Prowling around I find this

Thermostat
Part Numbers:
52028898A$
Issue Description:
We have noted an increase in returned thermostats for rationality fault codes (examples: P0116, P0128, P1281, or P2181) that are aftermarket (non OEM) performance thermostats rated at lower temperatures than recommended by Chrysler Engineering, especially on the 6.1L SRT Hemi. When diagnosing any 5.7L or 6.1L Hemi vehicle for the aforementioned faults, be sure to determine if the thermostat is OE before determining warranty coverage - problems arising from aftermarket performance thermostats are not warrantable and and claims involving non-OE parts are subject to chargeback.


2005-2006 SRT8 Only - Coolant Temperature Gauge Function


If you are ordering a Thermostat to address an issue on the 6.1L SRT8 where the coolant temp gauge reads high (but not in the red zone) please note the following:


The normal operating temperature range for the gauge on the 6.1L SRT8 is 1/2 to 3/4 of the gauge, readings of 3/4 gauge are not abnormal.


The range of the gauge is 140 to 260 degrees Fahrenheit. The normal operating temperature for the 6.1L engine is 200-230 F. 200 F is the middle of the gauge, 230 F is 3/4 of the gauge, and the red zone is 7/8 of the gauge at 245 F. Additionally, the low fan should come on at 217 F and shut off at 212 F. The high fan comes on at 226 F and shuts off at 219 F.


______________________________________

Contact Us at CAGRIS for feedback related ONLY to this GPOP Tech Tip. DO NOT email regarding repair procedures unrelated to this Tech Tip or part order inquires. Please include the Part Number (s) and Tech Tip Part Description of the Tech Tip you are referencing for our tracking system.

Whats the moral of this story? Don't take your truck to the dealer if it throws a cel from the thermostat...lol.

Translation: We can now deny engine warranty work if you have a low temp stat.

Just found some nice brown sediment at the bottom of my coolant overflow tank. Thankfully my dealer loves what I've done to mine.

HAHA!! i just got a new radiator yesterday from the dealer cause of coolant spray. My mechanic called me and told me that the Tstat gasket was junk also. Didnt mention the 180 tstat. :D:D

Basically anything under a 180 stat you're screwed. if you throw a cell from a 170 & they find out than they'll try to void anywork...I love how they'll screw you for a lower stat when they still wont do anything about their oem pos radiator cap.

Basically anything under a 180 stat you're screwed. if you throw a cell from a 170 & they find out than they'll try to void anywork...I love how they'll screw you for a lower stat when they still wont do anything about their oem pos radiator cap.

Where did you see that info?

Where did you see that info?

We have noted an increase in returned thermostats for rationality fault codes (examples: P0116, P0128, P1281, or P2181) that are aftermarket (non OEM) performance thermostats


90% of the time anything under a 180 stat will throw a cel/code right ? - maybe not in miami but somewhere like chicago it eventually will

We have noted an increase in returned thermostats for rationality fault codes (examples: P0116, P0128, P1281, or P2181) that are aftermarket (non OEM) performance thermostats


90% of the time anything under a 180 stat will throw a cel/code right ? - maybe not in miami but somewhere like chicago it eventually will


My reasoning fo running the 180.

We have noted an increase in returned thermostats for rationality fault codes (examples: P0116, P0128, P1281, or P2181) that are aftermarket (non OEM) performance thermostats


90% of the time anything under a 180 stat will throw a cel/code right ? - maybe not in miami but somewhere like chicago it eventually will

Gotcha. While I've seen some people post about their "170" (actually 176 open temp) stats throwing a code I've never gotten one and I live in OH. :confused:

Gotcha. While I've seen some people post about their "170" (actually 176 open temp) stats throwing a code I've never gotten one and I live in OH. :confused:

I think it also has to do w/ if you let the motor warm up to like 160 before you start driving. If you have a 176 and you start driving it cold it will take alot longer to warm up and after a period of time if the motor doesnt warm up i believe it'll throw codes.

I think it also has to do w/ if you let the motor warm up to like 160 before you start driving. If you have a 176 and you start driving it cold it will take alot longer to warm up and after a period of time if the motor doesnt warm up i believe it'll throw codes.
Exactly, if I make 3 very short trips without the engine warming up, it throws a code.
Therefore, I do try to let it warm up if I'm just running down to the corner.
Bill

I guess that makes sense. I always try to let mine idle for a minute or two before driving.

