERS ARE KRAP TOO
@@ekop1778 hondas are great too
@@lordjaashin I GUESS SO
BETTER THAN MY LAST CAR I HAD 97 CHRYSLER KRAPPER NEON 4 DOOR
I CANT BELEIVE I HAD THAT THING 20 YRS
Something you never want your mechanic to say" "I'm gonna go grab a fork, cause this one is DONE!"
Chrysler tech here, I've done 3 headgaskets and 1 entire engine on those Pacificas this year alone. They had all been overheated and it was always the right side (rear) cylinder head. Three of them had a low coolant level that went undiagnosed (customer just kept adding) and then overheated and began misfiring. The last one that needed the engine had lost all coolant due to a raccoon hit and it smoked the cylinder liners too.
I work for chrysler. Always number 3 or 5 misfire. Rear head.. always warps the engine block.. ive replaced like 8 engines.. 17 and 18 was a bad year for Pacs.
@Minivan Lifestyle The problem is that Chrysler doesn't tend to put in the resources needed actually fix the issues, instead just finding a cheap workaround that doesn't actually address what is wrong.
@Minivan Lifestyle I just have to comment on your handle, Minivan Lifestyle. I too love the minivan. Who doesn't love two in the front, five in the rear?!✌🏻✊🏻
@@josephrosen8239 I was a Chrysler tech from 2014 to 2018 and never seen a head gasket failure on a Pentastar im on my second vehicule with a Pentastar and they both have been super reliable is this only affect Pacifica's???
Is the Pacifica ok to buy with low miles and one owner?
"...or there's something else going wrong because it's a Dodge". Between you and Wes, Dodge is taking a beating today!
What about Scotty?
@@optophobe No he just said not to buy a Ford.
@@optophobe I don’t know, I get distracted by his orchestra conducting.
A well deserved and earned beating at that...
@Albo alt I've had five, starting with an '86 2.4L ending with a '96 3.8L which died on the road and is now ion a crank but no fire status. Changing crank and cam position sensors did not help.
Your segways into your epilogues are perfection of imperfection, which indicates genuine content.
Classic Mr. O.
“I can hear something drizzling…”
Sir, that would be the Pacifica Ocean
Water everywhere
Say what you want about Chrysler vehicles. We've had an '87, 2003, and a 2006 caravans and all have been pretty decent vehicles. The '87 had over 250k on it when sold and ran fine. The 3.3 engines seems reliable. The 2006 we still drive daily. It's only got about 115k on it right now. Replaced a couple batteries, water pump, radiator, and starter. The emissions stuff on it is a pain but last time I replaced the EGR I used a factory part and it's good as new. Had a rodent get in and chew up a bunch of wiring about a year ago so that was fun. The 2006 I have no complaints about. It's been as good as the 2 Toyotas I've owned. Some years are worse than others though. Haven't heard a lot of good about the pentastar engines though and going through the comments here I wouldn't want one. Eric is the best mechanic I've ever seen and I've know a lot of mechanics.
I’ve personally seen 2 of these engines with less than 60k come in with blown head gaskets. One came in as a no crank no start customer forgot to mention it got hot and they drove it until it stopped. After some testing found the starter was bad and replaced it only to find the overheat condition on the test drive after, and after some more testing discovered the bad head gasket.
"Convieniently"forgot that they seized the engine.... OMJ!
@@tcpnetworks the engine wasn’t seized in like a bearing failure sense. Making sure the crank turned over was part of diagnosing the starter as it made a thump noise when trying to start the vehicle. After replacing the starter bottom end wasn’t knocking or anything so I suspect it got hot enough to warp a head and possibly hydro locked a cylinder is why it stopped running then possible the coolant had drained down into the oil pan as the vehicle had been towed in the day before so it had been sitting about 24 hours before it was worked on.
Burned the starter trying to start a cooked engine?!
I had a guy burn up a starter after the timing belt went on his Galant!
Those under car diapers sure get a lot of oil leaks unnoticed till the warranty is over.
You truly are working in your customer's interests. Too many unpredictables and labor hrs involved in today's engines too attempt repairs like 30yrs ago. I've seen big$ spent on repairs like this only to discover antifreeze had ate up the crank bearings.
It showed in your voice. You just hated to pass the bad news; you wanted it to be something less expensive.
A man with empathy and a conscience. What a great example for your children.
