STAR Center News
June 2014

June Announcements

The STAR News link has always been
located in TechConnect on the home page
beneath the SEARCH Box as shown in the
graphic below. In addition STAR News will
now be accessible through other
communication channels including:

WHAT’S NEW! STAR
News to be published
Monthly in 2014

STAR Renewed Mission & Objectives:
1. Provide technical repair guidance to
successfully FIX CARS FAST.
2. Our goal is first contact resolution and
we now monitor the time it takes to
resolve every ticket and confirm the
vehicle is repaired.
3. We identify Top Issues to share with
Quality and Engineering for timely
resolution and publication of service
action (STAR On Line, Service Bulletin,
Manual Update, etc.).
4. We are making calls to Technician and
Service Managers to ensure the vehicle
is successfully repaired prior to closing
tickets.
DID YOU KNOW …
STAR receives on average 1,000 contacts per
day … that’s 300,000 annual contacts for
technical assistance.
This same month last year we had over 40,000
open aged > 5 days tickets. As a result of
focused efforts to verify vehicles are repaired
and close tickets the number is now at just
under 7,000 tickets.

We have reduced average days to close a
ticket by 50% from this same time last year.
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No. 84

1. Link on the LMS (Academy Site)
2. Monthly Master Tech
3. Instructor Lead Training will include
a reminder of electronic file location
and hard copies, when possible
4. Via email subscription – details to
follow next month on how to submit
your email to receive a monthly
electronic copy of the STAR News.

Something to say?
Send up your questions, comments,
suggestions, etc…

STAR Center Manager
starmgmt@chrysler.com
STAR News Feedback
starnews@chrysler.com

Future publications will have standard monthly
content sections to include the following topics:

STAR Monthly Publication Contents
1. Letters from STAR Leadership
2. Technician Confirmed Repairs
3. Service Information Updates
4. ECS Enhancements & Updates
5. wiTECH Updates
6. New Repair Procedure Updates
STAR Center Hours of Operation
M-F 8am-Midnight * Sat 9am-6pm * Open thru Lunch

Monday – Friday
1-800-850-STAR

Saturday
8:00 AM – Midnight

9:00 AM –

STAR Center News
June 2014

No. 84

ATTENTION---SERVICE BULLETIN 21-018-14/RRT 14-040 ---FLASH:
TRANSMISSION SHIFT AND DIAGNOSTIC ENHANCEMENTS RELEASED
FOR 2014 JEEP CHEROKEE (KL)
Chrysler has released a new Transmission software and calibration update for the 2014
Jeep Cherokee equipped with either the 2.4L or 3.2L engine. This software and calibration
update implements a number of shift quality enhancements aimed at customer
satisfaction. These include:







Improved garage shifts (Park to Reverse or Drive).
Improved coastdown shift quality.
Improved shift quality.
Improved throttle response and performance feel
Management and prevention of busy shifting.
Improved lift foot/change mind shift quality.

Dealers are requested to flash all unsold Jeep Cherokees and update any sold vehicle
where the customer indicates they have undesirable shift quality.
NOTE:

SOME VEHICLES MAY ALSO REQUIRE THE TRANSMISSION
ADAPTATION PROCEDURE TO BE PERFORMED. REFER TO THE
TABLE BELOW:

Service Action
Existing
Software Level
(Prior to
Reflash)
All except
below
682235$$AN or
682354$$AN
($$ are wild cards for
any number)

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Engine
2.4L
3.2L
2.4L

Reflash
x
x
x

Service Bulletin 21-013-13
Subjective Evaluation
x
x
Not Required

3.2L

x

Not Required

STAR Center

Monday – Friday
1-800-850-STAR

Service Bulletin
21-013-13
Adaptive Drive
As Necessary
As Necessary
Not Required
Not Required

Saturday
8:00 AM – Midnight

9:00 AM –

STAR Center News
June 2014

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STAR Center

Monday – Friday
1-800-850-STAR

No. 84

Saturday
8:00 AM – Midnight

9:00 AM –

STAR Center News
June 2014

have the “silver bullet” on every issue, we
are committed to taking any issues that we
don’t have an answer to and finding those
answers for you.

