MajorCommonFluid Leaks

Jeep Grand Cherokee: 3.0 CRD (Mercedes OM642) oil cooler and turbo seal oil leaks (WH/WK)

3.0 CRD (Mercedes OM642) oil cooler and turbo seal oil leaks (WH/WK) is a common fluid leaks fault on the Jeep Grand Cherokee on the 2005–2010 cars, and we rate it major. Putting it right costs $1,500 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. Below is what goes wrong, the symptoms to notice on a test drive, where to look, and what to ask the seller before you hand over any money. It is one of 31 documented faults on the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Vehicle: Jeep Grand Cherokee
Engine: 3.0L
Years: 2005–2010
Fuel: diesel
System: Fluid Leaks

This page covers the Jeep Grand Cherokee as a model. Some faults only affect particular engines or build years — enter a plate below to narrow the list to one car.

All Jeep Grand Cherokee faults31 documented faults on this model

What you are looking at

No photograph available

We do not hold a verified photograph of the Turbocharger yet. We would rather show none than show a picture of a different part.

What goes wrong

The Mercedes-sourced OM642 V6 diesel in the WH/WK Grand Cherokee has the engine oil cooler buried in the vee of the engine, and its seals harden and leak - oil runs down the back of the engine and is regularly misdiagnosed as a rear main seal. The job is expensive because the intake, turbo and injection hardware on top must come off to reach it. The same era also leaks from turbo seals, and the swirl-flap inlet motor and EGR sooting are known OM642 traits. Budget accordingly on any leaky example.

What you would notice

Oil accumulating in the engine valley or dripping at the transmission bellhousing area
Burning oil smell after highway running
Slow oil loss between services

How to check it

Where to look. Centre of the engine vee, under the intake, at the rear of the engine bay

Look down into the vee of the engine with a torch - wet black oil pooling around the intake area points to the oil cooler seals.
Check the driveway where the car is usually parked for drips.
Ask directly whether the oil cooler seals have been replaced (updated orange Viton seals are the fix).

Parts involved: Turbocharger.

What it costs to put right

$1,500 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

Ask the seller

“Have the oil cooler seals been done with the updated Viton parts?”
“How much oil does it use or leak between services?”

Now check the Jeep Grand Cherokee you are actually looking at

Everything above is true of the model, and it is free. What it does not tell you is whether THIS car has been looked after: its odometer history and whether the reading has ever gone backwards, whether there is still money owing on it, whether it has been reported stolen, how many owners it has had and what it is really worth today. That comes from the official records for that plate. Enter the plate for the free details, or get the full history and a market valuation from $13.49.

Not sure what you would be paying for? See what a full KickTyres check includes.

Where this comes from

The failure described above is documented in the sources below. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them.

conflictedracer WordPress - 2007-2008.5 WK CRD FAQ (Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel)
jeepgarage.org - WK/WH 3.0 CRD maintenance and oil leak threads
Widespread OM642 oil cooler seal documentation (Mercedes/Jeep workshop write-ups)

Jeep Grand Cherokee buyer questions

Is 3.0 crd (mercedes om642) oil cooler and turbo seal oil leaks (wh/wk) serious on a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

We rate it major and common on the Jeep Grand Cherokee. The Mercedes-sourced OM642 V6 diesel in the WH/WK Grand Cherokee has the engine oil cooler buried in the vee of the engine, and its seals harden and leak - oil runs down the back of the engine and is regularly misdiagnosed as a rear main seal. The job is expensive because the intake, turbo and injection hardware on top must come off to reach it. The same era also leaks from turbo seals, and the swirl-flap inlet motor and EGR sooting are known OM642 traits. Budget accordingly on any leaky example.

How much does it cost to fix on a Jeep Grand Cherokee?

$1,500 to $3,500 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That figure is for this job on its own. A car showing the symptoms on this page is usually worth either walking away from or negotiating down by at least the repair figure.

Which Jeep Grand Cherokee years are affected?

Our research records this fault on the 2005–2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Build dates move around, especially on imported cars, so treat the range as the years to look hardest at rather than a guarantee either way. The official records tell you the exact build and first registration date for the car in front of you.

How do I check for it before I buy?

Look down into the vee of the engine with a torch - wet black oil pooling around the intake area points to the oil cooler seals. Check the driveway where the car is usually parked for drips. Ask directly whether the oil cooler seals have been replaced (updated orange Viton seals are the fix). Look here: Centre of the engine vee, under the intake, at the rear of the engine bay