[Slimshot]

Our local Dodge dealer left us a message and said there was an open recall on my wife's 2014 Dart 2.4 SXT. She's had the shift cable fixed in 2019, the brake booster in 2016, and a software update in between. A search of the national VIN data base only shows these three, and all as being complied with. I visited the service department today, and they said this just came out last December, and is another "software update". When asked what they're updating, she just shrugged and said it's minor and should only take twenty minutes. Anyone else hear of this new "recall"? What is it they're correcting?

I hate it when the service rep won't talk specifics with me. Other then their prices, my biggest dealer gripe is that the service writers must think every owner is too stupid to understand what they're doing out in the shop. In the past I've expressed specific troubleshooting items to the service writer that were never passed on to the guy doing the work, and afterwards couldn't get many specifics of what was done back through the desk. Well, I digress....

I would just like to know what to look for after they've gotten their hands on the brains of her car. Anyone know what this one's about? Thanks.

 

[alpinegreenneon]

If your 2.4 doesn't have an oil consumption problem, ignore the customer satisfaction notification. It's not a recall, they can't force it on you.

2.4L Multiair Oil Consumption Issue Fixed by FCA

After many years of customers complaining, Chrysler has finally addressed the oil consumption issue on this engine. https://www.allpar.com/threads/jeep-fix-for-2018-2019-2-4-oil-consumption.236406/

www.dodge-dart.org

 

[Ray72]

Our local Dodge dealer left us a message and said there was an open recall on my wife's 2014 Dart 2.4 SXT. She's had the shift cable fixed in 2019, the brake booster in 2016, and a software update in between. A search of the national VIN data base only shows these three, and all as being complied with. I visited the service department today, and they said this just came out last December, and is another "software update". When asked what they're updating, she just shrugged and said it's minor and should only take twenty minutes. Anyone else hear of this new "recall"? What is it they're correcting?

I hate it when the service rep won't talk specifics with me. Other then their prices, my biggest dealer gripe is that the service writers must think every owner is too stupid to understand what they're doing out in the shop. In the past I've expressed specific troubleshooting items to the service writer that were never passed on to the guy doing the work, and afterwards couldn't get many specifics of what was done back through the desk. Well, I digress....

I would just like to know what to look for after they've gotten their hands on the brains of her car. Anyone know what this one's about? Thanks.

I just had this recall repair done yesterday on my 14 Dart 2.4. I did have the oil consumption issue, and I'm really hoping this actually works. Love the car, but this has been a dealbreaker.

 

[CUDA69]

The only thing I can think of that a software update for oil consumption would affect is engine vacuum. If they try to limit vacuum it will probably involve more rev hang. I lost the rev hang with the tuned PCM, don't want it back. Fortunately haven't had an oil consumption issue, so I will pass on this upgrade.

 

[Delta Dart]

I just got the notice today. It claims they will reprogram the PCM free of charge to fix the oil consumption issue. My Dart isn't bad, but at a quart every 2000 miles I always felt it was a bit excessive. I don't know how reprogramming the PCM is supposed to solve the problem however. Kinda sounds like a Band-Aid fix to me.

 

[jsblanch]

I just got the notice today. It claims they will reprogram the PCM free of charge to fix the oil consumption issue. My Dart isn't bad, but at a quart every 2000 miles I always felt it was a bit excessive. I don't know how reprogramming the PCM is supposed to solve the problem however. Kinda sounds like a Band-Aid fix to me.

It reduces the vacuum level during coasting. Because the 2.4L engine uses MultiAir II, the ECU can fully control the behavior of the intake valves, including not opening them at all when coasting. You're probably right, this likely addresses a design flaw in the engine by reducing the vacuum level, which should reduce oil getting past the piston rings. It's likely not possible to address the actual flaw without redesigning the engine, so this is probably going to be the only solution for oil consumption on the 2.4L Tigershark engine. It might be a Band-Aid fix, but it's the only fix Stellantis/FCA/whatever they call themselves these days is likely to ever offer.

 

[francisco60+]

It reduces the vacuum level during coasting. Because the 2.4L engine uses MultiAir II, the ECU can fully control the behavior of the intake valves, including not opening them at all when coasting. You're probably right, this likely addresses a design flaw in the engine by reducing the vacuum level, which should reduce oil getting past the piston rings. It's likely not possible to address the actual flaw without redesigning the engine, so this is probably going to be the only solution for oil consumption on the 2.4L Tigershark engine. It might be a Band-Aid fix, but it's the only fix Stellantis/FCA/whatever they call themselves these days is likely to ever offer.

I have a van Promaster City that use the same 2.4 engine with the same oil problem and they are asking the same thing, the problem is that they want to test for 1000 miles with all oil access locked , but my van sometimes consume 1 quart by 700 miles and they don't want to do this test with less miles. My question to them was What happens if my engine stop automatically for oil ? Then I have to refill breaking the seal because that resolves the problem for to restart the vehicle. They don't want that test, need to be 1000 miles.

