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Old 03-22-2016, 08:48 PM   #1
TURBO-DIESEL-FREAK
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Default Are aftermarket parts acceptable?

Hello, All Chrysler Dealers:

I am a very small time manufacturer of an aftermarket engine thermostat for the Jeep Liberty CRD. This vehicle's engine thermostat has been a source of trouble for Liberty CRD owners North America wide for years, and the replacement O.E. part offered by Chrysler is junk.

Is there a market among Chrysler Dealers who know of this problem because they still have Liberty CRD owners who complain about lack of cabin heat, poor reliability, poor fuel economy, and poor power delivery? I do not want to tread where i do not belong, but I do have to try and move my product more effectively.

My product is proven in the field, with satisfied customers from the Florida panhandle to Alaska. It has a machined housing with a removable cap that uses Hemi thermostats, and the quality is peerless.



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Old 03-23-2016, 02:30 PM   #2
XDCX
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Thanks for creating the thread - it's an interesting topic.

Based on my experience I think most dealers are going to stick with OEM parts unless there is a part or accessory that's in demand by the retail customers and the OEM doesn't offer a product. A perfect example of this in the old days was the cup-holders that were available for the XJ Cherokees. Customers wanted cup-holders and Mopar didn't offer an accessory but the aftermarket did. (I was told that Chrysler's attorneys wouldn't approve any cup-holder accessory that might interfere with the parking brake handle between the seats - that's why Mopar surrendered the business to the aftermarket.)

In your case, I think many Jeep dealers would be apprehensive to sell your thermostat because they fear they'd be subject to a small claims court case in the event the part failed and caused engine damage. While I concede the odds of this happening are very low, it's a risk that a Parts Manager or Service Manager would expose themselves to. When a dealer sells an OEM part they know the OEM is going to back the part from a product liability perspective - that's not always a certainty when dealing with an aftermarket part.

On a final note, if I can ask, is the CRD thermostat your only product or do you manufacture other products?
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Old 03-24-2016, 04:39 PM   #3
TURBO-DIESEL-FREAK
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XDCX View Post
Thanks for creating the thread - it's an interesting topic.

Based on my experience I think most dealers are going to stick with OEM parts unless there is a part or accessory that's in demand by the retail customers and the OEM doesn't offer a product. A perfect example of this in the old days was the cup-holders that were available for the XJ Cherokees. Customers wanted cup-holders and Mopar didn't offer an accessory but the aftermarket did. (I was told that Chrysler's attorneys wouldn't approve any cup-holder accessory that might interfere with the parking brake handle between the seats - that's why Mopar surrendered the business to the aftermarket.)

In your case, I think many Jeep dealers would be apprehensive to sell your thermostat because they fear they'd be subject to a small claims court case in the event the part failed and caused engine damage. While I concede the odds of this happening are very low, it's a risk that a Parts Manager or Service Manager would expose themselves to. When a dealer sells an OEM part they know the OEM is going to back the part from a product liability perspective - that's not always a certainty when dealing with an aftermarket part.

On a final note, if I can ask, is the CRD thermostat your only product or do you manufacture other products?

Thank you for the reply. This thermostat is the only product I manufacture at the present time, although I am looking to re-design and manufacture an upgraded thermostat assembly for the current V.M. Motori 2.8L engine in the GMC Canyon and Chevrolet Colorado, and in Jeep Wranglers in Europe.

The whole reason why I created the Hot Diesel Solutions Model 001 thermostat assembly is because the O.E. part is so terrible.

It is of questionable quality because it fails too often, (every 50,000 miles or so), and it is very expensive to replace because you have to change out the entire assembly. It also has a thermostat valve inside that is set to open at way too low a temperature, (this was done to cut NOX emissions), for efficient and reliable operation of the engine.

The Factory Service Manual for the 2005 - 2006 Jeep Liberty CRD states that the opening temperature for the thermostat valve in the O.E. assembly is 176 degrees Fahrenheit. You can ask any diesel engine manufacturer, engineer, or technician about this opening temperature, and the most likely response that you will get from them will be one of surprise, followed by a comment questioning the wisdom of such a low opening temperature. Any modern engine should be running at much higher temperatures in order to produce more power and to be more efficient and reliable. This is especially the case with modern diesel engines with pollution control systems as the engine must run at high enough a temperature to properly burn the pollutants off. NOX emissions have always been a bugbear to deal with, as the temperature requirements needed to cut them run counter to what is required to cut other pollutants and for proper operation of the engine.

The results of using the O.E. thermostat are well known to Chrysler Dealers that service the Liberty CRD, and especially Liberty CRD owners. Engine intake systems - especially in colder climates - are regularly clogged out because the engine simply does not get up to high enough of a temperature to burn off crankcase ventings and diesel particulate exhaust. The engine oil is affected by this, necessitating more frequent oil changes. It has been so bad that there has been increase rocker wear in the valve train, and completely clogged out cylinder heads that have to be removed, disassembled and hot tanked to clean them out.

Chrysler does not offer a higher temperature alternative, so I had no choice but to design my own thermostat assembly, if for no other reason than for the proper operation of my own two Liberty CRDs.

The Model 001 has serviceability built into the design with the removable cap that allows the owner to change out just the thermostat valve. This saves the owner a great deal of money and time performing this service because you never have to change out the housing again with the Model 001. The thermostat I chose for the Model 001 is the same one used in the Hemi V-8 line of gasoline engines. This was deliberately chosen for the following reasons…

1) It is available in 3 different hotter opening temperatures than the O.E. valve.
2) It is commonly available anywhere, and will be available for years to come.
3) The Hemi valve is considerable larger than the O.E. valve, and therefore in conjunction with the larger housing will flow more coolant during times of heavy demands on the engine, like towing in hot weather.

There are also extra threaded ports designed into the housing to safely and conveniently install aftermarket temperature sending units for conversions to electric cooling fans and aftermarket, (read that as ACCURATE), engine temperature gauges.

I am fully aware of the liability issues with manufacturing automotive products. This is why the Model 001's housing, cap and hose barbs are machined out of solid blocks of 6061 aluminum... the entire unit is far stronger than the O.E. housing. Prototypes were tested in 2014 under torture conditions and have performed flawlessly; getting the engine up to a proper operating temperature with no leaks and no overheat conditions. I already have about 100 customers throughout North America with the Model 001 installed in their vehicles, and every one of my customers have been completely satisfied with the Hot Diesel Solutions Model 001 Engine Thermostat Assembly.
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Old 03-25-2016, 11:54 AM   #4
XDCX
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Thanks for the information - I give you credit for finding a solution to a problem that no one else has addressed.

In a perfect world the adage of "If you build a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door" would ring true. In the real world, however, having a better product isn't as important as having a better distribution/marketing/advertising strategy.

While I wish you much success my bet is you'll find it difficult to sell your part at Jeep Dealerships. I don't want to discourage you, but I also don't want to fill you with false hope. The typical Parts Manager at a Jeep Dealership doesn't see enough volume of CRD thermostat sales to warrant using another vendor - even if the issue of product liability was off the table.

If it were me, I'd focus on the end user and try to reach those individuals via the Internet - places like JeepForum.com.
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