Never seen a Pacifica running drag radials before.
It was an option on the SRT trim. ;)
you caught that too lol
As my friend and I used to say in the shop we worked at “I’ve seen this movie before”. Good call on quoting a used engine. Save yourself the headache. Keep up the good work Eric O!
Hahahaha that’s a good one
priceless
I'll watch a dead end video any time just to hear Eric say "Thanks for watching." Pure entertainment!
Imagine that, running an engine hot has consequences. Good call and thank you for taking the time to diagnose the problem and explaining your reasoning as well.
Some of us are from times when engines had cast iron heads; they could be run without coolant and still run afterward. In our local demolition derby old Detroit Iron is popular because the radiator can be destroyed but it won't shut down the vehicle before the event is over.
I confess my favorite event at the Derby is the Powder Puff event. The guys try hard to avoid being hit; the ladies know you are either a hammer or you are a nail. They sure know how to kick up the action!
My idiot neighbor were driving their Honda mini van when they heard a loud clunk, oil smoke & the engine died. Had it towed home, checked the oil, added 3 quarts & still wasn't showing on the stick. I charged the battery, starter clunked but wouldn't crank, put a socket & breaker bar on the crank pully, but it couldn't turn.
Their solution?
Replace the battery, have it towed to a repair shop & "find out what's wrong!"
Now you know why I call them "the Flintstones!"
@@mariosaccoccio1688 "Our truck broke down last night. All of a sudden there was a boom, then frantic flapping noises and oil spewing everywhere around the engine!".
That's a quote from a RUclips video and I'm not 100% sure if they ever revealed what the issue with the engine was but I'm 99.9% sure it threw a rod right through the crankcase. Late-80s Nissan Diesel engine with who knows how many miles on it. I definitely remember they ended up having a used engine put in.
My favorite RUclips automotive channel. You single handedly taught me how to replace the fuel pump in my 86 Iroc Z28 from watching your Firebird video.
Hey , ive got a 86 iroc too !
So ya didn't drill the access panel?
@@FBobby No
Eric O, unrelated to the video, where'd you go? 8 days and no videos? I'm not enjoying these withdrawal symptoms and my Dr. has advised me to reach out to you to prevent further implications. You are a king of the automotive world online and I learn something new with every video you post. I really hope I don't have to up my meds and a video gets posted soon. lol
When I saw the handicapped placard hanging on the rear view mirror my heart sunk. That person already had enough issues as it is. That must have been a crappy phone call to make.
It's certainly the right call for the customer if there is a strong likelihood that the cost of a low mileage replacement engine is dwarfed by the cost (and risk) to repair the existing one. There are few people out there who I'd regard as an 'expert' these days, but if Mr. O. says it's a bad bet, you can take it to the bank.
Not only that, but it's likely the only reason it's in the shop is because the starter died. If she's been cranking/starting the thing while it was trying to hydrostatically lock, you could also be looking at a bent or stressed rod.
I have a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica with 278,389 miles on it. I change my oil, plugs at 100k and I did my surpinten belt. Only thing that I’ve repaired is change a low beam. I mostly highway drive so still have my original brake pads. Love my Pacifica.
Thank you Erik for every single upload! .. always a pleasure
This is a teachable moment. Don’t drive around ignoring what appears to be major coolant loss. Particularly, if you’re not seeing puddles under car. Look at the exhaust and see it’s white.
My 2011 GMC Acadia had an odd noise and a few misfires after sitting overnight. Shop supervisor at dealer checked it, I authorized an extra hour to confirm his diagnosis of porosity in the block casting. TSB applies to 2009-2021 3.6 V6 in all GM products from Caddy on down mounted both transverse and longitudinal. Apparently GM figured it was cheaper to fix them if they failed during the 100K mile warranty period than to fix the casting problem. The V8 had a problem 2012-2015 so apparently they fixed the mfr process or the design. Other mfr had porosity problems with aluminum blocks but didn't let it go for 12 years.
To be fair she didn't ignore it, she kept refilling it. Quite possibly she knew it was a potential head gasket or similar and wasn't willing to fix it.
You missed the root lesson - never buy a Chrysler product.
