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Heater Core, No Drivers Heat and Casting Sand

152K views 500 replies 133 participants last post by  Old Dogger 
#1 ·
I have a 2013 with 14,000 miles. The water pump was replaced in August at 9,600 miles due to the chirp.

I am currently getting blast furnace heat on the passenger side, Luke warm on the drivers side. I took it to the dealer today and they called, said it was fixed and blamed it on a sticky actuator in the duct work. When I arrived to pick it up, the problem was still there.

I explained the casting sand stories I have read on this forum and they said they would go ahead and replace the heater core tomorrow. They are expecting it to take two days because they have to pull the seats, console and dash. The A/C system also has to bled and then refilled.

Are there any other options they should explore before pulling apart a 9 month old Jeep? Does anyone know if there is a TSB related to this issue? I have read every thread I can find on this issue, lots of people have asked for the TSB number but I have not been able to locate it.
 
#4 ·
Just took my 12 (33K miles) in for the exact same issue. They told me there was a 'bulletin' out on that problem and they are required to replace everything related to the heating system from the radiator all the way up to the heat controls on the dash. It will be a 2-3 day job. Chrysler engineers want all the parts sent back to them so they can diagnose what is causing the issue. Needless to say, I'm a bit hacked off. I just had the heater core replaced not more than 6 months ago due to the 'gurgling' sound.
 
#439 ·
Just took my 12 (33K miles) in for the exact same issue. They told me there was a 'bulletin' out on that problem and they are required to replace everything related to the heating system from the radiator all the way up to the heat controls on the dash. It will be a 2-3 day job. Chrysler engineers want all the parts sent back to them so they can diagnose what is causing the issue. Needless to say, I'm a bit hacked off. I just had the heater core replaced not more than 6 months ago due to the 'gurgling' sound.
Does anyone know that Bulletin Number and does it affect 2013's? Thanks
 
#5 ·
Ummmmmm unless vehicles changed since I was in the auto business it can't be the heater core. If you have hot air then you have hot water in the core the actuators control the heat doors so most likely if you have heat on one side and not the other then it's most likely an actuator or sticking door. Just my .02
 
#6 ·
Well, I got it back but the did not change the core. They replaced the dash controls instead. They also confirmed the ductwork is functioning properly. It seems to be better but it was also about 70 degrees today.
 
#7 ·
Casting Sand

I came across a thread on another Jeep board where someone else had the same issue. His cooling system was full of casting sand and it had collected in the overflow tank. He made a video showing the sand:

http://s53.photobucket.com/user/holeshot753/media/video-2013-02-05-18-46-52_zps7a706cb6.mp4.html

I went out and looked at mine a few minutes ago and this is what I found:





Notice the dark section in the bottom inch of the tank? I'm betting it is casting sand in the cooling system. Anyone else with a 2012+ mind taking a look at your overflow tank?

.
 
#9 ·
Could you take a quick look at your overflow tank and see if it has sludge in the bottom?
 
#12 ·
I,ve had my '13 Rubicon for a year now and noticed that the coolant is just above the minimum mark on the recovery tank. I have been keeping an eye on this for a month or so. When I shut the vehicle off Ive noticed a sweet smell coming from the radiator area, this seems to dissipate quickly. Heater runs fine, Temp gauge normal. I will check for sediment. Any thoughts, similar experience?
 
#13 ·
I would definitely check for any sediment in the overflow tank or on the radiator cap. Keep a close eye on the coolant level in the tank too.
 
#14 ·
Update:

So the dealer replaced the dash controls a couple of weeks ago and confirmed the operation of the diverter. I still have the same issue, little heat on the driver side, blast furnace passenger side. The heat on the driver side does get a little better with higher (2K+) rpms.

The dealer has it back and just called to confirm they will be replacing the radiator cap, heater core and oil cooler. They have also ordered a flush kit.

Any idea why they would be replacing the oil cooler?
 
#18 ·
I have posted this in a couple of other threads with little attention. I just had the same job done. Same issues, one-sided heat on passenger's side and dash gurgle. Radiator, heater core, oil cooler all changed with a block flush. I shared with the dealership the same stories here about the casting sand. They told me that they weren't sure about casting sand but a "coolant sludge" issue. When I pushed them about it they stated that the Jeep engineers told their service department that it was an "improper mix" of coolant. Again, they wouldn't/couldn't elaborate. Bottom line, it is a known issue and there is a Star Case out on it. My dealership went straight to the Star Case and jumped in with both feet right up front. Took them about three days. So far so good, 2,000 miles down since and no new buildup or heating issues.
 
#19 ·
2013 JK with 20,000 miles. I just noticed I was a little low and pulled the jug to clean it out. I was surprised to find this. My heat works fine. Going to have the dealer flush it anyway.
 

