The Chrysler Pentastar engine household started manufacturing in 2010 and remains to be in manufacturing to this present day. It’s a preferred engine that’s in dozens of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram autos. Some 12,000,000+ Chrysler Pentastar engines have been manufactured up to now. There’s a motive the three.0, 3.2, and three.6L Pentastar powers so many fashions; it affords an excellent stability of reliability, efficiency, and financial system.
Nevertheless, with so many Pentastar engines produced, it’s pure to count on numerous well-documented engine issues. Of these points, oil leaks are among the many most typical – particularly the dreaded oil filter housing leaks. On this information, we talk about a number of the most typical Chrysler Pentastar oil leaks.
Widespread Pentastar Oil Leaks
A number of the most typical areas for oil leaks on the three.0L, 3.2L, and three.6L Pentastar are:
Oil filter housing/oil cooler assemblyValve cowl gasketsRear essential sealOil pan
This record isn’t in any specific order, however the oil filter housing leak is first for an excellent motive. Not solely is it some of the widespread Pentastar oil leaks, nevertheless it’s additionally some of the widespread engine issues basically.
Different areas to search for oil leaks embrace the valve cowl gaskets, oil pan, and rear essential seal. All through the remainder of this text, we’ll develop on every of those widespread Chrysler Pentastar oil leaks.
1. Pentastar Oil Filter Housing Leak
Once more, the Pentastar oil filter housing leak is without doubt one of the most typical points and oil leaks on the engine. The oil filter housing additionally incorporates the oil cooler, so you might also see this leak known as coming from the oil cooler. Sometimes, oil coolers are created from metals like aluminum. Nevertheless, Chrysler opted to make use of plastic and in addition mounted the housing between the left and proper cylinder banks – proper within the heart of the engine the place there’s extra warmth.
The mix of the plastic materials and site makes the oil filter housing and oil cooler meeting vulnerable to cracking. When this happens, it ends in a fairly vital oil leak. Oil might make its manner again close to the rear essential seal, so for those who discover oil there, don’t assume it’s the rear seal. It’s very seemingly the Pentastar oil filter housing is the perpetrator.
Chrysler did replace the filter housing design in 2014 by eradicating the bypass valve, altering the housing form, and the bolt sample of the oil cooler. It did assist cut back the variety of oil filter housing issues on newer fashions. Nevertheless, it’s nonetheless some of the widespread points on the Pentastar engines. Cracks are nonetheless attainable with the up to date half, nevertheless it appears the oil filter housing o-rings are the principle subject on newer fashions.
2. Chrysler Valve Cowl Gasket Oil Leaks
Subsequent up are valve cowl gasket (VCG) oil leaks on the three.0, 3.2, and three.6 Pentastar engines. Valve cowl gaskets sit between the engine and the valve cowl to assist maintain oil sealed inside. These gaskets are usually product of rubber (as is the case on the Pentastar) and are topic to excessive warmth and warmth cycles.
Over time, valve cowl gaskets change into brittle and start cracking and leaking oil from the valve cowl areas. VCG oil leaks are a standard subject on many various engines, so the Chrysler Pentastar isn’t alone right here. There aren’t any design flaws or main points with the design of the Pentastar valve cowl gasket. As a substitute, the VCG is just topic to plenty of put on and tear through the years.
A valve cowl gasket oil leak can happen at any level, nevertheless it’s most typical after 8+ years and 80,000+ miles. V6 engines just like the Pentastar use two valve cowl gaskets – one on every engine financial institution. If one begins leaking, it’s greatest to interchange each gaskets on the identical time.
3. Pentastar Rear Fundamental Seal Leak
Rear essential seals are one of many much less widespread oil leaks on the Chrysler Pentastar engines. There are nonetheless numerous studies about rear essential seal oil leaks. Nevertheless, that’s to be anticipated on an engine that’s been in manufacturing for therefore lengthy and with 12+ million items produced.
Anyway, the rear essential seal is accountable for sealing the hole on the rear of the engine the place the crankshaft connects to the transmission. Rear essential seal leaks could be costly as a result of location and complexity of labor. The seal itself is cheap however substitute will seemingly end in 7-12 hours of labor.
Once more, Pentastar rear essential seal leaks are one of many least widespread oil leaks on this record. It’s well worth the point out as a result of intensive labor and value to interchange, although. It’s additionally price mentioning because the rear essential seal can typically be confused with an oil filter housing leak. When the filter housing leaks, it may typically drip down close to the rear essential seal, so double-check earlier than assuming it’s the seal.
4. Oil Pan Gasket Oil Leaks
One other attainable oil leak on the Chrysler Pentastar engine is the oil pan and oil pan gasket. As with the rear essential seal, that is additionally one of many much less widespread areas for oil leaks on the three.0, 3.2, and three.6L engines. The oil pan gasket seals the oil pan (the place oil is saved) to the underside of the engine block.
The Pentastar makes use of a two-piece oil pan design with an higher and decrease oil pan. An oil leak from the gasket between these two items is the commonest space for an oil pan leak. Luckily, the decrease oil pan could be very simple to take away and the gasket is simply about $25. This isn’t a quite common leak on the Pentastar, however no less than it’s an inexpensive and simple repair for those who do run into points.
Chrysler Pentastar Oil Leak Abstract
The Pentastar engine household is extremely in style, given its 14 years in manufacturing and the handfuls of autos it’s utilized in. The recognition of the Pentastar engine is essentially as a consequence of it providing an excellent stability of reliability, longevity, efficiency, and financial system. Nevertheless, with so many of those engines on the street, it is sensible there are a variety of issues and oil leaks.
An oil leak from the oil filter housing & oil cooler meeting is undoubtedly some of the widespread issues on the Chrysler Pentastar engine. The plastic housing is topic to plenty of warmth and is vulnerable to cracking or leaking from the o-ring.
The valve cowl gasket, rear essential seal, and oil pan leaks are a number of different attainable oil leaks on the Pentastar. These oil leaks are a lot much less widespread of a difficulty than the oil filter housing. Not like the housing design flaw, none of those oil leaks are as a consequence of any severe faults or design flaws. Nevertheless, engines take numerous abuse through the years and these oil leaks are extra widespread because the Pentastar continues getting older.