@@joeschmoe6908 yep. My old Towncar smoked oil and coolant both for quite a while, somewhere around a quart a month. Still drove it for like 30,000 miles and a couple years before it went catastrophic (in an unrelated way: the connection on the manifold for the hose going to the heater core cracked, probably because I futzed with said hose every time it got hot to bypass the heater core so I had AC...).
My vehicle had a coolant leak for 2 years that slowly got worse until it did leave puddles. Thats how it goes sometimes, have to wait for it to get worse to diagnose it. It was just a hose leaking.
Looking forward to the video for the replacement motor. That should be a blast (for us viewers, LOL).
I drive a 2003 GMC. 235k and it runs like a top. Seeing all these 2017 and newer vehicles with major issues makes me just want to keep running that 2003 until the wheels fall of, then bolt them back on and it run it some more.
My son bought his step daughter a Pacifica and the starter was bad. While he was changing out the starter, my granddaughter was present the whole time. She told me it had not been an easy job and he had a fair amount of difficulty doing the R&R. I asked if there had been a lot of swearing and she said, "Yes." I then asked if she could tell me what my son had said without the swearing. She said, "Without the swearing?" I said, "Yes." She told me, "He didn't say anything." The Pacifica was a write off less than a month later when a truck broadsided it. What is it about Chrysler products..........
That's very funny! Thank you from Down Under 🙂
I honestly don't know why anyone buys Stellantis product for a daily driver/family car these days. Maybe a RAM but that would be it. There are so many different options out there.
If I absolutely had to go cheap manufacturer, I would look at Nissan before any Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM product. Nissan is pretty bad too.
The real question is; why do people keep buying these pieces of crap?
I've been watching videos of Dodge Chargers/Challengers big V8 cars,and wow, are they easy to steal! It doesn't take much, gone in 60 seconds indeed.
Eric is right the 3.6 Chrysler engines are generally trouble free the biggest problem that I know about with Chrysler in general is there Transmissions never hold up there body's and frames don't last long in salt belt there domestic line is bottom of list they Just can't seem get right my book I wouldn't. Even own ram there transmission are problem matic
Know when to hold ‘em…. Know when to fold ‘em ….
Words to live by.
Love your videos.
I have worked on older engines that had the problems you pointed out, and often found if it was not a blown head gasket that it was a cracked block. Which was cracked internally, in the water jacket and crank case. Had a blown head gasket on a 1972 Ford F-100, that was caused by a bad radiator. Which taught me a very valuable lesson on rebuilding engines, and not having the radiator re-cored. Or at least acid cleaned, and patched before putting the new engine in.
Well done. An unscrupulous garage would allow the customer to pour money into that, rather than recommend the most economically viable route like you have. You even made sure you were right about your diagnosis!
I've had several 3.6 engines and never had trouble, one engine was over 200k when I sold it. The problem is that most people don't do maintenance till something breaks
Several? They only started making them in 2011. And they are junk.
I'm amazed Chrysler is still in business. I don't know anyone who'd own one.
That's a bummer that it couldn't be saved. In a way, it's a good thing that the owner expected the worst case.
The back cylinder head has been known to leak and lock up. Also it smokes the starter because people try and try and try starting them and it cooks it.
Yeah.. I just imagine her cranking and cranking on that key. lol
@@calholli they have what is called tip start. It will crank for about ten seconds as soon as you press the button while the brake is applied.
@@goat3898 oh right.. it has that goofy push button setup
@@mikec9112 if you press the button again it will stop but a lot of people aren’t smart. Had a few jeeps with that new 3.6 have the same problems blown head gasket and starter.
One of the most honest mechanics I know. You keep it real Mr O.
Considering the quality of Chrysler products these days, I'm amazing they continue to sell vehicles. Virtually every model they produce is on someone's "DO NOT BUY" List....Here in California with 210 degree Thermostats, you're lucky if you get 75K miles out of them.
Another example of looking out for the customer. Great diagnosis
Some simple guidelines for successfully ruining an engine: 1. buy anything domestic 2. ignore the temperature gauge, it's lying to you 3. just keep adding coolant 4. keep trying to start a seized engine until you burn out the starter, then replace the battery.
1) my 543,000 mile 96 Jeep Cherokee, 640,000 mile 89 ram 150, 308,000 mile 97 f350, and 240,000 mile 01 Pontiac trans am would like to disagree. 9 times out of 10 it’s customer neglect that claims any engine. Japanese engines just tend to deal with neglect better. All other 3 points I whole heartedly agree with.