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#22 ·
#23 ·
I have a 12 JKU with 32k on it and it just went in this week for the same issue of little or no heat on driver's side. It has progressively gotten worse as it used to throw molten lava out all of the vents. I think that I have a little more confidence in my local service dept than most people do. Luckily our dealer is active in our local Jeep club meetings and our Service manager has the attitude that it is a Jeep and should be used as such. :worthy:

I took my Jeep in Monday morning and thanks to the forum I already knew what was going on with it, but I figured I would just let them take a look and get back to me. Within an hour or so the Service Tech called me and told me that they were going to have to replace the heater core, radiator and oil cooler. Parts were ordered and expected to be in the next day. He asked me if I needed assistance with transportation and if so just let him know and he would take care of it. He expected the job to take a couple of days after they had parts in so I told him I would appreciate transportation. Within an hour Enterprise gave me a call and scheduled a time to come pick me up.

On Thursday afternoon I stopped by the dealership to see how things were going and to pick up my dog leashes just in case I wasn't going to get Mr. White before the weekend...the service tech there told me "you may not want to see your Jeep right now" but come on back if I wanted to look for my things. He took my into the service bay and here is what I saw...:jawdrop:

I was kind of prepared for it but to see it disassembled to that extent was a little disconcerting. I was encouraged that they had everything laid out nicely in the back seat and rear cargo area. Am I worried that things are not going to go back in without being scratched or cracked?? Yes, but I am also certain that my dealer will take care of me properly it there are any issues.

The tech told me that if everything went perfectly on Friday that I should have my Jeep back in the late afternoon. I joked with him and told him to tell everyone to take their time...NO RUSH!!! Anyway, I am hoping that this will solve the problem for good as I am almost out of the 3/36 warranty period.
 

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#25 ·
I got mine back on Tuesday after having the core, radiator, etc. replaced. Currently working with Jeep on some sort of extended warranty. At first they were talking about extending the warranty for the heater core and radiator. I told them that was not acceptable given the extent of what had to be disassembled. Who knows what could now go wrong inside the dash and column. Also, if there was sand in the core there may be more fun in the future. In a little over a year it has been in over 10 times with issues and I have been without the vehicle 17 days. In all fairness to Jeep it was a few issues that were not getting resolved. Once I got a Jeep caseworker involved and switched service departments things got resolved quickly.

There is a distinct smell of coolant when I first run the heater. I am assuming that will go away over time.
 
#30 ·
Wow, I wonder what the cost of that project would be out of warranty. I doubt they'll ever get that back together anywhere near how it was out of the factory, w/o rattling and squeaking and God knows what else.

I read earlier they had to evacuate the A/C system too, that seems odd. I'm a big Chrysler Jeep fan but it seems their QC is really lacking. :jawdrop:
 
#28 ·
Getting mine flushed next week. The dealer is doing it for free, but I may have it done again later on my dime. My local questionable dealer can probably flush the coolant fine, but there's no way they are stripping my Jeep like that. I'd pay 120 bucks a few times to avoid that potential disaster.
 
#32 ·
Saw this post, and went out and checked my overflow tank. Definitely have some near the bottoms.

So, I did some research in the google machine, and this seems like a common issue across all vehicles. One thing I did find, was that coolant systems need to be flushed very often, maybe once a year, but to the average owner, who brings their jeep in, why would the dealership ever do that?? Looks like, I will be figuring out how to flush my coolant this weekend.

I saw another post, that said the orange coolant, which is in mine, 2012 JKU, is a high mileage coolant that has this issue of breaking down, where green coolant does not. Just a few posts on that, but anyone have any opinions on old school green coolant? I don't ever remember this being a problem on older vehicles that did have green coolant.
 
#35 ·
I hear ya, these threads are scary. Between the cylinder head issue and the heater core, sand casting issues you have to be either lucky or have a lot of patience it seems. Have you tried pressure testing the system yourself, or gotten a used oil analysis? If the coolant is getting into the oil an analysis will show it, and you'd have ammo to go back to Chrysler with. Just a thought.

If it wasn't a warranty issue [I'd find out] then I'd get some of those pellets the GM dealers sell crush them up and throw them in the radiator. A lot of mfgs. put similar ginger root based products in the radiators at the factory, which I've read about.
 
#37 ·
According to Chrysler the blocks are die cast. The heads are sand cast. That goo ( I had a little in my overflow ) might be casting sand from the heads. It might be some interaction with the coolant. It might be contamination that wasn't caught or cleaned out thoroughly from the manufacturing process. It might be something else.

Whatever it is, it's dense and heavier than the coolant. It looks like it becomes compacted and turns almost into a solid. You can bet Chrysler knows what it is but isn't saying. If there were a way of flushing with certain chemicals to break down the sludge they probably would do that instead of replacing everything.

Someone somewhere has inside information. It would be nice getting a definitive answer.
 
#39 ·
Someone somewhere has inside information. It would be nice getting a definitive answer.
Don't hold your breath waiting for that definitive answer, we still don't know what caused the head problems or if it is really fixed 100% for sure. [It seems they might have fixed it though.] No one is talking and no one is going to talk.
 
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