I just wanted to share my recent experience attempting to find a replacement starter for a 2018 grand Cherokee 3.6 and hopefully save someone a headache in the future.

A customer brought in their jeep for misfiring and dying. During the course of diagnosis, the starter burned out (I’m guessing because the customer spent too much time cranking it when it would die) and the only replacement my parts supplier (Arnold Motor Supply) could find was 2 days out.

I didn’t know at the time it was ordered, but it was an AC Delco 336-2185. Initially it looked correct but once I got it side by side with the original, it was clearly not a match. The nose cone is much shorter and the bolt holes don’t line up.

My parts guy (who is very experienced and knowledgeable) didn’t have an answer for me - according to the place he sourced it from, it should’ve been correct.

I called NAPA, O’Reilly, and the local dealership - NAPA couldn’t get one at all and O’Reilly and the dealership were 3 weeks out for new or reman replacements. I ended up taking it to a local auto-electric shop for repair.

I just wanted to get the word out that if you’re searching for a replacement starter for these 3.6 engines, don’t trust that specific AC Delco as a replacement.

Also, just for kicks, I decided to see what happened with the starter for myself before having it repaired - the solenoid coil had shorted to ground and the power wire between the solenoid and motor had broken free of the brushes.

 

hey ! i just want to ask how did that work out for you

 

The auto-electric shop wasn’t able to repair the starter (I’m not sure why - they spoke to my boss) but they managed to source the correct replacement, which we had the next day.