😂😂😂
I grew up with that 'anything domestic' theme, but these days I'm not convinced. GM have gone off the rails, with poor engineering, faulty designs, and bad QA. On the other hand Toyota and Honda have proven themselves capable of robust designs with clever engineering. So, I suggest common products from reputable companies. I avoid European designs because they don't offer dealer repair manual access as easily, and because parts are hard to come by.
1. LOL... ya ok, Toyota sludge engine lawsuit, Honda oil burning engine lawsuit, Hyundai Theta 2 engine lawsuit.. but you just keep living in that dream world.
My 300k original engine/tranny dodge grand caravan would disagree. Stop blaming the manufacturers and start blaming the real problems which is stupid owners who don't maintain their vehicles or don't drive normally which includes not flooring at every stop light. Hey lady try checking the oil once in your life and stop driving it when something doesn't work correctly
This guy is so awesome!
Eric's a cool dude!
Love his videos
Prime example of not checking your fluids on a regular basis. I check mine every Saturday morning. Then I have the whole weekend to swear at it as I fix it. Unfortunately, the last time it had a problem it was a failed starter. Thankfully it's a manual and was able to push start it to get home.
Not only does he have time to properly diagnose an issue, but he also has to set cameras up, adjust lights and edit video. Great mechanic! Super helpful information!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!!!!
We've had 2 2019 Pacific's come in in the last month with head gasket failures on cylinder 5. Apparently it fairly common and almost always on cylinder 5. Head gaskets are currently on national back order because of this. Not a real fun job either. It usually starts out as a very light misfire before it gets to this point.
Of course they are on back order. Its the new normal in the US now..
Man that’s a shame people don’t know what happens when engines over heat they just keep going until the engines goes down 😢
They know after they get a 8-10k bill😂
Wes just did a tipm, looks like a Chrysler Saturday 😀
SMA also stands for Segue Master of America. Always so good to watch the vids. Thanks for not hating too much for something built in my city.
Absolutely good call for a engine as normally it will wipe the bearings once coolant gets in the pan. Could spend way to much trying to fix it to just have it fail soon after.
I'd think if it were to get fixed an engine replacement makes 100% more sense than doing anything at all to the engine currently in it, other than trashing it once its removed LOL. I sure wouldn't waste my time pulling it and taking it apart. If she overheated it, and I'm gonna guess many, many times, it ain't worth it...the heads are probably nicely warped...hmm head gasket leaking, and wouldn't be surprised if the block wasn't warped too. People just ignore the simple cheap service & repair stuff, then wonder why they need a new car every couple years.
Not to mention the possibility of bent rods.
Wouldn’t it be nice if a mechanic got the whole story….in a perfect world !
The shop I went to said the same thing. So I put it in my garage and tore it down. Figured it was going to the junkyard so I may as well learn. Sorted it out and drove it another 20K or so miles before giving it away. Had over 250K on the Chrysler T&C Minivan.
I have done the head gasket and head rebuild thing on chryslers before, will never do it again. Just the minor issue of raising the compression back to factory can throw the rod bearings out. You should have used your fancy dancy scope to look down at it :)
Love your diagnostic skills, top notch!
My first work experience was in the shop at a Chrysler dealership. The mechanics would just complain about how crappy the cars were they were working on. This was in the mid-80's with the K Cars. Nice to see nothing has changed.
Actually before the 1980s Chrysler had some good engine like the slant 6 that son time came in 2 sizes and the 318 ci V8 that was in Diplomats trucks and Vans into the nineties.
Actually something has changed it gotten 500% worse. 80's Chryslers are gold compared to the garbage they produce today
We have one of the older Pacifica's and luckily it has been a reliable vehicle. Hear a lot of bad stuff about the newer ones though.
"There's all the water you've been putting in it " 😂😂😂
Always a good show no matter the issue at hand.
Thanks for another Saturday Special!
Also, I use a work-friendly version of CYA, and since you're the owner it's even more fitting... Cover Your Assets.
