Ratcheting sound from engine bay and burning smell??

[BerettaBri]

I was driving home Sunday evening from some local driving and about 1 mile from my house my GCL starts making a "ratcheting" sound while in motion. It was loud and the best way I can describe the sound was that it sounded exactly like being on a roller coaster that is being taken up to the top of the launch hill by a chain drive. It did not make the noise while sitting still at a traffic light, and the speed of the ratcheting sound increased with speed of the car. I could smell a burning smell coming in through the vents, and then at one point close to home I heard what sounded like something breaking away and tossing around in the engine bay. It was dark and we had lousy weather going on here with rain coming down and then that is changing to snow overnight, so I couldn't really investigate, but when I looked in the engine bay I couldn't see anything that stood out. I parked the car in the driveway and I figure my best bet is to have AAA tow it to the dealer tomorrow rather than try to drive it further. I have about 5700 miles on the car. Has anyone had this happen to them, or anyone who has worked in service heard of this situation? The gremlins in the electronics have been annoying, but a mechanical issue is really putting me over the edge.

 

[Sarge]

Haven't heard of that yet, but Jeep should flatbed it to the dealer. I wouldn't drive it for fear of being stranded somewhere. It would be worth mentioning what drivetrain you have (V8, V6, 4x2, 4x4, air suspension, Quadradrive/Quadratrac, trim, etc).

 

[BerettaBri]

V6 4x4 Limited with Lux/Tech Package

 

[BerettaBri]

Diagnosis: Front driveshaft failure, and no immediate explanation why it happened. But they have ordered the parts and I am in a rental car they are providing. Would be nice to have something more equivalent to a Grand Cherokee than the squatty little Renegade they provided me, but I will pick my battles. They pulled the Renegade up to the front and I asked the Service Advisor, "Where's the rest of it??" I did take the opportunity tonight when they called me to give me the update on my GCL diagnosis that the Renegade's Advanced Braking System works, as it sounded off twice today when I was out - unlike my GCL's that they said they ran diagnostics and tests on last week and swear comes up as working properly.

 

[BerettaBri]

It took 2 weeks to the day I took it in to get my car back. So here are the service notes around this:
"Inspect vehicle found front drive shaft separated from front axle See MPI Pic. Star Case made. Installed 68380042AB. Restricted part 102033016. Remove lower shield. Remove Transmission Crossmember. Replace front driveshaft assembly. Part sent from STAR center. Install Crossmember and Shield. Road Test."

I asked what would cause a drive shaft to separate from the axle. Service advisor: No idea, it isn't in the notes

 

[Sarge]

I could be wrong but I recall others who had bolts loose. I would demand to know the cause when they repair it. It's your car, you absolutely have a right to know the details.

 

[BerettaBri]

It's really kind of a different animal, my experience dealing with Chrysler - maybe my experience is somewhat tainted by this car and it's "bugginess," and the short experience I had with my 21 WK2 purchase where it was missing features that were advertised to be on it but were found to not be because "they reserve the right to change packages without notice." I have been a GM guy for 20 years - 2 Camaros, an Avalanche, a Trailblazer... I went with the Grand Cherokees because I just wasn't inspired by the GM SUV offerings. The engine in the Traverse didn't impress me for towing and a Tahoe or Suburban is astronomically priced now. But even though GM wasn't perfect - none of them are - they have always taken care of me. I have never had a situation with them where they weren't bending over backwards for me as a consumer and owner - even after the warranty period ran out on the Avalanche and they had a documented issue of an engine issue, they brought me back in and fixed at no cost. I didn't deal with ambiguity. Even still, I have unfinished business with my advanced braking system and I can't seem to get anyone to listen. I was running around in a Renegade as a loaner car and the front radar sensor in that car seems to be set up in the same manner as the GC-L - fitted behind a flat spot in the front bumper. The Renegade's system worked for me when someone made a sudden left turn in front of me, and then when snow piled up on the front bumper I got a warning message that the system was disabling because the sensor was blocked. I am told they have run tests on my advanced brake system and it works. So I have covered up the sensor on the GC-L with a piece of cardboard and then with a shop towel wadded up and taped to the front of it and I can't get it to give me a "shutting off because the sensor is blocked" error message like I got from snow on the front of a Renegade. It's really absurd.

 

[Sarge]

My guess is they're absolutely overwhelmed by the number of problems they're having on these cars, so they don't even have the bandwidth to deal with the mess they've created. It's abysmal. Others are waiting FOUR MONTHS for replacement parts. It's insane. Anyone considering one of these needs to wait until the '23 model year based on my experience and what I'm seeing here. There's a chance you might get a functional vehicle that performs as advertised, but it's absolutely Russian roulette.