I got a 13 pages print-out from my Dealer on this P0128-Thermostat rationality, and the short of it is:
Theory of Operation:
The PCM predicts what the engine coolant temp should be, based on the engine coolant temp at start-up, ambient temp. and how the vehicle is subsequently driven. The predicted ECT is compared to the ECT sensor reading.........
Set condition:
This diagnostic will fail when the model temp reaches 196F before the ECT reaches 176F. This monitor only runs after a cold start condition ECT, ACT, AMB are all within 50F of one another. Two trip Fault. Three good trips to turn off the mill.
So here you have it, a 180 T-stat will bring ECT above the 176F threshold and the 170 will not in certain conditions. I run the 170 Stat and my ECT sets mostly at 176F but only get the mill around once a month and clear it via Dashhawk
Claude

I only had a CEL 1 day after installing my 170 back in April.

I burped the system, topped off, and reset computer.

It has never came on again.

It is 40s-50s here out now, and truck runs about 185-195 normally on the
dashhawk. Goes higher if you are sitting etc.

I almost feel like the t-stat sticks a little or is very slow opening first thing in the
morning. I get about 2 miles down the road, and it creeps up to 215, then
immediatley goes back down to high 180s?

Only first thing in the morning. ????

Still no problems.

This was only a matter of time, the bean counters finally started watching the forums.

There will be more of this to come regarding other mods, no doubt.

According to Law, THEY have to PROVE the aftermarket part was the sole cause for whatever the issue is and have a detailed explanation plus proof that the aftermarket part caused said issue, funny how they think we dont know about that. They cant just say uhhh too bad for you with that aftermarket t-stat were not going to cover your issues under warranty which alot of dealerships will try and do thinking you dont know or understand the law

http://www.magnusonproducts.com/magnusonmoss.htm

No surprise. It was bound to start happening.

Just found some nice brown sediment at the bottom of my coolant overflow tank. Thankfully my dealer loves what I've done to mine.


You didn't cause that sediment, that was caused during the manufacture of certain 6.1 Hemi. Engines in 2006. There is a Rapid Responce out on certain 2006s, open your cap ( when cool ) and see if there is an ammonia odor, or some other weird smell, other than Coolant. If so put your old Tsat. back and take it to a Dealer, they will completely flush the system replace the Overflow Tank and cap, don't remember if the Tsat. gets replaced or not and replace all of the Coolant with fresh Coolant. After all that you do have a 2006, I hope.

You didn't cause that sediment, that was caused during the manufacture of certain 6.1 Hemi. Engines in 2006. There is a Rapid Responce out on certain 2006s, open your cap ( when cool ) and see if there is an ammonia odor, or some other weird smell, other than Coolant. If so put your old Tsat. back and take it to a Dealer, they will completely flush the system replace the Overflow Tank and cap, don't remember if the Tsat. gets replaced or not and replace all of the Coolant with fresh Coolant. After all that you do have a 2006, I hope.

I knew I didn't do it but thanks for posting the rest of that info. I wasn't sure what the fix was (haven't been able to get on wkjeeps.com for a few days for some reason). I don't seem to have the odor either but the sediment is definitely there.
Guess I have to go buy some more water wetter, lol.

Show them this

http://www.chargerforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58709&page=5

Thread 48

???? 5

At least for the 180

I thought the ammonia smell or cottage cheese was only evident on the LXs. I have not heard of one GC owner complaining about brown sediment other than Grocery Getter and I think that's mostly because he mixed two different types of coolants. Whatever the cause, I'm confident it wasn't Stroke that did it.

I think i'm going to bring my jeep in for warranty work just for the reaction.

I think i'm going to bring my jeep in for warranty work just for the reaction.

I think you chances are good because most haven't even seen a stock GC SRT8

They'll think it came that way from factory :D

Good find, Blown7. SRT-4 owners will remember this PDF put out by the Daimler Chrysler Academy: http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~86rdb4

true my brown coolant was the result of mixing,i flushed it out and replaced coolant, good to go ....

I've never added anything but distilled water and water wetter to my coolant. I'll keep everyone posted as to what my dealer says and does to remedy the situation.