Great job Eric. 👏 I was expecting you to also break out the borescope to show us the leak in the cylinders. 😆 🤣
I enjoy watching your comprehensive and entertaining videos. Keep up the great work 👍
I agree, its not worth tearing into. I did a yukon denali XL that dropped a lifter, and the price to rebuild the top end with that DOD/AFM system is absurd so I went ahead and put in a brand new engine from Chevy, complete with Chevy Thunder. Came with 100k 5 year warranty too. Ultimately i feel it best to use OEM parts only. I definitely am more expensive than some repair shops, but i have ran into too many issues with aftermarket stuff from the napper and others. As always, I love the videos Eric, you are a fantastic mechanic
Related to Stacy?
I do crazy stuff with my personal stuff. Dropped lifter on those, pull the head. Install some used lifters out of the box I have of lifters, new plastic lifter guides and head gasket. Back together with fresh oil/coolant and disable the afm. Under $200.
Overheated engines, they are junk.
Your mic is a damn good mic. If you have a good enough sound system that drizzle can be heard. Amazing.
Things you never want to hear your mechanic say, part 2,197:
'Man, I'm sure I can hear something going on in there.'
You're such an awesome mechanic brother.. I wish we had a technician as you down in South FL. Every single one of your videos is top notch and we learn a lot!
‘morning Eric O. Really enjoy your content and humble personality. 👊
Perfect, fast, efficient troubleshooting! End of story
Love your videos you're an excellent mechanic and would make great teacher. Wishing you and yours all the best from the east coast salt belt New Brunswick Canada!!
Great call ! I wouldn’t touch it! Because of all troubles it might cause you! Keep up good work Eric !
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the starter burned out because this is been going on for a very long time and it probably has a bent rod at this point as well............
It is amazing how people never want to service there vehicle in till it stops running by then it is way to late
@@wendwllhickey6426 at the same time saying “x brand of car is trash!”
No Becky, you didn’t take care of it. That’s not the manufacturer’s fault
Not going out on a limb. More like sitting on a granite rock
That's quite the deep dive Q-Tip you were using there! Joking aside, that was a good idea. Have a great day, Sir. o7
Well, MR. O you have a great help to me in my life when it comes to troubleshooting vehicles. thanks for all your help over the years!!!!!!!!! much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Eric when you took that bottom
cover off I'm surprised 4 or 5
10mm sockets didn't fall out,
thats where they seem to go!!
LOL!!!
Eric. Thanks for the video as always. Your logic and insights are much appreciated. I have sort of a related question. How do you go about finding a "good" used engine. thanks. Greg.
Always a pleasure to watch
That is an honest assessment of the situation. The engine is toast. Thanks for your honesty and thoroughness.
They made over a million of these engines. Few blown head gaskets here and there is a statistical blip. Courier driven Promaster Vans are getting up to 700 000 miles on these engines, which is pretty amazing for a 6 cylinder gas engine.
Have the 3.6 Pentastar in my 2013 Journey RT AWD 154000km and still smooth and strong.Change oil and fluids per schedule .
@Minivan Lifestyle
I hope so,retired on fixed income so need it to last as long as Cheers
I had a customer the other week have an overheating problem. diagnosed having a leaking rad hose and thermostat housing. She declined repair and was adding a quart of water to it every day. She comes back in with a no start condition. She was adding water into the engine through the oil cap and hydro locked it. We thought she overheated it bad enough to blow a head gasket, but she showed our advisor where she was putting water, and everything made sense after that
I am at the part of the video right now where Eric pits the oil plug back in after letting the water out. My exact thought, she was putting water in the oil fill. You can see the antifreeze overflow has a colored type of fluid in it.
Good grief.....
@@robm3063 Yeah, that is my guess too. She was adding water directly into the oil fill port.
Good. Stupidity should hurt that's how they learn.
Reminds me of the lady that had a civic that over heated. She said she brought it in right away after she went to pickup lunch and go through the drive through pharmacy. Poor civic gave all it had that day for some pesky errands :(
Good call mate I had a ford escort in Canada it had been roasted so I got a used engine and fitted it
Wow its amazing how much the same 3.6l is set up very differently than the grand caravan
Since you found all that oil, I'm guessing that the oil cooler cracked. That is also an area for coolant contamination.
Nice job! I enjoy your troubleshooting approach.
