Major Vehicle Problems, Need Advice

Medic5916 · Jul 11, 2014

Our car has given us major problems ever since buying it here. We live in Jarabacoa and it was bought in La Vega.Honestly, we probably shouldn't have made the mistake of buying it in the first place. It is a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD (Diesel) 3.0 V6. We have taken it in to get it fixed now about four times. Each time it has honestly gotten worse.

Problems When we bought it: emitting a decent amount of black smoke on start-up and acceleration, idle was a little rough and would stall out if you did not hold the accelerator if it was the first start of the day. Small problems with tire pressure sensors and park-assist, but did not give us much problems past that.

Problems Started About 3 Months Ago: Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light would come on and it would not rev past 2000 rpm's (climbing the mountain to Jarabacoa became a process). It would only do this randomly and usually only after at least 45 minutes of continuous use but seemed more frequent as time went on. We took it to the diesel mechanic and he rebuilt our alternator. It seemed to run better after that.

Current Problems: The car will shut off frequently without warning and will display the electronic throttle control warning light. You wait about 30 seconds and it starts up fine but will flash the electronic throttle control light. We took it to the mechanic yesterday and had the EGR valve cleaned which is one of the problems linked to the electronic throttle control warning light. It ran fine yesterday for about 5 miles then it turned off twice in two minutes. Then this morning it turned off five times in less than 5 miles.

We are at the point where we are going to get a new car, but originally had intentions of getting our current car fixed then tradin it in. At this point, we took it to a dealer and they didn't want it at all. This car is "expensive" in good condition, but at this point we feel like nobody is going to know how to fix it. We would like to get a new car ASAP because my wife is the one who primarily will be driving it, as I have my motorcycle and she teaches in town.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

pelaut · Jul 11, 2014

Buy only Japanese cars, made IN Japan, for the American market, direct from the U.S. auction lots.
Google the VIN numbers for mileage, repair history, owners, etc., and spreadsheet a dozen or more before buying.

(I'm a former international management consultant to the auto industry).

Celt202 · Jul 11, 2014

pelaut said:
Buy only Japanese cars, made IN Japan, for the American market, direct from the U.S. auction lots.
Google the VIN numbers for mileage, repair history, owners, etc., and spreadsheet a dozen or more before buying.

(I'm a former international management consultant to the auto industry).

What are the US auction lots?

william webster · Jul 11, 2014

Buy/Sell of cars ..... dealers mostly..... isn't NJ a big one ?

jabejuventus · Jul 11, 2014

pelaut said:
Buy only Japanese cars, made IN Japan, for the American market, direct from the U.S. auction lots.
Google the VIN numbers for mileage, repair history, owners, etc., and spreadsheet a dozen or more before buying.

(I'm a former international management consultant to the auto industry).

Did not you could Google for this info.

rubio_higuey · Jul 11, 2014

Chryscar in Santo Domingo. Call Rony. They specialize mainly in Chrysler franchise vehicles. Professional and "American-like". Meaning they know what repair manual, circuit wiring manual, etc. are for. They are not as cheap as a street mechanic but much cheaper than official dealer's mechanics. That's probably as good as it gets for alternative mechanics, other than that you might be stuck with the official dealer (Reid & Co).

809-886-8181
They are close to Acuario near Av. Espana.

Tell them George from Higuey recommended you. I trust them with my vehicle.

VJS · Jul 11, 2014

I would recommend taking the car to Contin's shop in Santiago, see if they can get it fixed: Automecnica Contn. It's a professionally run shop and the main guy (Contin) speaks good English and gives you a straight story.

texan · Jul 11, 2014

I looked up your vehicle on the net. It says that is a mercedes motor. You might need a mechanic that can work on a diesel mercers motor. Is the check engine light on? Is there a way for you to read the codes if a check engine light is on ? Not sure who made the transmission for that motor.

I am guessing it a little harder to find a mechanic (and parts) to work on a diesel mercedes motor in an american car in the DR.
Maybe you can find a forum for that vehicle. I am sure there are common problems.

reilleyp · Jul 11, 2014

texan said:
I looked up your vehicle on the net. It says that is a mercedes motor. You might need a mechanic that can work on a diesel mercers motor. Is the check engine light on? Is there a way for you to read the codes if a check engine light is on ? Not sure who made the transmission for that motor.

I am guessing it a little harder to find a mechanic (and parts) to work on a diesel mercedes motor in an american car in the DR.
Maybe you can find a forum for that vehicle. I am sure there are common problems.

Sounds like a sensor is bad. Cleaning it will not fix it. Electronic throttle control or throttle position sensor. Taking it to someone who can give you the correct repair code and ordering the correct part should fix it.

rubio_higuey · Jul 11, 2014

As I said at Chryscar they work like any US repair shop would work. They plug a computer to your car to determine what's wrong. And then they follow repair manuals so they actually know how to fix it, not just patch it.
Well, of course they can also patch it if the spare is not available or you decide not to order the spare (yet) but in such case you will be aware that it's patched and not fixed.... compared to street mechanics who will take your car in, and after two hours tell you..."resuelto" only for you to just find 5 miles down the road that it's not.

Medic5916 · Jul 11, 2014

Thanks guys, appreciate all the help. It's really frustrating trying to fix a car that nobody truly knows what is wrong with it. We did pull the codes and the problem is there are many major problems as well as minor problems that throw those codes. They include swirl motor, bad turbo/EGR valve, or could be as little as faulty wiring or faulty fuel filter. Apparently the Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light is a bad sign in general and can be a sign of many more problems.

