Annnnnd the Grand Cherokee 4XE recall advising people to STOP CHARGING their vehicles or they may catch FIRE has completely wasted the extra investment in the plug in hybrid vehicle.
Wife has a pretty good bit of buyer's remorse with the 4XE now because the SW update that makes the gas engine run long enough to heat the oil past the gasoline evap point already impacted the electric range of the vehicle. As I understand it, the gasoline contamination of the oil was becoming an issue because folks were only running the gas engines briefly and never getting them hot enough, long enough to evaporate gas contamination of the oil, resulting in reduced lubrication and oil life. Definitely not bueno in a turbocharged 4 banger. Jeep's solution was to change the software to shut off the electric motor and FORCE ICE use to get it up to temp and prevent thinning the oil out. There is a class action lawsuit on that issue.
So, basically, Grand Cherokee 4XE owners now have asspensive turbo 4 cylinder SUVs.
I'm looking into the state's lemon law as an avenue to force a buyback and she says she'll pick up a new wrangler. We'll see how that plays out.
The Grand Cherokee IS still a very comfortable vehicle to ride in and that turbo 4 is pretty peppy even if it does sound like it's gonna come apart at full throttle.
Meanwhile, Hertz has decided to divest themselves of all their Chevy Bolt SUVs. I'm going to test drive one and see if I can't get it cheap. Hertz completed all the recall battery swaps on their fleet, so that should be done. IF i fit in it and don't hate it, I'll see if I can find one that had the battery replacement done recently to maximize battery life.
We do have a possible move coming up due to her career (mine is nearly over, so if she moves, I'm going to telework if the boss allows it or, retire early if he balks). Won't buy anything soon if that move materializes.
The only thing that bothers me is model 3s are notorious for getting a stinky AC smell when you first turn it on. I replaced the cabin filter and cleaned the evaporator and it went away. Wife washed the car and smell is back. Apparently you are supposed to turn the car on “car wash mode” when you wash it and it blocks off the air intake from the outside so no moisture gets sucked into the filter. Seems pretty retarded because then what about when it rains? Still need to do more research on that.
