Is Leftover Casting Sand to Blame for a Jeep’s Heating and Cooling Problems?

A new lawsuit says the inevitability of your Jeep’s engine having sludge-related problems is set in stone, er … sand. As in, casting sand leftover during manufacturing of the cylinder heads.

The plaintiffs say all the sand must be removed or destroyed during production of the cylinder head or other component engine parts will suffer serious problems … any residual sand that remains from the sand-casting process in the engine can circulate through the vehicle’s cooling system and settle in the heater core, radiator, and oil cooling systems.

Over time the leftover sand mixes with fluids to create a thick sludge. The lawsuit narrows in on sludge building up at the bottom of the radiator reservoir, knocking out heating and cooling systems.

This isn’t the first time a Jeep vehicle has been accused of sludge-related problems. Early models of the Liberty have some issues with engine-killing oil sludge.