As of right now we called Chryscar in Santo Domingo and talked to Rory. Even told him George from Higuey recommended him, thanks George. He said he knew the problem and could fix it, the fun part is going to be getting it there with it shutting off every two minutes.

Again, appreciate all the help guys. I'll let you know how it goes.

bob saunders · Jul 11, 2014

Medic5916 said:
Thanks guys, appreciate all the help. It's really frustrating trying to fix a car that nobody truly knows what is wrong with it. We did pull the codes and the problem is there are many major problems as well as minor problems that throw those codes. They include swirl motor, bad turbo/EGR valve, or could be as little as faulty wiring or faulty fuel filter. Apparently the Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light is a bad sign in general and can be a sign of many more problems.

As of right now we called Chryscar in Santo Domingo and talked to Rory. Even told him George from Higuey recommended him, thanks George. He said he knew the problem and could fix it, the fun part is going to be getting it there with it shutting off every two minutes.

Again, appreciate all the help guys. I'll let you know how it goes.

Where in Jarabacoa have you taken the Jeep? Centro Automotriz Jimenez (Jose Manuel Jimenez) 849-763-3337 knows diesels well and he speaks English and has Computerized Diagnostic equipment. I don't know his level of knowledge with Chryslers.
Best cheap mechanic with a good reputation is Mama Lila's in Medina. 809-574-2887.

Medic5916 · Jul 11, 2014

bob saunders said:
Where in Jarabacoa have you taken the Jeep? Centro Automotriz Jimenez (Jose Manuel Jimenez) 849-763-3337 knows diesels well and he speaks English and has Computerized Diagnostic equipment. I don't know his level of knowledge with Chryslers.

We took it to Eduardo. He was recommended by a few Dominicans that own transportation services in the area and they say that he does very well with almost all of his repairs. We are willing to take it anywhere to have the problems fixed. We are leaving to go to Santo Domingo anytime now. The way the mechanic talked about the problem, it seems like he has dealt with it before.

Medic5916 · Jul 11, 2014

pelaut said:
Buy only Japanese cars, made IN Japan, for the American market, direct from the U.S. auction lots.
Google the VIN numbers for mileage, repair history, owners, etc., and spreadsheet a dozen or more before buying.

(I'm a former international management consultant to the auto industry).

I noticed that you have posted this on similiar posts about people looking for new cars. What is the best way to go about buying cars directly from the U.S. auction lots?

bob saunders · Jul 11, 2014

Medic5916 said:
We took it to Eduardo. He was recommended by a few Dominicans that own transportation services in the area and they say that he does very well with almost all of his repairs. We are willing to take it anywhere to have the problems fixed. We are leaving to go to Santo Domingo anytime now. The way the mechanic talked about the problem, it seems like he has dealt with it before.

Jose Manual Jim?nez is on the way out of town on the right as you go down the hill, before you get to the new Ferreter?a. He's not fluent in English but enough to communicate with. Good luck.

cndeh · Jul 11, 2014

Hey,

I too have a Diesel Jeep, a Wrangler. Your problems mostly stem from the Diesel fuel itself. I went through a similar issue when I first got my Jeep. I found that if I stuck to the Diesel at Shell the engine sensors did not get gummed up and the vehicle did not smoke. The Diesel they sell down here is far below grade for automotive use. I use an additive about every 4th fill up to keep things clean, STP is my friend.

I had the exact same sensor problems and they have since gone away after I removed them and cleaned everything and started using a better grade of Diesel. Your sensors might be to the point where a cleaning won't bring them back to life and they may need to be replaced. If you are handy I can tell you how to pull the trouble codes out of the car using just your key and the odometer display. To reset them yourself you'll need an OBDII scan tool or a trip to a mechanic. A scanner costs less than $100 and you can get one from amazon or ebay.

Hope this helps,

rob

william webster · Jul 11, 2014

My Wrangler (2005) hates the gas here so I blend regular and premium - 50/50.... no more check engine light and cheaper than additivo.

As to the Mercedes motor.... its more than that..... the whole undercarriage is Mercedes - a left over from the Chrysler / Mercedes ownership.
My 2012 Grand Cherokee in NoAmerica is totally a Mercedes underneath as far as I know....

Not a bad thing....

JayinRD · Jul 11, 2014

Not the input u car folks wanted but....My life in the RD is so much easier, cheaper , less stressful, less dangerous without the liability of a car. Sell the car for whatever u can get. Find a few reliable taxistas and dont be taxista cheap...pay the 100 pesos for in town trips in jarabacao, 400 to la vega. In the long run so much easier.

playacaribe2 · Jul 11, 2014

Medic5916 said:
I noticed that you have posted this on similiar posts about people looking for new cars. What is the best way to go about buying cars directly from the U.S. auction lots?

Those auctions are almost exclusively open to dealers only and some parts of the auction are limited only to franchise dealers of a particular brand.

I disagree with buying only Japanese cars made in Japan.

For the lay person, buy a copy of Consumer Reports' annual auto issue (April of every year) for a very good comparison regarding quality, features etc. of the model/models you may be interested in. The magazine provides data on the last 12 years of cars....including those to avoid. It only covers automobiles made for the US market. It is available online for a small fee.

There are far more extensive databases, but those are subscription only and rather expensive and usually only subscribed to by those in the automotive industry with a need to know.

Good Luck.

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

william webster · Jul 11, 2014

I'm with PC2.....

my Suzuki XL-7 was built in Canada (Ingersoll/Tilsonburg) alongside the Chev's and GMC's....
built for export.

I think the export cars have less complications.... not quite as sophisticated electronically.

anyway......... the Google VIN search may not work for export cars which are not in the database.

Major Vehicle Problems, Need Advice

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