FROM STAR LEADERSHIP
KERRY MURAWSKI, LISA SACINO

This month I would like to provide some
tips to speed up the technical assistance
process.
STAR has the same goal that you have as
a technician, to repair the vehicle as quickly
as possible. We are constantly looking at
our internal process to improve the
assistance process. Below are a few key
things that YOU can do to help speed up
the process.
1. Begin the request with the customer
concern. Many times we forget to
include this critical bit of information.
2. Include testing that you performed and
the results of those tests.
3. Include any repair history if applicable.
4. Include ALL DTCs that are setting and if
they are active or stored.
5. Perform a vehicle configuration and
vehicle scan report. This is important to
confirm the vehicle information and also
the module part numbers/software
levels.
6. Continue to resubmit the case to STAR
if you need additional assistance. We
are here to help you and need your test
results to determine the next steps.
7. If you have a case that is not
progressing at an expected rate,
contact Starmgmt@chrysler.com to get
an update. This comes to me and my
management team to help kick start a
case that is not progressing. This will
prevent unnecessary calls to your BC or
your TA.
STAR is here to assist you in getting repair
information. While we may not always
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No. 84

On a related topic, let me explain what the
different levels are in the assistance
process:
STAR = First level of support for all the
Tech Requests for Assistance. We start
documenting the case with you, collect
information and will follow up to determine
if you need additional guidance or if the
vehicle is repaired.
Master Consultants = Second level of
assistance internally in the STAR Center.
Their responsibility is to review previous
case details to determine if there are any
additional tests that can be recommended
or if the case needs assistance at a higher
level.
FTS Group (Field Technical Support) = A
true second level of support that handles all
cases “escalated” from the STAR Center.
They also assist our Tech Advisors in the
field when they are seeking information
from the Engineering community. The FTS
group can escalate the case to the BC for
“Hands-on” assistance to resolve customer
concerns if it’s deemed necessary.
Business Center (BC)= If the case is sent
to the BC for assistance, the DM, WAM
and the TA’s for that BC are all included in
the communication. They collectively
determine what needs to occur and then
will schedule the appropriate person to
assist at the dealer. Assistance can range
from an actual dealer visit, a follow up

Monday – Friday
1-800-850-STAR

Saturday
8:00 AM – Midnight

9:00 AM –

STAR Center News
June 2014

No. 84

email or a direct call from the DM, WAM or
the TA to provide assistance.

the new sensor is interchangeable with the
old sensor.

As a reminder, PLEASE close any and all
tickets that you know have confirmed the
vehicle is repaired. In your ticket closing,
include the details of what the repair was
and if there was any special information
that lead to that repair solution.

Changes Coming for Tire Pressure
Monitor (TPM) Systems
Starting in April, 2014 JK Tire Pressure
Monitor (TPM) sensors will have a slightly
different appearance. The old Schrader
WAL I sensor is black.

As shown in the photo above, the new
Schrader WAL II sensor is identical in
shape to the WAL I but is a different color.
It’s gray instead of black. New production
will be equipped with the gray sensor.
Also, as Mopar inventories are depleted,
the gray sensor should be ordered and
used in place of the black sensor. There is
no change in the installation procedure and
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STAR Center

For instance, it can be mixed with the
black sensors for a TPM sensor repair on
one wheel. All of the wheels on the same
vehicle do not need to use the same color
sensor.
The new gray sensor will also be used for
some new 2015 car models (Fiat 500,
Dodge Journey, and minivans) that use
Schrader TPM sensors.

Gold Tool Award Flashback
Greg Stril, a technician at Tacoma Dodge
Chrysler
Jeep
Ram
in
Tacoma
Washington, shows off a collection of Gold
Tool Awards at the Chrysler Training
Center in Portland, Oregon.

Included is a Walter P. Chrysler toolbox
from 1985 that the tools were stored in.
The box and many of the tools were left to
him by his uncle David Stril, who was a
long-time Chrysler tech himself.
The
collection dates back to 1975 and is in
excellent condition. Greg has added many
of his own Gold Tools to the collection his
uncle started.
Cool stuff, Greg! Thanks for sharing!

Monday – Friday
1-800-850-STAR

Saturday
8:00 AM – Midnight

9:00 AM –

STAR Center News
June 2014
-----------------------------------------------------

3.2L/3.6L Engine Noise
Recordings
If your dealership receives any 3.2L/3.6L
with an engine noise that can be
duplicated,
Chrysler
Engineering
is
requesting a 10-second cell phone
video/audio
file
be
E-Mailed
to:
cem5@chrysler.com between now and
the end of July 2014. Please include the
last 8 of the VIN, the mileage and a
description of when the noise was
experienced (for example: cold start idle
whine, ticking at 25 MPH, etc.).
Note: The E-Mail file size must be less
than 10 MB in order to get through.