These 3.6s we know have had head gasket issues for years. Had almost the same thing come in, starter fuse was blown. Found coolant in oil. Cylinder had hydrolocked and blew the fuse. Couple weeks later another guy called also with hydrolock issues, blew several fuse blocks with a new starter/alt. I think this will turn out to be a new common problem with these year/models
Hi. Well hopefully there is a part 2, Pacifica gets an engine swap. My wife has a 2016 grand caravan basically same engine. I change the oil in that thing every 4 months or Max 5,000km. Have also replaced the 10 year coolant at 5 years. They are decent engines if you maintain them. The rest of the caravan as you have seen from your business tend to fall apart on a regular basis. Love you channel keep the vids coming. Watching from Nova Scotia rust belt of Canada.
they are similar engines but different the pacifica has the newer pentastar revision 3 i believe
Trudeau's your biggest problem..Lol!!
@@alanmorrison3598 true. But I like most didn’t vote for him. But he is still able to ruin Canada.
Iam in PT Maitland NS. Have the same engine in my Journey and do the same mantaince Cheers
Thanks, Eric! At the risk of sounding greedy, any shot at an engine replacement video on this beast?
If I were in your area I'd have you as my "out of warranty" mechanic any day...
I didn’t know the EGR system had a cooler. Now I do! Thanks SMA❤
Oh baby! Time to relax with a cup of tea and a new SMA video!
This is super unusual. The 3.6 is usually bulletproof and reliable as you said. I've seen Promasters and such with 500k+ miles on them.
People can find a way to make everything unreliable. Its a wild thing to witness
That 3.6 is not a reliable engine, analogous to GM's 3.6
@@maxdm1583 we had the same engine in our grand caravan. Was overall reliable. Sold it with 227k and still running well. Then again, I maintain my cars and perform services regularly. That probably helped.
@@romeo1550 You maintain your vehicles. that's why yours lasted over 100k LOL. Its funny to listen to people complain about every vehicle they've owned being a pile of crap, then you get down to the fact they didn't do any maintenance at all and they whined because the vehicle blew up at 50k from sludged up internal engine components, no oil, etc.
500k miles and probably 5 transmissions
Great Diagnosis. I've had family members that have had a fair share of problems with Chrysler products.👍
Thanks for great content you have truly helped me up my game and I appreciate that and I Thank you Sir !!
Chrysler gonna Chrysler.
Hard to Dodge those bullets.
Pacific is full of water.
Opps. Number one rule when its over heating and using coolant is to CHECK IT OUT...not to keep driving it and adding more coolant. It's likely a warped assortment of parts by now.
Too bad this kind of failure has to happen...they're hard to catch early and rather expensive even when torn down before the warping takes over. Hard call to make on these newer vehicles and especially this type of vehicle, a mini van, that has lots of benefits in use. Fix it or find a replacement vehicle...hum.
The Sad part is these issues started with Chrysler and Dodge with the Neon and Intrepid and the heads warp super easy tore down My in-laws Intrepid 20 years ago same issue overheated because a bad timing belt driven water pump got it all back together and timed and engine was toast
Good stuff man thx for sharing your thought process. Super helpful also somewhat entertaining
Yes . That town is so so fortunate to have you as their mechanic 🎉. Everywhere else in the world has a clown as a mechanic !
Hey Eric, thanks for all your hard work on the videos! They really are a treasure! In my best Eric voice…Thanks fer posting!
You're right about the 3.6 being relatively trouble free. I have a fleet with about 130 Chargers, about a third being the 3.6L (non-pursuit). The biggest problem they normally have are the oil filter housing assemblies cracking. I've only had to do 2 cam/lifter replacements as opposed to about 50 or so on the 5.7L.
3.6 is the way to go for sure.
Hemi's don't like being idled excessively. I'm always paranoid about hearing the dreaded Hemi tick lol. But I have also seen many run high miles trouble free.
Many failures, especially on earlier revisions of that oil filter housing assembly can be an internal oil cooler failure, which allowed the fluids to mix.
Always nice to see a true master at work 👍
Good diagnosis Mr O!, another SMA success!
I'm on board with a couple others thinking that poor starter tried its damnedest to turn, but couldn't and burnt up. I'm surprised the over-current didn't fry something prior.
Well it has a 500 amp fuse running to the motor. And that fuse was still good.
I have seen that many times. Junk engine people try to turn over. Nuclear burns up the starters
Someone gotta make a meme the little starter that tried or something... kinda like the old school book the little engine that could
The push button start doesn't help. The computer keeps the starter engaged for a long time trying to get it to crank. Most people would let go after a few seconds.