Good find, Blown7. SRT-4 owners will remember this PDF put out by the Daimler Chrysler Academy: http://www.filecrunch.com/file/~86rdb4

That is a very interesting article. In that SRT-4 document, it tells the techs to compare the mileage on the pcm with the mileage stored in the instrument cluster to determine if the owner has been swapping pcm's... So if Chrysler had a reason to look, they could tell that I've been running another pcm for a while whenever I swap in the original pcm for service visits?

Yikes, not good at all!

I knew I didn't do it but thanks for posting the rest of that info. I wasn't sure what the fix was (haven't been able to get on wkjeeps.com for a few days for some reason). I don't seem to have the odor either but the sediment is definitely there.
Guess I have to go buy some more water wetter, lol.


Take it back to the dealer it will be fixed. A Rapid Responce is like a silent recall. If they are putting all of this time and money in fixing this problem, it must be something that can harm the engine.


Jack



Jack

I thought the ammonia smell or cottage cheese was only evident on the LXs. I have not heard of one GC owner complaining about brown sediment other than Grocery Getter and I think that's mostly because he mixed two different types of coolants. Whatever the cause, I'm confident it wasn't Stroke that did it.


You may be right but I saw the Rapid Responce when they worked on mine, there were more than one engine involved but I do remember one was the 06 6.1 but not all the 6.1s.



Jack

That is a very interesting article. In that SRT-4 document, it tells the techs to compare the mileage on the pcm with the mileage stored in the instrument cluster to determine if the owner has been swapping pcm's... So if Chrysler had a reason to look, they could tell that I've been running another pcm for a while whenever I swap in the original pcm for service visits?

Yep that milage difference also holds true for our GCSRT's PCM's

IF the dealer tech was smart enough and was told what to do by Chrysler corporate, they could find descripts in total milage of swapped PCM's in our Jeeps unless everything is reset with a StMo or StSc.

Yep that milage difference also holds true for our GCSRT's PCM's

IF the dealer tech was smart enough and was told what to do by Chrysler corporate, they could find descripts in total milage of swapped PCM's in our Jeeps unless everything is reset with a StMo or StSc.
I guess that is another reason to keep a good relationship with the dealer. They could make ANY warranty repairs tough!
Bill

I hate the high temps, especially the spikes above 230 in the summer when you slow up and there is no air flow. So I went to a 195 and then to a 180.

Started to get CEL's then, a P0128, with the 180. Finally took it in to the dealer and complained about the CEL's. They said it was a result of the engine not reaching operating temp and they installed a (factory) 205. They didn't charge me anything or give me a lecture, which I probably deserved.

Since then, I have had no CEL's. It is now winter in Minnesota so it is hard to complain about a 205. I will probably will change it back to a 195 or a 180 next summer (and live with the CEL's). What really gets me, is most members here are not getting the CEL, unless they have a 170.

I have pretty much forgotten about my warranty for drivetrain components. Like others, if something breaks I plan to upgrade it to something that won't break.

FWIW, dealer flushed and cleaned my cooling system then added new coolant to get rid of the brown sediment.

Yeah thats crazy. Most techs wouldnt go through the hassle unless the dealership is really trying to bust your balls. Finding a mod friendly dealer is the way to go:D

I hate the high temps, especially the spikes above 230 in the summer when you slow up and there is no air flow. So I went to a 195 and then to a 180.

Started to get CEL's then, a P0128, with the 180. Finally took it in to the dealer and complained about the CEL's. They said it was a result of the engine not reaching operating temp and they installed a (factory) 205. They didn't charge me anything or give me a lecture, which I probably deserved.

Since then, I have had no CEL's. It is now winter in Minnesota so it is hard to complain about a 205. I will probably will change it back to a 195 or a 180 next summer (and live with the CEL's). What really gets me, is most members here are not getting the CEL, unless they have a 170.

I have the 170 and threw a Cel bout 50 miles later, cleared w/battery disconnect has never returned

Funny thing is now that I have a some slightly cooler temps and not having the a/c on or blasting I'm actually running hotter

When you turn the Air Conditioning on it sets lower fan on temps in the PCM.

if you disconnect the battery, and then take it to the dealer, can they tell that you threw cel's before the dissconnect?