 

[jsblanch]

I have a van Promaster City that use the same 2.4 engine with the same oil problem and they are asking the same thing, the problem is that they want to test for 1000 miles with all oil access locked , but my van sometimes consume 1 quart by 700 miles and they don't want to do this test with less miles. My question to them was What happens if my engine stop automatically for oil ? Then I have to refill breaking the seal because that resolves the problem for to restart the vehicle. They don't want that test, need to be 1000 miles.

Being down even two quarts isn't going to stall the 2.4L engine. You have to have very low oil levels for that to happen. The oil consumption test they want to run is the standard way that all automakers measure oil consumption. It has to be sealed to prevent tampering. Besides, if you lose enough oil to stall in a 1000 miles consumption test, your vehicle is definitely getting a new engine.

 

[francisco60+]

Being down even two quarts isn't going to stall the 2.4L engine. You have to have very low oil levels for that to happen. The oil consumption test they want to run is the standard way that all automakers measure oil consumption. It has to be sealed to prevent tampering. Besides, if you lose enough oil to stall in a 1000 miles consumption test, your vehicle is definitely getting a new engine.

Thank you! I did that question, because my engine doing long trips, just doing stops for fuel that means around 400 miles each stop , there is not oil consumption after 4800 miles, the problem appears doing short trips with long rest between them reaching even 500 miles by a quart of oil, my best consumption is 1000 miles by a quart of oil.

 

[big foot]

Has anyone had the "fix" ? And have you noticed any difference ?

 

[Mopars-Only]

Has anyone had the "fix" ? And have you noticed any difference ?

We got this new control module flash/update. I notice no difference in driving but the jury is still out on it, it is my wife' car and she puts 500+ miles a week on the odometer. She is skeptical but has agreed so far it is fine. The service writer at the dealership told her it would lower the max RPM just a little. That is clearly not what they did, it was something related to valve lift and duration, which is variable and controlled by this module. Everyone knows that i guess. It runs just fine and to my ear and seat of the pants feel it is at least as good and i think even better. Now our car has 223K miles, and it has not had any flash or update of any sort since new. It has been extremely rare to even be at the dealership. For that reason i figure there were a few different changes Mopar put into our module, i am told they often tweak software over the years. It is not a bad thing, this update, i can tell you that. It still accelerates nicely and idles smoothly. We don't use much oil either, so we are no judge of that in this case.

 

[Delta Dart]

Has anyone had the "fix" ? And have you noticed any difference ?

I finally got it done last weekend, but only time will tell if there is any noticeable reduction in oil consumption. Driveability-wise I can't feel any difference, but then again the old butt dyno ain't what it used to be.

 

[Tamachick]

Our local Dodge dealer left us a message and said there was an open recall on my wife's 2014 Dart 2.4 SXT. She's had the shift cable fixed in 2019, the brake booster in 2016, and a software update in between. A search of the national VIN data base only shows these three, and all as being complied with. I visited the service department today, and they said this just came out last December, and is another "software update". When asked what they're updating, she just shrugged and said it's minor and should only take twenty minutes. Anyone else hear of this new "recall"? What is it they're correcting?

I hate it when the service rep won't talk specifics with me. Other then their prices, my biggest dealer gripe is that the service writers must think every owner is too stupid to understand what they're doing out in the shop. In the past I've expressed specific troubleshooting items to the service writer that were never passed on to the guy doing the work, and afterwards couldn't get many specifics of what was done back through the desk. Well, I digress....

I would just like to know what to look for after they've gotten their hands on the brains of her car. Anyone know what this one's about? Thanks.

At the dealership right now getting a recall done W20 was the code. Looked it up and it is for oil consumption and that is exactly the problem I have been having with my 2015 Dodge Dart as well. The oil would go somewhere and I was unaware of it happening and my car would stall out on me while driving. Did it 3 or 4 times, took it in and they could never find the problem, now there’s a recall..

 

[jsblanch]

At the dealership right now getting a recall done W20 was the code. Looked it up and it is for oil consumption and that is exactly the problem I have been having with my 2015 Dodge Dart as well. The oil would go somewhere and I was unaware of it happening and my car would stall out on me while driving. Did it 3 or 4 times, took it in and they could never find the problem, now there’s a recall..

It's not really a "recall", it's a service campaign, and probably only because a software flash is cheap goodwill if it works. They will never have an actual recall for this oil consumption issue, even if the software doesn't completely solve it, because running low on oil isn't really a safety issue. I mean, it is, but they have already mitigated the risk by recommending in the owner's manual that you check the oil level on a regular basis (they suggest with every fuel stop). As I've learned over the years, automakers don't actually have to correct a defect that creates a safety issue, they only have to mitigate the safety issue. The 1998 Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique had a batch of defective springs that were brittle and could shatter into multiple pieces. The fix? A small plastic shield in each wheel well that cost maybe $2 and took 2 minutes to install that would prevent the broken spring from puncturing the tire. Only the potential for a tire puncture was deemed to be a safety issue by the NHTSA, and so they did the absolute bare minimum possible to mitigate that particular risk without spending a cent in dealing with the actual problem.